This is a timeline of the logos and team uniforms of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball throughout team history.
Logos
edit1977-1996
editWhen the Blue Jays played their first season in 1977, their logo depicted a blue jay's head in navy, white and light blue. The bird was shown in profile with the beak pointing to the left and a small red maple leaf on the right side, indicating the team played in Canada. The background of the image was a baseball with outline and stitching in red. The primary version of the logo included the words 'Toronto' arching above and 'Blue Jays' below the ball, written in a blue split-letter font.[1] A secondary version of the logo (without the wording) was used on the team's jerseys and hats.
1997-2002
editIn 1997, the logo changed to feature a more prominent red maple leaf used as the background for an angular, stylized version of the jay's head. The baseball behind the bird's head remained, but outlined in dark blue, as was the leaf. The words 'Blue Jays' were located below the leaf in a new bolder font.[2] The caps and jerseys used the secondary logo without any words.
2003
editThis logo, known as the T-Bird, was adopted from the alternate/batting practice caps that had been used for the previous two years.[3] It depicted a large red capital 'T' with a thin blue line down the middle. A cartoon blue jay was shown reaching a muscular arm around the middle and tossing a baseball in the air. A baseball bat extended from behind the bird's head, as though resting on its other shoulder. A small maple leaf was included in the form of a tattoo on the bird's arm. This logo was not well-received by the public, and was only used for one season.[4]
2004-2011
editDuring this time, the logo on the jerseys was combined with the lettering, so as a result the primary logo was just the word 'Jays'. It was written in a cursive grey font, underlined and shaded to appear three-dimensional, and outlined in black and blue. An angry-looking jay's head extended to the left of the 'J'. The logo used on the caps during this time was just the letter 'J' and the bird's head. An additional logo, a capital 'T' written in the same grey font, was introduced in 2007 and was used on batting practice caps and as an alternate for the regular cap logo.
2012-Present
editPrior to the 2012 season, the team announced they were rebranding, and switched to a logo much like the original.[5] The bird's head in front of the ball returned, with only a few noticeable differences from the 1977 incarnation: a slightly narrower beak, a larger maple leaf, and the feathers on top of the bird's head became a darker shade of royal blue. The word 'Toronto' curves around the top part of the ball, and 'Blue Jays' underneath it, in a split-font text similar to the one originally used by the team. Two parallel blue lines encircle the whole thing. The secondary cap/jersey logo is just the bird's head and maple leaf, without the ball or text.
Uniforms
edit2012-Present
editSince the 2012 season, the Blue Jays have used white jerseys for home games and grey for away games, with royal blue alternate jerseys. The blue jerseys are typically worn for day games, along with pants in the colour corresponding to where the team is playing (home or away). Socks worn with the jerseys are solid blue.
The white and blue jerseys both have 'Blue Jays' written on the front in a split-letter font, with the bird's head logo on the left side below the text. The player's name and number (the latter also in the trademark font) are found on the back. The grey road jerseys have 'Toronto' written on the front, along with the logo. The white and grey jerseys have blue stripes around the sleeves, while the blue jerseys have white stripes. The text on the front and back of the jerseys match the colour these stripes. There is also a parallel set of blue stripes running down the side of each pant leg.[6]
This set of jerseys were introduced as a tribute to the jerseys worn by the team during the first twenty years of its existence. The many similarities include the colour scheme, the logo, and the similar font.
The current caps are royal blue with the bird's head logo, and the same caps are worn with all three jerseys. A batting practice cap also exists, which is royal blue with a maple leaf on the front and a small version of the bird's head logo on the back. The batting practice caps are also used during spring training games.
Each year to honour special occasions such as Canada Day, Labour Day, or Canada Baseball Day, the Blue Jays have worn a modified Canadian version of their regular jersey. In the 2015 season, these were white with red in place of the usual blue lettering and piping, and had a Canadian flag patch on the sleeve.[7] In past seasons they had used the reverse, red jerseys with white lettering. On these days the team also wore a red hat with a red maple leaf, a modified version of the batting practice caps.
Works Cited
edit- ^ Stinson, Scott (18 November 2011). "Toronto Blue Jays Logos Throughout the Years". National Post. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- ^ Sportslogos.net. "Toronto Blue Jays logo". Sportslogos.net. Chris Creamer Properties, Inc. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Toronto Blue Jays. "Blue Jays Logos". Toronto Blue Jays. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Radom, Todd. "Know Your Postseason Graphics: Toronto Blue Jays Edition". SportingNews. Sporting News Media. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- ^ Strong, Gregory (18 November 2011). "New Toronto Blue Jays Logo Goes Old School". No. HuffPost Sports Canada. Huffington Post. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- ^ Sportslogos.net. "Blue Jays Home Uniform (2012-pres)". Sportslogos.net. Chris Creamer Properties, Inc. Retrieved 10 Oct 2015.
- ^ Hartwell, Darren. "Blue Jays, Red Sox To Wear Special Jerseys Honoring Canada Day". NESN.com. New England Sports Network. Retrieved 10 October 2015.