With the three finalists selected out of 700 entries in the Milwaukee Brewers “Design a YOUniform” contest, we’ll have the results on Sunday, Jan. 27.
What started as a simple fan interaction project last fall turned into something much bigger, with the onslaught of submissions surprising even the Brewers and enticing them to extend the winning uniform from just a Spring Training game in Phoenix to an exhibition game in Milwaukee’s home Miller Park two days before the regular-season opener.
The three finalists all have relatively different designs, albeit with a classic look attached to each of them.
The tamest of the bunch comes from Ron Verrecchio of Catonsville, Md., who offers up a white top featuring the throwback Ball and Glove logo. That classic logo also adorns his blue and yellow cap. A second traditional Milwaukee logo, the Barrelman, plays prominently on the sleeve.
Finalist Ben Peters of Richfield, Minn., also places the Barrelman on the sleeve, but overtop a newly designed logo that features an outline of the state of Wisconsin and some barley. By pairing current team colors with a more old-school looking font, the uniform itself has a classic feel, even if the cap has a bit more character with the face of the Barrelman squarely adorning the blue lids.
Nicholas Fouts of Madison, Wisc., offers up a yellow uniform with blue lettering and blue piping. Where he gets the most playful is with a rarely used alternate logo from the 70s for the white, blue and yellow cap that features a blue “M” embedded in a yellow outline of the state of Wisconsin.
The Brewers have asked fans to vote on the best look by going to Brewers.com/uniform. They have until 10 a.m. CT on Jan. 22. Those votes count for one of eight that work to select the winner, which will be announced at Brewers On Deck on Jan. 27. Other judges include closer John Axford, general manager Doug Melvin, representatives from Majestic and New Era and Jill Aronoff, Brewers senior director of merchandise branding.
The design will first be worn on Friday, March 22, during a Spring Training game against the Cubs at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix. The look will take to Miller Park on March 30 against the White Sox in an exhibition game two days before the regular-season home opener.
The winner will get airfare and tickets for two, plus $1,500 expenses, to attend the March 22 contest in Phoenix. Along with 10 T-shirts and hats with the winning design, the winner can choose a game-worn uniform and cap from any player the day his uniform was worn.
Merchandise featuring the winning design will also be available at the Brewers team stores in Phoenix and at Miller Park.
Tim Newcomb is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest covering news, culture, sports design and entertainment. He has written on uniforms and sports logos for TIME Magazine, Sports Illustrated and more. You can follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb. Visit his website here.
BringItBack
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 21:24The first and second designs are more MLB conforming than the third. I'd put my money on the first design though...and the Brewers will gradually drift back to the "MB Glove" logo as their primary again (rather than just as the alternate) and ditch the current navy colors with the white M and wheat logo.
Aaron
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 22:36I would like to see a combination of the first two uniforms. Including the classic MB glove logo.
Aaron
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 22:42On the second concept, they kind of remind me of one of the White Sox older uniforms.
Jj
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 23:02Nick wins
Jack
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 20:49Agreed
Michael Q.
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 00:19Love all three of them.
SouthstanderRSM
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 00:41I thought that the jersey cannot include a baseball on the front of it.
Chris Creamer
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 08:01Referring to a ball-in-glove logo? Doesn't look like a real baseball at all, not a problem.
StoutGuy29
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 02:12On the third design, the "M + WI State Outline" logo is a stock logo used previously by the Brewers... http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/sytbo7kgyb9h9a0u75gurml9m/Milwaukee_Brewers/1970/Alternate_Logo
Chris Creamer
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 08:00Thanks, I've edited that part of the post
Joshua Powers
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 09:40These are all pretty good. I think I like #2 best overall.
Swiss
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 09:52Loved alots the Ben Peters' design! And the Ron Verrecchio's one isn't bad, I like it.
Jeff
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 11:04Put the ball and glove logo in the new colors on the hat of #2 and that's your winner. #3 looks like a college jersey
charles sollars
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 11:44I was really hoping for something more. I submitted a brewcrew uniform. I wanted to see something new and something not as team issued looking here is my design http://www.flickr.com/photos/fourteen85/8268268719/
John
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:22I like them all! All quite different but each have great aspects to it. I love the sleeve in #1, font in #2, and hat in #3!
Jack
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 20:50yea I Know
Hovie Hawk
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:22I like everything about #2 except for the cap. Use an "M" instead and it's perfect. Nicely done.
