Minor-League Baseball Logo "Tourney" at CNBC.com

[Epiphanic]

The Long Beach Armada logo looks familiar. Was it designed by someone on these boards?

[Brian in Boston]

The Long Beach Armada logo looks familiar. Was it designed by someone on these boards?

Well, if by "someone on these boards" you mean frequent visitor/contributor Joe Bosack, yes.

Graphic Design/branding professionals Joe Bosack and Dan Simon were responsible for designing all of the logos used by the Golden Baseball League's original eight franchises: the Chico Outlaws, Fullerton Flyers, Japan Samurai Bears, Long Beach Armada, Mesa Miners, San Diego Surf Dawgs, Surprise Fightin' Falcons and Yuma Scorpions.

[Brian in Boston]

OK, I'll bite. My own personal Final Four:

Burlington Bees

St. Paul Saints

Toledo Mud Hens

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

My field of sixty-four would consist of:

Augusta GreenJackets (South Atlantic League)

Billings Mustangs (Pioneer League)

Birmingham Barons (Southern League)

Boise Hawks (Northwest League)

Brevard County Manatees (Florida State League)

Brooklyn Cyclones (New York-Penn League)

Burlington Bees (Midwest League)

Camden Riversharks (Atlantic League)

Campeche Pirates (Mexican League)

Cedar Rapids Kernels (Midwest League)

Clearwater Threshers (Florida State League)

Columbus Catfish (South Atlantic League)

Connecticut Defenders (Eastern League)

Corpus Christi Hooks (Texas League)

Durham Bulls (International League)

Eugene Emeralds (Northwest League)

Evansville Otters (Frontier League)

Everett AquaSox (Northwest League)

Fort Wayne Wizards (Midwest League)

Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League)

Grand Prairie Air Hogs (American Association)

Greenville Drive (South Atlantic League)

Harrisburg Senators (Eastern League)

Hudson Valley Renegades (New York-Penn League)

Idaho Falls Chukars (Pioneer League)

Lakeland Flying Tigers (Florida State League)

Lancaster Barnstormers (Atlantic League)

Lancaster JetHawks (California League)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (International League)

Lincoln Saltdogs (American Association)

Long Beach Armada (Golden Baseball League)

Midland RockHounds (Texas League)

Modesto Nuts (California League)

Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Carolina League)

Newark Bears (Atlantic League)

New Britain Rock Cats (Eastern League)

North Shore Honu (Hawaii Winter Baseball League)

Oklahoma RedHawks (Pacific Coast League)

Orange County Flyers (Golden Baseball League)

Orem Owlz (Pioneer League)

Peoria Chiefs (Midwest League)

Portland Beavers (Pacific Coast League)

Quad Cities River Bandits (Midwest League)

Quebec Capitales (Can-Am League)

Reno Silver Sox (Golden Baseball League)

Salt Lake Bees (Pacific Coast League)

San Diego Surf Dawgs (GBL Arizona Winter League)

Schaumburg Flyers (Northern League)

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Atlantic League)

St. Paul Saints (American Association)

State College Spikes (New York-Penn League)

Syracuse Chiefs (International League)

Toledo Mud Hens (International League)

Trenton Thunder (Eastern League)

Tri-City ValleyCats (New York-Penn League)

Vermont Lake Monsters (New York-Penn League)

West Michigan Whitecaps (Midwest League)

West Oahu Canefires (Hawaii Winter Baseball League)

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Southern League)

Williamsport Crosscutters (New York-Penn League)

Winnipeg Goldeyes (Northern League)

Worcester Tornadoes (Can-Am League)

Yakima Bears (Northwest League)

York Revolution (Atlantic League)

[ManCalledAmp]

Btw, just for the record, it's the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, not Wausau. Appleton, actually.

Well, technically, it's Grand Chute. They haven't played in Appleton since the year before they became the Timber Rattlers.

Really? Thanks, 'wauk. "The More You Know" I suppose...eventually I'm going to be up in Wisconsin and have to check them out, among other teams.

But on topic of the poll...I have to admit, the more I see the Aiken logo/package, the more I love it.

Beyond that...I'm done with this tournament. Especially with the rather crazy results thus far. T3H Fail, IMO.

