Logo Evolution

One Team. One Little League.

For decades, the official Little League® logo has been the symbol of the program and remained unchanged, but as society, communities, and the sport evolve, it is important that Little League adapts to help tell a modern and relevant version of its story. Inspired by Carl Stotz’s original keystone sketch, the new Little League emblem is a modern interpretation of the heritage of Little League. Its structure has been streamlined for flexibility across all media, as well as to represent all Baseball, Softball, and Challenger leagues equally. The logo is a singular representation of all sports, divisions, and entities that operate under the direct supervision of Little League International.

Below you will find a look back at the evolution of the Little League logo over the years, from an original drawing by Carl Stotz to today’s modern, unified identity.

Logo Evolution

1949 Patch Timeline

(Left) Little League founder Carl Stotz allowed family members to vote on which of several logo designs they liked best. The “Keystone” look was the winner. This original drawing was to help commemorate the 10th anniversary of Little League in 1949.

(Right) The Keystone logo made its official debut on the cover of a commemorative booklet celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Little League program. The booklet contained highlights from the first 10 years of its existence.

1954 Patch Timeline

The keystone logo became the official symbol of Little League and began to appear on official Little League correspondence, publications, and marketing materials. In 1950, the symbol was added to the Little League World Series uniform.  A patch was created in the early 1960s.

The Patch Video Thumbnail RELATED VIDEO
The Patch: Full Series
1959 Patch Timeline

This logo was created for the 20th anniversary of the Little League program in 1959.  That was the first year the Little League Baseball World Series was played at its current location in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

1960 Patch Timeline

In 1960, the motto – Character, Courage, and Loyalty – was added to the logo. The motto was created as a reminder that the program was to develop well-rounded, good citizens.

2000 Patch Timeline

The logo was updated in 2004 (65th anniversary), around the time of the expansion of the Little League Baseball World Series. For the past two decades, it has continued to serve as the official mark of Little League International, with separate “oval logos” representing each of the three divisions of the program – Baseball, Softball, and Challenger.

oval logos
2020 Patch Timeline

Inspired by Carl Stotz’s original keystone sketch, our newly designed emblem is a modern interpretation of the heritage of Little League. Its structure has been streamlined for flexibility across all media, as well as to represent all Baseball, Softball, and Challenger divisions in one, unified design.