ESPN

As fans of the comedy series "Portlandia'' know, the secret to merchandising is to slap a bird on it. And apparently, the same holds true for baseball uniforms.

After four rounds of voting, tigers, fish, elephants, snakes, astronauts, seafarers, gun-toting officers of the law, buccaneers, heavenly bodies, Native Americans, pinstriped Northeners and even two pairs of colored socks are all gone. Our Battle of the Uniforms will finish with the Battle of the Birds.

The No. 1-seeded Cardinals, who have as iconic a St. Louis design as the Gateway Arch or a bottle of Bud, beat their longtime rival, the Chicago Cubs, in the final round of the National League voting, 54 percent to 46 percent.

Meanwhile, the Cinderella team of the American League bracket upset yet another higher-seeded team in the AL championship. By a margin of 3,103 votes, fans declared they prefer the orange and black Baltimore Orioles over the traditional uniform worn by everyone from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter. Or perhaps fans just hate the Yankees' pinstripes.

Whatever the reason, it's the Cardinals versus the Orioles for the title of baseball's best uniform. Bird watchers should get their binoculars out for this ornithological fight, though Toronto fans are probably wondering why their colorful Jay was found wanting.

This is serious business, so to make sure that everyone gets a chance to take a long, careful look at these two uniforms and judge the colors, logos, caps and overall style of both home and road uniforms, our polls will be open throughout the weekend. You can cast your vote up until noon ET Monday, when we will declare the winner.

So good luck Cardinals and Orioles. May the better uniform win. And remember voters, this isn't about who actually wears the uniforms but the uniforms themselves.

--Jim Caple

Note: Championship-round poll closes at noon ET Monday.

Mobile users: To vote, click here.

Battle of the Uniforms: Championship

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  41%
  Cardinals
•  
  59%
  Orioles

(Total votes: 147,418)

Battle of the Uniforms seedings

	American League (Jim Caple)	National League (Paul Lukas)
1.	Clean, classic and wonderful. Old English "D" is baseball's equivalent of George Clooney on red carpet.	The best uni set in the sport got even better this year, as the Cards added a gorgeous retro alternate.
2.	Home uniforms with Tiffany-designed NY are as sharp as it gets, but so-so road uniforms bring ranking down a notch.	Word through the grapevine is that the Cubbies may have new unis in 2014, so enjoy these beauties while you can.
3.	Best makeover in history goes to these crisp unis with great black SOX logo from Winning Ugly days.	Fun fact: The Phils have never worn the word "Philadelphia" on their uniforms.
4.	The orange is a great touch that really pops. At least Houston fans have something worth looking at.	The team's perpetual on-field woes have led this uni set to be overlooked and underrated.
5.	Dazzling blue-against-crisp-white home jerseys knock my stirrups off. Blue jerseys make my head hurt.	Defending World Series champs are the only MLB team to have two different sets of road grays.
6.	I like the traditional home jersey; also a fan of the road jerseys (but preferred when there were no names on back).	One of the fundamental mysteries of the uni-verse: Why are the Dodgers' front uni numbers red when there's no other red in their uniform set?
7.	After the many changes, Toronto got it right. The bright red maple leaf in the blue jay really sets off the home jersey.	Note to the Wilpons: A blue alternate jersey is fine, but having two separate blue alternates -- one for home and one for the road -- is overkill.
8.	Overall good, clean look, but what makes these uniforms stand apart is the old TC logo on the cap.	Blue alternate, red alternate and retro alternate equals a mess. Solid home whites and road grays, though.
9.	Could offset red with a splash of some other color, but it works well enough. Like the halo around the A.	Have never fully recovered from the Reds' infusion of black into their look.
10.	Lesson from Oaklandia: When you have an otherwise bland uniform, just put an elephant on it.	Team's fortunes have risen, but the uniforms still feel a bit generic and piecemeal.
11.	There is nothing wrong with them but nothing particularly special, either. But at least there is no upside-down trident.	The plethora of alternates (navy, gold, throwback, etc.) can't hide the fact that the chest insignia still looks like the logo from "Cheers."
12.	I like the "Rays" across the chest, but otherwise this is a rather forgettable look.	If only they'd stop wearing that accursed black vest with the black undersleeves.
13.	Always liked the orange-and-black scheme, but the white-paneled cap is a bad, bad look from the '70s.	One day maybe we'll get used to the Marlins' makeover -- but not yet.
14.	Not bad, but a little bland. Of course, Yu Darvish makes it look pretty stylish.	As soon as they put "D-backs" on their chest, you knew what everyone was going to start calling them.
15.	Sorry, when you insist on Chief Wahoo on the cap, you'll be seeded last no matter the rest of the uniform.	A design program that has completely lost its way.

We've now reached the final four. Or, if you prefer, we've reached the league championship series.

