OK, you know how British/European soccer teams started out as clubs, and they began organizing professionally c. 1880? And how they’re oft named for the neighborhood in which they originated (Chelsea, Aston Villa) or for a nearby landmark (Arsenal)? And how they retain those names today (“Arsenal FC” for example)? And how they have shields in place of, say, the helmets that indicate NFL teams?
SO, I re-imagined all 30 MLB teams as if a) they’ve been around since c. 1800, and b) they use the British/Euro naming conventions, and I used AI to generate new shields for them, retaining the same colors as the current MLB team.
SOME DISCLAIMERS
- Since I used AI, some of the results bear the hallmarks of AI, such as nonsensical elements, gibberish that vaguely looks like English text, etc. There’s little I can do about it.
- Yes, I know that many MLB teams have moved cities/changed names in their history. This project ignores all of that and assumes that they’ve been in the same location with the same name since c. 1880.
- As 1880 is our starting point, there will be no references to structures built afterwards, such as the St. Louis Arch or the Willis Tower.
- Some of these cities that host MLB teams, like Arlington or Anaheim, were barely even settlements in 1880. This project ignores that.
- I’m aware that some of these cities have actual soccer teams in MLS or a secondary league. This project ignores that.
- I anticipate, nay welcome, constructive criticism, alternatives, etc. Make your own!!! Let’s have this be a collaborative project!
With all of that out of the way, here we go. Starting with AL East, then Central, then West, 1st to last place as of today’s standings, then the same with NL.
The Toronto Blue Jays are now Greektown PO
I searched for immigrant neighborhoods in Toronto, and most were not European. It seems the closest I could come is Greektown. The Greeks like football, don’t they? “PO” is the first letters of the two words that mean “soccer club” in Greek, altough I’m aware that most non-English-speaking clubs still use “CF” or “FC” or whatever, instead of the local tongue. However, this is my project, so precedent be damned. I’m not too impressed with this result. The shield is too busy, though I like how the blue horizontal stripes reference the Greek flag, and I could have done better than Greektown.
This is D-Tier.
The New York Yankees are now Old New Amsterdam FC
Even Old New York was once New Amersterdam; why they changed it, I can’t say. People just like it better that way. Anyway, I rather like this one, as the pinstripes recall the uniform that the Yankees use, and the shield retains the minimalist black & white of the team. I also rather like the wordplay in “Old New Amsterdam.” Still, I think there’s room for improvement.
This is A-Tier.
The Boston Red Sox are now Beantown SC
Rather than focus on a neighborhood in Boston, I chose the city as a whole, but went with a nickname. Boston is just rich with potential historical references, such as the Boston Tea Party, but I figured “Beantown” and the resultant bowl of beans had a comedic element.
This is B-Tier.
The Tampa Bay Rays are now Ybor City AFC
I had a hard time with this one, but I think that if any neighborhood in Tampa could have birthed a soccer team, it would be Ybor city, a Cuban neighborhood. I wanted to avoid Cuban stereotypes, such as cigars or Panama hats, and just went with the sun instead, which I think works here. Regardless, this one is kind of boring. And I didn’t mean for a (Christian-looking) cross to appear, it just worked out that way.
This is C-Tier.
The Baltimore Orioles are now Inner Harbor SC
This is … just OK. I like how the shield incorporates the colors of both the Maryland flag AND the Orioles. “Inner Harbor” refers to the part of town the current stadium rests in.
This is C-Tier.
