The Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs polled vans about what they call the area’s iconic sandwich, and Hoagie beat Sub soundly (of course). With that, the team will take on the nickname “Hoagies” on its annual “Salute to Philly” night, which in previous years has seen the team play as “Jimmies,”
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 Twitter at @Count2Baseball and he maintains the Countdown to Spring Training on Facebook. Paul is a Philadelphia sports fan, but he's not so bad.
Corpus Christi Hooks update Blue Ghosts brand
The Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks unveiled an updated version of an alternate identity that pays tribute a famous aircraft carrier just off the city’s coast. Since 2018, the team has played several games a year as the Blue Ghosts, a nickname that refers to the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft
Winston-Salem Dash to play as grammatically correct Hyphens
The High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has gone by the nickname Dash since 2009. It’s an homage to the piece of punctuation that unites the two towns that have been officially merged as one since the late 1800s. The problem is, grammar nerds (of which
Drillers pay tribute to music heritage with TulsaSound identity
The Double-A Tulsa Drillers will play four games this season as the TulsaSound in tribute to the unique style of blues music the city is known for. The logo for the TulsaSound (one word when we’re talking about the baseball team) was created by Brandiose, and features a guitar, the
Portland Sea Dogs to play as Maine Clambakes
The Double-A Portland Sea Dogs will play a game this season as the Maine Clambakes, paying tribute to a New England tradition that derives from Wampanoag and other coastal Native Americans in the area. The logo features an anthropomorphic clam holding a baseball bat, peering out from between its shells. In addition
Binghamton Rumble Ponies to play as Southern Tier Shortcakes
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets, will commemorate the 41st annual Owego Strawberry Festival by rebranding for the weekend as the Southern Tier Shortcakes. The festival, which takes place 25 miles down the road from Binghamton, is a signature event in New York’s Southern Tier,
Erie SeaWolves to play as Pepperoni Balls
The Double-A Erie SeaWolves unveiled an alternate identity just moments ago, highlighting one of western Pennsylvania’s favorite regional foods, Pepperoni Balls. Erie enters the Minor League Baseball food frenzy with a food item that was popularized by Stanganelli’s Italian Foods, which started making them in 1961. The logo, created by
Lakeshore Chinooks rebrand as Lakeshore Chinooks for a weekend
For one weekend this season, the collegiate summer level Lakeshore Chinooks, who play in Mequon, Wisconsin, will replace their longtime salmon-based Chinooks brand with one based on Chinook helicopters. The helicopter-based alternate identity portrays the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, with its signature tandem rotor, first introduced in 1962 with a top
Charleston Dirty Birds roll out Pepperoni-themed identity
The Charleston Dirty Birds, who play in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, will change their name to the Pepperoni Rolls for a game this season, paying tribute to a local favorite that has its roots in West Virginia. According to a 2010 article in the New York Times,
Eugene Emeralds to play as Exploding Whales
More than half a century ago, Oregon’s Highway division, in consultation with the United States Navy, tried to remove the carcass of a 45-foot sperm whale that had washed ashore on the beaches of Florence, Oregon, by blowing it up with dynamite. The predictably terrible consequences became the stuff of
Lexington Legends rebrand as Counter Clocks
The professional baseball franchise in Lexington, Kentucky, played as the Legends for more than two decades, dating back to 2001. That changed today, when the team announced that it will heretofore be known as the Lexington Counter Clocks, a tribute “to Kentucky’s historic spirit of independence,” per the team. The
Arkansas Travelers to play as Mad Mallards
The Double-A Arkansas Travelers will play an entire six-game series this summer with an alternate brand that pays tribute to a bird that is hunted during baseball’s winter offseason. The team will play as the Mad Mallards, sporting a duck-themed brand designed by the Little Rock-based firm Eric Rob &