In 1947, long time Cardinals owner Sam Breadon sold his majority share to a group headed up by Fred Saigh and Robert Hannegan. The Cardinals look had gone mostly unchanged for 8 years dating back to 1940, and could even be considered a similar look dating back to the mid 30s. The new ownership group came up with new logos for 1949. Owners told the media the two Cardinal birds have been revitalized and streamlined.
The 1949 and 1950 Cardinals look is incredibly unique in that it is only time prior to 1998 that every bird had the same general design. Seldom in the Cardinals history before this time did the print birds, the Birds on the Bat, or the jacket bird have any resemblance to each other.
The Cardinals weren’t in the 1949 World Series! These pins were created in anticipation of the Cardinals winning the pennant, however, the Dodgers snuck in and won the pennant by 1 game in 1949.
This is a photoshopped image showing the comparison of sluggerbirds. Time Magazine Bird #3 on the right hand side seems to be the exact inspiration to the Cardinals production of sluggerbird.
Newspaper Accounts
The Sporting News: December 1, 1948
And, in their attempt to put some new life into the Redbirds, President Robert Hannegan and Vice-President Fred Saigh came out of a recent huddle with a streamlined emblem to replace the old familiar Cardinal insignia.
“To the naked eye,” Hannegan admitted, “our usual Cardinal emblem looks the same, but actually we’ve revitalized the two Cardinal birds, substituted a baseball bat for what appeared to be a softball stick, and streamlined the type used in the word ‘Cardinals’ on our insignia.”
Close inspection of the new insignia reveals that the birds have lost some of their chubbiness; their tails, which had been extending high into the air, have been dropped a bit and, as Saigh put it, “the Cardinals are pepped up.”
The 1949 Cardinal uniforms, which soon will be manufactured by the Rawlings firm, will bear the new insignia. Then, as fast as the change-over can be effected, the “revitalized” Redbirds, perched on the new bat, will be substituted on stationary and uniforms throughout the Cardinals’ vast minor league system.
St. Louis Post Dispatch: April 19, 1949
Changes in Road Uniforms.
The Cardinals’ new gray road uniforms offered two changes from past years. The two red-birds on the uniform shirt fronts, representing the club’s insignia, stand instead of sitting on the bat. And as a gift from President Fred Saigh, here for the opener, the entire St. Louis squad wore red sleeved sweatshirts. Formerly the players bought their own undershirts in nondescript colors.
Team Colors
Cardinals Red – PMS 200
Vintage Yellow – PMS 1225
Navy Blue – PMS 288
Cardinals Uniforms & Logos 