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White socks. Trolley dodgers. Expos. Metropolitans. Frightening, right? It’s one of the many things I love about the game of baseball. Non-threatening mascots. Bears can be scary, but a cub? That’s just cute. Oh sure, you can hate a Yankee (just ask anyone down south or from New England), but they don’t really make you quake unless you’re still living in the 1860’s or the one facing Joba Chamberlain’s 98-mph fastball. Minor League does it even better, with its vast array of gentle souls. Mud hens and Zephyrs. Express trains and Isotopes. Awesome. So I welcome our feisty but not angry wood chewers from the northwest, The Portland “Lucky” Beavers, back to the club with their updated, old-school and, most importantly, friendlier identity.
Designed by the ridiculously talented folks at Sandstrom Design in Portland, Oregon (natch), the AAA Pacific Coast League team gets a complete makeover aiming for “contemporary baseball vintage”. The designers and the team reached back into the team’s own heritage to create a timeless classic. A nice round seal? Check. Baseball script on the uni? Check. Real road greys? Check. What’s not to like? I can’t even complain about their “Oregon Beach”-colored home uniforms – the latest trend in simulating that old-school flannel look (See also: SF Giants, Phillies). And as much as I hate alternate uniforms in the majors, the dark navy negro-league throwback Sunday uni feels right in the minors.
Home and Alternate Sunday Home uniforms
The coastal beach and blue color palette seems appropriately derived from the Beavers’ Major League affiliate, the San Diego Padres. In the grand scheme of things, a color named “Rose City Accent” is a bit unnecessary, but the designer in me loves it. As an identity designer, I love coming up with proprietary color names. If you haven’t attempted to name something “deep purple”, then you haven’t lived. So I completely approve the serendipitous nod to the rockin’ John Cafferty and his favorite color, Beavers Brown.
The mascot itself is based off an older version of the team’s logo. I found a version dating back to the mid 1960s, but it could just as well go back to their origins in the early 1900s. It replaces what I call “stink eye beaver”. As I said, baseball just doesn’t have threatening logos. This ain’t the NFL. Even all those indian logos are mostly big-grinned caricatures (I’m smiling at you, Chief Wahoo). So the former angry beaver just doesn’t fit. Besides, how are you supposed to hit a baseball with one eye closed?
Finally, the use of the beaver tail is just sweet typographic dessert. On the cap logo, it’s the bottom arc of the script P. On the uniform script, it’s the fat end of the B in Beaver and P in Portland.
It might be time for a road trip, because I’m definitely eager to see this identity in action.
Hat image ©milb.com
Thanks to Darrin Crescenzi for the tip.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Nicholas Skyles’s comment is:
Hooray for Portland! and Minor League Baseball!
On Apr.30.2008 at 06:24 PM
nordsieck’s comment is:
The first "after" beaver logo looks really weird to me. It took me a while to figure it out, but the fact that the bat "escapes" from the circular logo, while still being under the text disturbs me at a primitive level.
On Apr.30.2008 at 06:26 PM
CJ’s comment is:
All good with me. Long live baseball!
On Apr.30.2008 at 06:35 PM
T-Bone’s comment is:
it's good, the beaver isn't on ragin' 'roids! nice balance between old skool and modern. sweet.
On Apr.30.2008 at 07:01 PM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
I graduated from the design program at Oregon State (home of the world-famous Angry Beaver) and now live about a block from PGE park were the Portland Beavers play their home games. I just can't get enough the the things, apparently.
On Apr.30.2008 at 07:38 PM
dg3’s comment is:
I simply LOVE it!
On Apr.30.2008 at 08:48 PM
Josh’s comment is:
PGE Park, the home of the Beavers, was redone in much the same spirit as the Mariner's home stadium in Seattle: Vintage baseball. So it's perfect that the players are going to match.
I think the bat in the circular logo is a nicely-considered detail. He's holding it out at the bottom, so it covers the type, but it slips behind the type on the top as he gets ready to whack a bad change-up.
All in all, very easy on the eyes, and I love the typography.
I need to get my tickets!
On Apr.30.2008 at 09:35 PM
Wally Krantz’s comment is:
"Finally, the use of the beaver tail is just sweet typographic dessert."
Not only is that sentence true, but it's the best thing I've read all week.
Nice, nice work by Sandstrom.
On Apr.30.2008 at 11:49 PM
Andrew Harrington’s comment is:
I feel neutral about this one. I like the retro-esque round logo and illustrated mascot, but they've struck out with the new script. The quirky, wavy, thin script of the old identity is much nicer than the new 'script font' looking piece. The beaver tail could easily have been incorporated into the old script and improved this greatly. I'm also left wanting a bright color to add some interest among the blues and browns. What color, I don't know, but something.
On May.01.2008 at 12:40 AM
Dale’s comment is:
I, too, have issues with the way the bat sits over some of the "Portland Beavers" type, but under other parts. Find this really unresolved and amateurish.
Why not illo the beaver pitching a baseball so you don't have to deal with this problematic bat?
On May.01.2008 at 12:48 AM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
I think Sandstrom normally does pretty good work. But on this I'd have to give them a "B-."
