The Elizabethton River Riders are the fourth of ten new identities in the works for Appalachian League teams. The team announced its new identity, which was created in house by Major League Baseball, this morning.
The nickname draws on the affinity that residents of Elizabethton, Tennessee, have for recreating on the Watauga River, which runs through town.
At least one logo will highlight the city’s nickname, E-Town (even though there’s no W in Elizabethton), featuring the letter E with water splashing behind it.
A pair of logos in the new brand feature fuzzy green guy Rookie, who has been the team’s mascot since 2006.
All ten of the Appalachian League’s teams are rebranding this offseason, most of them this week, as the league switched from affiliated rookie level to a collegiate wood bat league due to Major League Baseball’s reorganization of the minors. The Appy League’s teams had been named for their parent clubs, and are rebranding since they are no longer affiliated.
The new-look league debuts June 3.
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