Looking as closely as I've ever looked at the Brooklyn 'B'

Until reading a post over at Mets Police today, I had never realized that the Brooklyn Dodgers "B" logo that appears on caps sold today is different from those generally found in photographs and on authentic, game-worn caps of that era. I left a comment on the post, but my curiosity wasn't diminished.

The bulk of the post comes from an e-mail sent to Mets Police in which the writer accuses the Dodgers, Mets and New Era of duping consumers into buying what he calls Bakersfield Dodgers caps, not Brooklyn Dodgers caps, citing the photos on baseball cards of Mike Piazza and Pedro Martinez from their Bakersfield days. Head on over to Mets Police to see those cards.

From the scans and an image of a retail cap, it sure looks like the logos are more similar to one another than they are to those on the caps of four Brooklyn Dodgers just below them in the post. Because the Piazza and Pedro Bakersfield card scans render the cap logos rather small, let's look at the retail cap and the four Brooklyn boys. It sure appears that the retail logo's B has a straighter line in the letter B and rounder loops as well. The reader says:

Look at any Brooklyn Dodger photo, and you’ll never see a B like the one the LA Dodgers/New Era are peddling. Nor is it similar to the one the Franchise collection is selling, which is a Boston B with a triangle cut out. But it’s a carbon copy of the Bakersfield B. It’s clear from photos of the Brooklyn Dodgers that although there were varients [sic] of their logo, it was never like these.

Me again. Now, it's true that the Franchise Collection cap has a B very similar to Boston's, something I'd never caught before, even though I have both clubs' Franchise caps. (Yet I did manage to catch that UCLA's on-field baseball caps use the Brooklyn Dodgers' logo -- and at a closer approximation to the '50s design than today's retail replicas.) Here we have a comparison of the Franchise cap logos (on the left) and those from a current fitted Red Sox cap and a 1932 Dodgers cap (on the right).

There are subtle differences to the point where it's not literally a Boston B with a triangle cut out, but it's easy to see where that comparison could be made. And so, using the logos found on Chris Creamer's site (note that the Brooklyn one has a straight line, not a curved one), I superimposed one over the other. The sizing is a little different (though I tried to get the individual image sizes as close to one another as possible), but they're definitely close enough to see a similarity.


As for those Bakersfield caps? Well, they're not exactly Boston B replicas, either. This card of Mike Siler, who was in Bakersfield in 1987, shows a cap logo much closer to Brooklyn's B, with curves in the vertical line and rounder loops. So not even all Bakersfield caps are Bakersfield replicas, as it were.

Now let's go back in time to compare logos further. Next up are two sets of three cap logos from actual players' lids. The first set are from three caps I've seen in person: Jackie Robinson's in Cooperstown and Cookie Lavagetto's and Sandy Koufax's in a Dodgers display at the Brooklyn Cyclones' Energy Company Park.


This second set comes from Corbis photos of Frederick Fitzsimmons and Duke Snider and another view of Jackie's cap in Cooperstown.


Two things stand out in these comparisons. First, the Lavagetto cap (middle B in top series) looks quite similar to the logo produced on replicas today. Second, the three in the second series all show a much more rounded B, to the point that they look like numeral 8's with embellishments added. That is clearly like nothing we see produced on today's retail caps.

But not all of the retail caps sport the Boston-like straight-lined B. This shot and this press release both show New Era caps with the curved vertical line and more rounded B.

So what does this all mean? For one thing, I don't think the Mets or Dodgers have anything to do with how the caps look. That's up to New Era or whatever company is producing them. I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing the Major League clubs really look over closely in order to give their approval pre-production are the designs that are worn on the field -- uniforms and caps for games and batting practice.

I also suspect that New Era (and any other companies that have licenses to produce them; for the sake of simplicity, let's understand that "New Era" from here on out means any company that manufactures replica caps for retail sale) is merely working off of a template drawn from just one of several variations of Dodgers logos. Though the finished product might not look quite like what the Dodgers wore in the '50s, it was probably designed from a logo not unlike what is on Creamer's page.