[Joe]

Brian, your insight is very astute, but in all fairness, let me clarify.

The Long Beach Armada identity was the handiwork of Dan Simon and the folks at Studio Simon. It's true that together, our two firms created all of the team looks (uniforms included) for the inaugural season of the GBL and for the most part each team was a collaborative effort. This is especially the case with San Diego and Fullerton, In San Diego, Studio Simon created the character and we created the type solution in Fullerton it was the opposite.

If anyone is interested, you can see our take on the Armada on our website within our interactive timeline. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) when a team has two great looks to chose from, one must end up on the cutting room floor. What's more is that for every direction that is chosen, several go un-chosen. Our cutting room floor (and I'm sure Dan Simon would say the same) is littered with some of our best work that for whatever reason didn't get the traction needed to propel them into prime-time.

[Brian in Boston]

Thank you for the clarification, Joe. Much appreciated.

Now, on to the Day 3 results from CNBC's Minor League Baseball Logo Contest.

#5 Albuquerque Isotopes (60%) defeated #12 Las Vegas 51s (40%)

#13 Peoria Chiefs (64%) defeated #4 Fort Wayne Wizards (36%)

#11 Carolina Mudcats (62%) defeated #6 New Britain Rock Cats (38%)

#3 Southern Illinois Miners (58%) defeated #14 Pensacola Pelicans (42%)

#10 Anderson Joes (53%) defeated #7 South Georgia Peanuts (47%)

Early figures in the Day Four voting are as follows:

#2 West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (70%) lead #15 Great Lakes Loons (30%)

#1 Connecticut Defenders (52%) lead #16 Trenton Thunder (48%)

#8 Salem Avalanche (67%) lead #9 Great Falls Voyagers (33%)

#12 Wichita Wingnuts (72%) lead #5 Inland Empire 66ers (28%)

#4 Savannah Sand Gnats (70%) lead #13 Wisconson Timber Rattlers (30%)

[rams80]

Gaah! Why did the stupid fire dog win?!

[winters in buffalo]

I can't belive that Trenton vs. Connecticut is a first round matchup. That could have easily have been the championship round.

Trenton, btw, is my #2 favorite logo after Burlington.

[Brian in Boston]

Well, Day Four of CNBC's Minor League Logo Contest is in the books... and based upon the results of the voting, your's truly went 1-for-5 with his picks.

#2 West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (70%) defeat #15 Great Lakes Loons (30%) - No surprise there.

#16 Trenton Thunder (56%) defeat #1 Connecticut Defenders (44%) - I know Trenton's logo is far nicer than a #16-seed, but I'm shocked that Connecticut lost this match-up.

#8 Salem Avalanche (66%) defeat #9 Great Falls Voyagers (34%) - IMHO, another head-scratcher.

#12 Wichita Wingnuts (71%) defeat #5 Inland Empire 66ers (29%) - Two quality logos like Connecticut and Trenton face each other in the first round, while two lesser-lights like these face-off? I opted for the simplicity of the Inland Empire mark.

#4 Savannah Sand Gnats (60%) defeat #13 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (40%) - Did we have to vote? Another lackluster match-up. Frankly, how did either make the field?

As for the early results in today's voting, we have:

#6 Dayton Dragons (59%) lead #11 Evansville Otters (41%)

#3 Midland RockHounds (74%) lead #14 Visalia Oaks (26%)

#7 Orange County Flyers (53%) lead #10 Long Beach Armada (47%)

#2 Jamestown Jammers (60%) lead #15 Syracuse Chiefs (40%)

#1 Modesto Nuts (68%) lead #16 Lexington Legends (32%)

That the Jammers have received any votes - let alone, lead their match-up - is reason to pull the plug on this contest right now. Wow! It just goes to show that the only taste some people have is in their mouths.

[winters in buffalo]

That the Jammers have received any votes - let alone, lead their match-up - is reason to pull the plug on this contest right now. Wow! It just goes to show that the only taste some people have is in their mouths.

It appears that the Tumors...er, Jammers not only advanced, but did so by a comfortable margin.

This contest is broken.

