Tagged: Hartford Yard Goats
Revenge of New Logo Round-Up: Newer, Rounder and Subject to Interpretation
Shortly after publishing my previous post, I received the following tweet from the San Diego-based logo factory that is Brandiose:
#Logovember — patent pending — is indeed far from over. After I published the previous post, the new logos paid no heed. They just kept rolling right on in. For instance, the Hartford Yard Goats unveiled their uniforms at an event that was attended by esteemed Hartfordian Doug Glanville.
Awesome does not even describe being part of the big reveal – @GoYardGoats uniforms! w/ Chew Chew and Chompers! pic.twitter.com/8sCb9hnQYt
— Doug Glanville (@dougglanville) November 18, 2015
Doug and his formidable mascot-emulating teeth-baring skills were the clear highlight of the event, but let’s not overlook the uniforms themselves. There were a lot of uniforms; like, 38% of a baker’s dozen worth of new uniforms.
The Yard Goats’ Twitter account, manic during the calmest of days, went into overdrive when the time to unveil came around. For a couple hours there, it was this tweet times 1000.
I think they’re awesome; what do you think? https://t.co/GMsSN91BX9
— Hartford Yard Goats (@GoYardGoats) November 18, 2015
The team has since moved on to more pressing matters, however.
I have a fun idea. I’m going to Tweet “WOW!”. Then you quote & retweet and write “WOW!”. Everyone who’s not in on the joke will be confused.
— Hartford Yard Goats (@GoYardGoats) November 19, 2015
Wow.
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#Logovember — patent pending — continued with Wednesday’s unveiling in Syracuse. The Chiefs have a new(ish) look:
I wrote an article about the Chiefs for MiLB.com, with a lede that references an obscure Harlan Howard song on an obscure album that has become an improbable car stereo staple for me. But enough about me, that was already too much. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:
The red, white and blue color scheme aligns the team visually with the parent Nationals, but general manager Jason Smorol said it also harkens back to the rich history of professional baseball in Syracuse. The Chiefs name dates back to 1934, while professional baseball in the city goes back to the 1880s.
In this time of controversy regarding sports teams using Native American imagery, I found it interesting that the Chiefs decided to resurrect the Indian chief logo that was first in use during the ’70s. General manager Jason Smorol told me that he didn’t expect it to generate controversy, and so far he has proven to be right.
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2016 marks the Harrisburg Senators’ 30th anniversary season, and the team has unveiled a logo commemorating this pearl jubilee.
In conjunction with the anniversary logo, the Senators brought back their old pal Uncle Slam. Uncle Slam hadn’t appeared on any team imagery since 2005, but the reasons for this long period of familial estrangement are not elucidated upon in the press release:
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Finally, the year of the league logo continues. First came the Southern League, then the Appy League, and now (drumroll please) the Texas League.
The press release explains it all, as press releases are wont to do:
The new logo, created by Schilling/Sellmeyer and Associates, encapsulates the rich history of the Texas League while providing a refreshed and modernized look. The prominence of the white star in the blue background, along with the blocks of white and red, pay homage to the Texas flag and the long-standing ties that the league has with the Lone Star State. Additionally, by incorporating a version of the iconic batter image, which is prominent in both the Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball brands, the new Texas League logo exhibits the circuit’s deep tradition of developing the future stars of organized professional baseball.
The blue shadows within this logo are open to Rorschach-type interpretation. Here are mine:
Logovember (patent pending). Gotta love it.
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benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
instagram.com/thebensbiz
About Yesterday Afternoon: New Britain Rock Cats, August 30, 2015
This season, when I’m on the road, I’ll be writing an on-the-spot blog post about each Minor League ballpark that I visit. Then, upon my return home, I’ll provide the multifaceted blog coverage that you have come to know and, perhaps, love. Let’s get to it, lest it get to us!
2015 “On the Road” landing page — including complete itinerary — HERE!
August 30, 2015: New Britain Stadium, home of the New Britain Rock Cats (Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies)
Opponent: Portland Sea Dogs, game time 1:35
New Britain Stadium, from the outside:
New Britain Stadium, from within:
Culinary Creation: This was the last game in New Britain Stadium history, as the team is moving to Hartford in 2016. This special occasion, coupled with the advent of my designated eater having to cancel, led to the decision to not focus on food this afternoon. So, this is the best I got.
