Pittsburgh Pirates Logo PNG
From the shape of the blocky glyph to its razor-sharp design, the pirate spirit is everywhere. This is how the team demonstrates its professionalism and roots – where it comes from. Therefore, the Pittsburgh Pirates logo is minimalistic but understandable because this is the first letter of the team name.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1882 |
| Founder: | Bob Nutting |
| Headquarters: |
Pittsburgh, U.S. |
| Website: | mlb.com |
Pittsburgh Pirates is an American professional-level baseball team that appeared in 1882. Since 2000, the club has been playing as part of the MLB and represents the NL Central Division. The team until 1886 was a member of the American Association. Club location in Pittsburgh, PA.
The club’s foundation was laid a year before the official registration – October 15, 1881, with the advent of the Allegheny franchise. At that time, Allegheny’s city was a separate settlement, so at first, the group of baseball players was named after him – as the center of the games. After joining the National League, the team received the name Pittsburgh Alleghenys. This happened in 1887, during the last term of Denny McKnight.
Today’s name appeared a little later and is associated with the collapse of the Players League in the 1890th. That year, the Pittsburgh leadership signed a contract with Lou Bierbauer, a member of another club. According to one of the sport’s observers, the franchise captured him in a pirate way. So the nickname “pirates” stuck to her. Over time, the nickname turned into a brand name – Pirates. This happened under William A. Nimick, who owned the sports group until 1891.
Then two owners appeared at once – William Kerr and Phil Auten. In the 1900th they were replaced by Barney Dreyfuss. After 32 years, the club passed to William Binswanger, and then (in 1946) to John W. Galbraith. In the end, he had financial difficulties, and in 1985 the team began to be owned by a local organization – Pittsburgh Associates. To Robert Nutting, the current owner, she got in the 2007th year from Kevin McClatchy.
For almost 140 years of history, the club has used 18 multi-format logos. The continuous shift of emphasis towards “P” turned out to be advantageous. Today, this symbol is not only well recognized, but also patented by the team. The boom of various types of spelling of the letter fell on the period from 1900 to 1935. During this period, the franchise managed to change eight logo modifications.
Meaning and History
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ dedication to lettering is astounding: in more than a century, half of the club’s emblems have been based on a single ‘P’ sign. It is used in a variety of ways, from classic to Old English. There is also a multi-uppercase version. Likewise, with the image of the pirate – he is depicted in many styles.
What is Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Pittsburgh Pirates is a baseball club formerly called the Allegheny and the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. It started as an American Association franchise in 1881 but moved to the National League six years later. Thanks to its many victories, the team plays in NL Central and is considered one of the best. PNC Park became the Pirates’ home stadium in 2001.
1900 – 1907
The first Pirates logo appeared in 1900. This is the blue Old English letter “P,” which simultaneously designates Pittsburgh, and the name of the team is “Pirates.”
1908 – 1909
In 1908, the club first used a three-letter logo. On top of the red printed letter, “B” is the blue letters “P” and “C.” The monogram “PBC” means “Pittsburgh Baseball Club.”
1910 – 1914
The club’s fourth logo is almost a return to the original version, where the logo is a blueprinted letter “P” representing the words “Pittsburgh” and “Pirates.”
1915 – 1919
Pirates again change the team’s primary color from blue to red. The letter “P” now has a more streamlined shape.
1920 – 1921
A return to the classic red printed letter “P,” which denotes the team’s name, takes place in 1920.
1922
In 1922, Pirates completely changed the style of the letter “P.” It is made in Old English script, decorated with details and hooks.
1923 – 1933
At the club’s new design of the letter “P,” meaning the city of Pittsburgh. The message has a streamlined style in red and the addition of a subtle dark blue outline.
1934 – 1947
For the first time in club history, a logo appears without a letter. It depicts a cartoon-style pirate portrait in a black hat with crossed white baseball bats. The pirate’s neck is decorated with a red bandage, as well as ahead, and a gold earring is visible in the ear. Also, the hero of the Pirates logo is wearing a blue shirt.
1948 – 1957
1958 – 1966
Again, the Pirates logo is an animated pirate with bristles, a black pirate hat, and an eye patch. The character has two gold earrings in both ears, and a red bandage is visible under the cap. Under the pirate’s head are two crossed yellow bits, as well as the word “Pirates” in black. Pittsburgh Press artist Jack Berger Sr drew this logo.
1967 – 1986
This illustration was created by Bob Gessner, who was also the creator of the emblem of one of the Pittsburgh NHL teams. The new pirate is depicted on a background of yellow papyrus. He looks friendlier, with a black pirate hat still on his head. Below is the inscription “Pirates” in black.
1987 – 1996
The Pirates brand was renewed again in 1987. It is based on a yellow rhombus, inside a cartoon portrait of a pirate in a black hat and black camisole. The name of the team is made in yellow with the addition of a black outline.
1997 – 2013
The club’s penultimate logo was a large yellow inscription “Pirates,” under which the pirate’s head was placed. The head of the character is decorated with a red and black bandana; on the right eye, there is a black bandage, in the left ear, there is an earring. Behind him are two crossed baseball bats.
2014 – today
The management decided to switch to the emblem, approved at the beginning of baseball players’ careers – the single “P.” For this, the developers used the old English alphabet, making the symbol as modern as possible. The yellow letter has four spike-like ridges at the top, an elongated stem, a rectangular gap, parallel lines, and serifs.
This logo first appeared in 1900 and returned in 2014, keeping a stylish sign of visual identity. It refers at once to two words from the name of the franchise – to “Pittsburgh” (location) and “Pirates” (nickname for baseball players).
Font and Colors
The club’s symbols are divided into two large categories: with a letter and with a pirate. Initially, the first variant was used, in which the sign was played in a variety of styles. This continued until 1934 – until the period when the image of a pirate appeared on the logo.
It was also changed and redrawn many times. It was contoured, monochrome, realistic, cartoonish, funny, and serious. Moreover, the image of the corsair was everywhere supplemented with text. From 1934 to 1997, the pirate was painted in a cocked hat, and later in a bandana. Some variants also contained crossed baseball bats.
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, the typeface was built from the ground up. It was called the MLB Pirates. For the complete lettering, the developers suggested large glyphs with a black and white outline. The modern emblem uses only two of the three official colors: gold (letter) and white (background). Black is present in the expanded name of the club, which is sometimes accompanied by a sign.
Pittsburgh Pirates color codes
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
| CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #fdb827 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 253 183 36 | |
| CMYK: | 0 24 94 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 123 C |
What is the Pittsburgh Pirates logo?
The large orange P was adopted as the logo of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015. It represents both the club’s official nickname and the city where it is based. The rounded P is decorated with four spikes, making it look like knuckle dusters, and the top and bottom are decorated with triangular serifs. This design demonstrates the willingness of the baseball team to fight fiercely against opponents.
What does the C stand for on Pittsburgh Pirates hats?
In sports, the letter “C” is usually depicted on the captain’s headdress so that he can be easily distinguished from other players on the field. And speaking of the logo that was depicted on Pittsburgh Pirates caps in the late 1800s, the “C” represented the word “Club.”
What NFL team has a pirate logo?
None of the existing NFL teams currently have a classic pirate logo. The Las Vegas Raiders emblem features a stylized raider wearing a football helmet and an eye patch. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers use a pirate flag with a skull, sabers, and a ball.
Why are the Pittsburgh Pirates called the Pirates?
The Pittsburgh Alleghenys team began to lure away foreign players and sign contracts with them. Representatives of the American Association condemned her actions, comparing the club’s employees to pirates. This nickname stuck, and in 1891 it was adopted as the official name of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