[Brian in Boston]

The Jamestown Jammers have, indeed, officially defeated the Syracuse Chiefs. What a travesty. In any event, on to the results for Day Five.

#6 Dayton Dragons (54%) defeat #11 Evansville Otters (46%)

#3 Midland RockHounds (75%) defeat #14 Visalia Oaks (25%) - If only Visalia used the angry acorn as its primary logo.

#7 Orange County Flyers (52%) defeat #10 Long Beach Armada (48%) - More questionable seeding necessitates the match-up of quality logos in the first-round.

#2 Jamestown Jammers (55%) defeats #15 Syracuse Chiefs (45%) - This result seriously calls into question the validity of the entire tourney. No, wait... that was accomplished when Jamestown made the field.

#1 Modesto Nuts (67%) defeat #16 Lexington Legends (33%)

[winters in buffalo]

Although the official results won't be posted until Monday, it would appear that the Jamestown Jammers have, indeed, defeated the Syracuse Chiefs. What a travesty. In any event, on to the results for Day Five.

#6 Dayton Dragons (53%) defeat #11 Evansville Otters (47%)

#3 Midland RockHounds (75%) defeat #14 Visalia Oaks (25%) - If only Visalia used the angry acorn as its primary logo.

#7 Orange County Flyers (52%) defeat #10 Long Beach Armada (48%) - More questionable seeding necessitates the match-up of quality logos in the first-round.

#2 Jamestown Jammers (55%) defeats #15 Syracuse Chiefs (45%) - This result seriously calls into question the validity of the entire tourney. No, wait... that was accomplished when Jamestown made the field.

#1 Modesto Nuts (67%) defeat #16 Lexington Legends (33%)

As a #2, no less!

[Brian in Boston]

Voting on Day 6 of CNBC's Minor League Logo Contest is underway and the early returns are as follows:

#8 Clearwater Threshers (73%) lead #9 Worcester Tornadoes (27%) - Unfortunate seeding again pits two quality logos against each other in the first round.

#12 Quad Cities River Bandits (53%) lead #5 Greensboro Grasshoppers (47%)

#13 Charleston River Dogs (52%) lead #4 Williamsport Crosscutters (48%)

#6 Gary Southshore Rail Cats (62%) lead #11 Chico Outlaws (38%)

#3 Lakewood BlueClaws (56%) lead #14 Lehigh Valley IronPigs (44%)

#7 Toledo Mud Hens (69%) lead #10 Everett AquaSox (31%) - How the Mud Hens don't rate a #1-seed, I'll never understand.

#15 Lake County Captains (55%) lead #2 Clinton Lumberkings (45%)

Wow! Clinton, Lakewood, Williamsport, Greensboro and Gary are better-looking logos than that of the Toledo Mud Hens? Really? Not by a long shot! Hell... I wouldn't put any of them ahead of #9 Worcester or #12 Quad Cities.

[BallWonk]

Wow! Clinton, Lakewood, Williamsport, Greensboro and Gary are better-looking logos than that of the Toledo Mud Hens? Really? Not by a long shot! Hell... I wouldn't put any of them ahead of #9 Worcester or #12 Quad Cities.

Yeah, the seeding was messed up, but the Day Six voting seemed like the best yet so far. I'm not with every result, but if the Threshers and Mud Hens advance, that will be a respectable result. And if the Captains had not won the Duel of the Hirsute Men, that would have been a disgrace. Clearwater is a tight gem of team branding, maybe not the most outstanding but as good an example of all-around excellence as you'll find. And while Toledo has some serious problems with its uniform caps, its logo package is easily among the best in all of professional sports. Either team would be a worthy winner of this tourney, so both surviving the first round is a good sign.

Update Apparently, Clinton did in fact defeat Lake County. Which is a disgrace. I've been to Clinton, Iowa. I like Clinton, Iowa. But dammit that is one scary-ass mascot logo. That's a semipro hockey logo at best, at least compared to Lake County's more restrained captain mascot. Who, incidentally, has a mustache instead of a goatee, and therefore looks a heck of a lot more like someone who would actually live in Clinton, Iowa.

[paynomind]

Wow.

As a logo designer, design lover, and a sports fan, popular vote is ridiculous. Good lord there are a lot of people out there voting for crap.

