Baseball Team Symmetry - Rays & Marilins, part 6

Florida is the harbinger of each new baseball season with its association with spring training. Florida became the it spot for major league baseball in about 100 years ago in 1913. When the two foundational teams played there - the Cubs and Indians.

80 years afterwards of being a proverbial pro-baseball kindergarten Florida gave birth to the Marlins in 1993. Five years later a second Florida team was established with another fish as its totem - the Devil Ray.

The Manata Ray is still an
official 'secondary' symbol of the Rays

But names in baseball shift every so often and in 2007 the Devil Rays dropped the 'Devil' and retooled the core meaning of Ray as being a Ray of Light rather of than a Manta Ray. But the Manta Ray is still a 'secondary' mascot. Likewise next year the Florida Marlins will no longer tap the state name - it will go metropolitan-city local. They will be called the Miami Marlins next year in 2012. Maybe they will include hot pink their colors?

A yin and yang comparison between a Marlin and Manta Ray is that that both fish have deadly points - but at opposite ends. Marlins have the pointed snouts, while rays have pointed stingers on the tails.


Link to the Florida-Miami Marlins^
Link to the Tampa Bay 'Devil' Rays^

Link to Part 7 - Whats more important you the Nation or you local community?

Baseball Team Symmetry - Mariners & Pirates, part 5

From East to West one of America's favorite games is played. By amazing coincidence the mascots of professional baseball teams align in an amazing and serendipitous way.


The Seattle Mariners align with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both of these totems are related to ocean. Pirates are mariners but not all mariners are pirates.

The baseball bat of the Pirates match to the baseball of Mariners. On the Pirates logo behind the pirate head are two crossed baseball bats, while the baseball of the Mariners logo has a baseball that is merged with a navigators compass.

Current Logo of the Pittsburgh Pirates

'Spiked Ball' of
Seattle Mariners

Maybe one day in the future these teams may meet up in a 'Sailor World Series.'


Link to Part 6 - Underwater World Baseball!?


Link to Seattle Mariners Official Site
Link to Pittsburgh Pirates Official Site

Baseball Team Symmetry - Indians & Braves, part 4

Major League Baseball has two teams named after the original inhabitants of North America - the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians.

Coincidentally the oldest team, legally, in major league baseball uses the icons of the oldest and original inhabitants of America - Native Americans via the Atlanta Braves. They were originally called the Boston Red Stockings back 1876 but became the Braves in 1912. They were transferred to Milwaukee after the Korean War and finally settled in Atlanta in 1966.


The other team that maintains a Native American totem for baseball mojo is the Cleveland Indians.

The Indians and Braves have clashed in two 'World Redskin Series.' Most recently in 1995 the Braves defeated the Indians 4-2. But in a 'previous life' back in 1948 the Cleveland Indians toppled Braves of Boston 4-2.



Link to Part 5 - Ahoy! They be playin' Baseball on the High Seas!

Link to official Cleveland Indians^
Link to official Atlanta Braves^

Baseball Team Symmetry - Yankess & Royals, part 3

Logo of the NY Yankees
Stars and Stripes pattern taken from US Flag design

The names Yankee and Royal are related to Genesis of the United States of America. During the original Anglo-American Civil War of 1776 the term Yankee was used to describe the rebellious colonists who sought to break from from England and the Royal Crown.

Yankee was a pejorative label to all rebellious colonists in the South as well as the North. In 1776, Rebs living in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia were all dammed Yankees in the eyes of London and Royalist Colonists.

On the other hand a good percentage of American Colonists totally resisted the idea of forming a new nation. History books refers to these people as Loyalists - many of whom later became the founding fathers of Canada after Yankees had won in 1783.

These teams are based in two radically different parts of America. The NY Yankees are a city slicker team from the largest metropolis of the USA, while the Royals play in the heartland of America. The dichotomy of country vs urban hits a key note when these to teams of the American League are compared.

Logo of Kansas City Royals
Design similar to shield of Heraldry

Note the Logo of the Kansas City Royals uses a heraldic shield device, while the NY Yankees has a stars and stripes pattern reflective of the national flag.

When combined these two teams echo the title of my blog with elements of flags and heraldry. On top of that, they both uses devices that tops our heads. The Kansas City Royals Logo has a golden crown topped with four 'golden baseballs.' While the NY Yankees logo has a patriotic 'Uncle Sam Top Hat.'

Both logos incorporate baseball gear - the NY Yankee Logo has a red bat that supports the patriotic top hap, while the Kansas City Royal's 'shield' looks like a home plate.

These combined logos essentially show us that baseball is home.... somewhere over the rainbow the heart of America can be found, from the golden fields of Kansas too the bright lights and soaring heights of New York City.

