bronx bomb

Yesterday, Major League Baseball unveiled the 2008 All Star Game logo. Sigh. I had seen the main 2008 'All Star Game' type in a piece at this years game, so I had high hopes. I really shouldn't be surprised - baseball has a history in recent years of some of the worst design around (and other pro sports aren't exempt from that criticism as well). Yet there have been glimmers of hope: The Padres and Angels have adopted nice redesigns in recent years, and the 07 All Star Game design wasn't awful. Admittedly, despite my rant, this could be a lot worse: Almost shockingly, there is no 3D type and no bevels or shadows or gradations. They deserve credit for showing that restraint. The "All Star Game" type by itself is actually really nice. It is classic but masculine - fitting for a game that is clearly imaged around the history of Yankee Stadium. The press release calls the logo simple and traditional. Oh my. With more than seven different elements shoved into one logo, I hate to see what busy looks like. The Yankees pinstripes have naturally been included. And using the colonnade makes sense, but does it have to be so literally tacked on at the top? Why not a more abstract representation that could easily echo both the colonnade and the pinstripes in one element? And do we really need three ovals as the border - one just won't do? Don't even get me started on the awkwardly curved NYC 2008 type, complete with two completely different letterspacings. The periods between the N,Y, and C are a particularly baffling touch. It seems like a logo that started out well, but as it got passed through approvals had one thing after another added to it. Again, they do deserve credit for showing as much restraint as they did, but lets hope they learn to show even more in the future. This could be so much better.