Baseball By Design: Stories of Minor League Logos and Nicknames

The Delmarva Shorebirds, Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, play in a part of the country named for three states. Guests this week include:

• Chris Bitters, GM, Delmarva Shorebirds
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy

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The Sussex County Miners, an independent professional team in the Frontier League, unveiled an alternate identity that honors one of New Jersey's quirkiest quirks—it's the only state in the union where it's illegal to pump your own gas. The team will play select games as the Fill it Up Regulars. Guests include:

The independent York Revolution play in a central Pennsylvania town that lays claim to the title of the nation's first cap...

The independent York Revolution play in a central Pennsylvania town that lays claim to the title of the nation's first capital—but their identity is more about industry than patriotism. Guests this week include:

• Eric Menzer, Vice Chairman, York Revolution
• Phil Broder, Kite Maker, Facebook
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have a classic name and a brand that they have expanded with a number of recent alternate identities. Guests this week include:

• Rob Zerjav, President/CEO Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• Howard Aprill, Naturalist, Wehr Nature Center
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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• Instagram @baseballbydesign
• Threads @baseballbydesign
...

The brand-new collegiate summer level Marion Hungry Mothers are name for an almost definitely apocryphal legend of a mom and her child running for their lives. Guests include:

• Terry Hindle, Managing Partner, Marion Hungry Mothers
• Brittain Peck, Illustrator
• Kevin Mcdonald, Hungry Mother State Park
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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Ride along with designer Dan Simon, host of the Baseball Bucket List podcast Anna DiTommaso, and Ranger Amy on the annual road trip affectionately known as AnnaDannaPalooza. This year we dodge Georgia raindrops in Atlanta, Columbus, and Rome to sneak in four games (and a trip to the Georgia Aquarium) in 48 hours.

Guests include:

• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
• Anna DiTommaso, Baseball Bucket L...

The Triple-A Norfolk Tides switched from a traditional brand to one based on a Neptune seahorse just over a decade ago. The new brand tells a number of stories about the ecology and the culture of Virginia's Tidewater region.

Guests include:

• Joe Gregory, General Manager, Norfolk Tides
• Sarah Peterson, Naturalist
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The Triple-A Rochester Red Wings are one of the longest-tenured teams not only in Minor League Baseball, but all of sports. The team pre-dates a certain hockey team of the same name by two years.

Guests include:

• Naomi Silver, President, CEO, COO, Rochester Red Wings
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy

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The Fresno Grizzlies have a brand based on an iconic, extinct animal that is featured on the California state flag, the California Grizzly. Additionally, they are innovators in alternate brands, launching the MiLB food frenzy with their groundbreaking Tacos identity.

Guests include:

• Jonathan Bravo, Director, Marketing & Communications, Fresno Grizzlies
• Sam Hansen, Insta @samfromftk
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangera...

The brand new High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers is the Hub City Spartanburgers, who play in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Their burger-based brand gets into all the condiments, and then some! Guests include:

• Tyson Jeffers Hub City Spartanburgers
• Steve, Beacon Drive-in website
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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• Instagram @baseballbydesign
• T...

As we launch the 2025 baseball season, longtime Minor League Baseball reporter and commentator Ben Hill stops by to discuss new logos, minor league baseball culture, and Weird Al Yankovich.  

Find Ben Hill here:

• Show Before the Show podcast
• MiLB News milb.com
• Baseball Traveler newsletter

Also on this episode:

• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The Washington Wild Things have played in the independent Frontier League since 2002 with a logo that features a sunglasses-wearing animal. In this episode we delve into just what that animal is. 

Guests include:

• Christine Blaine, CEO, Washington Wild Things
• Dino Guarino, Dino Guarino Gallery
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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Thomas Harding has covered the Colorado Rockies for more than a quarter century, and during that time has developed an interest in sports design and even created some of his own logos. He joins from Spring Training in Arizona to discuss the history of Rockies branding, sports branding at large, and some of his own work.

• Thomas Harding, Twitter @harding_at_mlb
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon, www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

The Jupiter Hammerheads nickname was chosen by schoolchildren in the late '90s, and has endured to this day. Guests this week include

• Brennan Erlandsen, Broadcasting and Media Relations Coordinator, Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium
• Jake Rosner, Cox Science Center, www.coxsciencecenter.org
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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• Instagram @baseballbyde...

Join your host for three days of Spring Training baseball with family and a few special guests, including T-Pat Stubbs, father of Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs. Hear the sights and sounds of the weekend, and ride along for a baseball experience every fan should have!

Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:

• Instagram @baseballbydesign
• Threads @baseballbydesign
• Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social
• linktr.ee/BaseballByDesi...

The Casper Ghosts only played for four seasons, but more than a decade after they vanished, their brand is popular and has fans clamoring for a return. Guests include:

• Jason Klein, Brandiose, brandiose.com
• Lori Juszak, Fort Collins Tours, https://fortcollinstours.com/
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:

• Instagram @baseballbydesign
• Threads @bas...

The Sioux City Explorers, an independent team in the American Association, play in a city whose claim to fame is that it's the site of the only death in Lewis and Clark Expedition. Guests include:

Guests include:

• Dan Vaughan, Sioux City Explorers
• Kristine Bornholtz, Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The independent professional Cleburne Railroaders have been around since 2017, but the history of the name goes back to 1906. This episode explores the relationship of the railroad industry and baseball in Cleburne, Texas.

Guests include:

• Kay Goodell, Cleburne Railroaders
• Mayor Scott Cain, Author, Cleburne Baseball
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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Guy Gilchrist, known as “Jim Henson’s Cartoonist,” has had an amazing career creating characters for Henson creations like The Muppets, Muppet Babies, Fraggle Rock, and others. He's also worked with cartoon icons like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons, Pink Panther, and Disney.  

In addition to all of that, Guy is a big baseball fan and has created a handful of iconic minor league logos, incl...