The correct direction is what a professional MLB baseball team demonstrates. Therefore, the Seattle Mariners logo resembles a compass with an accurate bearing. The circular shape repeats the contours of the globe and allows for more accurate orientation in the surrounding world, that is, on the sports field. The compass also testifies that it is a symbol of sailors.
Seattle Mariners: Brand overview
Founded: | 1977 |
Founder: | Baseball Club of Seattle, LP, Nintendo of America |
Headquarters: | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Website: | mlb.com |
The Seattle Mariners are a professional-level baseball team competing in the MLB. The team represents the AL West Division and is based in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1977.
This American club emerged as a result of litigation between the AL and city authorities, represented by Senator Slade Gorton. The cause of the lawsuit was a contract violation by the league, which illegally took the Seattle MLB representative. Confident that the city would get its team, the county built the multi-purpose Kingdome stadium. It was there that the “Seattle Mariners” debuted.
After the official expansion process, a new franchise appeared in Seattle. Its owners were a group of individuals (Stanley Golub, Walter Schoenfeld, Lester Smith, James Stillwell Jr., and James Walsh) led by Danny Kaye. They managed the club for three years, after which it was transferred to George Argyros for nine years. The team’s owner then became Jeff Smulyan from 1989 to 1992.
In the first half of the 1990s, the “Seattle Mariners” again became the object of trade. Then-Senator Slade Gorton approached Nintendo of America with a request to find a Japanese investor who would financially support the American club. A counteroffer came from Yamauchi, and Smulyan accepted it. However, the agreement was not approved by Fay Vincent, the head of the property committee.
After pressure from Seattle residents, management, and the public, the official finally made concessions on the deal. But on the condition that the Japanese businessman would own less than 50% of the shares and the Baseball Club of Seattle, LP would remain the key manager. It currently owns the franchise.
The team’s name appeared a year before its founding. Officials initiated it, and in August 1976, they announced a competition. As a result, out of 600 options proposed by 15,000 participants, “Mariners” was chosen. Several people suggested this name, but Roger Szmodis from Bellevue gave the best justification. He became the winner.
The club’s symbolism has been associated with the maritime theme from the beginning. Early versions featured a trident, while modern ones featured a compass. The initial logos were associated with water rather than baseball, so they changed several times.
Meaning and History
This baseball team came into existence in 1977, so the history of logos is quite short, featuring only four versions. But, on the other hand, they are so diverse that finding two identical copies is simply impossible. Designers tried to diversify them to bring a significant amount of novelty. The only thing that unites them is the theme. Now, the simple concept and new version of the logo have become more understandable to fans.
What is Seattle Mariner?
The “Seattle Mariner” is an American professional baseball team in the MLB. It is part of the AL and competes in the Western Division. The club appeared in 1977 as an expansion franchise. Until 1999, it played home games at Kingdome Stadium and then received the T-Mobile Park arena in another area. The team owes its name to the honorary attitude towards sailors in the coastal region.
1977 – 1980
The first original Mariners logo consisted of a large yellow circle with a thin dark blue outline, the name “Seattle Mariners,” and just below – “Baseball Club.” In the word “Mariners,” the letter “M” is replaced with a marine blue trident.
1981 – 1986
The Seattle Mariners slightly changed their logo. Now, the background features a five-pointed star, white with a dark blue outline, and in the foreground – a voluminous blue letter “M” in the form of a trident with a thin yellow outline.
1987 – 1992
The new team logo used the abbreviation of the word “Mariners” – “M’s.” The letters were executed in blue and placed in the center of a large white baseball with blue stitches.
1993 – today
The modern version, approved in 1993, harmoniously combines two directions – baseball and water. Following the name of the Seattle Mariners club, the developers proposed a marine compass. Taking it as a basis, they meticulously connected this attribute with a small ball symbolically placed in the center.
As a result, a stylized element was created, vaguely resembling a classic rondel: a circle within a circle with a wide band and one or several strokes. Only in this case are arrows radiating from the center point to the geographical cardinal points. The rays are two-tone (light and dark), so they look three-dimensional. Above the ball is the inscription “Seattle,” below – “Mariners.” There are three border stripes next.
