Continuing the three-part series started yesterday, here's the second installment of the thirty best logos, one from each franchise. As I said yesterday, many thanks to Chris Creamer and sportslogos.net.
20. Texas Rangers, primary, 1984-1993
Like about half the logos on this list, the only thing I can think of when I see this is "Nolan Ryan." Anyway, I've always had a soft spot for this logo. There's something so calmingly retro about it, I just can't explain. I'm confused as to why the state of Texas is bulging due to a huge baseball in the middle of it (they really couldn't have fit the ball within the state's normal borders?), but there's nothing bad about this.
19. New York Yankees, primary, 1913-1946
Babe Ruth. Tradition. Lou Gehrig. Aura. Mystique. Sorry, I got carried away there. This logo gets props for being "classic" in a way that's actually not bad. The interlocking NY is admittedly iconic, and they've more or less kept it the same since the early 20th century. Also, this logo gets points for not being the Yankees' only other logo--the terrible one with the hat.
18. Boston Red Sox, primary, 1976-2008
Ha, the Red Sox beat the Yankees! Take that, Aaron Boone! This is another classic-seeming logo (though it's only actually been around since the 1970s, apparently). I like the socks on the baseball, though I actually prefer it with the team name surrounding it (as opposed to this earlier model). Honestly, this logo's kind of boring, in that there's nothing particularly exciting about it, but I can't find any flaws with it. Solid job.
17. Minnesota Twins, primary, 1976-1986
There are a number of variations on the Minnie & Paul theme, but I like this one the best. The "Win! Twins!" theme is hokey in a very cute way, and the whole concept is just a lot of fun. That said, it's way too busy to be a really effective logo. It strikes me more as a cartoon that the Minneapolis Star Tribune would have run in the 1960s. This is probably ranked too high (as in, closer to #1), but I'm just a huge fan of the friendly twin city embodiments.
16. Houston Astros, primary, 1975-1993
Whoever thought to put the Astrodome on this team's logo was either an idiot or a genius. Honestly, though, it works pretty well. I don't like how it distracts from the team (they should be the focus, not their stadium), but the Astrodome was such a key part of the Astros' identity that it makes some sense. The atom symbol doesn't though. Just because a team is related to space doesn't mean that they get to envelop everything science related. This logo is so dated that you can't help but love it.
15. Chicago Cubs, primary, 1979-present
At first I chose this logo for the Cubbies, and then realized I was making a huge mistake. Similar to the Sox logo above, this one seems so familiar that you don't realize it didn't exist in its present form until 1979. That being said, I just love it. Again similar to the Sox logo, there's nothing particularly great about it, hence why I can't rank it higher, but I like it a lot nonetheless.
14. Philadelphia Phillies, primary, 1992-present
There's a lot going on in this logo. Unlike with some other logos, however, that's not that much of a problem, as it all goes together pretty well. We have a baseball diamond, a liberty bell, and the team name with stars dotting the "i"s, but I don't have any big problems with it. The red, white, and blue is a bit conventional--but what did you expect from a team with a liberty bell on its logo?--and they don't always go well together. In fact, there's so much of each of these colors that it can get a bit distracting. Still, this is a classy logo.
13. Detroit Tigers, primary, 1961-1993
This (cocaine using?) tiger isn't the fiercest--though it's better than this--but it's a good logo nonetheless. It gets to the point: here is our name, here are our colors, here is a visual representation of our team name. They lose a little bit, but not that much, due to the sloppiness of the tiger.
12. Pittsburgh Pirates, primary, 1968-1986
I really like this. Rather than make the pirate seem too fierce, as this team's been known to do, they have a simple drawing of a guy on what looks like a wanted poster. The team name is a little bit on the small side, and the drawing is perhaps too complex--ideally, you'll want your logo to be easily drawable by kids--but I can overlook that. I love how the "paper" is tearing around the edges, as well as the nails in the corners. Good stuff. (Side-note: does anybody else think the pirate looks like Jim Palmer?)
11. Los Angeles Dodgers, primary, 1958-present
Speaking of classic, the Dodgers haven't changed their logo since they moved out west. It's easy to see why. The great Dodgers script is the best script logo in the game, and the shooting ball adds a bit of color (red) to the logo without overpowering the traditional blue in any way. The logo is lively enough without being distracting in any way. True, it's a bit boring like all "classic" logos are, but this one does it better than almost any of the others.
Showing posts with label NYY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYY. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
2011 Predictions: AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
So, uhh, nice offseason there, eh? The Red Sox have an absolutely dominant lineup, bolstered by new acquisitions Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, that will wreak havoc on the AL's pitching. That much is undeniable. This team's rotation, while strong, is their wild card. Josh Beckett hasn't been ace-level since 2007, John Lackey was somewhat of a disappointment last year, and who knows if Daisuke Matsuzaka can stay healthy for any extended period of time. Thank heavens for Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, though if they can't repeat their 2010 successes this team could be poised for disappointment
Bottom line: This team can be one of the all-time greats if their pitching falls into place.
2. New York Yankees
This team makes me very nervous, and not in a way that their fans would like. Is it nice to have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Robinson Cano in the same lineup? Of course it is. The number of questions, however, outweighs the number of certainties. For instance: who do they have beyond that aforementioned big three? What happens if age continues to catch up with Derek Jeter? And what the hell is Andruw Jones, who arguably hasn't been good since 2006, doing in this lineup? Color me skeptical. As for the pitching, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett have to turn in big years, or this team is screwed. C.C. Sabathia can't do it all alone, you know? Honestly, if things don't click quite right for this team, we could see them fall down to third place in the division.
