Contrary to what their name suggested, the Perfectos had room for improvement.
In 1898, brothers Frank and Stanley Robison bought the St. Louis Browns, dubbed them the “Perfectos” to break with the Browns’ recent dubious performances and outfitted them in red-trimmed uniforms. According to lore, upon seeing the new duds a female observer noted, “What a lovely shade of cardinal,” within earshot of St. Louis Republic scribe Willie McHale. When he used the nickname to refer to the local nine in his column the next day, the moniker stuck and the club officially became the Cardinals in the first season of the new century. More than 100 years later, both the name and uniform remain a great fit.
The original logo featured the interlocking “S” and “L” seen on the team’s caps to this day (the small “T” came later), but the iconic look wasn’t complete until the “birds on the bat” emblem came about in the early 1920s. Some variation of that timeless design has been featured ever since.
The inviting Cardinals aesthetic is perfectly suited to their Midwestern home. The perched birds convey a tranquility that implies grace under pressure, while also projecting an alertness that lets you know every single detail is being observed. Over time, the cardinal’s chest has become more puffed out, which is fitting given the immense pride the team’s fans have for their highly respected and successful organization. St. Louis is often cited as the premier baseball city on the planet, so it stands to reason only the best threads are suitable for its players.
While the Cardinals are one of the most celebrated franchises in North American sport, their logo has never become ubiquitous in popular culture the way others have. In a way, that elevates the uniform’s status as something pure; the Cards aren’t a brand bent on world domination, they’re a baseball club with a sharp look, plain and simple. Someone wearing a St. Louis cap seems more likely to be a genuine fan of the team than a poser putting on a cool hat.
This season, the Cards will go retro for every Saturday home game, donning cream-coloured uniforms with red trim that has “St. Louis” scripted under the birds rather than “Cardinals” for the first time since 1932. Nobody objects to some tinkering within the template, but don’t expect the team to ever undergo a full makeover—messing with perfection twice would be a recipe for disaster.
This story originally appeared in Sportsnet magazine. Subscribe here.