The History and Evolution of the Miami Marlins Logo
As far as Major League Baseball teams you go, you might consider the Miami Marlins to still be a baby. That being said, they already have a World Series title under them and so are one of the more recognizable small market teams in the league. Since they are relatively young, they have not undergone too many logo changes. That being said, they have changed names and owners, so the inevitable alterations have been made.
When the Marlins set out to develop their logo, it is said that they looked for colors that would represent the various cultures represented in South Florida. As the team plays in an extremely diverse area of the state, that would focus the logo around the Latin American heritage of the region. They also looked for something that would pay homage to the minor league Marlins team that played back in the 1950s, in addition to the Havana Sugar Kings. So, the team might be young, but the very logo design is steep in history. Here is a brief history of the logo from the early days of the Florida Marlins through to the present Miami Marlins under the ownership of Derek Jeter.
Florida Marlins From 1993-2011
Contrary to many teams that seem to change their logo every few years for marketing purposes, the Florida Marlins kept their original logo until they changed their name in 2012. This first logo featured the legendary marlin. The fish appears to be jumping through a circle that is silver in color. There is black trim around the circle, with the turquoise wording of Florida Marlins appearing throughout. The background is a subtle baseball. This logo was unveiled back in July of 1991 when the expansion team was first announced. It would remain the logo for the teams first 18 seasons in the league.
Miami Marlins From 2012-2016
The team would change its name from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins for the 2012 season. That brought with it a major overhaul to the logo. Nothing is the same, so long time fans might not even recognize it is the same team. The marlin is still there, but now it consists of a futuristic use of graphic design license. The marlin is orange and blue and can be seen leaping from the big M that forms the centerpiece of this logo. Speaking of the Big M. It contains four different colors, which keeps in line with the team’s decision to reflect Miami culture. The bottom of the letter is light blue, while the middle is black. The top of the M has orange on the left and right side, with yellow in the middle. The logo is completed with the block letters ‘MIAMI’ appearing in all back and all capitals at the bottom of the log.
Miami Marlins From 2017-2018
For one season only, the Miami Marlins would remove the actual word Miami from the logo. The marlin would remain. You can still see the stylish creature flying over the top of the logo. Another notable change is the big M that forms the main part of the logo. The color black is removed completely from the logo. In its place is still a blue bottom, with white in the middle. The top of the M contains orange again on the right and left of the letter, with yellow filling in the middle.
Miami Marlins From 2019-Present
Now that Derek Jeter has been on the scene for more than a season, his mark is being felt on the logo as well. He has overseen another change. The actual marlin is back. You can clearly see the fish, decked out in blue, red, and black, leaping adjacent to a baseball. The actual word Miami makes an appearance once again at the bottom of the logo. The word is in a slight cursive font and is decked out in black, with a subtle blue and red trim completing the look.
Logos are important to a sports franchise. They tell a story that should not be forgotten. In the case of the Marlins, the team has remained in the same city throughout its history. At the same time, the region is changing and the logo reflects that change right alongside it. Who knows how many more times the logo itself will change, but whenever it does it should still reflect Southern Florida culture at its finest.