The Amarillo Sod Poodles, one of the most talked-about new minor league baseball brands this season, have taken their grimacing logo and turned him into the team mascot. Ruckus is an oversize prairie dog (Sod Poodles is an obscure, or possibly completely fabricated, slang term for prairie dogs, which are
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.
Durham Bulls throwback to Tobacconists days
The Durham Bulls franchise, currently the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays (and the only Triple-A affiliate the Rays have ever had), has been around since 1902, when they were called the Tobacconists, a nod to the local agricultural industry. That team, Durham’s first in professional baseball, didn’t play
Rochester Red Wings to wear hockey-themed jerseys
You’d be forgiven if your thoughts go to hockey when you hear the name of the Triple-A baseball team in Rochester, New York. Minor League Baseball’s Rochester Red Wings, who adopted their nickname in 1928, pre-date the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings by three years, but it’s safe to say that
NH Fisher Cats honor Franco-American heritage with Expos unis
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will honor their region’s French heritage with uniforms that evoke a team that once played in the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. That city is Montréal, Québec, just over 250 miles northwest of Manchester, New Hampshire, and the team, of course, is the long-lost
Sacramento River Cats unveil new uniforms for 20th season
The Triple-A Sacramento River Cats will commemorate their 20th season with a redesigned set of uniforms. The uniforms incorporate a mixed bag of the team’s traditional maroon, black, and white and its alternate gold and black. The home whites feature the River Cats script on the jersey and the team’s
Jumbo Shrimp to fight crime in style on Vice Night
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, will play a game dressed as inimitable and iconic Crockett and Tubbs (well, more Crockett than Tubbs). In a promotional schedule that includes such gems as World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail (Sauce) Party, Ramen Noodle Night, and the hilarious “Florida Man”
Louisville Bats to play as Derby City Mint Juleps
Every time it seems that the wave of food-based promotional identities in minor league baseball has played itself out, along comes the perfect team with the perfect promotion to draw me back in. Today it’s the Louisville Bats rebranding as the Derby City Mint Juleps who have restored my faith
Rochester Red Wings to wear sign language jerseys on Deaf Culture Day
The Triple-A Rochester Red Wings will commemorate Deaf Culture Day with specialty jerseys and caps. The uniform set replaces the word Red Wings across the chest of the jersey and the R featured on the cap with illustrations of hands forming letters in American Sign Language. “Throughout history, baseball and
Charlotte Knights throw back 50 years as Hornets
The Charlotte Knights, Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, have been around since 1989, when they debuted as Double-A farm club in the Chicago Cubs’ system. One of the franchise’s predecessors in North Carolina’s Queen City was the Charlotte Hornets, who first played in 1892 and existed in various
Syracuse Mets to play as Butter Sculptures
For 50 years, the New York State Fair has featured an enormous sculpture made entirely of butter, portraying such scenes as Dairy Princess Coronation (1973), Boy with Double Dip Cone (1991), and Thanks for the Milk, Moo York! (2015). Suffice it to say, the butter sculpture is a big deal—literally.
Binghamton Rumble Ponies to play a game as Stud Muffins
When the Double-A Binghamton Mets rebranded in 2016, four of the six finalists in the name-the-team contest paid homage to the town’s status as the carousel capital of the world. The final selection, Rumble Ponies, beat out Rocking Horses, Timber Jockeys, and Stud Muffins. (The other two finalists were Gobblers
Flying Squirrels to play a game as the Richmond Hushpuppies
The Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels have been minor league baseball fashion makers during their decade in existence. They were among the early adopters of the current era of wacky nicknames and cartoonish logos, and way back in 2010, they were one of the first teams to base a single-game promotional