Bad luck Birds

There's something about a mascot on a MLB on-field cap that gets my attention. 

They are rare, and can look somewhat like a minor league logo, but I find myself wearing a lot of Orioles and Blue Jays caps.

For this post, I will put sole emphasis on the Orioles.

The "Lead-off "Bird was worn from 1954-62.

In 1954 the Orioles went 54-100.

Significant improvement occurred the next year (1955)...they finished 57 and 97.

The wildly popular "Cartoon bird" debuted in 1966 and great success ensued.

The Orioles would win the World Series in 1966 and 1970 with this cap.

In 1975, the white front cartoon panel cap debuts:

And a World Series victory comes in 1983.

On a very recent tour of Camden Yards, the guide explained that the Cartoon Bird was designed by a California Advertising company who also designed the logos for Hamm's beer and the characters Snap, Crackle, and Pop for Kellogs.

The beloved Cartoon Bird was worn until 1988.

Why 1988?  Well, after an 0-21 start, the Orioles finished with a  record of 54-107.

On this same tour, I learned that former Oriole Fred Lynn was very critical of the Cartoon Bird and.stated something like, "look at us in those foolish uniforms, who could take us seriously?

So....

Debuting in 1989, the Orioles return to the 1954 original....sort of.

     "Looking at the change positively, the Orioles have a chance to go somewhere for the first time looking ornithologically proper. They've gone about the switch thoughtfully, dispatching their chief bird man to the Baltimore Zoo to consult with bird experts.

     Their new bird is a little chubbier than the sleek original, and has a bit more orange in it than the first model. Black on black, after all, won't fly.

     But the new-old bird is actually more authentic than the original '54 bird, according to the Orioles' Bob Aylward, who did the zoo research, because "you can get a more accurate representation with present-day technology." (Gildea,, Washington, Post 1988.)

     The oriole on the 1989 cap did not really look like any Oriole I had seen before.  So, I did a quick google search.  Here is the common picture that appears:



I also learned that there are many types of  Orioles such as:  Bullock's Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Northern Orioles, and Baltimore Orioles.

     As for the record in the first year of the new cap?  Well, the Baltimore Orioles would make a dramatic improvement and finish in second place with a record of 87 and 75.

     I reached out to a certified ornithologist in my area and sent him a picture of this cap:

I  did not ask for permission to use his name so I will not disclose.  I asked him what type of Oriole this is and if it can be determined if it is a male or female Oriole?

"That is a male Baltimore Oriole which has also been called Northern Oriole.  Male orioles are more colorful than the females because the brighter colors are a feature of sexual selection common among birds.  Females tend to be duller colored so that their visits to their nests are less obvious, preventing nest predation."

This cap debuted in 1995 as the road cap but the players refused to wear it after three games.

The Orioles would go 71 and 73 in 1995.

In 1997, they would go 98 and 64 and win the division.

In 1998, the logo undergoes another change:

1998's record would be a disappointing 79-83 4th place finish.

In 1999, the bird gets yet another makeover:

It didn't make a difference in the standings....78-84.

And team record were just downright terrible from 1999-2011.


Finally, in 2012, the beloved and reworked cartoon bird is brought back.

Is it just me or does he appear to have found some weight?

And in his first year back on the cap?  93 and 69 for a second place finish and Wildcard victory.

Success has followed ever since.