Orthinologically Correct Bird vs. Cartoon Bird

by rebop on Jun 29, 2005 4:33 PM EDT

This is probably the stupidest diary ever posted here, but I'm wondering if anyone else has strong feelings about this.

I just do not like the current ~~"orthinologically correct"~~ "lifelike bird" Oriole caps very much, and I wish the Os would go back to the older, cartoon style bird. My objections are partly aesthetic (I think the ~~orthinologically correct~~ lifelike bird does not stand out enough to be a good logo) and partly due to nostalgia (the great Oriole teams of the 70s and 80s I grew up with wore the cartoon bird).

Okay, it's an exaggeration to say I have "strong" feelings about this, but I'm curious what others think. For the record, I own several of both the old and new style hats, but I tend to wear the old style ones more often.

Update: I was worried about posting such a frivolous diary, but the poll has become the most voted on from the diaries. I suppose anything is better than talking about how bad we a stinking right now. Despite a late surge for the ?orthinologically correct/lifelike? bird, it looks like the cartoon bird is favored by a pretty sizable margin. Thanks for the great comments and votes. Go O?s!

Poll

Should the Os bring back the cartoon bird?

No, cartoons are for kids.

10 votes

Yes, old school rules!

41 votes

I've been working on my own design that's better than either.

1 votes

Who cares?

3 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I like both...

When the first of the modern "Ornithologically Correct" bird logos came out, in '89, I think, I loved it. When the "Even more ornithologically correct bird" replaced it, it took me awhile to notice, and somewhere between 2001 and 2003, they made very subtle changes to the bird, that I only noticed when I saw the bird on my circa 1999 hat was different than on the Spring Training hat I bought in 2003. I hope it doesn't get too much more ornithologically correct.

I love the cartoon, bird though. I missed it, and when I saw a cartoon bird hat for sale in 200 (The retro craze wasn't as big as it was now, and it had probably had been sitting in a New Era warehouse for years), I realized how much I missed it. Now, I can't get enough cartoon bird.

I hate the Friday night "O" hats they wear now, although I think they'd look better w/0 the Orange brim.

Why not 2005?

by BrianS on Jun 29, 2005 4:53 PM EDT reply actions

Back in 1989...

I liked the change. The Os were coming off the disastrous 1988 season, and by '88 the whole look of the Os uniform was too "70s." The white front cap looked dated and a little tacky (lots of other teams were abandoning this look around the same time Milwaukee, Seattle, etc.). Then we had the great "Why Not?" season in 1989. The new look also seemed to suit the Os upcoming move to Camden Yards in 1992s. But whatever mojo we got from that change long ago evaporated with the Glen Davis trade and more recently 7 straight losing seasons.

So while I liked the "orthinologically correct" bird when it was introduced, the newer "lifelike bird" just seems a little too realistic to me--it looks like it would be more at home in an Audubon book than on a baseball cap. I would prefer something a little more stylized, even if it were not the classic "cartoon bird" of 1966-88.

My favorite cap of the "orthinologically correct" era was a rarely used alternate cap from around 1996. It was grey with a black brim (I own one of these). The "orthinologically correct" bird popped off the grey background a little better--one of the problems I have with the newer bird designs is the bird's head (which is black) practically disappears against a black background.

My preference would be to bring back the "cartoon bird" on a plain black cap, with the orange brim used as an alternate (no white front).

by rebop on Jun 30, 2005 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions

voted 'Who cares?'

ONLY because I like both and there was no "I like both" option. The current bird is really classy, the classiest logo in the majors I think. But the cartoon bird was pretty cool.

I kinda like the 'O's' hat too, but I wouldn't like it as anything more than the alternate.

by Scott Christ on Jun 29, 2005 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

I don't like the new hat

because of the apostrophe. If it just said "O" I'd like it more than the current "O's" design.

Crazy?

Yes.

Why not 2005?

by BrianS on Jun 29, 2005 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Cartoon Bird. No Contest.

The cartoon bird. But which cap?

Here are some links
Logos and Mascots: list of logos and mascots
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bal/history/uniforms_logos.jsp
The Jim Hartzell bird on the front of the Sun brings back memories?

An article on this "debate" and another you may not have been aware of:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.os5023jan23,1,7145811.story?coll=bal-baseball-sto ryutil&ctrack=1&cset=true

I always assumed that the "new" hats were a tribute to the original Orioles hats. This is pure speculation.

Ornithologically Correct hats pay tribute to the '54 and '64 hats (which I assume attempted to be ornithologically correct with the current technology

O's hat pays tribute to the '63 hats.

Seems a cartoon bird first appeared as a shoulder patch. You'll see it on the old photos.

But the O's hit gold in '66 with the black cap, orange brim and button, and cartoon bird we all know (this is the first cap I was cognizant of).

The white front appeared in '75 and is the one I really grew up with. I assume the black cap didn't look as good with the 70's white pants and orange shirt.

Of the two cartoon birds, I prefer the '66 version, but have much stronger memories of the '75 version.

This site has a collection of (drawings) for reference:
http://www.ballcap.com/ (this is not an endorsement, just a place where I found an assembled collection). I have no idea how accurate this site is, as it doesn't exactly match the info on the other links.