Plus, the different eras should be taken into account. Technology, materials and manufacturing methods are much different today than they were in the '50s -- that alone could account for some differences. Today, computerized machines likely play a part in New Era's production line; back then, it was probably some company employee sitting at a machine to put the B on the Dodgers' caps.

Looking for some validation to my hunches in this aspect of it, I got this e-mail response from Paul Lukas, the Uni Watch guru: "Back in the day, things just weren't very standardized. There were LOTS of logo variations. And yes, the materials and manufacturing processes were very different than they are today."

Could all the manufacturers do a better job of reproducing the Brooklyn B on its retail caps? Sure. It's done pretty well on some, so why not all? But I think there are many more likely answers to the differences in 1950s Brooklyn caps and today's retail replicas before we get to a conspiracy on the part of any teams or New Era to hoodwink the fans.

Long ball lists x 30

Quick! Name the Padres' franchise leader in home runs.

It's not Adrian Gonzalez, though it may be by the end of the season ... depending on if (or when) San Diego trades him. Gonzalez entered the season needing 34 home runs to claim the top spot from an original Padre whose name you probably don't know unless you're a big Padres fan or have committed to memory the franchise home run leaders for each team. Ladies and gentlemen, the all-time leader in home runs by a Padre, No. 17 in your scorecard, Nate Colbert!

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound first baseman and outfielder hit 163 home runs in San Diego from the club's inception in 1969 until he was traded to the Tigers after the 1974 season in a three-team deal that sent Ed Brinkman to the Cardinals. Colbert's season-high was 38 long balls, accomplished in 1970 and '72, and he averaged 27 a season in his six summers in brown and gold.

Every slugger to play for the Padres since has left the team one way or another, never to get closer than seven dingers of Colbert's 163. Phil Nevin ranks second with 156, Dave Winfield hit 154, Tony Gwynn -- not a slugger but on the list because of his longevity -- hit 135, Ryan Klesko launched 133 and Gonzalez now has 132, having recorded two already this season.

Maybe it's the Curse of Nate Colbert. Hank Aaron told the Detroit media following the deal that Colbert was unhappy in San Diego and welcomed the trade to Detroit. Whatever the reason, no one has managed to surpass Colbert's home run total for the Padres.

With that in mind, I went through each franchise's career long ball leaders to see who's got a stranglehold on the top spot -- curse or not -- and which ones might soon fall. Home run totals for active players are through Sunday's games.

ARIZONA
Leader: Luis Gonzalez, 224. Active leader: Mark Reynolds (fourth), 91. Reynolds is 26 and has hit 17, 28 and 44 home runs in three seasons with the Diamondbacks, averaging 35 per 162 games. He's signed through 2012 with an $11 million club option for 2013 and if he averages 35 homers through '13, he'd get to 231, likely passing Gonzo in September 2013.

ATLANTA
Leader: Hank Aaron, 733. Active leader: Chipper Jones (third), 427. As good as he is, Chipper's not going to get there. Even second place on the list, held by Eddie Mathews with 493, is in question with his age and injury history. But from the accolades in the media, it sounds like Jason Heyward's countdown to whatever Barry Bonds' total was (755 is still the highest home run total I have memorized) has already begun. (Seriously, though, Heyward is fun to watch. As a Mets fan, my dislike of the Braves has subsided since 2006 and replaced by the Phillies, but I think Heyward will bring it back up soon.)

BALTIMORE
Leader: Cal Ripken, 431. Active leader: Miguel Tejada (24th), 103. Had I written this post at the end of last season, Melvin Mora, whose 158 home runs rank 11th, would have been the candidate. Tejada's not a threat, either, and it's too early to tell whether any of the Orioles' young core of Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, Adam Jones or Nolan Reimold will have both the power and the longevity to break into the top five.

BOSTON
Leader: Ted Williams, 521. Active leader: David Ortiz (sixth), 259. Considering his struggles last year and so far this year, Big Papi can set his sights no further than Manny Ramirez, fifth on the list with 274. Teddy, Yaz (452), Jim Rice (382) and Dewey Evans (379) are safe in the top four.

