Tampa Bay Rays Logo PNG
The Tampa Bay Rays logo emphasizes their aspiration for a stellar career. It features a bright star that stands out against a dark blue inscription. The emblem’s style is free and creative, breaking the standard rules of typography since the leg of the first letter extends far beyond the word’s boundaries.
Tampa Bay Rays: Brand overview
The Tampa Bay Rays are a relatively young professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The team competes in the American League’s Eastern Division of Major League Baseball.
Since the early 1960s, authorities have attempted to establish their baseball team in St. Petersburg to play in the MLB. Jack Lake, the publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, envisioned turning St. Petersburg from a seasonal training location into a major league city.
In the 1980s and 1990s, local authorities made billions of unsuccessful attempts to acquire a major league baseball team, such as the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners. After moving to Tampa or St. Petersburg, they offered significant payment and better training conditions. However, the deal did not materialize. The Tropicana Field Dome stadium was built in St. Petersburg in 1990 to attract a major league club.
The Tampa Bay Rays club was founded in 1998. Tropicana Field became the team’s home from the very first season. Constant defeats marked the team’s first decade: they finished last in the Eastern Division until 2002, when they reached the top three.
Initially, the team was named the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, referring to the cartilaginous fish, but after the 2007 season, the club owner Stuart Sternberg changed the team’s name from “Devil Rays” to “Tampa Bay Rays.” Several names were proposed: “Aces,” “Bandits,” “Cannons,” “Dukes,” “Stripes,” and “Nine,” Sternberg’s personal favorite. The new name referred to a burst of sunlight, not the long barbed tail of a manta ray. The team’s new color scheme included dark blue, Columbia blue, and gold.
After the name and logo change in 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays opened their victorious season. In 2008, they won the American League’s Eastern Division and, defeating the Boston Red Sox, advanced to the team’s first-ever World Series. Unfortunately, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. Since then, the Rays have played in the World Series in 2010, 2011, and 2013. The Tampa Bay Rays’ main rivals are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
Meaning and History
Four logos exist in the baseball franchise’s short history (established in 1998). They are divided into two groups: before and after 2008. This clear classification is due to the style of individual symbols, which underwent a redesign at the end of the 2000s. While it previously combined text and graphics, the word part has become predominant.
What is Tampa Bay Rays?
The Tampa Bay Rays are a baseball team named after the Tampa Bay area, with St. Petersburg as their home city. They appeared in 1998, ending the region’s 30-year quest for its own Major League Baseball franchise. Since its founding, the club has competed in the American League East.
1998 – 2000
Since the original team name was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the first logo depicted a devil ray swimming to the left. The inscription “Devil Rays” was placed below and “Tampa Bay” above the straight length of the tail. Behind it was an oval with a rainbow gradient.
2001 – 2007
In 2001, the Tampa Bay Rays logo was replaced with a similar but more austere one. The black devil ray still pointed in the same direction. Moreover, it was now placed below the “Tampa Bay” inscription. The oval was also present but changed to blue-green compared to the previous rainbow gradient. The “Devil Rays” inscription was removed from the logo.
2008 – 2018
2008, the Tampa Bay Rays needed a new logo due to a name change. Thus, the devil ray was abolished. Instead, a sunray appeared in the letter “R” of the dark blue inscription “Rays,” now taking center stage. The elongated tail of the letter “R” symbolizes water. The Tampa Bay Rays emblem looked like a white baseball diamond with a blue outline. The dark blue color symbolizes deep waters, and the bright blue the Florida sky. The sunray signifies sunny Florida.
2019 – today
Recently, the Tampa Bay Rays made another small change to their logo. The modern version was adopted in 2019. It is based on the previous version, from which the baseball diamond serving as the background for the word “Rays” disappeared. The developers enlarged the inscription in the updated version, leaving everything else unchanged.
As before, the “R” is depicted with an elongated leg as an inverted arch or crest of a wave. It connects with “A” and reaches the lower notch of “Y.” All elements have a double frame to the right, forming a peculiar shadow and creating a 3D effect. The upper half of the capital letter is a shining star with seven sharp rays of varying lengths.
Tampa Bay Rays: Interesting Facts
The Tampa Bay Rays started playing baseball in 1998 and have made a name for themselves by thinking differently and trying new things.
- New Name and Look: In 2008, they changed from the “Tampa Bay Devil Rays” to just the “Tampa Bay Rays” and got a new sunburst logo. This was to start fresh and show they’re all about the sunshine in Tampa Bay.
- Big Win: In 2008, the Cubs won the American League pennant for the first time after changing their name. This was a huge deal because they hadn’t done well before.
- Smart Baseball: The Rays are known for trying new ways to play baseball. One cool thing they did was start a game with a relief pitcher instead of the usual starting pitcher. Other teams have copied this strategy, too.
- Tropicana Field: They play games at Tropicana Field, known for its fixed roof (so it doesn’t open and close) and a big fish tank with live rays that fans can feed.
