The Pirates yesterday announced that the gold "P" on their cap will become their "primary logo, replacing the pirate logo," according to a front-page piece by Michael Sanserino of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. It is the "first time since the 1930s that a cartoon pirate will not serve as the team's primary logo." The team will "continue to feature the pirate logo on uniform sleeves for the immediate future," and it is "still part of the team's official style guide." But most of the team's retail apparel now will "feature the gold 'P' and not the grumpy pirate." It is a change that has been "in the works for several years as merchandise has increasingly emphasized that logo." The current version of the pirate that the team refers to as "Jolly Roger" has been around since '97, "but the original dates to 1936." Initially, the team "planned to replace the most recent incarnation with another pirate." But after consulting focus groups of fans, the Pirates "decided on the 'P.'" By emphasizing the "P" logo more prominently in recent years, the Pirates "made the transition easier because fans already identify the new logo with the team" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/9).