CHICAGO CUBS:
Leader: Sammy Sosa, 545. Active leader: Aramis Ramirez (10th), 189. I can't see anyone approaching Sosa (or Ernie Banks' 512) without a Sosa-like, ahem, surge. With a career-average 30 homers (though he hasn't reached that number since 2006), Ramirez can climb to seventh. He's currently just one behind Hack Wilson's 190.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX:
Leader: Frank Thomas, 448. Active leader: Paul Konerko (second), 322. Paulie K. is the only active ChiSox in the top 10 and even his fast start (three homers in the first week) won't be enough to approach Thomas, because Konerko is in the last year of his contract.

CINCINNATI:
Leader: Johnny Bench, 389. Active leader: Brandon Phillips (30th), 89. With the departure in recent years of Adam Dunn (fourth, 270 homers) and Ken Griffey Jr. (seventh, 210), the active Reds leader is Phillips. Joey Votto is 48th with 54 dingers and Jay Bruce 65th with 43.

CLEVELAND:
Leader: Jim Thome, 334. Active leader: Travis Hafner (10th), 163. Pronk reached the top 10 with his long ball in Detroit's home opener on Friday, tying Ken Keltner, a third baseman in the '30s and '40s. Grady Sizemore is 14th with 129. Cleveland's is an interesting list. The top three -- Thome, Albert Belle (242) and Manny Ramirez -- all played the majority of their home games in Jacobs Field, the next three -- Earl Averill, Hal Trosky and Larry Doby -- played in the '30s, '40s and '50s, as did No. 8 Al Rosen and No. 9 Rocky Colavito. Andre Thornton, seventh on the list, played in the late '70s and '80s.

COLORADO:
Leader: Todd Helton, 325. Active chaser: Brad Hawpe (eighth), 113. Perhaps one day we'll be talking about the Curse of Todd Helton with the Rockies. Troy Tulowitzki is 10th with 65 homers.

DETROIT:
Leader: Al Kaline, 399. Active leader: Brandon Inge (23rd), 123. No one has moved into the Tigers' top 10 in 15 years. Cecil Fielder (fifth, 245), Lou Whitaker (sixth, 244) and Kirk Gibson (10th, 195) are the only sluggers on the list who played into the '90s. Eighteen more long balls from Inge would tie him with Darrell Evans for 20th. The Tigers' biggest home run threat, Miguel Cabrera, is way down at No. 46, with 73, behind Curtis Granderson (30th, 102), Magglio Ordonez (34th, 92) and Carlos Guillen (37th, 86). Signed through 2016 and averaging 33 per season in his career, at that pace Miggy would reach 304, good for fourth, two behind Hank Greenberg's 306. Norm Cash is second with 373.

FLORIDA:
Leader: Mike Lowell, 143. Active leader: Dan Uggla (fourth), 122. Uggla's first home run this year tied him with Gary Sheffield and he's now seven behind Derrek Lee's 129. Uggla has never hit fewer than 27 in his four seasons with the Marlins, and 22 more this season will give him the Florida franchise lead. But maybe not for long. Hanley Ramirez, because I know you're wondering, is ninth, with 104. If he can match his career high of 33, Ramirez will climb into the top four at 136. Miguel Cabrera remains second in Marlins history with 138 -- the consequence of being traded from a new franchise to an original one. And 10th on the illustrious Marlins home run list? None other than Alex Gonzalez, the one still playing, in Toronto.

HOUSTON:
Leader: Jeff Bagwell, 449. Active leader: Lance Berkman (second), 313. The Astros hold an option on Berkman for next season, and even if he were to somehow come back from the disabled list and hit his career average 34 homers this season and next (and he hasn't reached that number since 2007), he'd only have 381. Craig Biggio is third with 291.

