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 TEX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TEX. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
2011 Predictions: AL West
1. Oakland Athletics
Perhaps the most improved team from last year to this one, the A’s have scary good potential. They completely overhauled their offense, bringing in Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham, and David DeJesus to give them some serious punch. Last year’s parts are all fine and dandy, but it’s this trio of players that will give the A’s the offense they need to be a real player in the hunt for October. Their pitching, in true A’s fashion, is comprised of players who are young, unknown, and—most importantly—dominant. Trevor Cahill, the team’s opening day starter, is looking to build on his amazing 2010 (18-8, 2.97 ERA). The other pitchers are no slouches either, but none of them are as solid as any of the keys from the A’s rotations of yore. If they—bolstered by a fantastic bullpen—can keep it together (and there’s no reason to think that they can’t) the A’s are a good bet to take the NL West.
Bottom line: Their foundation is a bit shaky, but this team can capitalize on an unusually weak division to take a playoff spot.
2. Texas Rangers
I am very much unconvinced of the Rangers’ ability to repeat their 2010 successes. Their terrible offseason—losing Cliff Lee and Vladimir Guerrero, and making up for that by overpaying Adrian Beltre—did them no favors. Seriously, their pitching is terrible for a supposedly good team. C.J. Wilson as the ace? If Brandon Webb could get it together they’d be all right, but his recent injury takes away any claims of pitching depth they might have been able to make. Their offense, meanwhile, is more or less unchanged from last year, except they have to rely on Adrian Beltre (he of three good seasons out of thirteen) for power. Fine, yes, there’s Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz—don’t get me wrong, this team can flat-out hit—but it’s not enough to elevate them above their mediocre pitching. We are not impressed.
Bottom line: Pray that Jon Daniels makes a deadline deal for a pitcher. Otherwise, it’s going to be hard for the Rangers to contend in strong AL West and Wild Card races.
3. Los Angeles Angels
Bottom line: Instead of yet another trip to October, I expect the Angels to hobble to .500, saddled down with expensive players they can’t trade after the season.
4. Seattle Mariners
The Jack Z rebuilding process continues! After being pegged to contend last year, the Mariners rocketed to a 61-101 record. Oops. While they wait for Dustin Ackley to work his way through the minor leagues, a journey that might even end at some point in 2011, the Mariners will probably have to content themselves with another bad season. Their offense continues to be very bad, and there’s nobody besides Ichiro Suzuki who can hit (although I do expect Chone Figgins to be good again). The pitching begins and ends with Felix Hernandez, though it should be fun to watch top prospect Michael Pineda.
Bottom line: They certainly won’t contend this year, though having Ackley and Pineda in the majors together would create some good baseball.
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