Link to Part 4 - First Nation Teams, American Style

Link to official New York Yankees^
Link to official Kansas City Royals^

^ external link
no symbol = internal link

Baseball Team Symmetry - Rex Sox vs White Sox, part 2

Logo of Red Sox

So what is the most important piece of clothing for a baseball outfit? The hat, gloves, shoes, or maybe the humble sox? Sox are an essential component to nearly any sport. Sox cushion and carry the player and act as a perspiration barrier between athlete and shoe. Sox give extra life to the shoes. Sure the can be smelly and may not be at the front line of the players lucky mojo. Sox are nonetheless critical an important items for any baseball player.

Logo of White Sox

Coincidentally socks are the mascots for two major league baseball teams - the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox and White Sox names are linked to the National League in its genesis in 1876. There were eight original teams and two team names were the Red Sox of Boston and the White Sox of Chicago. However the current Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox of the 21st century are not the direct ancestor of the original Red and White Sox of 1876.

Officialy the Chicago Cubs are the legal heirs of the original White Sox, while the Atlanta Braves are the legal heir of the original Red Sox. But putting all the legal mumbo jumbo aside. The Red or White Sox name is iconic of baseball's history and modern age.

This is a perfect alignment by object that differs only by color. This contrast is also like that of the essential hard red leather ball of cricket and the white ball of baseball. Although both teams are in the American League they have never played each other in a modern era "Super Sox Series."

But just as the USA entered WWI to fight the Kaiser, the Red Sox and White Sox clashed in 1916 and again 1917. The White Sox won in 1917 while the Red Sox won in 1918.

Link to Part 3 - Which two teams were fightin' in American in 1776?

Link to Chicago White Sox
Link to Boston Red Sox

Baseball Team Symmetry - Minnesota Twins vs San Francisco Giants, part 1

Classic Minnesota Twins Pennant

Since June is the month of Gemini - a flag of with twins is a must. This is part 1, the part of my Baseball Team symmetry thread. Enjoy!

Perhaps the most popular twin flag of our generation belongs to the Minnesota Twins, in my 'flag alignment' idea the iconic partner of this team is the San Francisco Giants.

Modern San Francisco Giants Pennant

Why do I make such an association? Look and my old 'flag symmetry posts.'

When compared - Twins like Giants seem to exist in between the intangible supernatural world and solid reality. All our ancient cultures were enchanted by and adored these atypical manifestations of the human form.

The lives of twins and noticeable much taller than average people enjoy a certain kind of fame and karma. This is blessing which can also be an annoyance - but more so a blessing when compared to Dwarfs or Conjoined Twins. People who complain about being tall people should have a talk with little people.

Team Cap Logo

Minnesota Twins

Twins and Giants are in effect real life X-men. If they chose to use their gifts properly. Very very very tall people can choose to play on the villains side or superhero side. Example being a 6'7" police officer vs 6'8" Street Thug Gang Member. Likewise twins can use their gift to deceive the naive.

Team Cap Logo
San Francisco

Natural Clones and Giants have always had a role in ancient mythology. But in modern America the earthly and semi-mystical spirit of the Twin and Giant was destined to be enshrined in Major League Baseball.

If these two teams ever meet in a world championship it'd be the 'Mythology Series.'

Link to Part II - Change those smelly sox!

Link to official website - San Francisco Giants^
Link to official website - Minnesota Twins^

outside links = ^
inside link - no symbol

Cricket vs Baseball - The Yin and Yang of Stick Ball

Notice that the typical color of baseball is white with red thread, while the typical colour of a cricket ball is red with a white thread. In heardic terms we call this juxtoposition of colours a counter charge.

But in New Age-Ancient Eastern Tao...little grasshopper say...it is way of Yin and Yang.

Baseball and Cricket descend from a common 'stick and ball' ancestor game that originally formed in the United Kingdom. This is an analogous situation with American Football and Rugby. Cricket are Baseball have similar elements but went their separate ways.

Will Russia choose Baseball or Cricket?

Baseball and Cricket are beloved sports all across the world. And the world is divided as to their favorite 'stick ball' game. The core nation identified with Cricket is England. Cricket is like tea time, crumpets, and calico printing.

On the other hand, Baseball is as American as apple pie, but apples originate from Asia as does calico printing.

Interestingly the preference for Baseball or Cricket has divided the world and especially Asia. East Asia - Japan, Korea, and China have made baseball their own. Baseball for East Asia is home as much as chopsticks and squatting for a number 2.

Swing Batsman, Batsa-Batsa-Batsaman!
Swing!

But West Asia has adopted Cricket as its national pastime. The head quarters for the ICC - International Cricket Council is nowhere near London. It is in Dubai, of the United Arab Emirates in the West Asia. South Asia has also hopped over Cricket rather than Baseball. Only North Asia has remained relatively undecided.

I speculate that in Russian-Asia.... Baseball will pull ahead in popularity over Cricket.


Up next MLB Team Symmetry