KANSAS CITY:
Leader: George Brett, 317. Active leader: David DeJesus (20th), 56. The Manalapan High and Rutgers graduate became the Royals' active leader in the offseason, when John Buck (15th, 70 homers) and Mark Teahen (19th, 59) left via free agency and was traded, respectively. Brett's mark is pretty safe. Considering the Royals' recent history and financial resources, it's hard to speculate if a young, developing star like Billy Butler (33rd, 41) will stay in Kansas City long enough to crack the top 10. No. 2 on the list is Mike Sweeney with 197, and Carlos Beltran checks in at No. 8 with 123.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS:
Leader: Tim Salmon, 299. Active leader: Juan Rivera (17th), 79. L.A./California/Anaheim/L.A.'s top five include three players from their 2002 World Series championship team and another who left last year: Garret Anderson (second, 272), Troy Glaus (fourth, 182) and Vladimir Guerrero (fifth, 173). Brian Downing's 222 are third ... and Brandon Wood's seven homers rank 146th.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS:
Leader: Duke Snider, 389. Active leader: Andre Ethier (32nd), 75. Duke is pretty safe. He's one of three sluggers in the top four on this list who played in Brooklyn; Gil Hodges (361 homers) is second and Roy Campanella (242) is fourth. The home run leader in the Chavez Ravine era? Eric Karros, with 270.

MILWAUKEE:
Leader: Robin Yount, 251. Active leader: Prince Fielder (eighth), 160. Prince is tied with Paul Molitor and should he reach 40 for the third time in four seasons (his career average is 38) in 2010, he'll climb to fifth, just one behind Cecil Cooper's 201. Another 40-homer year in 2011 -- currently the last year the Brewers have him under contract -- gets him to second place and 240, within 11 of Yount. So there's a good chance Fielder becomes the Brewers' franchise leader with a.) either two huge years in '10 and '11 or b.) a long-term contract extension. Prince's 160 home runs are already the Brewers' Miller Park-era franchise high -- he passed Geoff Jenkins' 148 last year -- but Jenkins still holds their National League mark with 212.

MINNESOTA:
Leader: Harmon Killebrew, 559. Active leader: Justin Morneau (ninth), 165. At his average pace of 31 per 162 games and signed through 2013, Morneau would climb to third with 287, just six behind Kent Hrbek. But the Twins move into Target Field today, a new outdoor ballpark with dimensions that are believed to benefit the left-handed power of Morneau, Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel. So should he stay healthy, Morneau will likely get to 300 and take over second place before his deal is up. Even the Minneapolis record is safe for the life of Morneau's contract, because Killebrew hit 475 after the team moved from Washington.

NEW YORK METS:
Leader: Darryl Strawberry, 252. Active leader: David Wright (fifth), 141. I'm not going to project where Wright will end up until after this season, when we see how he responds in his second year at Citi Field. He needs 15 more home runs to pass Dave Kingman for fourth place and current hitting coach Howard Johnson is third with 192. Mike Piazza hit 220. Carlos Beltran sits sixth, with 127 long balls with the Mets, and it's a shame he's missed so much time last season and this with injuries, or he'd be setting his sights on Kingman as well.

NEW YORK YANKEES:
Leader: Babe Ruth, 659. Active leader: Alex Rodriguez (ninth), 238. A-Rod may break Hank Aaron's record (for a right-handed hitter) and he may surpass the Bonds number, but he might not catch the Babe for pinstripe power. At his current average of 43 per 162 games and with his contract carrying through the 2017 season -- and that's being generous to give him 43 homers a year through the end of the deal -- Rodriguez would only get to 582. In fact, Mickey Mantle's 536 might be the number to shoot for, considering A-Rod's age at the end of his contract (39, 40 and 41 over the last three years). Rodriguez will pass Jorge Posada this year, and Derek Jeter ranks 10th on the Yankees' list.

OAKLAND:
Leader: Mark McGwire, 363. Active leader: Eric Chavez (sixth), 229. It's a shame Chavez has had so many injuries, because there's no telling where he'd rank, considering second place on this list is Jimmie Foxx with 302. Chavez hasn't homered since June 17, 2008. Next on the active list behind Chavez is Mark Ellis at 33 with 80, so no movement in the top 10 is imminent, outside of Chavez.

PHILADELPHIA:
Leader: Mike Schmidt, 548. Active leader: Ryan Howard (fifth), 225. Howard's three homers this year already moved him up a notch and another 40 -- and yeah, he's averaged 49 per 162 in his career -- would secure second place, above Del Ennis' 259. Howard's playing this season at 30 years old (he was born in November 1979) and would have 265 even if he hits a career full-season low of 43 in 2010. Schmidt, born in September 1949, had 283 when he finished his age-30 season in 1980. But Schmidt only averaged 37 per 162 and didn't play in a bandbox. Yes, Howard has the power to hit it out of any ballpark, but I'm sure he's benefitted from some first-row landings over the years, especially to the opposite field.

