The Baltimore Orioles are unique in minor league baseball in that three of their four farm teams play in the same state as their parent club, and the one that doesn’t is the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, who play next door in Virginia. But even with all those Orioles affiliates nearby, the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds, who play just 25 miles from their parent club in Baltimore, have a special claim to the hearts of O’s fans. Their team’s name is an homage to its owner, Cal Ripken, Jr.
The “Iron” in the team’s name is a reference to Ripken’s nickname, the Iron Man, while “Birds,” of course, references the team’s parent club in Baltimore. The jet planes in the team’s logos over the years are a reference to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a nearby military facility used for testing military equipment.
The team today unveiled a rebrand, which hearkens back to its happy-go-lucky original logo, which was used from the team’s inception in 2002 until 2012 (above).
The logo unveiled today replaces the more serious logo used from 2013 until today, which I always thought looked liked Sam Eagle from the Muppets.
The new brand was created by in-house graphic designer Kevin Jimenez and features a smiling, friendly jet plane and a softer color palette. The IronBirds will sport their new look on the field when the High-A East season begins April 8, 2022.
