The Detroit Tigers today announced that the organization will unify the Olde English 'D' displayed on the club's caps and home jerseys. This move honors the heritage of the club and its logo, variations of which have been on the Tigers uniform for more than a century. The Olde English 'D' that the club will use going forward was inspired by the original logo first used in 1904, and it has consistently appeared on Tigers caps since the historic 1968 season.
Due to varying manufacturer interpretations of the Olde English 'D', inconsistent production capabilities and early technology limitations, Detroit Tigers uniform logos have changed more than 50 times since the club was founded in 1901 - including 22 updates to the home jersey. The "cap 'D'" mark will now be worn on home jerseys and be the sole Olde English 'D' logo used on official Detroit Tigers merchandise. Additionally, the club announced the enlargement of the logo on both home and away caps, sized comparably with other Major League team headwear.
This move by the ballclub honors a storied tradition and heritage. The 'D' had been used on the jerseys of the   Detroit Tigers of the Western League in the late 19th century, and it was first used by the Tigers in the Major Leagues in 1904. It is identified by the noticeably curly returns at both top and bottom of the 'D' with the bars in the center of the logo turning inward. Additionally, research conducted by both Major League Baseball and the Detroit Tigers revealed that the cap 'D' is the preferred mark of Tigers fans. Tigers fans are 3x more likely to say the cap 'D' best represents the Tigers, and 3.5x more likely to say it best represents the city of Detroit.
Tigers players will be wearing the 2018 home jersey during the Detroit Tigers Winter Caravan and TigerFest.
Duane McLean, Executive Vice President of Business Operations: "This Olde English 'D' honors the storied history of our ballclub, with its inspiration reaching back more than a century. We're thrilled to come together under this unified mark, which will be recognized as the official logo of the Detroit Tigers."
Al Kaline, Hall of Fame Class of 1980: "I love the history of our great game and its traditions, and I'm thrilled that we are embracing a singular Olde English 'D', as the team did almost a century ago. It was a really sharp looking logo when we started wearing it on our ballcaps in 1968, and that certainly rings true today. I am looking forward to seeing our players wear the unified Olde English 'D' this season."
Willie Horton, Tigers Legend: "It's really great that the Tigers are coming together under the cap 'D'. To me, that Olde English 'D' represents a time, a team and a tradition that unifies our city and our people. When I think of how proud I am to have played in Detroit, that is the 'D' that comes to mind."
Alan Trammell, Hall of Fame Class of 2018: "This Olde English 'D' is really one of the most iconic logos in all of sports. I was so proud to wear it as we won a World Series Championship in 1984, and I'll be extremely proud to wear it later this year during Induction Weekend in Cooperstown."