The year was 1999. We were Livin’ La Vida Loca with Ricky Martin, Jar Jar Binks graced the big screen for the first time in Star Wars Episode 1, and batteries and canned goods were flying off the shelves as we braced for the global meltdown that would be Y2K. Meanwhile, on the coast of South Carolina, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans took to the field for the first time.
A quarter century later, the Class-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs unveiled a commemorative logo to mark the occasion of their 25th season—which, as Minor League Baseball’s Benjamin Hill points out, is the same year as their 25th anniversary, thanks to the lost season of 2020.
The silver-splashed logo, created by Brandiose, features the team’s iconic pelican head, a three-dimensional number 25, and four stars for four championships, all framed by a diamond that evokes both a baseball field and the jewel. The Pelicans won Carolina League titles back to back on two occasions, including their first two seasons in 1999 and 2000 and then again in 2015 and 2016.
Before moving to Myrtle Beach in 1999, the franchise was a Single-A iteration of the Durham Bulls from 1980 to 1997, then played one season as the Danville 97s in 1998 after Durham was awarded a Triple-A franchise. Their 25th season in Myrtle Beach begins at home on April 5.