Either way, the Battle of the Uniforms is now in the home stretch (or as a malapropism-prone boss of mine once liked to say, "the home run stretch"). In the American League, the Orioles are facing the Yankees, and the National League crown has come down to the Cubs and the Cards.

The seedings, done by Jim Caple and myself, have largely proven accurate. Three of the final four teams were seeded either No. 1 or No. 2 in their respective leagues, which means our uni assessments are largely in line with yours. The lone outlier is Baltimore, which was seeded 13th but upset the top-seeded Tigers.

I'll admit it: I was kind of hoping for a rogue uniform design to make it to the semifinals, just to make things interesting. The Diamondbacks, say, or the Marlins. And I was seriously rooting for the A's to upset the Yanks (they came thisclose). In the end, though, the classic designs have won. And that makes sense: The classics are classic for a reason.

The cool thing about the Battle of the Unis is that several on-field rivalries have been echoed at the ballot box. Wednesday we had the Yankees just eking out a victory of the Red Sox (whose fans were no doubt chanting "Yankees suck!" as they clicked on the Sox icon), and now we have a classic National League matchup, as Chicago and St. Louis face off for Senior Circuit supremacy.

So who's going to advance to the uniform World Series? You folks get to decide that. But I'll say this: I'm voting for the teams with the feathers.

--Paul Lukas

LCS-round polls close at 9 a.m. ET Friday, and the championship round begins shortly thereafter.

Mobile users: To vote, click here.

Jim Caple bracket: American League

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  41%
  Yankees
•  
  59%
  Orioles

(Total votes: 36,353)

Paul Lukas bracket: National League

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  54%
  Cardinals
•  
  46%
  Cubs

(Total votes: 36,237)

Battle of the Uniforms seedings

	American League (Jim Caple)	National League (Paul Lukas)
1.	Clean, classic and wonderful. Old English "D" is baseball's equivalent of George Clooney on red carpet.	The best uni set in the sport got even better this year, as the Cards added a gorgeous retro alternate.
2.	Home uniforms with Tiffany-designed NY are as sharp as it gets, but so-so road uniforms bring ranking down a notch.	Word through the grapevine is that the Cubbies may have new unis in 2014, so enjoy these beauties while you can.
3.	Best makeover in history goes to these crisp unis with great black SOX logo from Winning Ugly days.	Fun fact: The Phils have never worn the word "Philadelphia" on their uniforms.
4.	The orange is a great touch that really pops. At least Houston fans have something worth looking at.	The team's perpetual on-field woes have led this uni set to be overlooked and underrated.
5.	Dazzling blue-against-crisp-white home jerseys knock my stirrups off. Blue jerseys make my head hurt.	Defending World Series champs are the only MLB team to have two different sets of road grays.
6.	I like the traditional home jersey; also a fan of the road jerseys (but preferred when there were no names on back).	One of the fundamental mysteries of the uni-verse: Why are the Dodgers' front uni numbers red when there's no other red in their uniform set?
7.	After the many changes, Toronto got it right. The bright red maple leaf in the blue jay really sets off the home jersey.	Note to the Wilpons: A blue alternate jersey is fine, but having two separate blue alternates -- one for home and one for the road -- is overkill.
8.	Overall good, clean look, but what makes these uniforms stand apart is the old TC logo on the cap.	Blue alternate, red alternate and retro alternate equals a mess. Solid home whites and road grays, though.
9.	Could offset red with a splash of some other color, but it works well enough. Like the halo around the A.	Have never fully recovered from the Reds' infusion of black into their look.
10.	Lesson from Oaklandia: When you have an otherwise bland uniform, just put an elephant on it.	Team's fortunes have risen, but the uniforms still feel a bit generic and piecemeal.
11.	There is nothing wrong with them but nothing particularly special, either. But at least there is no upside-down trident.	The plethora of alternates (navy, gold, throwback, etc.) can't hide the fact that the chest insignia still looks like the logo from "Cheers."
12.	I like the "Rays" across the chest, but otherwise this is a rather forgettable look.	If only they'd stop wearing that accursed black vest with the black undersleeves.
13.	Always liked the orange-and-black scheme, but the white-paneled cap is a bad, bad look from the '70s.	One day maybe we'll get used to the Marlins' makeover -- but not yet.
14.	Not bad, but a little bland. Of course, Yu Darvish makes it look pretty stylish.	As soon as they put "D-backs" on their chest, you knew what everyone was going to start calling them.
15.	Sorry, when you insist on Chief Wahoo on the cap, you'll be seeded last no matter the rest of the uniform.	A design program that has completely lost its way.

Whew! That was a close one.

The New York Yankees -- wearers of pinstripes, owners of the most identifiable uniform in American sports, and so wealthy their sleeves should come with gold cuff links -- nearly went down to defeat at the hands of the budget-conscious Athletics, who gave baseball yellow and green uniforms.

