Many sports teams change their logos and perception of their craft. It means that most such teams change how they look at least once every five years. It is a general practice to perfect their look and make sure that they are recognizable by the fans. The Detroit Tigers are not an exception. The team was created more than a century ago. As you can imagine, they have changed their logo at least a couple of times since then. Therefore, today we will talk more about the Detroit Tigers logo and how it changed from black and white to one of the most recognizable ones in American baseball.

As we mentioned in our introduction, the team was created more than a century ago. Their first appearance was around 1901. Therefore, their logo also appeared during the same year. The Detroit Tigers logo history is complicated since they have existed for more than 120 years. 

However, suppose you study history closely enough. In that case, you will notice that it didn't necessarily change all that much to become unrecognizable. The team initially started with a red silhouette of a tiger. It was standing on four legs, outlined in black, and placed on a white background. 

Brief Account of Evolution

Detroit Tigers Primary Logo 1903

However, it didn't last more than two years. In 1903 the team decided to change the Detroit Tigers team logo into a simple "D." There was nothing special about this letter, so it was changed once more to a slightly Gothic variation. For around 20 years, the letter "D" has been the only logo used by a team. The Detroit Tigers logo, black and white, was replaced by signature blue, but the letter changed its fonts and styles. Only in 1927, they came back to a tiger.

This time, however, it was an orange head of a tiger that usually appeared on different badges. Since it looked amateur and didn't fit the style, the team returned to their signature letter, adding different variations of a tiger within the letter itself. The colors, however, remained practically the same and featured navy blue and vivid oranges. Right now, we have the same letter "D" in a Gothic style and navy blue.

The Basic Meaning and Why It Changed

If you look at images of the Detroit Tigers logo, you will notice that their evolution is pretty subtle.

Detroit Tigers Primary Logo 1914 - 1915

They mostly remained close to "D" and different variations of cartoony tigers. You will not be surprised to learn that there is no deeper meaning behind this logo. Since the team was inspired and took a name from a tiger, they started featuring it in many places. They also settled for a Honolulu blue once they could escape the traditional black and white. We can only assume that this was done because of the aesthetics. Orange and blue created a rather peculiar color scheme. It also makes sense that their tiger eventually became orange and not red. Overall, the changes were mainly done to avoid the cartoonish look of some of their symbols and establish a recognizable color palette. Right now, the majority of baseball fans associate Honolulu blue with this particular team.

What The Future Holds

Detroit Tigers Primary Logo 2016 - Present

The Detroit Tigers will continue to grow even further. It is unlikely that they will change the logo, at least drastically. Their particular logo has been with them since 2016. Besides, they have been consistent with their signature color and letter for half a century. It will likely be a simple letter style, even if they change something. However, it is now trademarked and usually connected to their revenues and sponsorships. With the season in full swing and different games coming, Detroit Tigers will show their true value and possibly gain a couple of new players. Despite all their ups and downs, they are still one of the most successful professional baseball teams. 

Bottom Line

Today we have studied the images of the Detroit Tigers logo and traced their evolution. As we can see from our study, they have not changed much. They started with a simple outline of a red tiger. They moved on to their signature letter, "D." Due to the peculiarities of their time, their logo was black and white. They later transferred into Honolulu blue as well as bright orange. It is unlikely that this will be changed anytime soon.

Guest Writer
Andy Brown, the author and Editor-in-Chief at https://luckymichigan.com/.

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