See ya, Devil; welcome, sunburst

The Rays aren't dropping just the Devil. As part of their switch to new blue-schemed uniforms, they have taken the Tampa Bay off their road jerseys in favor of their new Rays logo. They will, however, keep the TB on their caps. Here are the images, leaked on the Internet Thursday:

The uniforms are not expected to be unveiled until November but word of their look has been trickling out.

The leaked images, above, show a clean design, a color scheme of navy and light blue with a sunburst of yellow, and a return to sleeved jerseys from vests.

They'll wear traditional all-white uniforms at home and gray on the road with navy caps, but have "alternate" navy tops and an alternate road cap with a light-blue bill. One new logo features the word Rays over a baseball diamond, and another stacks Tampa Bay and Rays.

The Rays didn't confirm that the leaked designs were the right ones, but they didn't deny it either, instead asking fans to wait for a scheduled mid-November unveiling.

"We are planning an exciting celebration this fall, at which time we will launch the new marks," team vice president Rick Vaughn said. "We will celebrate this occasion with our fans, players and supporters. We are excited to share this event with the Tampa Bay community. It will provide the first opportunity to get a complete sense of our new look and its meaning to our organization."

The images, plus details on changes other teams are making, appeared to come from a Major League Baseball produced document, and first appeared Thursday on the Web site.

The model, for what it's worth, is wearing Rocco Baldelli's No. 5.

[Photos: somethingawful.com. Click to enlarge.]

Comments

[Jimmy]

I like the new name and new colors. I thought the green was UGLY and the new blue ones look like a real baseball team. Maybe change will be good for the team.

[Mr. Vegas]

I'm sad to see the green go. All teams are now all primarily blue, black, or red. The D-Backs made the switch to red this year, the Astros made the move from orange a few years back . . . the Pirates still hold fast to the yellow, but their uni's are mostly black and gray anyhow.

Welcome to MLB: you will be assimilated, resistance is futile.

[whatupyo!]

i LOVED the all green uniform. The use of blue, already used by 19-yes, 19--other teams, is EGREGIOUS. I WANT MY UNIQUE GREEN BACK!!! I AM DISGUSTED!! I AM A DIEHARD RAYS FAN WHO CAN RELUCTANTLY ACCEPT THE SILLY NEW "RAYS" ONLY NAME, BUT NOT THAT UBIQUITOUS GENERIC BLUE...UGH...

[Greg H.]

I detect a Red Sox fan in the room. But hey, TAMPA BAY DEVIL DOGS. I like it. A tribute to our fine Marine Corps.

[Carmen]

You can change the uniforms, but until you change the players they will still be the doormats of the AL East.

GO DEVIL DOGS!!!

[Greg H.]

Now's the chance to change the name altogether. I think we should be called the TAMPA BAY MAKOS or TAMPA BAY MAKO SHARKS or TAMPA BAY OSPREYS.

The new uniforms are bland, but I am glad they are getting rid of the sleeveless jerseys. They should not trade the dark green for the navy blue.

[Ken]

Arizona is still the DBacks, cant we be the DRays...come on people. Dropping the Devil is stupid.

Our new colors look just like every other team.,, i.e Mariners and Padres.
-Thanx Sternberg.(u suck at marketing)

I agree with all of you...maddon is clueless and we had potential this year, unrealized due to poor management.

[NY]

OK voice, agatha is right. It is their play, the roster, and the actions of ownership that give the rays a loser image, not their uniforms.

[Voice of Reason]

Did you read the article Agatha? We're all talking about the uniforms, but I'm sure you'll be a fabulous GM in your next life.

[agatha]

Some voice of reason. If the new, inept ownership wanted to shed the loser image, they would have:

1) Protected Josh Hamilton after investing so much time in developing him.

2) Traded for decent relief pitching.

3) Signed or traded for a starting pitcher.

4) Signed or traded for a major league catcher (there's NONE in the entire organization).

5) Hired a manager who is not totally clueless. Having a track record would have gained the respect of the players.

Of course, all of that would have cost $$$ but as long as these Wall Street neophytes get revenue sharing, they'll never improve this team and will lose a decent nucleus to free agency.

[Voice of Reason]

Will anyone who says they liked the original black and rainbow jerseys the best please refrain from ever speaking about taste again. You are worried about team image and you want rainbow as part of our color scheme? And those who liked "Devil" please remember that we are not naming a little league or college mascot but a professional sports team. Only the "Mighty Ducks" had something as stupid as the "Devil Rays" and getting that off our name like they did is LONG overdue. The new regime is changing our losing identity just like the Bucs did. No matter what they look like a change was needed. They MUST get Tampa Bay back on the road jerseys though!

