My obsession with sports logos started when I was young in the 1970's watching Major League Baseball. I was your typical sports fan child, loved to collect baseball cards, never missed an episode of "This Week in Baseball" and always watched the game of the weekI did not grow up anywhere near Houston, but I was a huge fan of the Houston Astros rainbow look.
I know that this is a love-it-or-hate-it graphics package, but as a kid, I just couldn't get enough of the Astros look. I would watch them any chance I could get. I remember Nolan Ryan's no-hitter, called Terry Puhl my favorite player, and followed the team through it's random success in the late 70' and early 80's
The original Astros rainbow set featured the crazy rainbow stripes on the body and the sleeves. This jersey was paired with an orange hat, with the H over the star logo. The team's logo was also updated and featured the Astrodome surrounded by orbiting baseballs and the new ASTROS font. The 70's were known for some crazy fashion styles, but the Astros uniforms and logos were definitely in a league of their own.
In the 1980's the Astros changed up the rainbow look by transitioning away from the all-over rainbow look and switched to a bit more conservative look with the rainbow elements on the shoulders. This uniform was also paired with a navy cap that harkened back to the Astros look of the 1960's. I was even more fascinated with this look. This set also included a navy colored batting practice jersey that I had to have.
I was disappointed as time went by and the Astros switched their logo to a new design, and their uniforms went in a completely different direction. I still get a great feeling when I see the team wear these looks in a Turn Back the Clock game, or when I see some old footage of them. These classic but controversial styles really got me interested in sports logos and design and set me on a course of study for the rest of my life.
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