Happy Birthday Bird!!!

[AshGL1914]

It was a year ago today that The Orioles front office (with input from Buck and Dan) gave the team and their fans back it's time honored symbol; The Cartoon Bird.

It had been 23 years since a cartoon bird graced the cap of an Oriole and most of those years were spent losing. In case anyone doubts that last sentence, I'll provide a chart from the awesome blog "Forgotten Birds".


Over the years I had written the front office occasionally to ask on behalf of the team and fans that the classic symbol be returned in the hope that even the slight morale boost of dressing the team like the World Series Champion team the Orioles had once been, might help the team now.
I was thrilled a year ago to wake up to see this banner around the net...


I bought the new home cap within minutes, and have only rarely taken it off since. During this fantastic season, I've loved seeing our Birds looking on the field like the Oriole heroes of my youth. Buck and Matt, Adam, and Nick, and Mark and all the rest of the 2012 Orioles on the field looking (and more importantly playing) for all the world like Brooks and Frank, Jim, and Earl, and Eddie, and Cal.

But rather than just trot out an older version of the logo, they gave us something new. Something fresh that we could feel was a bird for our time, but that fit with all of his previous incarnations as well.


I love it! I'm a kid who grew up in Memorial Stadium, and sat in my cheep seat during our last World Series, and I've got to tell you that this new Cartoon Bird has displaced all of my old Cooperstown Caps with the symbol I grew up with. It's a great design, and now means even more to me after the amazing season we just had. The Orioles of 2012 can take their place in my memories alongside the great Orioles of the past, and look like they belong there as well.

So from the depths of my old Oriole heart to the team I love and to the people who made this happen, thank you for returning to this team (and me!) our rightful symbol.


Go ORIOLES!! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEW CARTOON BIRD!!!

John

p.s. Oh, and I almost forgot... I was going to let Buck have the last word. "One of the keys this year was going to the cartoon bird on the hat. That was a good 15 or 20 games. I'm not kidding. Our fans love it, too." -Buck Showalter November 13, 2012

[Annie]

there was a funny video done about this when the bird came back...some of you may have seen it floating around the web. if not, here it is! it's worth seeing again, anyway!

[scOtt]

Hmmm. That's odd.


It was my understanding that everyone had heard...

[HoustonOrioleFan]

Great post Ash....I think we're all happy the cartoon Bird and "Baltimore" on the away jerseys are back....can't hurt the bottom line for merchandising either....