When the Beloit Snappers rebranded in 2021, a name-the-team contest turned up five potential nicknames for the team as it was moving into its new ballpark, ABC Supply Stadium. The nickname Sky Carp won the day, edging out Cheese Balls, Polka Pike, Moo, and Supper Clubbers. Three years later, the
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.
Bowie Baysox rebrand as Chesapeake Baysox
Since 1993, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles has been called the Bowie Baysox. The geographic signifier of Bowie (rhymes with “buoy”) draws from the team’s home in Maryland, a town of fewer than 60,000 residents. In an effort to represent the larger region, the team announced
Carolina Mudcats to rebrand as Wilson Warbirds in 2026
Minor League Baseball will say goodbye to one of its most iconic brands in 2026, when the Carolina Mudcats move from Zebulon, North Carolina, to nearby Wilson and rebrand as the Wilson Warbirds. The franchise unveiled the new identity during a ceremony at the Wilson Industrial Air Center, a historic
Lehigh Valley IronPigs unveil 50s-style “fauxback” identity
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies in the International League, will play Friday home games next season wearing uniforms that evoke the 1950s—a decade more than half a century before the team’s 2008 debut. The “fauxback” brand unveiled today, created by Ryan Foose of Fooser Sports
Hudson Valley Renegades honour New York with Big Apples alternate identity
The Hudson Valley Renegades, High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees in the South Atlantic League, will play three games as the Hudson Valley Big Apples in 2025. The temporary moniker is an homage to the team’s parent club, which plays 69 miles to the south in New York City,
Tennessee Smokies return home, rebrand as Knoxville Smokies
A quarter century after leaving Knoxville, Tennessee, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs is returning home and reprising their former name, the Knoxville Smokies. The Smokies, who play in the Southern League, announced this week that with their return to their once and future hometown, the team will change
OKC Baseball Club rebrands as Comets in honour of Mickey Mantle
As the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees took to the field in game 2 of the World Series, the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City announced a new identity that pays homage to a Yankee icon. The Oklahoma City Comets name and identity, just unveiled moments ago, are
Hickory Crawdads to play as Goat-Karts
The Hickory Crawdads, Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the Carolina League, introduced an alternate identity just moments ago that pays tribute one of the area’s earliest industries, as well as one of its popular contemporary pastimes. The Hickory Goat-Karts brand is an homage to both auto racing and
Gastonia fans choose Ghost Peppers after a season of what-ifs
The independent Gastonia Baseball Club, a North Carolina-based team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, played the 2024 season in a series of seven potential identities, giving fans the chance to see them in action before voting for a permanent brand. That vote is in the books, and the
Bird Dawgs Replace Wood Ducks Down East
Kinston, North Carolina, won’t miss a beat when it comes to professional baseball in 2025. The town lost its Single-A team, the Down East Wood Ducks, at the end of the 2024 season, when that franchise headed south to become the Hub City Spartanburgers. Before residents could miss having a
Mississippi Mud Monsters join Frontier League
Just about a month after the Double-A Mississippi Braves recorded their final out before relocating to Georgia for the 2025 season, the town of Pearl, Mississippi, is welcoming a new baseball team to Trustmark Park. The Mississippi Mud Monsters joined the independent Frontier League, unveiling their name and logo this
MiLB introduces peachy new Columbus Clingstones
The 2025 Minor League Baseball season will see one fewer affiliated team named for its parent club. After this season, the Mississippi Braves will relocate to Georgia to become the peach-themed Columbus Clingstones, the new affiliate of the Atlanta Braves in the Double-A Southern League. The nickname draws on Georgia’s