PITTSBURGH:
Leader: Willie Stargell, 475. Active leader: Ryan Doumit (55th), 47. Yeah, Doumit's not catching Big Willie. In fact, only seven players in the top 20 debuted after Stargell's last year in 1982: Barry Bonds (fourth, 176 homers), Brian Giles (sixth, 165), Jason Bay (eighth, 139), Kevin Young (10th, 136), Andy Van Slyke (13th, 117), Bobby Bonilla (15th, 114) and Al Martin (18th, 107).

ST. LOUIS:
Leader: Stan Musial, 475. Active leader: Albert Pujols (second), 370. I believe El Hombre will pass The Man. Adding his average of 43 homers for 2010 and '11, Pujols will get to 452. He'll pass Musial and very possibly hit his 500th career home run in 2012, the first year of his new contract with the Cardinals.

SAN DIEGO:
Leader: Nate Colbert, 163. Active leader: Adrian Gonzalez (sixth), 132. Next up, should Gonzalez not get there before a trade, is ... Scott Hairston. He ranks 35th with just 36 homers as a Padre. This franchise has had so little in terms of power hitters that Kevin Kouzmanoff, the third baseman traded to the A's in the offseason after just three seasons at PETCO Park, ranks 20th with a mere 59 dingers. Khalil Greene is in the top 10, with 84, tied for ninth with Fred McGriff.

SAN FRANCISCO:
Leader: Willie Mays, 646. Active leader: Bengie Molina (55th), 55. Had Rich Aurilia managed to force his way into a bench spot, he'd be 15th on the list with 143 homers, but with his retirement over the weekend, it falls all the way to Molina. Bonds' 586 couldn't pass his godfather overall, but he did pass both Mays (459) and McCovey (469) in San Francisco.

SEATTLE:
Leader: Ken Griffey Jr., 417. Active chaser: Ichiro Suzuki (15th), 84. Seattle's another relatively powerless franchise. Seven of the top 10 and 13 of the top 20 have played in the 21st Century and at Safeco Field. Following Griffey, No. 2 Edgar Martinez (309) and No. 3 Jay Buhner (307) is A-Rod (189). Ken Phelps is hanging on at No. 10 (105) and Adrian Beltre's 103 in his five seasons stand 11th.

TAMPA BAY:
Leader: Aubrey Huff, 128. Active leader: Carlos Pena (second), 117. Here, folks, is your least powerful franchise. The Rays' top 10 -- which goes 11 players deep because Jorge Cantu and Toby Hall are tied for 10th with 44 long balls -- averages out to 73 homers per player, the lowest of any club. Huff last played for the franchise in 2006. Carl Crawford is fourth with 85 and Evan Longoria, with all of 1,206 plate appearances in two seasons, is sixth with 62. In fact, Barry Bonds' "record" 73 homers in 2001 would put him fifth all-time in Tampa Bay franchise history had he hit them in green and black.

TEXAS:
Leader: Juan Gonzalez, 372. Active leader: Michael Young (11th), 138. Eleven behind Larry Parrish, Young is knocking on the top 10 and should get there this year. Two of last year's Rangers, Ivan Rodriguez (fourth, 217) and Hank Blalock (ninth, 152), appear in the top 10.

TORONTO:
Leader: Carlos Delgado, 336. Active leader: Vernon Wells (fourth), 197. Wells is the only active player in the Blue Jays' top 10 and his fast start -- five homers already -- put him just seven away from taking second place for himself. He's only got George Bell (202 homers) and Joe Carter (203) ahead of him, other than Delgado. If this start truly represents a rebirth for Wells, who hasn't hit his 162-game average 26 homers since 2006 -- when he hit 32 and prompted the Blue Jays to hand him a seven-year, $126 million extension -- and he can hit 26 a year through the end of the contract in 2014, Wells would get to 322, just 14 behind Delgado. One interesting note I discovered when looking for the terms of that deal: Bonus payments aside, the big salary didn't kick in until this season. He earned $5.6 million in '07, before the new deal took effect, and $500,000 in '08 and $1.5 million in '09, with bonus payments of $8.5 million on March 1 of 2008, '09 and '10. He's making $12.5 million this year, $23 million next year and $21 million in each of the final three years. With those numbers, he should get a chance to stick around and get a shot at Delgado.