[Tha Chief]

The new jerseys are boring ... and i think its the DUMBEST thing in the world to Drop the DEVIL from the team name....I hate the Fact they are giving OUR team such a soft Image,... WHO ARE THEY CATERING TO!!!! ... this is really making me angry... ridiculous,...specially if they are changing the name becuase they think its offending some people.... im Offended they are changing the name,... ITS A FISH NOT SATAN...

the Yankees arent changing the team name to the Yank's, boston isnt changin the team name to the sox,... its not the cubbies in Chicago... just cuase people shorted the name does not mean you should change it .... PLEASE AS A PLEA FROM ALL DEVIL RAYS FANS RECONSIDER!!!!!!!!

[RaysFan#1]

Wow, the weird thing is that a homosexual (nothing wrong with that), mysogynistic (lots wrong with that) video gamer blog aggreagator was selected as the place to "leak" this information... and even more interesting that the St. Pete Times is reading this for it's information...

[Patrick]

Make the away uniforms sleeveless and please put Tampa Bay on them or Please move them to ORLANDO ASAP

[Doug Payamps]

The Rays need to come up with another design. I would never wear anything that looks like that. It looks like something out of a Dick and Jane book.

[Doug Payamps]

The Rays need to come up with another design. I would never wear that looks like that. It looks like something out of a Dick and Jane book.

[eric]

sp times, if you can get dukes off the team, surely you can get this changed. this looks like the KC royals. ugh.

[Rays fan]

I prefer the current logos and uniform styles. Actually, I think the originals were the best we have had. The proposed logos and uniform styles are not nearly as dynamic as the current ones.

By all means, please keep "Tampa Bay" on the road uniforms.

Rays fan since opening day 1998

[Eddie Welker]

Reminds me of the Mariner's old (and parts of current) uniform. Couldn't they have tried to get a little more original?

[blaylip]

Yeah, I remember those horrible Islanders uniforms - I think they switched back two years later. And in the early '90s the 49ers announced a new helmet logo in a press conference. The fans were so enraged that the team shelved it a day later. I see the same thing happening to the Rays. It would be much better to regroup and try again than go with a concept that will almost assuredly be a disaster.

[A Concerned Rays Fan]

This is the biggest mistake the Rays have made and will make, and they make many mistakes. Just like all of our good players, the franchise is trading away the only reasonably good thing this team has. Hey they may suck, but at least they are fashionable. If they actually go out onto the diamond looking like that, the City of St. Pete wont have to worry about comming up with new ways to draw in a bigger fan base to Tropicana Field..... because there wont be one left. After seeing these, it almost makes me want to be a Yankees fan.... almost.

[John Dobbs]

The more I see this uniform, the more I realize that it must be a big joke to distract us from the development of the actual new uni's. Or maybe, this whole thing is a hoax to test fan interest, and we will keep the current uni's. One can hope!

[BB4evr]

You guys had a chance to do something truly special and you blew it big time. What a train wreck.

[x-ray]

Hey Rays, put down the crack pipe for two seconds and take a good hard look at this crap swirling around the bowl. Not as bad as the N.Y. Islanders' "fish sticks" debacle in the '90s, but pretty damn close. You guys didn't do your homework -- the comments are at least 9 - 1 against the new look. Imagine my surprise. A second-rate makeover for a third-rate organization. Pass the air-sickness bag.

[bob]

So the twinkle left Bucco Bruce's eye and showed up on the Devil Ray's new jersey? It's fitting that the new colors will include powder blue.

[kortney]

wow the rays couldnt come up with anything original huh? so we are the tampa bay padres? why dont we have the sand road jerseys to? i personnaly think the green is good, we are only 1 of three teams to have green in our uniforms.
i have a good idea for unifoms. red and yellow with a sun on the hat and we can be the (sun)rays. this is the sunshine state isnt it?

[John]

I'd much rather PAY for parking than to see this CRAP

[Robert]

This change is even worse than the Angels design of the late 90s..we are already being laughed at for not winning so lets not be a laughingstock for being a team that is so poor that we have to steal from other teams designs just so we could look generic..its like we just gave up trying to be legit altogether..memo to the owner and the powers that be: WE DO NOTICE THAT YOU GUYS EXIST..if this is a prank to gain ATTENTION then i admit to being PUNKED..WE DO CARE ABOUT THE TEAM and if u care about us, DONT CHANGE ANYTHING.

