Wenatchee AppleSox

One of my favorite trends in baseball right now is the emergence of the collegiate summer baseball leagues in small town all around the country. These teams have always been around but were usually run solely as a baseball team and nothing more in front of a handful of family members. But lately they have started to run these teams just like minor league teams providing quality family entertainment without the prohibitive costs that would make a minor league team or independent team in a city like Wenatchee fail.

The Wenatchee AppleSox are one of the biggest success stories to come out of this trend. Wenatchee is a town that isn't nearly big enough to host even independent baseball but it has a ballpark and is desperately in need entertainment. But the local owners of the AppleSox recognized an opportunity a few years ago and stepped it up. They did a little bit of work to the 1,200 seat Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium at Wenatchee Valley College and started promoting the team like crazy. Now they average right around 1,000 fans a game and put on a great show every night. I went to a game three years ago and I rank it in the top ten of my favorite baseball experiences. I regret not getting a chance to go back before I moved to California.

But what about that name and logo? It's a very awkward name, I will admit that. But it does grab your attention immediately and is not easily forgotten, exactly what a team in Wenatchee needs. Plus it incorporates the one thing that Wenatchee is famous for, apples, and I couldn't imagine a team not recognizing their importance to the city. The logo is very clean, simple and classy and much more professional looking than a lot of other collegiate teams. It is the perfect name and logo for a classy team breaking new ground and succeeding in a little burg like Wenatchee.