On March 8, I wrote about how I missed the Houston Astros. The team that CALLS themselves the Astros no longer has the identity of the funky team of the future.
Instead it is a team of phony nostalgia, forced quirkiness and generic uniforms. In other words, a big pile of blah.
Well if the Astros were smart, they would look at Jeff Bahry's work.
On the amazing site Uni Watch, they are having a Design an MLB uniform exhibition. Fans get to create prototype uniforms. Some are cool. Some are traditional. Some are a little crazy. (The Washington monument on this Nationals uniform looks a little phallic. Then again, so does the Washington Monument.)
But the coolest design was by Bahry. He, like me, pines for the days when the Astros were orange, wacky and proud of it.
He wrote "Growing up in Houston, I was never a big fan of the Astros’ “tequila sunrise” uniforms. My “faux-back” jersey includes design elements that I admired from earlier looks. It includes the traditional color palette, original “shooting star” & “orbiting baseballs” logos and futuristic lettering & numbers."So let's take a look at his design...
I'll say it... it is perfect.
You bring back the orange color scheme and the funky futuristic motif. (And the star with the H on it for the hat.)
Also the whole "shooting star" from the Jimmy Wynn/Joe Morgan years is back.
But if the tequilla sunrise uniforms were too much to bear, he just went with the block orange top. No longer the red tops that make them no different from St. Louis or Cincinnati.
Now it is a bit odd the logo still includes the Astrodome... but hey! At least we see the team of the future again instead of a team pining for a past that they never had.
If Astros management is read this blog (and I know they do) hire Jeff Bahry right now.
He'll restore your identity before you can say Cesar Cedeno!
I 2nd that statement about it being perfect. Keeps it traditional looking, yet gives the team some individuality back.
ReplyDeleteI hate the non-creativity in team identities these days. I loved the Astro orange.
BTW, the D'backs aren't much different than the current Astros either.
I live just outside Houston. The perception that the baseball fan doesn't like the old striped uniforms is wrong. They weren't the best looking, but they were different. And that is what makes them better that what they have now. And it helps that people remember Nolan Ryan on the mound wearing the stripes. Good memories.
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