Pirates bid farewell to Jolly Roger as primary logo

As far as we know, Mr. Roger wasn't bothering anyone. Nevertheless, the Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to adopt the letter 'P' emblem for the team's primary logo going forward.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports it's the first time since the 1930s that a cartoon pirate will not represent the team's primary logo, though the one-eyed buc with a smirk will still adorn the sleeves of the jersey for the time being.

“While the ‘P’ was not designated as our primary logo, it has been a part of our brand for more than 100 years and, more recently, the focus of our branding efforts,” team spokesman Brian Warecki wrote to Michael Sanserino of the Post-Gazette. “This change will continue to strengthen that brand identity.”

The current pirate was initially scheduled to receive a makeover, but a sample polling group of fans prompted the team to make the "P" the primary logo.