I had so much fun with the foodball project and learning how to do digital art that I decided to start working on other sports, too! Here are the baseball team designs I came up with.
AL EAST
Baltimore
Growing up in the DC area, the “local” team was in Baltimore. I grew up loving this team and idolizing Cal Ripken, Jr. Once the Nats came to town, my loyalty shifted but I still root for the O’s. The “iconic stadium” logos you’ll see in some of these designs started with me doing a free-hand version of the B&O Warehouse that is the right field backdrop at Camden Yards.
Boston
New YorK
NL EAST
Atlanta
I hate the Braves. Growing up, I liked rooting for them because they were the perennial losers who turned their franchise around. Then I learned about the awful way white folk have treated Native Americans for centuries and their obnoxious ‘tomahawk chop’ was no longer cute, nor were their claims that the name and imagery weren’t insulting in any way that it was ‘honoring them.’ It’s not surprising that a state known for it’s insane racist laws would have a baseball franchise that espouses these believes as well.
All that being said, I got an idea. First off, I’m a completionist, so I had to do a "state silhouette” logo like I did for so many other teams but it also got me thinking: “what if I just changed their name and made it not an insult?” In honor of “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron, I came up with a name and logo for the Atlanta Hammers.
Miami
New York
Finding unique iconography for the newer team based in Queens was a little more difficult, but the Queensboro Bridge came to mind, as did the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows. Plus, a nod to the apple in a hat logo is always fun.
Philadelphia
Washington
AL Central
Chicago (South Side)
Cleveland
Here’s another chance to get rid of a racist logo. The Braves and their “chop” are bad enough but Cleveland??? That logo is horribly offensive and the team has already agreed that it needs to go, along with the name Indians. So, I did some of the standard logo stuff, but also did a complete redesign and rename :)