WASHINGTON:
Leader: Vladimir Guerrero, 234. Active leader: Ryan Zimmerman (13th), 91. That's right, Mr. National is the active chaser of Vlad and, as a result, the leader since the franchise moved to Washington. My favorite part of this list is Nos. 31-32. Brian Schneider hit 47 homers in his eight years with the Expos/Nationals from 2000-07. Alfonso Soriano, in his one and only season in D.C., hit 46.

Photo Friday: Braves vs. Mets, 1991

Out at first

This week's slideshow is another set taken before I got my first SLR (and, therefore, first telephoto lens), so the photos tend to be more of the wide-view variety. I cropped closer where I could, but for the most part, the view is what I saw 18 years ago.

A few highlights about this game. On a personal level, it was my first field-level game at Shea Stadium. We got a thrill out of being so close to the field, particularly during pregame warmups, when the players were so close. This collection of images also includes some personal favorites in terms of players: Howard Johnson, Gregg Jefferies and Todd Hundley. I also like how you can see the blue-and-orange racing stripe down the side of the uniforms, even at a distance. And one photo that's a particular favorite -- and I nealy used for the image at the top -- shows the outfield wall in left-center, with the old logos of the National League teams along the blue background. Those were so much more attractive to me than advertisements, which I prefer for the minor leagues, not the Majors.

Guide them to a new name

Up in Connecticut, the Norwich Navigators have decided that since half the minor-league teams in the country are either relocating or redesigning their logos that they, too, need a new identity. And they're going all-out, planning a new nickname and logo for the 2006 season.

Apparently, the link to the city's seafaring history along the Thames River is no longer exciting enough, nor is the shortened Gators moniker. But in today's minor-league landscape, 11 years is a long time to stick with a nickname.

So where will they go from here? Coming up with a new team name can be difficult because of the marketing licenses and money involved. You can pretty much consider any current nicknames in the four major sports off-limits to start with, and that would carry on down through the minor leagues and colleges. If, for example, Norwich wanted to go with "RiverRats," in a nod to the Thames and other scenic rivers in their southeastern corner of Connecticut, they'd probably need to get permission -- and then pay licensing to -- the New Jersey Devils' affiliate. And they won't want to do that, because they'll want to keep all the merchandise revenue, rather than having to split profits with another team. Don't be fooled -- the potential cash flow is the main reason behind this campaign. Certainly, Giants will be out, because that's just boring and won't bring in any money.

I love the quirky names and logos of minor-league teams, so I'm interested in this switch. Fans can submit as many requests as they'd like to the Navigators website, so let's see if they take any of mine.

Norwich Steamers. Applies to both the area's maritime history (though that's probably something they're trying to move away from by ditching the Navigators name) and clams -- and when you think of Connecticut, maybe you think of seafood.

Norwich Oysters. Connecticut's official state symbols don't offer many options, unless you want to go with Robins or Charter Oaks.

Norwich Whalers. The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes probably still hold the rights to this one, and since it looks like professional hockey isn't dead, that could be a problem. But the Canes could be persuaded to relinquish their rights in exchange for one-time compensation. This one fits the state symbol idea.

Norwich Witches. Of course. It rolls off the tongue ... but I can't take credit for it. There was a minor-league team with that name in the Connecticut State League from 1899-1907.

Norwich Bonbons. Now we're getting somewhere. Again, sadly, not my idea. Another throwback to a previous team.

Norwich White Whales. Take the Whalers idea and make it more specific. Would provide the second-best literary reference in professional sports, behind the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.

Norwich Blokes. So many New England towns are directly named after burgs back in England, so why not acknowledge that? I suppose it doesn't make sense, considering the sport of baseball has no connection whatsoever to England, but it's not a bad name.

