The first Pennsylvanian team in the collegiate summer level Prospect League will pay tribute to that state’s blue collar heritage with its brand. The Johnstown Mill Rats’ nickname derives from a term used to describe coal miners and steel workers. The term originally had a derogatory connotation, but it’s been
Author: Paul Caputo
Paul Caputo is a grown man who collects plastic ice cream helmet sundaes from minor league baseball stadiums because he likes logos that much. Paul is the host of the Baseball By Design podcast and he is the author of the first book published by SportsLogos.net, The Story Behind the Nickname: The Origins of 100 Classic, Contemporary, and Wacky Minor League Baseball Team Names (also available on Kindle). He can be found on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky at @baseballbydesign, and he maintains the Countdown to Spring Training on Facebook. Paul is a Philadelphia sports fan, but he's not so bad.
Gastonia baseball team announces five name finalists
The city of Gastonia, North Carolina, will be home to a new baseball team in the independent Atlantic League beginning with the 2021 season. After a summer of collecting suggestions in a name-the-team contest, the team unveiled its five finalists this week: Fire Ants, Hogzillas (the early leader, based on
Appalachian League changes mean new team names
The first domino in the long-anticipated changes to affiliated Minor League Baseball has fallen, and the result will be 10 new team brands. The Appalachian League, whose teams have been affiliated with Major League Baseball parent clubs since 1911, will become an independent collegiate summer wood bat league. All 10
Allen Americans unveil evolved logo set
There was nothing wrong with the logos of the ECHL’s Allen Americans. In fact, designer Joe Bosack, who created the new logos the team recently unveiled, described their previous brand as a “very good identity.” “It just needed a little bit of maintenance,” Bosack said. “The project was two-fold: Improving
West Coast League expands to include Edmonton Riverhawks
The rapidly growing collegiate summer level West Coast League introduced its third new team scheduled to begin play in 2021. The Edmonton Riverhawks are the 15th team in the WCL, and the first outside British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. The nickname derives from the North Saskatchewan River, which features prominently
Beloit Snappers unveil team name finalists
The Class A minor league baseball franchise known as the Beloit Snappers for the last quarter-century revealed five finalists for their new name over the course of this week. Fans will have the opportunity to vote on the team’s website on the options listed below. Every time a minor league
West Coast League adds Kamloops Northpaws
The Kamloops Northpaws will be the 14th team in the quickly expanding collegiate summer level West Coast League in 2021. The team was introduced this week in the town of Kamloops, British Columbia, about 350 kilometers northeast of Vancouver. The nickname is a play off the baseball term “southpaw,” a
Pickle Things Are Happening: The Story Behind the Portland Pickles
The first time marketing entrepreneur Alan Miller heard the name of the collegiate summer level Portland Pickles, a team he now co-owns with former Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan (among others), he was not too sure about it. “When I originally heard it,” he said, “it was a little bit
Beloit Snappers commit to changing name in 2021
There’s a lot we don’t know about what affiliated Minor League Baseball will look like in 2021, but we do know what baseball in Beloit, Wisconsin, will NOT look like next year: The Class A Oakland A’s affiliate will ditch the name that it has used since 1995. The Beloit
New Atlantic League team to play in Gastonia, NC
A new independent baseball team coming to Gastonia, North Carolina, is looking for a nickname. The team is asking fans to consider factors related to the city’s “historical significance, roots in baseball, local geography, work ethic and culture, the community’s personality, and other elements unique to the city and its
WooSox unveil extensive uniform set
The Worcester Red Sox—WooSox to friends—unveiled the on-field threads they’ll wear in their debut season next year, including nine jerseys and seven caps. The nine jerseys include three whites, three blues, two reds, and one gray, featuring the city’s name in a traditional Red Sox font, the team name in
Baseball Players Celebrating Negro Leagues with Patch Sunday
What is the patch baseball players are wearing Sunday? All Major League Baseball teams and players will wear a red and white patch featuring the blue silhouette of a baseball player on their jerseys on Sunday, August 16, 2020. This patch is being worn in recognition of the 100th anniversary