1957-1961 Cardinals

The 1957 Cardinals restored the familiar Birds on the Bat to their jerseys. These birds resemble the design from ’51-’55, but were rendered smaller, and have slightly different details in the face, eyes, and wings. In 1957 and 1958, the Cardinals continued to be a “blue team” on the road, wearing the same blue undersleeves and blue socks from the 1956 road kit. But in 1959 their road socks and sleeves were back to red.

Note the scoreboard slugger bird lit up in neon

Newspaper Accounts

Ledger-Enquirer: January 20, 1957
Red Birds Coming Back to Roost On Bat Across Cardinal Uniform
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 19 (INS) – The Red Birds are coming home to roost again – on the St. Louis Cardinals uniforms.
General Manager Frank Lane, who instituted the removal of the familiar Cardinals-on-the-bat emblem across the jersey when he became front office boss of the club last year, announced the change of heart tonight. He commented:
“I didn’t realize that the tradition of the birds on the uniform meant so much to St. Louis fans. Of course my purpose a year ago was to help the players by lightening the uniform in weight, by taking off the heavy embroidery.” he added:
“I realize now that the birds made the Cardinal uniform distinctive, that it represented in the minds of the St. Louis fans a long history of colorful players and teams. And I’d be the last person to try to cause any diminishing of such loyalty and enthusiasm.”
The Cards’ executive–never at a loss for words, or headlines–reported that most fans he talked to generally expressed approval of his multi-trading maneuvers, even of long-time favorites.
“But practically everybody,” Lane said, “complained about my taking the birds off the uniform.”
Only the shirt will be changed from the 1956 uniform, with the addition of two red birds perched on a gold bat and entwined in the word “Cardinals.”

The Daily Standard: January 21, 1957
Birds Back On Cardinal Uniforms; A’s Sign Two
General Manager Frank Lane has made another move, but this time, St. Louis Cardinal uniform, not players, are involved.
Lane said over the weekend that two Redbirds will go back on the shirtfront of uniforms this season after a one year exile.
Lane said he had received many complaints from fans and observed that the Birds were associated by the fans with the “long history of colorful Cardinal players and teams.”
“I didn’t realize it was that important to the fans,” Lane said.
“My only purpose a year ago was to get a uniform that was lighter in weight.” The birds again will be perched atop a baseball bat as other years. 

Team Colors

Cardinals Red – PMS 200

Yellow – PMS 1235

Navy Blue – PMS 289

Black – CMYK: 50/50/0/100

Off-White Fabric – CMYK: 1/2/3/0

Gray Fabric – CMYK: 0/0/0/20