Outside the Beltway

Washington Nationals Logo

James Joyner · Monday, November 22, 2004 · 2 comments

MLB Officials to Unveil Nationals Logo (WaPo)

Major League Baseball and District officials have scheduled a news conference for noon today at Union Station to unveil the logos for the soon-to-be-named Washington Nationals. The primary logo will feature “Washington” in a ribbon that rests atop a rectangle that contains the word “Nationals.” Below is a baseball ringed with stars.

There are several versions of the logo, according to a preview of the team marks that were viewed by The Post. All the marks — variations of the logos that will appear on the team’s uniforms, caps and other merchandise — will be done in the team colors of red, white and blue. Some do not include the baseball, and simply have “Washington Nationals.” The team logo on the cap will be a curving “W,” on a blue background and on a red background, presumably for home and away games.

Home team logos, which likely will grace the front of the team uniform, include “Nationals” in blue with red trim, and “Nationals” in plain red. Some blue lettering will have gold trim. The away logos will include “Washington” in plain red and “Washington” in blue with red trim. Some logos will feature “DC” on red and on blue backgrounds, respectively. Other variations include gold trim surrounding a blue “Nationals” or blue “Washington,” and some logos will be simply black and white.

What puzzles me is that they have yet to sell the team and yet they’ve already moved it to a new city, renamed it, designed a logo, hired a general manager, made a significant trade, and signed two free agents. That strikes me as an odd sequence.

Update: It’s offical.

D.C.’s team to be the Nationals (MLB.com)

City and team officials announced at a Monday press conference at Union Station that Washington, D.C.’s baseball team will be named the Nationals. The name change comes almost two months after Major League Baseball announced that the team was relocating from Montreal to Washington, D.C. The team will play its home games at RFK Stadium during the 2005 season.

With team president Tony Tavares and interim general manager Jim Bowden in attendance, the Nationals also revealed a new logo and uniform color scheme, which is red, blue and gold. “This is a thrilling and important step in returning the national pastime to the nation’s capital,” Tavares said. “The team name and colors not only represent our new home, but symbolize the joining together of Washington’s baseball past and its future.”

The Nationals were competing against such names as the Senators and Grays. Senators was the name of the previous two Major League Baseball franchises in Washington and Grays was a Negro League team based in Pittsburgh.

Actually, the first incarnation of the Washington Senators were known as the “Nationals” for many years:

The Nationals was the official original name of the Senators franchise that played in Washington from 1901-60, although the team was known by both names for several decades. Owner Calvin Griffith officially changed the name to Senators in 1957.

via ESPN

Update: See also –
The Washington Nationals (Nov. 6)
Washington Nationals Get Guillen from Angels (Nov. 19)