Baseball By Design: Stories of Minor League Logos and Nicknames

The collegiate summer level Victoria HarbourCats play in British Columbia, home to a natural landscape that features, among much else, harbor seals and other wildlife. This week on the podcast:

• Jim Swanson, Owner, Victoria HarbourCats
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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There have been four Major League Baseball All Star games hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies, including 2026, and all four of them have featured the Liberty Bell in the logo. Designer and sports design historian Todd Radom and living history interpreter Mitchell Kramer stop by to discuss why this iconic symbol is so inextricably tied to Philadelphia.

Guests include:

• Todd Radom, Todd Radom Design toddradom.com
• Mitchell Kramer,...

The Yakima Valley Pippins reflect the significance of agriculture to the state of Washington and the people who live and work there. The summer level team plays in the collegiate summer level West Coast League. Guests include:

• Jordan Rowland, GM, co-owner, Yakima Valley Pippins
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
• Jon DeVaney, President, Washington State Tree Fruit Association

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The Windy City ThunderBolts have played on Chicago's Southside for two decades, and just recently unveiled an electric new brand. Guests include:

• Mike VerSchave, Windy City ThunderBolts, wcthunderbolts.com
• Jay Becker, BLDG Design, www.bldgbrands.com
• Dr. Chris Mayer, folksy Chicago native
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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Baseball By Design host Paul Caputo was invited to be a guest on a meeting of Chicago chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The meeting was hosted by John Racanelli, vice chair for the Emil Rothe (Chicago) SABR Chapter, founder and co-chair of the SABR Baseball Landmarks Research Committee, and the world’s foremost photographer of triple peanuts at ball parks. Guests this week include:

• John Racanelli, S...

The Richmond Flying Mummies are the newest team in the collegiate summer level Northwoods League. Their brand plays off the aviation heritage and two of the town's most famous 3,000-year-old residents. Guests include:

Guests this week include:

• Trevor Amerson, General Manager, Richmond Flying Mummies
• John Worthen, Worthen Design
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The Altoona Curve's brand is based on a railroad engineering marvel—the tightest hairpin turn in North America. Guests this week include:

• Nate Bowen, General Manager, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
• Jason Klein, Brandiose, brandiose.com
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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• Threads @baseballbydesign
• Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bs...

Minor league baseball is full of alternate brands based on local foods. Stadium Food Girl stops by to discuss a few favorites! Guests include:

• Valerie Ruiz, Stadium Food Girl, Insta @stadiumfoodgirl
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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

The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, a collegiate summer-level team in the Prospect League, made headlines with their first-ever alternate identity. Just in time for Halloween, the team announced they'll play as the Illinois Valley Radioactive Shrimp—a wink and a nod to a recent viral news event. Guests include:

• Lucas Burris, Assistant GM/Broadcaster, Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy
• Dan ...

The independent Normal CornBelters pay tribute to an iconic crop in their home state of Illinois. Their logo, equal parts ear of corn and Bill the Cat from Bloom County, has been around for almost two decades. Guests include:

• Jarrett Rodgers, GM, Illinois CornBelters
• Lynn Smith, MiLB super fan, Insta @iaskiheho
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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Ontario, California, will play host to a new minor league baseball team beginning in 2026. The Ontario Tower Buzzers pay tribute to their local 100-year-old airport with their bee-based brand. Guests include:

• Allan Benavides, GM, Ontario Tower Buzzers
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
• Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy

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The revitalization of Greenville, South Carolina, coincides with two decades of the Greenville Drive, High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

Guests include:

• Eric Jarinko, General Manager, Greenville Drive
• Heath Dillard, President and CEO, VisitGreenvilleSC
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The Gary SouthShore RailCats play in a unique corner of northwest Indiana where baseball, railroads, and Lake Michigan merge, and where they exist in a time zone different from the rest of their state. Their scrappy cat-based identity reflects the region and the realities of independent baseball.

Guests include:

• Andrew Mild, broadcaster, Gary SouthShore RailCats
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
...

The Québec Capitales are carrying on a storied tradition of baseball in Canada's French-speaking province. The independent team has been around for more than a quarter century with a brand that has come to represent the entire region.

Guests include:

• Michel LaPlante, former player, manager, GM, and owner, Québec Capitales
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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The Lincoln Saltdogs, an independent professional team in the American Association, are named for a unique feature in the landscape of Nebraska—which used to be a vast inland sea. Guests include:

• Elijah Herbel, Lead Producer, Lincoln Saltdogs, Insta @herbel_essences
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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• Threads @baseb...

The collegiate summer-level NoCo Prospectors are named for the traditional sense of prospectors—mining for gold—as well as the fact that the team is made up of younger players, or prospects. Guests include:

• Preston Munsch & Rochelle Reynolds, NoCo Prospectors, website
• Matt West, Designer, Black Box Merch
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon

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...

The Florida State League's Bradenton Marauders pay tribute to their parent club in Pittsburgh with a pirate-themed brand, but make no mistake, the identity is completely their own.

Guests include:

• Craig Warzecha, GM, Bradenton Marauders
• Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
• Matt Frick, Curator, St. Augustine Pirate and Treasurer Museum

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It's that most wonderful time of year: the Baseballpalooza ride along! This year the gang visited the Malmo Oat Milkers of South Bend, Great Lakes Loons, West Michigan Whitecaps, and Joliet Slammers. Join Fish, Scuba, Ron, Mealey, Pearlman, Jon, Shady, Hirte, Zim, and your host Paul on a wondrous four-day adventure! Plus Dan Simon with a Studio Simon Stumper!

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