Witchita Wingnuts
Ugh. The Wichita Wingnuts? Ridiculous.
The Wichita Wranglers of the Double-A Texas League moved to Springfield, Arkansas to become the Northwest Arkansas Naturals after the season and the independent American Association quickly jumped into Wichita and Lawrence Dumont Stadium. Definitely a smart move as Wichita isn't a dead baseball market, it just doesn't have a stadium and won't be building one anytime soon that can compete in the continuing upgrading of the Texas League facilities and franchises.
One thing that the Wingnuts have to do is convince people that the American Association isn't a vastly inferior product and that the team should be taken just as seriously as the Wranglers were. So announcing an identity as bush league as this new Wingnuts nickname and logo is very counter productive.
I'm usually all for different, goofy and fun but only in the right situation. This was not the right situation. They needed something a little more dignified to illustrate their arrival. I have a hard time taking them seriously with that silly rabbit, baseball, wingnut, dog thing that they have going on below. Maybe the Wingnuts is the right name. It definitely is catchy, but these logos are amateur and don't give off the right impression that this team needs to build.
At the very least, if you are going to try to do something different and make a big splash, the name and the logos shouldn't be unoriginal. Remember the Lansing Lugnuts? Yeah, same idea, except done 11 years ago and done so much better then.
Team: Wichita Wingnuts
League: American Association
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Stadium: Lawrence Dumont Stadium
posted by Brandon @ 11:34 PM
3 Comments:
Wow, bummer for you that the Wingnuts new logo placed second in the CNBC.com minor league baseball logo competition. It may not be professional, but since when does that matter in the American Association anyways? Good call though, you came close to almost being close.
Perhaps I underestimated the appeal of this logo, but I still don't think it's a good logo, regardless of an internet vote.
And it does matter in the American Association because they have to market their team, sell their brand, convince fans that they are a professional team, sell merchandise, etc. to survive.
In fact, I'd argue that a professional appearance is more important in a independent league than in affiliated ball. You don't have built in credibility that affiliated ball brings.
I see your point on the name and selling "seriousness" to the fans in Witchita. However, don't kid yourself, Independent Minor League baseball is miles more fun than the MLB-affiliated brand.
Where affiliated teams are just trying to teach fundamentals and could care less about wins and losses, the Indy teams like those in the AA are playing "for real."
As a traveling baseball fanatic, I've pretty much settled on the Indy's for my minor league ticket buys.
Consider yourself lucky!
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