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
Category: Minor League Baseball
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
Milwaukee farm club Carolina Mudcats to play as Micro Brews
The Carolina Mudcats, Class-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, will play four games this season as the Micro Brews. It’s not just an homage to the parent club, or that the minor league players in Milwaukee’s farm system are like little Brewers, but North Carolina is home to one of
Round Rock Express to don classic Astros fauxbacks
The Round Rock Express, newly minted Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, already unveiled new logos this offseason to reflect their new parent club, and now they’ve unveiled “fauxback” jerseys and hats that emulate one of the most distinctive looks from the Astros’ fashionable history. The team announced that for
Omaha Storm Chasers steak claim to rare promo
The Omaha Storm Chasers, Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, play in the first place you think of at the mention of steak. Not only does Nebraska have more cattle than any other state besides Texas, but the mail-order meat distributor Omaha Steaks International, which was founded as a
Bowling Green Hot Rods commemorate five years since Corvette sinkhole
On February 12, 2014, the nation was transfixed by video of a 40-foot-wide sinkhole opening under the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, swallowing eight classic cars. Five years later, the Single-A Bowling Green Hot Rods—whose whole identity is based on their hometown’s association with the automotive industry—commemorated the
Portland Sea Dogs to play a game as Maine Whoopie Pies
Is minor league baseball big enough for two Whoopie Pie–based temporary rebrands? We’ll find out this summer. For the last two seasons, the Reading Fightin Phils have played their annual morning game as the Reading Whoopies, and today, the Portland Sea Dogs announced that they’ll play a game this season
Lansing Lugnuts pay tribute to Burt Reynolds with Smokey and the Bandit jerseys
The location of Burt Reynolds’ birthplace was the subject of debate for many years, until the iconic actor himself cleared it up in his 2015 autobiography: He was born in Lansing, Michigan, not Waycross, Georgia—a fabrication Reynolds himself had perpetuated because he moved to Florida at the age of five
Kannapolis Intimidators are looking for a new name
The Kannapolis Intimidators, Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, already have new owners and a new stadium scheduled to open in 2020, and we know now that they’ll have a new nickname and brand in 2020 as well. The impending name change is something of a surprise because of
Durham Bulls to rebrand as Durham Lollygaggers for a game
If the early minor league promotional announcements are any indication, we’re seeing teams get creative with their single-game promotional brands this year—perhaps moving away from the food-based brands that have swept through the leagues in recent years. From the “Where has this been all my life?” files, the Durham Bulls