Good point! Maybe down the road they’ll affiliate themselves with the Brewers based on that analogy.

Apart from the Key West Outs I love all those names! Brilliant!

Modesto Nuts, Cedar Rapids Kernels combination anyone?

Using that logic, lets say that Grand Rapids is the Pantyhose capitol of the US. They have a minor league team and because pantyhose are made there, they call their team the Grand Rapids Runs –– because runs are what is scored in baseball and it’s what happens to hosiery when they get nicked –– that THIS would be considered a cool and clever name for baseball team?
How about the Key West Outs (gay community), the Mexico City Sacrifices (Aztec sacrifices), the Milwaukee Bunts (the bundt cake was first created there) — you get my drift. Let’s just agree to say while it’s a very timely and clever name for now, in 10 years they’ll be back to being called the Bears.

The thing that makes this brilliant, though, and not just an arbitrary repurposing of a beer ingredient, is that hop is also a baseball term, while malt and barley are not. Very clever name, great logo, and perfect for the hoppy-beer-crazy Portland metro.

http://theimaginaryworld.com/ffpac.html

(click on any one of them to see an example)

To be fair, it’s a nice hand drawn logo treatment BUT it’s nothing that would remotely be considered “classic”. As a Creative Director with over 20+ years professional experience (mostly working on premium imported beer brands) it’s both refreshing, and yet disturbing, to see the craft beer craze making it’s way into professional sports — albeit an ingredient. Looking forward to the Des Moines Malts and the Bridgeport Barleys.