# Why does the Minnesota Twins logo have a C in it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639 "2009-04-10T14:15:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/1 "2009-04-10T14:15:38Z")
I suppose I’m overlooking something simple and basic, but I can’t see why the Twins’ hats have a bit T overlaying a big C. What’s the C for? And, to add insult to injury (to a Chicago fan) the C looks very much like the C used in the Bears’ logo. ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/2 "2009-04-10T14:17:24Z")
They’re from the **T** win\*\* C\*\*ities. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/3 "2009-04-10T14:42:00Z")
My one of my first pro baseball games was a grade school field trip to see the Brewers vs. the Twins at County Stadium…probably 1984 or 1985. I was very confused by the TC on the caps but even more confused by the bizarre name of one of the Twinkies…“Hrbek”…it violated everything my grade teachers had taught me about how English works. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/4 "2009-04-10T14:58:43Z")
Minneapolis and St. Paul were cultural rivals and they historically had their own teams (Millers and Saints). When the Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961, it was believed that using the name “Minneapolis” or a logo prominently featuring an _M_ to symbolize the team would alienate St. Paulers. So they named the team “Minnesota” and used _TC_ for “Twin Cities” as the cap emblem. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/5 "2009-04-10T15:32:46Z")
Now if we could only figure out what the “H” means in the logo of Montreal Canadiens. Stands for “hockey”? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/6 "2009-04-10T15:33:21Z")
I guess, upon reflection, that’s the reason they’re called the Twins. But they’re the Minnesota Twins, not the Twin City Twins. I suppose it’s just another place where politics trumps logic. Thanks, Dopers. xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/7 "2009-04-10T15:34:26Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Now if we could only figure out what the “H” means in the logo of Montreal Canadiens. Stands for “hockey”? I’m pretty sure that stands for Les Habitants. They’re still called the Habs by old-timers. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/8 "2009-04-10T15:35:11Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Now if we could only figure out what the “H” means in the logo of Montreal Canadiens. Stands for “hockey”? I assume it’s short for one of their nicknames, Les Habitants. Maybe you’ve heard commentators calls the team The Habs? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/9 "2009-04-10T15:57:48Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Now if we could only figure out what the “H” means in the logo of Montreal Canadiens. Stands for “hockey”? > [@CC](#): > > I’m pretty sure that stands for Les Habitants. They’re still called the Habs by old-timers. Actually, it does stand for “hockey”, as in “Club de hockey”. We had a [thread on this subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503561) a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/10 "2009-04-10T16:04:00Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Minneapolis and St. Paul were cultural rivals and they historically had their own teams (Millers and Saints). When the Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961, it was believed that using the name “Minneapolis” or a logo prominently featuring an _M_ to symbolize the team would alienate St. Paulers. So they named the team “Minnesota” and used _TC_ for “Twin Cities” as the cap emblem. To expand on this a bit… When the Senators were moving, their owner actually planned to call them the “Twin City Twins.” Only _after_ the logo had been designed (and according to some reports, uniforms and caps manufactured) did the League reject the name as geographically vague. They settled on “Minnesota” but the TC logo remained for years to come. [(Wiki article)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Twins) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/11 "2009-04-10T17:53:56Z")
> [@CC](#): > > And, to add insult to injury (to a Chicago fan) the C looks very much like the C used in the Bears’ logo. I’d be more concerend about the Cincinatti Reds logo. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/12 "2009-04-10T17:57:35Z")
Oooh, here’s my chance: What’s the “elb” in the old Montreal Expos logo? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/13 "2009-04-10T18:12:12Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Oooh, here’s my chance: > > What’s the “elb” in the old Montreal Expos logo? There’s no “l”. It’s part of the “M” - Montreal Expos Baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/14 "2009-04-10T18:21:25Z")
> **[Nor – a living and open commons of Canadian design](https://nor.design/)** > > Nor is a collective effort to document, preserve, and question our material culture The whole logo is an upper case M, and the left side is an '‘e’ (Expos) and the right wide is a ‘‘b’’ (baseball). ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/15 "2009-04-10T18:24:09Z")
While we’re at it, let’s explain the Milwaukee Brewers logo, fashioned like a baseball glove from the letter M and b [http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mil/images/y2006/fan\_forum/wallpaper\_4\_1280x1024.jpg](http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mil/images/y2006/fan_forum/wallpaper_4_1280x1024.jpg) Some people see the letters, not the glove, and others the glove and not the lettes. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/16 "2009-04-10T18:50:32Z")
I really like this Arizona **D** iamond **b** acks [sleeve patch](http://logoshak.com/~asgsport/images5/DBacks_02.gif) – The letters “db” in the form of a snake head. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/17 "2009-04-10T18:54:37Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I’d be more concerend about the Cincinatti Reds logo. The Reds were using the wishbone C long before the Bears even existed. It was on their jersies in 1905. The Bears were founded in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys, and didn’t become the Chicago Bears until 1922. They didn’t put the logo on their helmet until 1962. ---
**Author:** ![Bender44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Bender44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bender44)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/18 "2009-04-10T19:21:33Z")
Ah…but what of the University of Miami football helmets and the U? Surely it doesn’t stand for University, does it?\* \*I know its the meteorological symbol for a hurricane or something like that. Still looks silly, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/19 "2009-04-10T19:26:36Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > … but even more confused by the bizarre name of one of the Twinkies…“Hrbek”… A sign held up by a fan during a Twins game said “Hrbek: buy a vowel”. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639/20 "2009-04-10T19:31:19Z")
> [@Bender44](#): > > Ah…but what of the University of Miami football helmets and the U? Surely it doesn’t stand for University, does it?\* > > \*I know its the meteorological symbol for a hurricane or something like that. Still looks silly, IMO. I have never heard that explanation before. I thought it just stood for University – and their fans refer to it as “The U”. ETA: You’re probably thinking of the hurricane flag you may sometimes see being waved by their fans: red background with 2 black squares – the Coast Guard warning for a hurricane (one square = tropical storm). BYU just has a big “Y” as their logo, btw. brighamYOUNGuniversity [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-minnesota-twins-logo-have-a-c-in-it/492639.md?page=2)