The last professional baseball team to carry the nickname Expos was not from Montreal, but rather Burlington, Vermont. When the Montreal Expos moved to Washington DC after the 2004 season, the team’s short-season single-A affiliate did not have time to change names before the 2005 campaign started. “When Major League
Category: Minor League Baseball
San Antonio Missions Unveil New Logos, Uniforms
The San Antonio Missions, Double-A Texas League affiliate of the San Diego Padres, have unveiled their new logos and uniforms at a rainy-day ceremony held at The Alamo earlier today. Designed by Brandiose, the current stars of the Minor League Baseball branding circuit, the new logo features a silhouette of
Birds of Play: The Story Behind the Oklahoma City RedHawks
The triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks play in Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the centerpiece of Oklahoma City’s hopping, rejuvenated, brick-covered Bricktown entertainment district. It’s a beautiful ballpark—voted one of the 10 best in the minors by USA Today readers—and everything about it pays homage to the city’s baseball history. Statues of Mickey Mantle,
The Story Behind the Louisville Bats: For the Purple, By the Purple
I have always liked the Louisville Bats logo and team name, but three things that I learned about it recently make me like it even more: 1. There’s a specific and awesome reason that the team color is purple (see below for that), 2. The logo was designed by the
Tennessee Smokies Reveal New Cubs-Inspired Logo Set
After giving us a shadowy sneak peek last week (which resulted in Chris giving it an extremely crude guess), the Tennessee Smokies of the AA Southern League have finally unveiled their new logo set, and it’s definitely easy on the eyes. After 7 years of being affiliated with the Cubs,
Waterfalls, a Crown, and Sasquatch: The Story Behind the Northwest Arkansas Naturals
The hottest team in baseball is the Kansas City Royals, and their surge to the World Series has been sparked by players who came up through their minor league system. Players like Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, and American League Championship Series MVP Lorenzo Cain are among 13 out of 25 players
Moon Shot: The Story Behind the Asheville Tourists
For nearly 100 years, the minor league baseball team in Asheville, North Carolina, has gone by the name Tourists. If you’re familiar with the area, you know that tourism is a major industry in Asheville—with visitors coming for attractions like the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Biltmore Estate, all sorts of
Nashville Sounds Introduce New Logo
Just a few weeks after switching their Major League affiliate from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Oakland Athletics, the Nashville Sounds are now switching up their logos and uniforms. It’s all a part of their complete organization re-branding, new affiliation, new logo, new colour, new uniforms, and a new stadium,
Aces Are Wild: The Story Behind the Reno Aces
When I reached out to the Reno Aces, triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, to talk to them about their logo and team name, I did not expect to end up talking about Ewoks. But when I asked Aces marketing director Brett McGinness about how the team’s sophisticated, traditional look bucks
Little Rascals: The Story Behind the Quad Cities River Bandits
The Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League’s low-A Houston Astros affiliate, have done things a little differently. They are embodied perfectly by their logo and mascot, Rascal the raccoon—scrappy, undersized, and kind of adorable, but they’ll hold their own in a fight. In a market a fraction of the
Get your kicks with the Inland Empire 66ers: The story behind the nickname
The Inland Empire 66ers, an affiliate of the LA Angels and reigning champions of the single-A California League, are located in San Bernardino, California, a town noted for its place along the iconic highway Route 66. Since their inception in 2003 (they were previously the San Bernardino Stampede), the 66ers
The Story Behind the Bakersfield Blaze: It’s Hot. Blazing Hot.
The 31-year-old electronic board that tells the time and temperature in center field at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark might actually work, but the team does not turn it on. It’s not an energy-saving technique; it’s more about keeping fans in the stands sane. “We don’t use it,” said Bakersfield Blaze assistant general