Baseball By Design: Stories of Minor League Logos and Nicknames

The Florence Y'alls, a team in the independent professional Frontier League, are named for a mall, a water tower, and a grammatical staple of Southern culture. Guests include: Max Johnson, Florence Y'alls, florenceyalls.com Jay Becker, BLDG Design, www.bldgbrands.com Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl, www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net , Insta @studio_si...

The Columbus Clippers are named for a seafaring vessel that has certain alliterative qualities with the team's hometown, and have a brand that is classic and longlasting. Guests include: Matt Leininger, Voice of Huntington Park, Twitter @_bigmatt Joe Santry, Team Historian Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net , Insta @studio_simon Find the Baseball By Design podcast online: Twitter @Count2...

The Dayton Dragons have been a stalwart of minor league baseball branding, with a flying lizard who has served as their logo for a quarter century. Guests include: Eric Deutsch, Executive Vice President, Dayton Dragons, www.milb.com/dayton Terry Smith, Terry Smith Creations, terrysmithcreations.com Ranger Amy, Twitter @RangerAmy Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net , Insta @studio_simon Fi...

The collegiate summer level Springfield Lucky HorseShoes have a brand that is layered like a huge, open-faced sandwich, with no fewer than five distinct brands rolled into one. Guests this week include: Jamie Toole, Shoes team owner: shoesbaseball.com Ryan Foose, Fooser Sports Design: foosersports.com Summer Ball Summit: summerballsummit.com Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net , Insta @st...

The Double-A Frisco RoughRiders base their identity on the 26th president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, who famously led the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, which was commonly referred to as the Rough Riders, famous for their charge up San Juan Hill in support of Cuban independence from Spain. Guests this episode include: Scott Burchett, RoughRiders GM: www.milb.com/frisco Jason Klei...

The Minot Hot Tots play in the collegiate summer level Northwoods League, and are named for a potato-based regional delicacy. Guests include: John Bollinger, team owner: northwoodsleague.com/minot-hot-tots John Worthen, Worthen Design: www.worthendesign.com Elizabeth Meyers, I d'Eclair Pastry: www.ideclairpastry.com Jessie Elsbernd, Morning Fresh Dairy: www.morningfreshdairy.com Dan Simon, Studio...

The Bismarck Larks of the collegiate summer level Northwoods League pay homage to a mild-mannered bird that makes its home in the area. But when they're feeling a bit frisky, they play as the Missouri River Motor Boaters. Team owner John Bollinger, designer John Worthen, and wildlife consultant Ranger Amy Burnett join, and Dan Simon is back with a Studio Simon Stumper! Bismarck Larks website / Twi...

The Pioneer League's Owlz with a Z brought their name with them when they moved from Orem, Utah, to their new home in Northern Colorado, just down the road from your host. Guests this week include the Owlz with a Z's Communications Manager Blake Baker and designer Nate Martinez; designer Dan Simon, who created the original branding for the Orem Owlz with a Z back in 2005; and Baseball By Design Wi...

The Double-A Arkansas Travelers have a storied history and a brand based on a historic fable that tells the tale of a minstrel's never-ending tune. Guests this episode include broadcaster and baseball operations director Steven Davis, Brandiose's Jason Klein, and Arkansan Hollie Sanders live from opening day.  Arkansas Travelers website / Twitter @artravs Steven Davis Twitter @StevenDavispxp Brand...

The Walla Walla Sweets of the collegiate summer level West Coast League are named for the produce their part of the continent is known for—the sweet onions of Walla Walla, Washington. Guests on this episode include the team's first GM, Zachary Fraser, designer Dan Simon, and Nathan Castoldi of Walla Walla's own Castoldi Family Farms. Plus, Dan Simon is back with a Studio Simon Stumper! Walla Walla...

The Omaha Storm Chasers are named for a uniquely midwestern art of seeking out the heart of the storm. On this episode, your host Paul is joined on the road by Ed Rivera of the Dad Hat Chronicles podcast, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City by Eric Proffitt of the Earned Fun Average podcast, and in studio by Storm Chasers president Martie Cordaro and broadcaster Nicholas Badders. Plus, Dan Simon is...

The collegiate summer level Florence Flamingos derive their name from alliteration—but the they've made the most of the nickname with an eye-popping brand. Guests include team president Brandon Raphael, designer Tony Canepa, and wildlife correspondent Ranger Amy Burnett, and Dan Simon is back with a Studio Simon Stumper. Florence Flamingos Website / Twitter @FloFlamingos Tony Canepa Website / Inst...