Ballpark Character: New Britain staple Al Nelson, 88, who rode his bike to the game.
At Random: At the team store, pretty much everything was for sale. Want some signage?
Your Groundbreaking and Subversive Ballpark Joke of the Day:
Your groundbreaking and subversive ballpark joke of the day, @RockCatshttps://t.co/Jc9lGyNlDC
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 30, 2015
8/31: Lowell Spinners
9/1: Pawtucket Red Sox
9/2: New Hampshire Fisher Cats
9/4: Portland Sea Dogs
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benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
instagram.com/thebensbiz
New Jerseys and Connecticut
If you read this blog, then of course you also read all of the articles I write for MiLB.com. It goes without saying. But, nonetheless, I feel compelled to share with you my latest (and therefore greatest) “Minoring in Business” feature, which provides an in-depth look at the theme jersey phenomenon that has swept the Minor League landscape.
The article begins thusly:
Not long ago, Minor League Baseball theme jerseys were almost exclusively based upon a small array of pre-existing options. Pink, patriotic and camo were the three most common offerings, with pop culture references virtually non-existent. But now?
“Now it’s just a free-for-all.”
That’s how Elaine Gastineau of OT Sports describes Minor League Baseball’s current theme jersey landscape. OT Sports, based in Burlington, North Carolina, is a leading theme jersey manufacturer, and Gastineau is their factory sales representative specializing in Minor League Baseball. Over the last decade she’s done her part to facilitate an industry-wide theme jersey phenomenon, with teams attempting to outdo one another in the ever-competitive category of “Who can be the most outlandish?”
If early returns are any indication, then 2015 will be the most outlandish year yet.
Read the rest HERE.
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Of course, the big news story in Minor League Baseball this week was the announcement that Hartford’s baseball team will be known as the Yard Goats. The Yard Goats will make their debut in 2016, after relocating from nearby New Britain (where they are known as the Rock Cats).
I wrote a story about this, of course. A relevant excerpt, which truly illuminates my ability to quote from a press release:
So what is a Yard Goat, and why is it the name of a Minor League Baseball franchise? As the team explained on its HartfordPlaysBall2016 website, Yard Goats “honors Hartford’s rich railroad history.” It is a slang term for “an engine that switches a train to get it ready for another locomotive to take over.”
A press release issued by the Rock Cats on Wednesday afternoon provided further detail.
“A Minor League Baseball player is like that humble Yard Goat,” it reads. “Not a glamorous job but working day in and day out away from the big city lights to assure that the Major League affiliate is kept on track.”
Said story was accompanied by this image, which shows the winner of the “Name the Team” contest attempting to keep a couple of live goats in line.
Rock Cats/Yard Goats general manager Tim Restall seems to think the situation is under control. He’s on the right, probably checking to see what @bensbiz was writing about the team name on Twitter.
Hartford Yard Goats! Let the “this is an embarrassment and I will never attend a game” commentary commence!
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) March 18, 2015
Thanks for playing along, Brandon.
@bensbiz this is an embarrassment and i surely dont plan on attending. what team is intimidated by a yard goat?
— Brandon Apter (@ApterShock) March 18, 2015
My favorite Twitter reaction to the Yard Goats name came from New Britain mayor Erin Stewart.
LOL
— Mayor Erin Stewart (@stewartfornb) March 18, 2015
There is no love lost between the city of New Britain and the Rock Cats/Yard Goats ownership, as negotiations to relocate the team were done in secret. When the news of the proposed move first broke, it was news to New Britain as well. Suffice to say, I do not think Mayor Stewart will be attending any Yard Goats games in 2016.
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Finally, I hit a major professional milestone this week, via the issuance of my 20,000th tweet. Here’s how it went down:
This is my 19,998th tweet. Any suggestions for 20,000? It should, in a pithy way, encompass the entirety of who I am and what I stand for.
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) March 18, 2015
Nah, that’s more of a 19,999th tweet RT @amarie029: @bensbiz Then it should OBVIOUSLY answer life’s greatest dilemma: Skittles or M&Ms?
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) March 18, 2015
I’m not that stupid RT @sbanks_: *attempts to get Ben to respond to this tweet so I can effectively be his 20,000th tweet*
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) March 18, 2015
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Here’s to 20,000 more. I mean, why not?
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