It would have been cheaper and the result would have been better if the uniform had been designed on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,

[neededreliever]

A lot of excellent points made. I didn't care for the "Devil" being dropped but as it turns out, that's the most benign faux pas in a bevy of mistakes. It all adds up to the same thing as the product on the field: a complete disregard for the fan. As long as Stu gets revenue sharing, the fans can collectively be known as BOHICA. I think this guy Darcy didn't go to the John Molson School of Business. The article should have said he drank Molson while giving fans the business. I've been around for a while and have seen the likes of Culverhouse, Bud Adams, Bill Bidwell, and Naimoli but this owner--BAR NONE--is the absolute worst in the history of American professional sports.

[Joe]

I don't think a lot of people understand or rather underestimate the connection of the uniform with the team rather than the individual player. Reading from everywhere unfortunately, I have every reason to believe that these are the uniform marks and logos or the club would have strenuously denied this. I am one voice of many but I am happy other fans hate noted this displeasure in regards to the uniforms. At least its not the Padre mustard jersies of the early 70's! I would pray and hope the Ray hierarchy heed these opinions and take value of them. It isn't sarcastic, but sincere. You spend 24 months and who knows how many dollars to come up with that? Its preposterous and an act of pure unadulterated lunacy. It seems to me the club tried to cater to the "non devils" out there than brand it to be bold. Its a statement of who these men may be unfortunately.

Regardless, my last time, I will say it. Please, I beg of whoever is making this decision to please put "Tampa Bay" on the road jersies. Its not subtle, its sincere and serious. I bet on any given night, 96-98% of the fans live within 30 miles of the Trop. Why can't you brand and identify the club with OUR region? The road jersey is symbolic of that relationship.

[Bobby]

People like Nadie and Ted make me sick. If you actually think these uniforms look good, I don't even know what to tell you. Your taste is so poor it's actually humorous. But there's a bigger point here...

The most annoying thing is when people keep saying to relax, and that "it's only the uniforms, what's more important, that or winning?".

What these people don't get is that we all care about winning of course, but we all care about THE TEAM most importantly. That means all aspects of the team. That's why we're so upset in the first place. A team's uniforms and logo are its brand, its identity. It's a sacred thing, and the (Sting)rays have taken it and made a complete mockery of it with these new uniforms, which are so outlandishly pathetic that I thought it was a joke when I first saw them. I still hope deep down inside that it is.

Pathetic. Darcy Raymond, Matt Silverman, and Sternberg should be ashamed of themselves.

[Jim Dietrich]

It's so pathetic and atrocious that I bet $100 it's a PR-test to gauge fan reaction. There's no one in their right mind, even in Stu's House, that would consider this a viable option. I guarantee come mid-November, when it's "officially" announced, that it's something so amazing, so dazzling, that we're all gonna be stunned and feel like fools for believing this garbage was real; it's not...it's a test to whet our appetites and see how passionate we are...right, Stu?
"........"
.......Stu? C'mon, Stu, stop playing and tell everyone it's a joke.
"........"
.......please?

[Nadie]

"I've been a baseball fan for 62 years and I finally started to get really exited about this baseball team......I was planning on season tickets for next year but I will NOT buy a season ticket and be assaulted visually each and every game !"

Posted by: GW Simpson

Um, GW, you say you're a baseball fan. Why do you watch the games, for the pretty colors on the unis? Or for the skill and competition of the game? You're probably one of those fans who only knows the mascot's name. And have any of you bothered to look at the other teams' new jerseys that were leaked? They're pretty frickin' similar to the Rays new ones. At least our boys won't be wearing Toronto's new pajamas jerseys.
You do know that MLB has to approve this stuff, right? Good riddance to you picky fans. Get back on your bandwagons and leave this exciting young teams to the real fans!

[me]

The new uniforms look fine. It may not matter anyway, this team will move to Orlando in five years anyway. They should have never built the stadium in downtown St. Pete. I doubt Tampa will be build a new ball park for them.

[Dave]

I have to say I like the current uniforms better. They must have run out of time and designed the road uniforms to be the same as the home, but in gray. The road uniforms are supposed to have the location of the team, not the nickname, if you want to stick with tradition. We should decide if Rays means the fish or the sunlight, as we can't seem to decide in the new design.

[Chris]

The Rays management needs to stop wasting money on a new look for their uniforms and logos and start using it to go after better players and to hold onto the ones that are making a difference with the team already. The new look isn't all that bad, but now they are going to have to spend cash with new signage at the Trop, new marketing materials, new advertisements, etc.

I personally liked our old jerseys. The colors were unique. Now, we look like the Royals, Padres, Rangers with the blue/white scheme.

They could have said to the media and general public, "Please do not refer to us as the 'Devil Rays', 'Rays' will be just fine" and called it a day.