Bottom line: A team that has more questions than answers, and way too much riding on a small number of iffy players, can't be counted on for much. And yet, they are the Yankees....
3. Tampa Bay Rays
The 2011 incarnation of the Rays is clearly inferior to the Rays of years past. Evan Longoria anchors a fairly weak lineup that's counting on big contributions from Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon (which is something of a tenuous prospect). The rest of the lineup consists of semi-promising players who haven't really been able to get it together. (Burning question: is this the year B.J. Upton finally breaks out?) The pitching is a bit more formidable, with ace David Price looking to continue his 2010 dominance. Past him, though, the Rays are hoping that Jeff Niemann can recapture his pre-All Star break magic, and that top prospect Jeremy Hellickson can deliver.
Bottom line: I don't really see a way that this team beats the Red Sox or the Yankees, but the Rays have surprised before.
4. Baltimore Orioles
I always pick the Orioles to do well and they never do. This, though, may finally be the year. Okay, maybe "well" is a strong term, but I don't think they'll finish in the basement! An already-strong lineup got better with the additions of Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, and Vladimir Guerrero. While these three won't save the team alone, they should be nice complements to the regular crew (Roberts, Jones, and Markakis). If Matt Wieters finally shows the potential that has been so written about, look out. The pitching is not very good, but has some promise with Brian Matusz and Jeremy Guthrie. Beyond them, though, is a hodgepodge of young guns who the Orioles are hoping will impress.
Bottom line: If their hitting delivers, and their pitching surprises, they could be a team to watch. If not? This could be just another disappointing Orioles team in a long line of them.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
I love the direction this team is taking, but that doesn't mean that they'll be any good this year. Their lineup is comprised of late-20s retreads, save for newly-anointed superstar Jose Bautista, and their rotation consists of near-rookie question marks. The Blue Jays have a ton of promise for the future, but I don't think that future is now. The best outcome to the season is the Jays' prospects delivering the team a surprising fourth (or even third?) place finish, signaling a bright future for the team.
Bottom line: Enjoy your stars of the future, Jays fans--just don't expect too much from them yet.
So, uhh, nice offseason there, eh? The Red Sox have an absolutely dominant lineup, bolstered by new acquisitions Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, that will wreak havoc on the AL's pitching. That much is undeniable. This team's rotation, while strong, is their wild card. Josh Beckett hasn't been ace-level since 2007, John Lackey was somewhat of a disappointment last year, and who knows if Daisuke Matsuzaka can stay healthy for any extended period of time. Thank heavens for Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, though if they can't repeat their 2010 successes this team could be poised for disappointment
Bottom line: This team can be one of the all-time greats if their pitching falls into place.
2. New York Yankees
This team makes me very nervous, and not in a way that their fans would like. Is it nice to have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Robinson Cano in the same lineup? Of course it is. The number of questions, however, outweighs the number of certainties. For instance: who do they have beyond that aforementioned big three? What happens if age continues to catch up with Derek Jeter? And what the hell is Andruw Jones, who arguably hasn't been good since 2006, doing in this lineup? Color me skeptical. As for the pitching, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett have to turn in big years, or this team is screwed. C.C. Sabathia can't do it all alone, you know? Honestly, if things don't click quite right for this team, we could see them fall down to third place in the division.
Bottom line: A team that has more questions than answers, and way too much riding on a small number of iffy players, can't be counted on for much. And yet, they are the Yankees....
3. Tampa Bay Rays
The 2011 incarnation of the Rays is clearly inferior to the Rays of years past. Evan Longoria anchors a fairly weak lineup that's counting on big contributions from Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon (which is something of a tenuous prospect). The rest of the lineup consists of semi-promising players who haven't really been able to get it together. (Burning question: is this the year B.J. Upton finally breaks out?) The pitching is a bit more formidable, with ace David Price looking to continue his 2010 dominance. Past him, though, the Rays are hoping that Jeff Niemann can recapture his pre-All Star break magic, and that top prospect Jeremy Hellickson can deliver.
Bottom line: I don't really see a way that this team beats the Red Sox or the Yankees, but the Rays have surprised before.
4. Baltimore Orioles
I always pick the Orioles to do well and they never do. This, though, may finally be the year. Okay, maybe "well" is a strong term, but I don't think they'll finish in the basement! An already-strong lineup got better with the additions of Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, and Vladimir Guerrero. While these three won't save the team alone, they should be nice complements to the regular crew (Roberts, Jones, and Markakis). If Matt Wieters finally shows the potential that has been so written about, look out. The pitching is not very good, but has some promise with Brian Matusz and Jeremy Guthrie. Beyond them, though, is a hodgepodge of young guns who the Orioles are hoping will impress.
Bottom line: If their hitting delivers, and their pitching surprises, they could be a team to watch. If not? This could be just another disappointing Orioles team in a long line of them.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
I love the direction this team is taking, but that doesn't mean that they'll be any good this year. Their lineup is comprised of late-20s retreads, save for newly-anointed superstar Jose Bautista, and their rotation consists of near-rookie question marks. The Blue Jays have a ton of promise for the future, but I don't think that future is now. The best outcome to the season is the Jays' prospects delivering the team a surprising fourth (or even third?) place finish, signaling a bright future for the team.
Bottom line: Enjoy your stars of the future, Jays fans--just don't expect too much from them yet.
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