Baseball By Design: Stories of Minor League Logos and Nicknames

The collegiate summer level Dub Sea Fish Sticks were the darlings of the offseason with their hotly contested online vote to determine a new name. The team's general manager comes on the show to break down the Fish Sticks/Seal Slingers electoral map, to track live polls on whether fish sticks are junk food, and react in real time to rival minor league social media accounts still bitter about how the online vote turned out.

Jason Klein from Brandiose joins the podcast again to talk about the unique idea to have two fully fleshed out brands go head to head in an online vote, and the process of designing a logo that looked just the right amount of fish stick crunchy. 

And Ed Rivera from the Dad Hat Chronicles stops by to discuss his process in developing a new dad hat for the Fish Sticks (even though he was team Seal Slingers).

Dub Sea Fish Sticks

Brandiose

Dad Hat Chronicles

Baseball By Design

The Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels were one of the original wacky minor league brands, but now in their 13th season, they're one of the game's classic brands. On this episode, Flying Squirrels CEO "Parney" Parnell talks about the origin of the nickname and logo, Creative Services & Production Director Nick Elder talks about his work creating the team's Copa brand, the Ardillas Voladoras, and Marketing & Social Media Manager Samantha McCloskey discusses the responsibility of reflecting the team's persona on social media.

Plus, be sure to stay through the end credits for that surprise scene! On this episode, Christen Miller of Virginia State Parks joins the podcast to talk about what makes actual flying squirrels so great.

Richmond Flying Squirrels

Baseball By Design

In many ways, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas are the poster team for the era of wacky logos in minor league baseball. Lifelong El Paso resident and Chihuahuas Senior Director of Marketing & Communications Angela Olivas joins the podcast to talk about what the team's identity means to the community, and Brandiose's Jason Klein stops by again to share the thinking behind the development of the brand.

El Paso Chihuahuas

Brandiose

Baseball By Design

The reason for the Tri-City Dust Devils' identity becomes apparent when you learn that they have had just one single rainout in more than two decades of playing baseball in Pasco, Washington. But their brand is about so much more than their logo—it's about their place in the community.

This week, Erik "The Peanut Guy" Mertens, who has been the face of the team for its entire existence, and who was recently commemorated by the team with a life-size bobblehead outside the stadium, joins Baseball By Design to talk Dusty, the Viñeros, and the sure to be future food-based brand, the Tri City Tres Leches!

Tri-City Dust Devils

Erik the Peanut Guy

Baseball By Design

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are, by design, a Triple-A team with a Single-A approach, which has led to one of the most fun brands in the minors—and lots of bacon! The team's general manager Kurt Landes stops by to talk about the logo, as well as the team's Salute to Philly alternate brands, and we settle once and for all which team started the food-based logo trend.

Plus, for the first time, Jason Klein of Brandiose stops by to talk about the work his firm did in creating this suite of logos.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Brandiose

Baseball By Design

Reno Aces general manager Emily Jaenson talks about the unique challenges of branding the Triple-A team that plays in the Biggest Little City in the World. The Reno Aces, who have been an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks since their inception have a fun but grownup identity that has undergone subtle shifts over the years—with more coming soon!

At the time of her hiring, Emily Jaenson was the only female general manager in Triple-A Minor League Baseball, and is now one of four. She hosts the Leadership is Female podcast, which highlights women in leadership positions in sports.

Also, Ed Rivera from the Dad Hat Chronicles stops by again to discuss the Aces' cap offerings!

Reno Aces

Emily Jaenson

Leadership is Female Podcast

Dad Hat Chronicles Podcast

Baseball By Design

Dan Simon is one of the most prolific and influential graphic designers in sports, and especially in minor league baseball at all levels. In two and a half decades, he has created hundreds of brands, including Super Bowl logos, identities for major league teams in multiple sports, and nearly 100 minor league baseball team logos. On this episode, we discuss the impact Dan's work has had on minor league baseball, with some great stories about teams like the Savannah Bananas, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Memphis Redbirds, Great Falls Voyagers, and Idaho Falls Chukars.

Find Studio Simon online at studiosimon.net and on Instagram at @studio_simon.

And stay tuned for the surprise post-credit sequence with Zack Gold, the mind behind the hit @mlb_paint accounts on Twitter and Instagram!

Baseball By Design

The collegiate summer-level Portland Pickles take minor league fun to the next level with a wacky logo and nickname and a hilarious social media presence. I talk with the team's very funny co-owner Alan Miller about how serious the team is about having fun.

Also, I speak with Ed Rivera of the Dad Hat Chronicles podcast to get his take on Pickles caps, and Emma Segerman, who has been ranking minor league baseball logos on TikTok and Twitter, stops by to weigh in on a few logos.

Portland Pickles

Dad Hat Chronicles

Emma Segerman

Baseball By Design

The Daytona Tortugas, Low-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, were forced into rebranding when they changed parent clubs before the 2015 season, and the result is one of the most popular brands in the minors. Paul speaks with the team's general manager Jim Jaworski and the logo's designer Dan Simon about the identity and the role the team plays in the community, plus there's a surprise post-credit appearance by Sarah Rhodes-Ondi of the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Daytona Tortugas: Website | Twitter: @daytonatortugas

Dan Simon: Website | Instagram: @studio_simon

Sea Turtle Conservancy online: conserveturtles.org

Baseball By Design

The Double-A Portland Sea Dogs logo was created in 1994 by Guy Gilchrist, whose career includes creating characters for the Muppets, Fraggle Rock, The Pink Panther, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, and more. Paul talks with Guy and the team's award-winning broadcaster Emma Tiedemann about the brand, plus a surprise post-credit sequence from Ann-Marie Lisi of the Maritime Aquarium stirs up controversy: Is Slugger really a harbor seal?

Guy Gilchrist on Instagram: @guyfgilchrist

Emma Tiedemann on Instagram @emmatieds and Twitter @emmatieds

Portland Sea Dogs: Website | Twitter @portlandseadogs

Maritime Aquarium online: maritimeaquarium.org

Baseball By Design