[Jeremy]

Even better, they should have etch-a-sketch night at the Trop, give away a sketch pad to each fan entering (do it for a Yankees or Red Sox game so there will be enough samples) and let them doodle out a new logo, might come up with something better...ahhh, scratch that, they WOULD come up with something better.

[GW Simpson]

I am absolutely SICK !!!

I've been a baseball fan for 62 years and I finally started to get really exited about this baseball team......

Then this visual assault !!!!!

This poke in the eye !!!!

I wouldn't buy, wear or burn trash with this "new uniform"....

It's not even acceptable for a Halloween "experience".

The Green Blue and White combination is a great distinctive look....if this is what D-Ray came up with, they should fire HIM because he and his "Design" team, doesn't have a clue !!!

Dear GOD Help Me - I am greatly Distressed !!!

I was planning on season tickets for next year but I will NOT buy a season ticket and be assaulted visually each and every game !

[Jeremy]

Anyone who likes that is absolutely out of their mind. It is nothing special at best. Change is supposed to be made for the better, you know that old phrase, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it...well wise up. I think I read every post and counted like 10 total if that many that actually like this new look. Chances are those guys (and trust me, they'd do it) probably released it to see what kind of reaction it would get before they castrated themselves. From the response here, I'd say don't worry. The whole uniform and name change thing came from people they've long ago fired. They're likely thinking, hey, if this goes over, we'll do it and take credit for it...if not, we'll drop the Devil from our name and be the RAYS...which is the only name on home or away uniforms currently anyway. The word Devil hasn't appeared in anything since Jose Canseco was shooting up roids underneath the Trop in his Rainbow Bright "Devil Rays" jersey which truly is the ugliest uniform in sports history. Maybe we should take solice in that...at least the new ones aren't worse than the first ones. WHAT A JOKE!

[Judy]

I liked the first black!! I can't believe "Baby blue"? Gosh! We're trying to give these players a mature image! How can we in these blues? Please keep Tampa Bay. I'm heading to St. Pete tonight!--I hope I won't picture the players in baby blue! The green is masculine--that's what is needed MEN--not babies running around!

[Toss This Idea]

These designs are BRUTAL!!! Hopefully these "not confirmed nor denied" designs are going to be "denied"!!!

[Russ]

This Color Scheme is AWFUL ! NOBODY wants light blue on the uniforms.These will NOT sell you more unis.Drop the Devil if you want but don't go with this debacle that will COST U money and not make it

[Nadie]

Some of you are insane! I can't believe you would get so angry over uniforms. Geez, don't take it personally! It's not like you have to (or could) wear the thing. If you think you would do a better job managing/owning/marketing a team, go apply and quit your whining!

[Kickie]

I think the pants need to be a little tighter!

[Jon Pinto]

I am begging God that this is wrong information being leaked. Those new uni's are AWFUL!! As a professional artist myself I have to admit I really like the current colors and design. Drop devil. Fine. It hasn't really been there for years anyway but to give us these is just too much. I wonder if I will stop rooting for the team because the uniforms are so ugly. I think I need to go buy some hats and jerseys in the green variety before they are gone!

[Joe]

The Rays have indeed ran scared with this change. I cringe at the thought of Nov. 11th when they have their "fashion show" and if they pull these uniforms out, there may be some boos and catcalls on the catwalk instead of a proper celebration that the front office intended.

This is very telling of these men, the three amigos of Stu, Andrew and Matt and how they view baseball. Oh, when is Stu himself going to call "Tampa Bay" home still when he live up there in Charles Xavier's mansion up there in Westchester? All kidding aside, if these are the uniforms, it would be a horrible mistake and would not get the desired effect. They had a chance to embrace the area and hit a PR home run, but with the "identity crisis" these uniforms create with the sunlight and the fish and the lack of "Tampa Bay" on the road jersey, its nothing but a weak ground ball back to the pitcher.

[Carissa]

Yuck.

[Jim in Tarpon]

This is the running scared look.
It's Bucco Bruce in a baseball uniform.
In my opinion this is what happens when you let the ultra-sensitive religious fringe make the decisions.
Afraid of "Devils"?
Well now you're just a "Ray of Sunshine" are you. At least you can wear them to church and not offend anyone.
You had a good name and you had a good look. All you needed was good pitching.
It is WEAK and it gives up on what little tradition you've been able to muster.
IDIOTS!

[Brandon Lee]

They are absolutely awful. What are they trying to do? Look like the Kansas City Royals? Because that's a model franchise? Maybe they should pay some real money to a creative marketing firm, instead of designing the uniforms themselves with Microsoft Paint. Oh well, this is just the fist part of a 2 stage uniform change. The second phase calls for changing the TB on the hat to LV for LAS VEGAS!