I think the uniforms look great. The Beaver type with tail integrated is spot on but the mascot art and circular logo motif are very weak. Thus the "P" mark is less effective because it uses the same lame mascot art.
Who ever illustrated this beaver didn't refine it very well. A few points of detail:
- Over all the line work is too thin. Lacks balance of thick/thin and shadows.
- Mascot lacks refinement so the art has an amateurish clip-art vibe to it.
- Hat is out of perspective with the head points off to right.
- Eye on the back side looks very awkward.
- Holding bat like someone in tee-ball. (Pros wouldn't drop elbow)
- Mascot seems too small in the mark as well.
I realize it has a retro flair to it in some respects but that is no excuse for weak mascot art. Sandstrom didn't strike out but they didn't hit for extra bases either, it's a walk.
On May.01.2008 at 12:53 AM
marko savic’s comment is:
I enjoy the new script/tail. It is very well done and feels very baseball in the way American Eagle would make a shirt signifying baseball-icity (made up words! semiotics! woo!) However, the circular badge/mark/whatever its called isn't all that great.
The major issue is a lack of consistent layering of the elements (it looks as though top to bottom, they are well, top to bottom, as opposed to the baseball bat overlapping type on both sides). The white outline on the type feels like it should be a double stroke. It feels flat, and not in the way a gradient would help. The beaver illustration is okay, but needs love. It would have been nice to integrate the beaver tail hatching into the mark, or use that as as a visual element within the branding.
The P is horrible. Other than completely redrawing it in another style, I can't think of what else they could do with it.
The colours are amazing. But I thought Beavers were Canadian?
On May.01.2008 at 02:27 AM
Yeison Agudelo’s comment is:
very cute very easy on the eyes as someone said
i do like the old one though it had a very old baseball feel to it wich is always cute but i like the new one
felix sockwell’s comment is:
von,
agree with the finer "no dropping elbow" and lazy "back eye" but pinning Sandstrom's folks as just "pretty good"...? whats wrong with you today! they do great work.
the Beav's colors here do seem a tad young. and i would've found a way to place the bat over the type and into the foreground (as per the R). but overall this is nicely done. the cross hatching integration is a nice touch.
On May.01.2008 at 10:39 AM
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives’s comment is:
I think Sandstrom Design has done a great job in capturing the spirit and personality of our local minor league team.
On May.01.2008 at 03:12 PM
dale harris’s comment is:
I am a fan, though it is a shame that the old script got left behind.
On May.01.2008 at 07:38 PM
C-LO’s comment is:
I am SUCH a sucker for the ol' circle / faux embossed team logo. I really am
On May.01.2008 at 10:07 PM
oakley design studios’s comment is:
I agree with Von on this one. It's not Sandstroms best work. Not to mention that the illustration is somewhat weak. There are a few items that need additional tweaking to make this a AA++++ logo. However, it's not a bad first start.
On May.01.2008 at 11:56 PM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
I considered a mere brush back but I am calling for a bean ball.
What can I say? I was in the mood to re-use my blood splatter.
On May.02.2008 at 05:03 AM
marko savic’s comment is:
sssssssssssstrike out!
On May.02.2008 at 09:06 AM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Sad! Poor little guy…
On May.02.2008 at 12:08 PM
Casey Fick ’s comment is:
I agree with some of what Von said. The 'thins' outnumber the 'thicks', well, actually, they're all 'thins'. It would look fine exploded on a billboard or signage, but minimized on a letterhead or even the breast of a t-shirt? Probably not working.
As for the criticism of the batting stance Von, it's a freaking beaver playing baseball. I'm not sure what you're expecting here. Plus, I feel that stance really taps into the vintage vibe when you consider the "old-timers" in the minors were a bit more raw and typically choked up on the bat more. In other words, they were scrappy. Scrappy like this logo.
I agree a few refinements really would have helped, but like the flawed players who often make up the minor leagues, this logo is still entertaining and successful, despite its flaws.
On May.02.2008 at 01:14 PM
Bob’s comment is:
It sucks and it's unnecessary.
On May.02.2008 at 05:40 PM
Mark’s comment is:
Von...
oh my!
hahahahahahah
I certainly didn't expect that.
On May.02.2008 at 07:20 PM
Sam Potts’s comment is:
Have to agree that this is a decent but not stellar redesign. Maybe a double that moves the runner from first to third but doesn't score the run.
The uniforms are lovely, but relatively simple to accomplish given the great examples they're (knowingly and correctly) following. But the cap ruins it -- embroidery that complex is NOT classic. Give me a Phillies P with a simple line to create the baseball seams in the counter.
And the seal is to me too clip-arty, I have to agree. Plus, that area where the bat splits the L and A -- no one noticed that it's totally distracting? I'm lukewarm on the beaver tail motif -- I don't think I've ever seen an actual beaver tail (hush yer jokes, ya yahoos) so it just seems like a clip art rendering to me. No teeth-knawing on a bat?
I kinda love the orange of the old circular seal. No one has the courage of yesteryear (in this case 1980).
Massive points for the John Cafferty connection!!
On May.05.2008 at 12:24 PM
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