Norwich 95ers. Or Ninety-Fivers, if you prefer. Why not pay homage to the great New York-to-Boston highway with a baseball team name? The logo could be a ribbon of highway with two lanes of cars strung together bumper-to-bumper, not moving. The mascot would be a state trooper or a tow-truck driver.

Norwich Blackberries. Named for the nearby river but also has the added connection to the pinacle of portable personal organizers.

Norwich Traitors. It's the birthplace of Benedict Arnold and since one way to go with team mascots is to have them be mean and threatening, what could be more intimidating than a traitor?

I'll let you know which ones are chosen for the vote.


I don't mean to brag, but I must have decent foresight. Or, at the least, I have a damn good feel for this team and/or Willie Randolph's thinking. I'd like to draw your attention to my previous post (below), dated Monday, July 18, an off-day on the schedule for the New York Mets. Now, if you'd be so kind, peruse the Mets' lineup for tonight's game of Tuesday, July 19. And then take a look at just about any Mets game story or notes column and see what they're talking about.

Do you have the Power?

That's gold and Moss to you.
While perusing minor-league schedules for the upcoming season, I came across one of the team name changes that went unnoticed (at least by me) when it was announced last November: The former Charleston Alley Cats of the South Atlantic League have used the occasion of a new ownership group, a new stadium and a new affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers to completely retool the team's image.

Apparently, the website needs a little more time.

Naturally, my first thought was, "Why Power?" The glut of team nicknames that do not end in the letter "S" has become a plague, I fear. Many of them represent a clever and purposeful connection to the local area or some history for the city or baseball in the region. When I first learned of this ability to name a group of people after a singular word was when I learned all the teams in the NBA and got to the Utah Jazz. How do you say it, I wondered, if you're a player on the team? "I'm a Knick" or "I'm a Cub" are easy; "I'm a Jazz" just sounds like Ralph Wiggum. (Nevermind the Jazz' idiotic decision not to rename the franchise when it moved from New Orleans.)

A quick look at the affiliated minor leagues gives us six awkward team names (excluding true plurals that do not end with an "S" like the Missoula Osprey and any variation of Sox; I'm not sure what to think of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx):

Altoona Curve
Bakersfield Blaze
Fort Myers Miracle
Lake Elsinore Storm
Salem Avalanche
Trenton Thunder

The above list potentially could have included several more; I know that one of the finalists when the Lakewood BlueClaws were named five years ago was Lightning, to go with the Thunder across the state in Trenton. So why Power? I was even more curious about what seemed to be a domed building as the centerpiece of the logo, which is exactly what I thought it might be: West Virginia's capitol building. According to the team's announcement, "West Virginia is and will continue to be recognized as one of the leading energy providers for the country. The energy production from coal, natural gas, and hydro-electric sources, combined with the fact that Charleston serves as the center for the state's political and economic powers led us to the name of the team. We felt it was extremely important that the name reflect the entire region and are excited about the tremendous marketing opportunities that will go along with the name."

Yet all I can think about is He-Man's cry once he received the Power of Grayskull: "I HAVE THE POWER!!" They should put that on a shirt.


"By the Power of Grayskull ... !"

Personally, I think they should've taken a cue from teams like the Toronto Raptors, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim or the Springfield Isotopes and christened the team with a nod to Hollywood: The West Viginia Alias, in honor of homegrown star Jennifer Garner.

But I understand that's just being silly.

I wonder, too, if anyone made the connection between the team's "custom" color of Moss and one of the state's athletic heros, former Marshall star Randy Moss.

What I do like, however, is using the name of the state rather than the city. The SAL already has the Charleston River Dogs in South Carolina, so now there's no need for the parenthetical designation of "WV" or "SC" in standings, box scores or game stories. But more interesting to me is that it is the first affiliated team to play in the Mountain State and use the state's name rather than the city's (or town's). With a few dark years, minor league baseball has been played in West Virginia since 1887. The only other team to use "West Virginia" in its name — at least according to Baseball America's Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd Edition — is the West Virginia Coal Sox of the Frontier League. That team played 10 games in 1993 before folding.