The only season that the Baltimore Orioles wore “ab” on their caps instead of an image of a bird was in 1963. This was the first season after the franchise moved from St. Louis to Baltimore and adopted the Orioles name. The caps featured a simple “B” in script font.
The History of the Baltimore Orioles Logos and Uniforms
The Orioles franchise began in 1901 as the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League. When the team moved to St. Louis in 1902, they were renamed the St. Louis Browns. As the Browns, the team wore caps with a simple interlocking “SLB” logo. In 1952, the Browns relocated to Baltimore and became the Orioles. Their inaugural caps in Baltimore featured a cartoon Oriole bird.
In 1954, the Orioles made changes to their uniforms, adopting caps with a block “B” logo outlined in white. This logo remained until 1962. For the 1963 season, the Orioles unveiled a new look featuring caps with a lower case gray and orange “ab” in script font, representing “Baltimore.” This was the only season this logo appeared on their caps.
In 1964, the Orioles brought back the cartoon Oriole logo in a modernized style designed by sports artist John Castle. This cartoon bird caps became the iconic symbol of the Orioles franchise and remained on their caps for over 30 years until 1993. In that season, the Orioles switched to a more realistic Oriole bird logo that remains their primary logo today.
Here is a summary of the key logo and uniform changes in Orioles franchise history:
Years | Logo on Caps |
---|---|
1901-1902 (as Milwaukee Brewers) | Stylized M |
1902-1952 (as St. Louis Browns) | Interlocking SLB |
1954-1962 | Block B logo |
1963 | Script “ab” for Baltimore |
1964-1992 | Cartoon Oriole bird |
1993-present | Realistic Oriole bird |
The 1963 Season -Script “ab” Logo
When the franchise moved from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954, they wanted to establish a new identity distinct from the Browns. The block “B” logo used from 1954-1962 represented this transition. By 1963, they were ready to fully embrace their new hometown by incorporating “Baltimore” into their official logo.
The script lowercase “ab” appeared on the cap as well as the left shoulder of the gray road uniforms. According to uniform experts, this unusual one-year design was intended to tie the name Orioles to the city of Baltimore. While the cartoon Oriole logo introduced in 1964 is more iconic, the “ab” represented an important transitional step and experimental phase in establishing the team’s new visual brand.
The 1963 Orioles finished 86-76 under manager Billy Hitchcock, their first winning season since moving to Baltimore. While that Orioles club was led by future Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Luis Aparicio, their next winning season would not come until 1966 when Frank Robinson arrived and they won their first World Series.
Return of the Cartoon Bird in 1964
For the 1964 season, the Orioles wanted a new logo that was more distinctive and symbolic of the team name. They turned to a local sports artist, John Castle, to design a cartoon Oriole bird logo. Castle came up with the round, smiling, whimsical Oriole clutching a bat that would adorn the Orioles caps for the next 30 seasons.
The cartoon bird was an immediate hit, capturing the fun loving spirit of those competitive Orioles teams of the 1960s and 1970s. The logo became iconic not just in Baltimore but throughout baseball. It appeared in all three Orioles World Series wins in 1966, 1970 and 1983 and on 12 American League pennant winning teams between 1966-1983. The bird symbolized Baltimore baseball and launched countless merchandise items for fans.
Even during the Orioles’ down years between 1985-1992, the classic Oriole bird maintained its popularity and nostalgic ties to better days. However in 1993, with baseball embracing a trend towards more mature, sophisticated logos, the Orioles decided it was time to move on from the cartoon bird and adopt a more realist logo befitting of the modern era. But for Orioles fans, the cartoon Oriole remains a beloved symbol of the team’s glory years.
The Various Logo and Uniform Iterations
Over their 120+ year history, the Orioles franchise has had numerous logo and uniform designs reflecting their various homes in Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Baltimore. Here is a more detailed overview of the changes and evolution of Orioles logos and uniforms:
Milwaukee Brewers (1901-1902)
When the team began as the Milwaukee Brewers in the inaugural 1901 American League season, their official logo was a stylized old English “M” in dark blue on a light blue background. The uniform featured the letter “B” on the shirt front and caps were dark blue with the blue “M.” This classic look reflected the team’s Milwaukee identity and beer brewing history.