- Doing a Lot with a Little: Even though they spend less money than some of the other big teams, like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, the Rays still manage to be one of the best teams in their division. This shows that they’re good at finding and training new players.
- Growing Stars: The Rays have helped many young players become good, like Evan Longoria, David Price, and Blake Snell. They’re good at making stars.
- Amazing Pitching: The Rays have had games where their pitchers were so good that the other team didn’t get a single hit. Matt Garza did this in 2010, the first time it ever happened for the Rays.
- Big Rivalries: Their games against the Boston Red Sox are especially exciting and have become a big rivalry with many memorable moments.
- Playoff Success: Since they started, the Rays have made the playoffs several times, including winning the American League pennant in 2008 and 2020. They’ve shown they can compete with the best, even without spending much money.
The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t been around as long as some other teams, but they’ve quickly shown that with smart thinking and a commitment to trying new things, they can be one of the best teams in baseball.
Rays Skateboard Logo
In 2024, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team introduced a unique Rays Skateboard logo inspired by the team’s City Connect uniforms, celebrating the region’s skateboarding culture. The design vividly represents Tampa’s rich street culture, blending skateboarding, street art, and the energy of youthful spirit.
At the heart of the logo is a stingray seamlessly transitioning into a skateboard, symbolizing the fusion of the area’s marine heritage with modern street culture trends. The stingray, rendered in black with soft contours, conveys dynamism, fluidity, and flexibility—qualities inherent to skateboarding and the graceful sea creature. The graphic gives the impression of the stingray performing a “stalefish” trick, adding an energetic touch to the visual.
Neon green and blue outlines frame the emblem, enhancing its three-dimensional effect and emphasizing its urban style. These colors reflect the region’s natural elements, from the waters surrounding Tampa to the green spaces where skate sessions occur.
The skateboard in the design features a texture reminiscent of an actual deck, tying into the concept of the City Connect uniform. Purple trucks and accents stand out against the overall design, adding boldness and vibrancy. These color highlights showcase attention to detail and a modern aesthetic.
The deck also features unique graphic elements, including a stitch motif symbolizing individuality and creativity while highlighting local cultural roots. This detail further strengthens the connection between the logo and the community.
The emblem encapsulates Tampa’s skateboarding subculture, where skateboarding, music, and art converge. The stingray motif reinforces ties to nature and the sea, paying homage to the team’s name and origins. The dynamic form of the visual mark embodies forward motion and freedom, echoing the spirit of skateboarders.
The new logo became part of a broader Tampa Bay Rays campaign promoting skateboarding and urban culture. The initiative included skateboarding events such as professional trick demonstrations, themed activities, and a limited-edition release of skateboards featuring the logo. These skateboards, merging sports themes with local cultural elements, quickly gained popularity among collectors and team fans.
Font and Colors
The debut logo radically differed from modern versions, as the club had a different name. The first two options included an image of a sea devil—a giant stingray. It crossed the diagonally placed oval, on which “TAMPA BAY ” was written in the second logo and “DEVIL RAYS” in addition to it in the first.
The two remaining emblems contain the team’s wordmark, which appeared as a result of rebranding. Initially, the word “Rays” was on a diamond-shaped background – a baseball stadium with all lines and bases. Then, designers simplified the logo to be visible on modern carriers.
The Tampa Bay Rays logo uses a font reminiscent of Hermecito A SC. It is a serif font developed by designer Ari Rafaeli and published by ARTypes. All letters are uppercase, but the first is distinguished by size and is much larger than the rest. The highlight of the inscription is in the elongated leg of “R,” symbolizing the waves.
The logo’s color palette is also related to the water theme. Dark blue combined with light blue symbolizes the ocean and resonates with the baseball club’s name. Yellow conveys Florida’s hot sun and warm sand, while white is the background and creates additional contrast.
FAQ
Why did the Tampa Bay Devil Rays change their name?
Initially, the club was called the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, named after the ray known as the devil fish due to the horn-like fins on its head. New owner Stuart L. Sternberg removed the word “devil” to completely change the nickname’s meaning as part of a rebranding. So now, the team’s name is associated only with sunlight.
What does the Tampa Bay Baseball Club logo represent?
Since 2019, the baseball club’s logo has the word “RAYS” written in capital letters. Although all symbols are uppercase, the letter “R” is almost twice as large. Its long protruding leg runs under the letters “AY.” Above the letter “R” is a white-yellow star symbolizing a flash of light. The inscription is blue with white outlines.
What is the mascot of the Tampa Bay Rays?
The Tampa Bay Rays’ mascot is the blue and fluffy Raymond. It’s difficult to understand what creature it is, but according to legend, it belongs to the fictional biological species Canus Manta Whatthefluffalus. Team representatives claim they saw this friendly animal while fishing: it crawled out of the water, attracted by the smell of hot dogs, befriended people, and agreed to become the franchise’s mascot.
What is the salary of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays team?
As of 2021, the total salary of all players is just over 88 million dollars a year. Meanwhile, the highest-paid baseball player, Kevin James Kiermaier, earns 11.5 million dollars a year.