Aaron
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 15:39If they go with #2, add the M glove logo and that would be fine. But I think #1 looks fairly classic. WOuld love to see a road version of this though.
Michael Kaiser
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 13:12I voted for the second one, though I'm not sure I love the hat.
Tony O'Neill
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 14:16Pretty tough choice between 1 and 2. I like the use of "Barrellman" in #2 but the number font is kind of weird. I think I'd have to go with #1 and the old classic "MB" glove logo.
Nascarfan4
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 17:45I like Uniform #2, I hope that one gets the winning ticket, cause that's the one I voted on.
Boyee
Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 01:47The currents changed to royal blue and yellow gold would be best. Homes should say "Brewers" and the roads should say "Milwaukee."
Aaron
Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 09:41Totally agree. Although I do like the current jersey font they have. Looks like the Cheers bar sign. Maybe they could somehow swing that with the royal blue and gold and the MB glove logo.
geha714
Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 09:59I vote for the first uniform, but the second one has a lot of potential. logo included. The third one is pretty meh.
Bradley
Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 16:44I like Verrecchio's, when you first look at your like it looks just like their old uniform, but it not they never had a uniform that matched Verrechhio's. Its a classic, it reminds me of the old Tigers, Yankees uniforms of yesteryear. I could see Rollie Fingers running out with his handle bar mustache in Verrecchio's uniform in a field of dreams. The glove logo is one of the most recognized in sports. The yellow and blue jersey looks a lot like a batting jersey and does not even have the Brewers on it. Beer Barrelman swinging a bat is the name of the other logo, but on the hat of the second Uniform it is cutoff and looks strange, and you can not really tell that its is Barrelman. The hat looks like the tin man from the wizard of OZ or a toy airplane, I would never wear that hat, (Maybe if I was 8). Verrecchio's is the choice, the man included Socks.
54321
Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 10:242nd one gets my vote save for the goofy hat logo. I really like that other Barrelman/Wisconsin/Miller label styled logo.
Jay Boyle
Monday, January 21, 2013 at 18:45I would choose #1 if the Barrelman logo was on the left sleeve instead of the right. However, my choice would be #2 for these reasons: 1. The jersey is more of a Cream color, and Milwaukee was known for many years as "The Cream City" because of the cream colored bricks used in the buildings of the city, plus the cream also fits one of the nicknames of Wisconsin, "America's Dairyland". 2. Lettering and numeral fonts on the jersey. 3. Barrel Man logo on map of Wisconsin with wheat sheaves looks excellent. 4. Could be popular enough to be made into a whole series of uniforms in the future: Primary Home would be cream jerseys and pants w/Brewers font, Primary Road would be gray w/"Milwaukee" on them, Alternate #1 would be Gold with "Brewers" in blue w/cream pants, Alternate #2 would be blue with "Milwaukee" in gold with gray pants. 5. Caps look OK, could have Barrel Man's head on a map of Wisconsin for Cap #1, Cap #2- Blue w/Gold M trimmed in cream, Cap #3- Blue cap with cream front panels and Barrel Man, Cap #4-Blue with either gold front panels with Blue M or solid blue with cream "M" trimmed in gold.
Aaron
Monday, January 21, 2013 at 20:56The number 2 jersey design is pretty cool. But I'm wondering if you can mesh it with the classic MB glove logo. I'd like to see what the road version of this would look like. It would have to say Milwaukee though. If we did that, it would be a combination of 1 and 2 right off the bat.
Damon Selman
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 18:17All three jerseys are better than the current Brewers' jerseys. Just do this: Jersey 2- home (prefer a navy M or MB glove hat though) Jersey 3- road (I remember some 1800's jerseys, eg a team in Pittsfield, MA, had a similar color scheme) Jersey 1- alternate jersey for both and road Make all these jersey into the permanent Brewers jerseys. Finally, pay the men who created these sweet jerseys. Well done guys!
Aaron
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 19:10Totally agree with you. But I think you forgot to mention that the jersey 3 design should be in gray. As far as jersey one goes, use it as a third retro style jersey. For the road jersey I'm guessing it be # 3, make Milwaukee consistent with the same style as the Brewers #2 script style. Emulate the shoulder patch logo on #1.
Seth Dash
Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 16:13The winner was named, it was the uniform created by ben peters.