Orange jerseys and two cartoon bird hats added for 2012
By now, you know the Orioles have retired the ornithologically correct bird on their hats and will be switching to a cartoon bird that most resembles the logo from 1970.
But here are a couple things about the uniforms that the Orioles didn’t release until 9:30 a.m. today.
The Orioles will wear three different caps this season: A black cartoon bird hat with an orange bill; a multi-paneled cartoon bird hat that is black in the back and white in the front with an orange bill; and a black hat with the orange ‘O’s’ that the club will continue to wear on Fridays with their black jerseys.
The other noteworthy change is that the Orioles will wear orange jerseys with black lettering for the first time since 1992, which was the inaugural year of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The orange jerseys will be worn on home Saturdays.
That one caught me a little off guard. I’m not a big uniform guy, but I always did like the orange jersey. I don’t know why.
All told, the Orioles will have four jerseys: traditional white with ‘Orioles’ script (most home games); black with ‘Orioles’ script (all Fridays, home and road), orange with ‘Orioles’ script (home Saturdays) and gray with ‘Baltimore’ script (most road games).
The jerseys will have two patches: A 20th anniversary Camden Yards one on the right sleeve and the Maryland flag with “Baltimore” above it and “Orioles” below it on the left sleeve. In some 2011 versions, that patch had “Orioles Baseball” instead of the team name.
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
Not the white panels on the hats again. Next thing you know, our DP combination for 2012 will be Billy Smith and Kiko Garcia.
Posted by: Chris Joseph | November 15, 2011 11:19 AM
After three posts in a row, can we be done with this new uniform distraction?
What's going on in the warehouse, Dan?
Duquette's been around for a week. Is anything happening yet or should we expect more of the same cautious, wait-and-see approach that has kept us firmly entrenched in last place for the past four years?
--
GM meetings are in Milwaukee this week. He and Klentak are there. It's where the groundwork often starts for moves later this month and into December. But, trust me, if I had more, if moves were pending, you'd know as soon as I know.
Posted by: not brooks | November 15, 2011 11:47 AM
OH GOD! Not the white paneled hats again! They look like ice cream venders wearing those silly looking things. Every time I see one it reminds me of the catastrophe of 1988. Even the Blue Jays aren't foolish enough to try and wear those idiotic pieces of doggy pooh again! This will certainly corner the market on the worst looking uniforms in the major leagues!
Posted by: John K | November 15, 2011 4:19 PM
Losers deciding to make sure they look like losers. Guess the 0's (= zero to the non-hon world) is enshrined too. For a promotion day, why not don the St Louis Browns uniforms. Adios.
Posted by: carl0s | November 15, 2011 4:44 PM
I wonder if they could have done something other than to change the uniforms and caps to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards...Personally, the patch that denotes same would be enough. I was never fan of the "gooney bird" and rejoiced when they dumped it after the debacle of 1988...Finally, I thought, we're going to look serious and professional, instead of a joke, which is what the better part of 1988 was, and the team next season responded with the"Why Not" year which, for me as fan of more than 30 years, still ranks as one of the most exciting seasons I've ever witnessed as an O's fan. As one poster noted, "What's next, sans-a-belt polyester pants?" I've also noted that none of the articles I've read about the uniform/cap change delved into what sort of research the O's front office did in making this change. What did they base it on? Were focus groups conducted? Surveys? Discussion groups? Launch a facebook page for fan input? If so, I never heard about it. Oh well, what matters most is the play and if the club plays well, I highly doubt anyone will care what they're wearing, just so long as we never, EVER don pinstripes! Go O's!
Posted by: maxmorf | November 15, 2011 5:22 PM
If you wear the white paneled hats inside out they actually look better! Who has the actual say on what the team uniforms look like anyway? I'd like to tell him or her what I think their taste in style is. It's something usually found in a commode.
Posted by: John K | November 15, 2011 5:32 PM
NO! NO! NO! I assumed the 1966-'74 Oriole cartoon caps were coming back, not the '75-'88 caps with the stupid white panel in front. Hated it then and hate it now.
Posted by: Flagtown '71 | November 15, 2011 5:44 PM
Love the new cartoon bird.
Love the new black cap with orange bill.
Hate the white panel.
Posted by: Bear the Birdfan | November 15, 2011 8:55 PM
what's the batting helmet situation? will there be two?
Posted by: dawgtech | November 15, 2011 10:00 PM
The white hat will be lucky to last half a season. Anybody remember the (rather lovely) 1995 gray road hat? Didn't think so.
While they (kind of) fixed the road script, they did nothing about the ghastly, mis-shapen mess of the home/alternate script.
They really need to go back to the 2009 version of that script. The current one is just a mess.
Posted by: Mark | November 15, 2011 10:29 PM
Hey! Does this mean we get a "Disco Demolition Night"? They should use a picture of an angry Earl Weaver wearing one of those silly looking white paneled hats for a promo. When I first saw an image of that I didn't stop laughing for weeks. MLB was so impressed it didn't get a blurb. The Marlins got review after review. A former Sun writer probably said ignore him, he's being obnoxious again.
Posted by: John K | November 16, 2011 6:52 AM