(as if the last 8 years didnt teach us that)

[Brian in Boston]

Day Six voting in CNBC's Sports Logo Contest is nearly finished, with six of the seven match-ups having been decided. The face-off between the #4 Williamsport Crosscuttters and #13 Charleston Riverdogs ended in a 50/50 split, so there will be an additional day of voting on their first-round battle tomorrow. As for results in the other six match-ups, they are...

#8 Clearwater Threshers (72%) defeats #9 Worcester Tornadoes (28%) - Frankly, I'm a bit surprised by the margin of Clearwater's victory here. IMHO, this was a tough choice. I went back and forth on this match-up. Clearwater's winning is no abomination, as the Threshers have one of the finest identity packages in all of minor-league baseball. That said, I voted for the Worcester Tornadoes. In a head-to-head comparison of the two logos facing-off in the contest, I loved the simplicity of the Worcester mark.

#12 Quad Cities River Bandits (55%) defeats # 5 Greensboro Grasshoppers (45%) - Here, I was surprised by the relatively narrow margin of Quad Cities' victory. I like what Greensboro is going for with their logo, but I don't think that it is particularly well-rendered.

#6 Gary Southshore Rail Cats (59%) defeats #11 Chico Outlaws (41%) - IMHO, a head-scratcher. While the Outlaws' logo always struck me as being the relative "weak-link" amongst the logos of the GBL's original franchises, it still strikes me as being vastly superior to Gary's logo.

#14 Lehigh Valley IronPigs (52%) defeats #13 Lakewood BlueClaws (48%)

#7 Toledo Mud Hens (71%) defeats #10 Everett AquaSox (29%) - I'm still flummoxed by Toledo's #7 seeding. How does that happen?

#2 Clinton Lumberkings (58%) defeats #15 Lake County Captains (42%) - How Clinton even made the tourney, I'll never understand.

As for the early returns from today's voting - the first match-ups of the second round:

#9 Lansing Lugnuts (60%) lead #16 Casper Ghosts (40%)

#12 Augusta GreenJackets (58%) lead #4 Northwest Arkansas Naturals (42%)

#3 Aiken Foxhounds (59%) lead #6 River City Rascals (41%)

#2 Columbus Catfish (59%) lead #7 Kansas City T-Bones (41%)

[conesbeans]

An observation:

What might be happening here is that some (many?) voters are indicating their preference for a name more so than the logo. Thus, LumberKings defeat Captains, Jammers eliminate Chiefs, etc.

I would assume that most of those in the CC community understand this to be a logo contest, but others out there might view this as "the brand" in general, and a team's name certainly is a major factor in the appeal of its particular brand.

[cappital92]

Wow.

As a logo designer, design lover, and a sports fan, popular vote is ridiculous. Good lord there are a lot of people out there voting for crap.

(as if the last 8 years didnt teach us that)

Tell me about it. Every year, the wrong person wins American Idol.

[Brian in Boston]

The results from Day 7 of CNBC's Minor League Logo Contest are in.

#16 Casper Ghosts (55%) defeated #9 Lansing Lugnuts (45%)

#12 Augusta GreenJackets (55%) defeated # 4 Northwest Arkansas Naturals (45%)

#3 Aiken Foxhounds (55%) defeated #6 River City Rascals (45%)

#2 Columbus Catfish (55%) defeated #7 Kansas City T-Bones (45%)

As for the early returns in today's voting...

#1 Joliet Jackhammers (56%) lead #9 Grand Prairie AirHogs (44%)

#13 Peoria Chiefs (69%) lead #5 Albuquerque Isotopes (31%)

#3 Southern Illinois Miners (62%) lead #11 Carolina Mudcats (38%)

#2 West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (51%) lead #10 Anderson Joes (49%)

Also, run-off voting between the #4 Williamsport Crosscutters (50%) and #13 Charleston Riverdogs (50%) is supposed to take place later today.

[conesbeans]

The Chiefs leading the Isotopes 69% to 31% and the Miners leading the Mudcats 62% to 38% completely kills my previously-posted theory regarding respondents perhaps voting for favored names as opposed to the quality of the logos.

So forget what I said, and carry on...