Seattle Mariners: Interesting Facts
The Seattle Mariners, a baseball team that started in 1977, are pretty special in the baseball world. They haven’t been around as long as other teams, but they have some cool stories.
- Never in the World Series: The Mariners have never played in the World Series. People are looking forward to the day they do.
- The 1995 Season: In 1995, the Mariners made an amazing comeback and won their division. They beat the New York Yankees in a big game, which made more people in Seattle excited about baseball and helped build a new stadium.
- Ken Griffey Jr.: Griffey was amazing at batting and catching. He was fun to watch and loved by fans everywhere. He got into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
- Ichiro Suzuki: Ichiro joined the Mariners in 2001 and quickly became a star. He won awards and set a record for most hits in one season. People love his way of hitting and running fast.
- Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park: Their stadium, opened in 1999 and later named T-Mobile Park, has a roof that can open and close, great views, and tasty food. It’s a fun place for fans.
- The 2001 Season: The Mariners won 116 games in 2001, tying the record for most wins. But they didn’t get past the playoffs.
- Edgar Martinez: Edgar is one of the best hitters ever, especially as a designated hitter (DH). There’s even an award named after him for the best DH each year.
- Felix Hernandez’s Perfect Game: In 2012, Felix Hernandez pitched a perfect game, meaning no one got on base against him. It’s a big deal in baseball.
- “The Double” by Edgar Martinez: In 1995, Edgar Martinez hit a double that scored Ken Griffey Jr. and won a very important game against the Yankees. It’s a famous moment for Mariners fans.
The Seattle Mariners have many fans and famous players, and they hope to make a big difference in baseball.
Font and Colors
Before the era of the marine compass, there were three logo variants: the debut (consisting of an inscription), the middle (including only graphics), and the transitional (representing a combination of drawn and textual elements). In addition, the emblem initially featured a water/sea theme, as the first two logos depicted a trident in different forms. In subsequent versions, an image of a ball appeared, and in the current version – a harmonious combination of the team name and the sports discipline it engages in.
In the original version, the inscriptions were made with a chopped font – smooth, without serifs. Its originality is given by the peculiar “e,” whose crossbar is not horizontal but vertical. The capital “M” is interestingly played with: instead of the usual symbol, Neptune’s trident, the ruler of the watery expanses, is used. The modern emblem contains a condensed chopped font. It resembles Compacta Regular, which was developed by Fred Lambert and used by Linotype. The only difference is the smoother sans-serif symbols.
The main colors of the “Seattle Mariners” emblem are dark blue, metallic silver, and northwest green. Early versions also featured cream and yellow.
Seattle Mariners color codes
Navy Blue | Hex color: | #0c2c56 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 24 45 85 | |
CMYK: | 100 64 0 60 | |
Pantone: | PMS 289 C |
Metallic Silver | Hex color: | #c4ced4 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 196 206 211 | |
CMYK: | 5 0 0 20 | |
Pantone: | PMS 877 C |
Northwest Green | Hex color: | #005c5c |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 2 93 93 | |
CMYK: | 100 0 46 46 | |
Pantone: | PMS 329 C |
Mariners Yellow | Hex color: | #ffc528 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 255 197 40 | |
CMYK: | 0 24 94 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 123 C |
Cream | Hex color: | #fff6dd |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 255 246 221 | |
CMYK: | 04 10 18 05 | |
Pantone: | PMS 155 C |
FAQ
What does the “Seattle Mariners” emblem represent?
The modern Seattle Mariners logo is associated with the water theme. First, it’s the team’s name. Secondly, its base is located on the bay shore. Therefore, the club uses a stylized ship’s wheel or marine compass with multi-directional arrows as an emblem. There are 8 of them in total: 4 large ones pointing north, south, west, east, and as many small ones located in the gaps between them.
Why did the “Mariners” change their logo?
There were two significant changes in the “Seattle Mariners” emblem. The first is related to the transition to the baseball theme, as the emblem was more maritime than sports. This event occurred in 1987. The second change relates to 1993 when the team decided to combine two directions – sports and maritime.
What colors are the “Seattle Mariners”?
The “Seattle Mariners” have several official colors: silver, aqua, dark blue, green (turquoise), cream, and yellow. Each of them was used in the logos.