Baseball By Design: Stories of Minor League Logos and Nicknames

The Triple-A Louisville Bats play just a mile down Main Street from the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory—but the team's brand is based on the flying mammal rather than the famous wooden instrument of the game. This episode features longtime Bats general manager Greg Galiette and Nick Fuchs of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, as well as Baseball By Design Wildlife Consultant Ranger B...

The Copa de la Diversión program features Spanish-language brands for Minor League Baseball teams intended to expand MiLB's outreach to Latinx. The program has been wildly popular, and guest Ryan Foose of Fooser Sports Design has worked with teams to create more than 30 of those brands. Also joining the podcast are Ed Rivera of the Dad Hat Chronicles to talk about his Puerto Rican heritage and log...

The Charlotte Knights are a high-level Minor League team in a Major League city, and their brand and ballpark reflect that. Guests include general manager Rob Egan and designer David C. Ruckman, plus Dan Simon returns with another Studio Simon Stumpers trivia question. Charlotte Knights website / Twitter @KnightsBaseball David C. Ruckman Creative website / Twitter @RuckmanCreative Dan Simon, Studi...

The Chicago Dogs are the third team in the Second City—an independent minor league team that plays in a Major League market. In this episode, the team's Director of Sales Evan Gersonde talks all things Chicago Dogs, designers Dan Price and Kevin Gilsdorf delve into the primary Chicago Dogs brand and the alternate Chicago Wieners brand respectively, Dogs Super Fan Mike Trippi talks about the fan ex...

The collegiate summer level Spearfish Sasquatch base their identity on perhaps most well-known characters from the world of cryptozoology. The team's owner and general manager Eric Schmidt talks about the brand, and Jeremiah Byron of the Big Foot Society podcast joins to discuss cryptids in general and Big Foot in particular. And new to Baseball By Design, we debut "Studio Simon Stumpers," a segme...

Since 2004, the Montgomery Biscuits have spread buttery goodness throughout the Southern League. This episode features general manager Mike Murphy, who talks about the Biscuits brand and some of their innovative alternates, as well as pastry chef Elizabeth Meyers of I d'Eclair Pastry live from her commercial kitchen. Montgomery Biscuits Website / Twitter @BiscuitBaseball I d'Eclair Pastry Website...

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have one of the signature wacky logos in the era of wacky logos. In this episode, GM Harold Craw talks about the initial fan reaction to the brand, Jason Klein of Brandiose talks about the creation of the logo, and Kathleen Clark of ReefTeach talks about what makes a shrimp a badass baseball mascot. Also, keep an ear out for mention of humuhumunukunuku a pu'a'a.  Jack...

Todd Radom is a man of his word! Back in 2021 on episode 2 of Baseball By Design, noted designer Todd Radom promised to come back on the podcast for episode 58 and nerd out about typography. That promise manifests this week in a conversation about interlocking letters—the sports logo take on the typographic convention of ligatures. Todd Radom Website / Twitter Baseball By Design Twitter /  Instagr...

The great designer Dan Simon has taken over the podcast! It's part two of Dan's interview with deposed Baseball By Design host Paul Caputo, and this week Dan adds surprise guest Wildlife Consultant Ranger Amy Burnett to the mix! Dan Simon, Studio Simon Website /  Instagram Wildlife Consultant Ranger Amy Burnett Twitter @RangerAmy Baseball By Design Twitter / Instagram / Website Curved Brim Media N...

Noted designer Dan Simon can add podcast host to his impressive resume now. He takes over Baseball By Design and interviews deposed host Paul Caputo, covering a range of topics. Dan Simon, Studio Simon Website /  Instagram Baseball By Design Twitter / Instagram / Website Curved Brim Media Network Website / Twitter  

The Triple-A Salt Lake Bees have an adorable logo and a classic, simple nickname that pay homage to their Utah's nickname the beehive state, which is a reflection of the predominant faith in the area. This episode features voice of the Bees for all 28 years of the team's existence, Steve Klauke, Baseball By Design Wildlife Consultant Ranger Amy Burnett, and minor league fan and member of the Churc...

The Fredericksburg Nationals—FredNats to friends—highlight the history of George Washington and his mother Mary with their brand. Team owner Seth Silber, designer Dan Simon, and historian Phillip Greenwalt talk about the team and the history it celebrates. Fredericksburg Nationals Website / Twitter Dan Simon, Studio Simon website /  Instagram Phillip Greenwalt Twitter @ParkRanger86 Baseball By Des...