Yes, it's true. The Yankees' famous NY logo was nearly beaten by the Athletics' elephant patch in a second-round matchup so close that Nate Silver could not have been able to call it. After a nip-and-tuck battle, the Yankees finally escaped with a slender 51-49 percent victory to advance to Wednesday's quarterfinals.

It was a tough day for Bay Area fans, who lost another squeaker when the Giants lost 51-49 to the Pirates. It seems the Bay Area needs to expand its population base just a bit.

The rest of the battles were won by fairly wide margins, including the battle of the Soxes (Boston beat Chicago). That sets up an interesting matchup with another battle in the never-ending Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Good luck, guys, and remember: Bloody socks matter only if the voters can see them.

That isn't the only matchup of teams with old-school classic looks, though. The No. 1-seeded Tigers, who still are dressed roughly the way they were when Al Kaline was in right field, take on the Cinderellas of the bracket, the No. 13-seeded Orioles, who handily beat the Royals.

Over in the National League, the No. 1-seeded Cardinals will take on the Pirates, with the Dodgers and Cubs going head to head. This has not been a great season for either Los Angeles or Chicago, but at least one of those teams will win this round.

Who will advance to the Final Four? That's up to you. Polls are open until 9 a.m. ET Thursday morning.

--Jim Caple

Mobile users: To vote, click here.

Jim Caple bracket: American League

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  47%
  Tigers
•  
  53%
  Orioles

(Total votes: 62,088)

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  51%
  Yankees
•  
  49%
  Red Sox

(Total votes: 62,474)

Paul Lukas bracket: National League

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  56%
  Cardinals
•  
  44%
  Pirates

(Total votes: 60,629)

Which set of uniforms is best?

•  
  51%
  Cubs
•  
  49%
  Dodgers

(Total votes: 60,467)

Battle of the Uniforms seedings

	American League (Jim Caple)	National League (Paul Lukas)
1.	Clean, classic and wonderful. Old English "D" is baseball's equivalent of George Clooney on red carpet.	The best uni set in the sport got even better this year, as the Cards added a gorgeous retro alternate.
2.	Home uniforms with Tiffany-designed NY are as sharp as it gets, but so-so road uniforms bring ranking down a notch.	Word through the grapevine is that the Cubbies may have new unis in 2014, so enjoy these beauties while you can.
3.	Best makeover in history goes to these crisp unis with great black SOX logo from Winning Ugly days.	Fun fact: The Phils have never worn the word "Philadelphia" on their uniforms.
4.	The orange is a great touch that really pops. At least Houston fans have something worth looking at.	The team's perpetual on-field woes have led this uni set to be overlooked and underrated.
5.	Dazzling blue-against-crisp-white home jerseys knock my stirrups off. Blue jerseys make my head hurt.	Defending World Series champs are the only MLB team to have two different sets of road grays.
6.	I like the traditional home jersey; also a fan of the road jerseys (but preferred when there were no names on back).	One of the fundamental mysteries of the uni-verse: Why are the Dodgers' front uni numbers red when there's no other red in their uniform set?
7.	After the many changes, Toronto got it right. The bright red maple leaf in the blue jay really sets off the home jersey.	Note to the Wilpons: A blue alternate jersey is fine, but having two separate blue alternates -- one for home and one for the road -- is overkill.
8.	Overall good, clean look, but what makes these uniforms stand apart is the old TC logo on the cap.	Blue alternate, red alternate and retro alternate equals a mess. Solid home whites and road grays, though.
9.	Could offset red with a splash of some other color, but it works well enough. Like the halo around the A.	Have never fully recovered from the Reds' infusion of black into their look.
10.	Lesson from Oaklandia: When you have an otherwise bland uniform, just put an elephant on it.	Team's fortunes have risen, but the uniforms still feel a bit generic and piecemeal.
11.	There is nothing wrong with them but nothing particularly special, either. But at least there is no upside-down trident.	The plethora of alternates (navy, gold, throwback, etc.) can't hide the fact that the chest insignia still looks like the logo from "Cheers."
12.	I like the "Rays" across the chest, but otherwise this is a rather forgettable look.	If only they'd stop wearing that accursed black vest with the black undersleeves.
13.	Always liked the orange-and-black scheme, but the white-paneled cap is a bad, bad look from the '70s.	One day maybe we'll get used to the Marlins' makeover -- but not yet.
14.	Not bad, but a little bland. Of course, Yu Darvish makes it look pretty stylish.	As soon as they put "D-backs" on their chest, you knew what everyone was going to start calling them.
15.	Sorry, when you insist on Chief Wahoo on the cap, you'll be seeded last no matter the rest of the uniform.	A design program that has completely lost its way.