#ShorebirdsThrowback: A Look At Logos
One of the more fascinating things in Minor League Baseball is the process of how a team goes about picking a new name or logo. A team often has many, many different paths they can choose along the road from concept to final design.
The Shorebirds have been one of the more stable teams when it comes to how they look. They've had just two logos and one name during their 20-year history, but the stories behind them are still very interesting.
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When it was announced that Delmarva was getting a team back in 1995, a big question remained: What will it be called?
While the team was relocating from Albany and were already name the Polecats, ownership figured a team with a skunk for a logo wasn't the best for getting fans excited.
So, the team gave the task to their new fan base to come up with a nickname. According to the Shorebirds' first yearbook in 1996, over 4,000 people entered. The most popular name to be submitted was Shorebirds, which was both unique to the region and fit well with the Orioles, who begin being the 'Birds' parent club in 1997.
But that wasn't the only name that gained traction with fans. Rockfish was also a popular suggestion, as it is the state fish of Maryland and is commonly found in the waters throughout the Eastern Shore. While it lost out, the name was used for Delmarva's short-lived Maryland Fall League team in 1998. The Orioles' Double-A affiliate, the Bowie Baysox, now has both a rockfish mascot and a hat featuring one in a pitching motion.
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When 7th Inning Stretch, LLC bought the Shorebirds before the 2007 season, one of their primary goals was to mark the new era with a new look. The time was right following the 2009 season, and they partnered with Brandiose, a company that specializes in designing brands for sports teams.
Brandiose clued in fans to their creative process on their blog, and it began by simply sketching ideas on hats, which makes sense knowing how important the hat is to the overall look of a baseball team.
Once the creative juices were going, the next step was putting together full concepts, and a few can be found below.
There are some really interesting creations here, including a modernized version of the team's original logo and a flying bird that resembles an aircraft. What's even more impressive is that the folks at Brandiose visited The Ward Museum in Salisbury as inspiration to find the right look for this new Shorebird.
In the end, the team decided upon three logos to use, the bird head, the 'D-Bird', and the 'DS' found on our batting practice caps.
What concepts are some of your favorites? Feel free to comment below, or let us know on Facebook or Twitter.