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are one of the signature new brands of the wacky era of minor league baseball logos. They play in the carousel capital of the world, the source of their equine name. This episode features John Hughes, who was integral in the naming of the team, Jason Klein of Brandiose, and Visit Binghamton's Judi Hess. Binghamton Rumble Ponies Website / Twitter Brandiose Website / Twi...

The Greensboro Grasshoppers logo is an insect and their nickname derives from a weapon used in the Revolutionary War. This episode features longtime team president and general manager Donald Moore, historian Phillip Greenwalt, and Baseball By Design Wildlife Consultant Ranger Amy Burnett Greensboro Grasshoppers Website / Twitter @GSOHoppers   Phillip Greenwalt Twitter @ParkRanger86 Wildlife Consul...

The Double-A Erie SeaWolves pay tribute to the extensive maritime history in Erie, Pennsylvania, on the shores of Lake Erie. This episode features general manager Greg Coleman, the great designer Dan Simon of Studio Simon, and Chuck Johnson of the Erie Maritime Museum. Erie SeaWolves website / Twitter / Greg Coleman Twitter Dan Simon, Studio Simon website /  Instagram Erie Maritime Museum website...

Who loves round numbers more than baseball fans? Nobody! Baseball By Design commemorates episode number 50 with a visit from the show's first-ever guest, Chris Creamer, founder of the website SportsLogos.net. Chris discusses the home runs as well as the swings and misses of the baseball branding world. There's also discussion of cauliflower-based poutine that you can get at Toronto Blue Jays games...

It's baseball branding breaking news! At long last, the Grand Junction Rockies have ditched their former parent club's name, and adopted a new, unique one—the team is now the Grand Junction Jackalopes. On this episode, Nathan Martinez, graphic design manager for the Future Legends Complex, which owns the team, talks about his process in creating the logo. And Baseball By Design Wildlife Consultant...

The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps are named for John Chapman, who you might know as Johnny Appleseed. Team president Michael Limmer tells the story of the nickname, Sky Design's Tiffany Chen talks about the creation of the logo, Logan Wiening of the Old Fort Baseball Company talks about his childhood affinity for the Fort Wayne Wizards, and historian Bob Dispenza of Allen County Parks fills in the det...

The Columbia Fireflies, Single-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, are named for a natural phenomenon that takes place in Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Team broadcaster John Kocsis, Jr., talks about the origin of the nickname, Tiffany Chen and Rick Daniel of the design firm Sky Design join the podcast for the first time, and Baseball By Design Wildlife Correspondent Ranger Amy Burne...

Skye Dillon of Skye Design Studios has been working in the field of sports branding for more than two decades. We talk about his process and work on brands like the Staten Island Ferry Hawks, Ashboro ZooKeepers, Tri-Cities Chili Peppers, New Britain Bees, and (outside the world of minor league baseball) the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs. Skye Design Studios Website / Twitter Baseball By Design Twitte...

The High A Brooklyn Cyclones play against the iconic backdrop of Coney Island. Visitors to the area can catch a game after a visit to America's most famous boardwalk, where they can grab a hot dog and ride the tooth-rattling roller coaster, which has been around for almost a century. On the episode, noted designer Todd Radom talks about one of his favorite creations, Cyclones broadcaster Keith Raa...

The High-A Everett AquaSox have had a brand based on a groovy frog since 1995, but the team's branding goes a lot deeper than that. Playing less than 30 miles from their parent club in Seattle, the AquaSox's identity delves deep into winks and nods to the Mariners. The team's owner at the time of the AquaSox debut, Bob Bavasi, talks about the creation of the brand; General Manager Danny Tetzlaff t...

The High-A Hillsboro Hops are named for an important crop in Oregon, but more than that, they're a celebration of the magical association of beer and baseball. The team's president, general manager, and 2021 MiLB executive of the year K.L. Wombacher talks about the origins of the nickname, designer Dan Simon talks about the creation of the logo—and his adventures joining a game during Baseballpalo...

The Midland RockHounds are named for the geologists who work in Texas's oil industry but since 1999 their logo has been a literal hound. The team's Assistant GM Jeff VonHolle talks about the origins of the nickname, Torch Creative's Brad Bishop and Mike Thurman talk about a 2021 rebrand, and in a Baseball By Design exclusive (!) McGruff the Crime Dog joins to clear the air about his suspicious res...

Paul Lukas has been covering sports branding for nearly a quarter century through his popular online platform, UniWatch. Paul joins the show to talk about trends in the field, and how they influence (or are influenced by) minor league baseball. And for dessert, the godfather of helmet sundae collecting, Eric Lichtenberg, talks about that hobby, and how it has inspired by his own work in graphic de...