St. Louis Browns (1902-1952)
After one season in Milwaukee, the team relocated to St. Louis in 1902 and became known as the “Browns.” Their official new logo was a simple interlocking white “SLB” (for St. Louis Browns) on a brown background. This classic interlocking design appeared on the front of jerseys and on plain brown ballcaps during their 50 seasons in St. Louis.
In the late 1940s, the Browns made slight alterations to the uniforms including adding sleeve patches and changing sock colors. But the iconic interlocking “SLB” logo remained the defining visual identity of the Browns throughout their history.
Baltimore Orioles (1954-1962)
When the team moved to Baltimore in 1954, they wanted a logo that broke from the Browns identity. Their initial caps featured a simple orange block letter “B” outlined in white. The home jerseys had “Orioles” scripted across the front while the road jerseys had a big orange”B”.
For a few seasons in the mid-1950s, they experimented with a sleeker script “Orioles” wordmark on their jerseys. But the plain block “B” cap logo remained the core element of their early Baltimore uniform look. By 1962, the experimentation settled down with “Orioles” returning to the home jersey front.
The “ab” Logo Season of 1963
As discussed earlier, in 1963 the Orioles unveiled their one-year design with the script lowercase “ab” logo on the cap and road jersey. It replaced the “B” as an effort to tie the team visually to the city of Baltimore.
The home uniform featured a script “Orioles” across the chest while the gray road uniform had the unique “ab” on the left shoulder. After 1963, the “ab” was retired and replaced by the cartoon bird in 1964.
The Cartoon Bird Era (1964-1992)
The cartoon Oriole bird logo designed by John Castle was first introduced on the Orioles’ caps in 1964. By 1966, it also appeared prominently on the upper left front of the home and road jerseys. The smiling cartoon bird became the beloved symbol of Orioles baseball during this period.
There were minor uniform modifications over the years like the switch from navy caps to orange in 1966 and changes in trim colors. But the core home whites and road grays with the cartoon bird logo remained consistent throughout these glory years.
During this stretch, the Orioles won World Series titles in 1966, 1970, and 1983. The cartoon bird was worn by legends like Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray. For generations of fans, it represents the classic Orioles look and baseball nostalgia.
The Modern Bird Era (1993-Present)
In 1993, MLB clubs were updating logos and the cartoon Oriole began looking outdated. The Orioles introduced a new logo and uniforms featuring a more ornithologically correct Oriole bird in flight. Designed by Roman Jastermsky, this modern bird logo first appeared as a cap patch in 1988 before becoming the official primary logo in 1993.
The home whites and road grays maintained a similar style but now with the modern bird on the caps, jersey fronts, and sleeves. In 1994, black was added as an official team color with black alternate jerseys introduced.
Small tweaks have been made over the years like changing the cap bill color and updating the uniform lettering/numbering. In 2012, the Orioles added a throwback cartoon bird cap as an alternate look to satisfy fans nostalgic for those logos.
While the classic cartoon Oriole remains beloved, the modern bird has now endured for over 25 years as the primary Oriole logo and brought new generations of fans aboard.
Conclusion
The 1963 season represents a unique transitional chapter in Baltimore Orioles history when the “ab” wordmark briefly replaced the traditional bird logo. Lasting just one season before the debut of the cartoon Oriole in 1964, the script “ab” marked an experimental phrase as the club sought to strengthen its ties to the Baltimore community following the move from St. Louis.
Though short-lived, the lowercase “ab” caps and jersey patch provided an important bridge from the nondescript “B” logo to the bird symbols that would eventually define the Orioles brand. For trivia buffs and uniform historians, the often forgotten ’63 season serves as an quirky footnote in Orioles heritage.