The Las Vegas Aviators moved into a beautiful new ballpark in 2019, and got a new brand to go with their new ownership, the Howard Hughes Corporation. Guests this week include Aviators director of media relations Jim Gemma, Let's Get Two host James Christopher, and F-16 pilot Vic DiTommaso, plus Dan Simon is back with a Studio Simon Stumper! Las Vegas Aviators Website / Twitter @AviatorsLV James C...

The guys from Brandiose welcome your host Paul to their studios in San Diego. This episode features Brandiose partners Jason Klein, a regular guest on this podcast, and for the first time, Casey White! The guys talk embroidery, LEGO gorillas, celery, and so much more.  And Dan Simon is back with another Studio Simon Stumper! Brandiose Website / Twitter @Brandiose Dan Simon, Studio Simon Website / ...

The collegiate summer level Jackson Rockabillys are named for a unique music style associated with their hometown, located halfway between Memphis and Nashville. This episode features president and CEO Dennis Bastien, designer Ryan Foose, wildlife consultant Ranger Amy Burnett, and a Studio Simon Stumper from Dan Simon. Jackson Rockabillys Website / Twitter @RockabillysJTN Fooser Sports Design Web...

The Pioneer League's Great Falls Voyagers draw their name from a famous UFO sighting—the so-called Mariana Incident. GM Jim Burks tells the story of the nickname, Dan Simon shares how the close the team was to being called the Skeeters years before that Sugar Land team, and live from 1950, Great Falls Electrics manager Nick Mariana describes how he captured the UFOs on 16mm film. Great Falls Voyag...

The town of Macon, Georgia, does not have a particular connection to pork products, so the collegiate summer level Macon Bacon's brand is based entirely on a rhyme. This episode features Bacon president Brandon Raphael and designer Tony Canepa, as well as a hockey-themed Studio Simon Stumper from Dan Simon. Macon Bacon Website / Twitter @GoMaconBacon Tony Canepa Website / Instagram @thetonycanepa...

The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a collegiate summer level team named for venomous spiders that catch live fish and eat them as they die. So that's fun! Guests include GM Jim Misudek, Brandiose's Jason Klein, and Wildlife Consultant Ranger Amy Burnett. Plus, Dan Simon is back with another Studio Simon Stumper! Fond du Lac Dock Spiders Website / Twitter @DockSpiders Brandiose Website / Twitter @Bra...

The Lake County Captains play on the shores of Lake Erie, just east of their parent club in Cleveland. New team owner Alan Miller (of Portland Pickles fame), designer Dan Simon of Studio Simon, and one-time Captains general manager Brad Seymour join the podcast to talk about what the team name means to the local community. Dan comes back at the end of the episode for a lighthouse-themed Studio Sim...

The High-A Vancouver Canadians are the only affiliated Minor League Baseball team in Canada. While most Minor League teams adopt hyper-local brands, the Canadians fully embraced a national identity. Guests include general manager Allan Bailey, designer Jason Klein of Brandiose, and sports branding expert (and Canadian) Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net. And of course Dan Simon is back with a Studio...

The Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers draw their identity from the predominant geological feature in the Pacific Northwest, Mount Rainier—and indirectly from the branding for a mediocre beer. This episode features team president Aaron Artman, Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Darby Robinson, and lifelong Mariners fan Chris Trebon. And of course, Dan Simon is back with a Studio Simon Stumper. Tacoma Rainie...

For two seasons in 2000 and 2001, the Low-A Stockton Ports rebranded as the Mudville Nine, staking their town's claim to being the "Mudville" featured in the 1888 poem "Casey at the Bat." This episode features San Diego Padres Vice President Tom Seidler, who was instrumental in the team, and designer Dan Simon, who created the logo (and who is back with another Studio Simon Stumper). Also, stay tu...

The Kansas City Monarchs were the premier franchise of Negro Leagues baseball from the 1920s through the 1960s. Through a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a team in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball has reprised the logo and nickname of that historic franchise. NLBM President Bob Kendrick joins the podcast to talk about the unique partnership. Plus Da...

The Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, California, are one of 18 professional or collegiate summer level baseball teams that play on Route 66, but they're the only one whose brand has anything to do with the iconic highway. This episode features GM Joe Hudson, Brandiose's Jason Klein, Baseballpalooza founder Jeremy Soule, a cameo from Baseball Mapper's Patrick Noote, and Dan Simon of Studio Si...

The 2023 World Baseball Classic starts this week! This global tournament of America's pastime debuted in 2006 with a brand created by designer Todd Radom, who joins the podcast to talk about how that brand. Ed Rivera of The Dad Hat Chronicles also stops by to discuss his favorite WBC team logos, including his native Puerto Rico, and Dan Simon is here with another Studio Simon Stumper. Todd Radom W...