Here are more historical logos: http://www.sportslogos.net/team.php?l_id=4&t_id=52

Lastly, if you're wondering, I found these sites while looking around to buy a new (non-ornithologically correct) hat. With the explosion of retro apparel, I wanted to know the truth.

by drj on Jun 29, 2005 11:24 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for the great links!

I do remember reading that Sun article, but it was good to look it over again.

For the record, now that the Orioles are not the "Baltimore/Washington Metro Area" Orioles, I think the team should bring back Baltimore to their road uniforms.

Ballcap.com looks really cool. A search on "Orioles" turns up some neat forgotten alternate caps. I might have to order one to look extra cool when I visit the Yard this summer!

by rebop on Jun 30, 2005 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

You're in RI, right?

I'm in MA. You have to wear the cap to Fenway.

I ordered a '66 cap. It's a bit of a splurge, but I figured I'd do it for my favorite all time hat. It should be here in a week or two. I'll give you feedback.

by drj on Jun 30, 2005 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh yeah...

I will be wearing my Os cap at Fenway. I live in RI. Getting tired of 24/7 Red Sox up here--I'm sure its the same for you.

Almost got my butt kicked a few times in the Bronx back around '96 and '97--Red Sox fans are pretty friendly by comparison. Baltimore fans are a little too nice to out of town fans, but then its not for nothing that it's called Charm City.

Let me know what you think of the cap. I'm thinking of one of the really wacky ones like the orange alternate '75 cap or the '62 cap--you don't see those everyday! The '66 cap is my favorite (I already have one).

by rebop on Jun 30, 2005 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Orange '75

I'm thinking about this one, too. I've seen 'em for sale at some sports shops (mostly O's and Ravens) at Inner Harbor but I don't see too many people wearing them.

But, I have 11 O's hats, and about 50 other hats, so I don't think I really NEED another, or if my marriage would survive it.

Why not 2005?

by BrianS on Jun 30, 2005 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I'll be down in Baltimore

around my birthday, so I'll have an excuse. You saw it in one of the shops in the Inner Harbor? I'll have to check that out.

The orange front alternate from '75 has to be one of the tackiest O's hats ever. I really want one. Nothing was tackier than those Pittsburg uniforms from '79 though.

by rebop on Jun 30, 2005 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I'll in town for the Sep. 24 game

So if I wander around the Inner Harbor, I'll find the shops with hat selections. I need to get a pink one for my daughter. They are tough to come by up here.

by drj on Jun 30, 2005 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

You can get one of those online

From MLB:

http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1984955&cp=1452344.1452613.714865&parentPage =family

BTW, the dugout club cap with the baby bird on it is really cool. It only costs $15 to join, so it is not a bad deal even if you never use the tickets. I'm taking my 3 year old son to the game on July 31st (his first). Since he is a native Rhode Islander, I know he'll be a Red Sox fan someday, but for now he likes what Daddy likes!

by rebop on Jun 30, 2005 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

How to find them

There's too shop plaza buildings right on the harbor called Harborplace I and II. There's one of the sports stores in each (both off the first floor).

I forget which building is which number, but if you see the Discovery Channel store, one of them is on the first floor on that end of the building. I THINK (not 100percent sure) that this is the building closer to the Science Center.

In the other one (I think the one closer to ESPNZone and the Aquarium), the sports memorabilia store is in the first floor, roughly middle of the building. I've bought a ton of crap at that one. They're both easy to find.

Why not 2005?

by BrianS on Jun 30, 2005 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Wear the '63 hat to Fenway

Take some extra and sell them as Red Sox "fashion" hats. You know a few gits will buy them as anything with a "B" on it is a hot item.

Yeah, can you tell I'm ulta-sick of the 24/7 Red Sox blather. I subscribe to the Jim Brown theory of "act like you've been there before". I do not recall the fans of old being this over-the-top obnoxious when the O's kicked butt.

by drj on Jun 30, 2005 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Cap is for the birds

Idont't care for the Cartoon bird, but I despise the "O'S" cap. Lifelike birde is much classier!

by el gordo on Jun 30, 2005 12:40 PM EDT reply actions

shirts and hats

3 things. Baltimore on the road uniforms isn't even a question, it's something that every o's fan in the state would vote for i'm sure if they bothered to listen to us. i'd also like to see the cartoon bird come back full time, but at the very least it would be great to see it one night a week, either fridays or sundays. and the last thing is a question: does anybody know where i can get a black "believe" t-shirt with orange letters? there was an article in the sun about "believe" being the new slogan this year, which i've been saying since day one of spring training. i'm not motivated enough to do it, but if someone starts selling them, they'll make a killing.

by joet on Jun 30, 2005 1:53 PM EDT reply actions

Right On - Baltimore on the Road Unis

Put Baltimore back on the Road Unis. Off the top of my head, the only other team I can think of that does the nickname on the road uniforms is The Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Los Angeles. Well, they clearly have an identity crisis. Any others?

Even the Nats put Washington on their road unis. This is an embarrassment. We ought to get UniWatch to start ragging on the Orioles.

by drj on Jun 30, 2005 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions