Colorado Springs Sky Sox Unveil New Logo

[Cujo]

I've got no problem with the name 'Sky Sox' at all. Perhaps it's just because that's a nickname I'm used to since I am originally from the region, or that just almost all Minor League affiliates have insane nicknames to begin with.

What I don't totally understand is them abandoning green and going with light blue (ala the Tampa Bay Rays). In the time that they've have been around, not once did I ever think to myself "What are they thinking? They're the Sky Sox, and the sky is blue!!". The logo itself is a bit of an upgrade, just not the recolorization.

[roxfan00]

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - In a press conference held today at Security Service Field, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox unveiled the team's new brand identity system which includes newly designed logos, colors and uniforms. The new designs feature the patriotic colors of red, white and blue and the new primary logo for the team is based around Pikes Peak, the landmark mountain of Colorado Springs. The graphic work for the brand identity was designed by Dan Simon of Studio Simon in Louisville, KY.

The primary logo is centered on the most recognizable feature of the Colorado Springs skyline, Pikes Peak. This 14,110 foot high mountain is brought to life in the new designs with the addition of menacing eyes and white cloud eyebrows that peak over the new Sky Sox Baseball word mark. The Peak features a light blue accent color to reflect the color of the beautiful Colorado skies. At 6,531 feet, Security Service Field, the home of the Sky Sox, is America's highest altitude ballpark and the new logo reflects this brand of high altitude baseball.

The red, white and blue color system was chosen for the new brand to represent the community of Colorado Springs. With a significant military presence in town (Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy), and the USOC and all the US athletes that train in their facilities, Colorado Springs truly is one of the most patriotic towns in America. Add in the fact that the song "America the Beautiful" was partly inspired by the views from atop Pikes Peak and the selection of America's colors for the new logos was an obvious choice.

"We really feel like we have created a brand and image that our fans, players and organization can really be proud of", said Sky Sox President and General Manager Tony Ensor.

Also as part of the new brand identity, the club unveiled their new team uniforms. The home whites and road grays feature blue piping with the new Sky Sox word mark across the chest along with the Sky Sox' new game cap. The game cap is navy blue with a new interlocking "CS" in red, white and blue on the front. The batting practice and Sunday jersey (which will be worn during all Sunday Sky Sox games) is navy blue with white piping and features the interlocking "CS" on the left chest. It will be worn with white pants with blue piping and a new alternate cap which is red with a blue bill and a special CS logo on the front.

The new identity is another step in the franchise's ongoing process of enhancing the team's overall image. Since 2004, the Sky Sox have dramatically overhauled everything from the stadium facilities at Security Service Field to promotions. To date, over $8.5 million have been spent by the Elmore Sports Group, the Sky Sox ownership group, to modernize the facilities and amenities at Security Service Field. The communities of Colorado Springs and the Front Range region have responded to these changes in tremendous ways as the Sky Sox have set new single-season attendance records for two consecutive years. In 2008, the Sky Sox broke the 300,000 mark in attendance for the first time as 303,048 fans walked through the gates at Security Service Field.

Limited amounts of new merchandise featuring the new brand is available for purchase. fans can get their new Sky Sox merchandise by logging onto the Sky Sox website www.skysox.com, calling the Sky Sox office at (719) 304-5612 or by stopping by the Sky Sox offices.

For more information please contact Mike Hobson at (719) 597-1449 or through e-mail at prdept@skysox.com.

Sky Sox

[Discrim]

i thought the sky sox coulda used a new logo, as in one that wasn't script. It aint ugly, i'll give it that, but the first thing that came to mind for me was the hill has eyes (i know it's a mountain, but "the mountain has eyes" doesn't roll off the tongue that well)

[TruColor]

i thought the sky sox coulda used a new logo, as in one that wasn't script. It aint ugly, i'll give it that, but the first thing that came to mind for me was the hill has eyes (i know it's a mountain, but "the mountain has eyes" doesn't roll off the tongue that well)

I can see Pike's Peak from my front yard...I'm now gonna start looking for them creepy-ass eyes everytime I leave my house...

[Mings]

I think the miss here has more to do with the execution of tying the logo to the name. I get the reference to mountains and sky, however the other part of the name is left out to dry. Its definitely a well rendered work, as work by Studio Simon usually is, but it was a big swing and a miss in making an appropriate logo for the name, albeit how hard it is to do so with a name like Sky Sox.

[roxfan00]

New Sky Sox uniforms a big hit

BOB STEPHENS

THE GAZETTE

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox found a professional to model new uniforms they officially unveiled Wednesday at Security Service Field.

And Dave Hajek voiced enthusiastic approval for the changes.

"I like it. I like it a lot," Hajek said. "I think it'll be a huge change for the players. They'll like it."

Hajek's opinion matters. He played for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 1999 and was last season's hitting coach for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, another farm club for the Colorado Rockies.

Sky Sox general manager Tony Ensor and his staff displayed the team's new logo - which features Pikes Peak - and uniforms with a new color scheme of red, white and blue.

"They've created something new and exciting for the fans," said Hajek, who lives in Colorado Springs. "Fans will buy the souvenir stuff but we - as players and coaches - are the beneficiary of the new uniform and get to wear it every night."

Two high school players sporting the new look also offered an endorsement.

"I like the new look," Liberty senior outfielder Ray Marsh said. "The logo is great."

"I like the color scheme," Liberty senior catcher Dan Talley said. "The uniforms are much better."

Hajek said the uniform material is lightweight, flexible and comfortable.

Home whites and road grays are the usual uniform choices - no exception here - except the Sky Sox will wear navy blue tops with a red hat for Sunday home games. The navy top is also the daily batting practice jersey.

"We started considering a logo and uniform change in 2006, so this didn't happen overnight," said Ensor, who, like Hajek, was wearing his 2007 National League championship ring from the Rockies.

"We've spent a lot of time, effort and money over the last five years upgrading our stadium and operation. To modernize and re-brand our image for the fans was a natural progression."

Sky Sox Uniforms

[KJTALBOT]

I like the new logos and the font for what it is. Not what it could have been.

That being said, I wish they would have incorporated the light blue more in the unis. And I wish they would have included Colorado Springs on the away jersey. I like the city name on away unis. It shows local pride.

So, despite all my bitching, they did a good job.

[Jigga]

LOVE the interlocking CS. I know the eyes look crazy on the mountain, but the overall look is an upgrade.

[McCall]

I like the new logos and the font for what it is. Not what it could have been.

That being said, I wish they would have incorporated the light blue more in the unis. And I wish they would have included Colorado Springs on the away jersey. I like the city name on away unis. It shows local pride.

So, despite all my bitching, they did a good job.

I prefer that too. However, you're not gonna be able to fit "Colorado Springs" onto the front of a jersey. Though, they could've put the CS logo on the left chest. Basically the same representation.

My main and pretty much only qualm is the fact that they have "Baseball" on the primary logo, but not "Colorado Springs". Gives it an incomplete feeling. Even if it had just said "Sky Sox" without "baseball" or the city, that would've been fine. But as is, "baseball" or "baseball club" feels like it should only appear on a logo when there's extra space for wording to fill up, with the location and nickname already appearing.

[Kou]

I don't care for the eyes but otherwise its a pretty good logo package. Also I'm glad they have concepts of the uniforms, I still have no idea what the Casper Ghosts away uniforms look like.

[FiddySicks]

Hmmm

Glad to see that MiLB has taken contrast so heavily into consideration

[oo_nrb]

Born and raised in the Springs, here. Sad to see the Sky Sox ditching the black and green - I actually thought that their previous unis, especially the word mark, were some of the best in the minors. But the team now returns to its roots with the red, white, and blue...will be interesting to see in action .

[BallWonk]

I like the new logos and the font for what it is. Not what it could have been.

That being said, I wish they would have incorporated the light blue more in the unis. And I wish they would have included Colorado Springs on the away jersey. I like the city name on away unis. It shows local pride.

So, despite all my bitching, they did a good job.

My sentiments exactly. More light blue in the uniform -- say, a light blue cap with a navy bill, thicker light blue piping with a navy center stripe, along with mandatory light blue socks -- would have raised this to A-minus territory. But as-is, this is a solid B.

Nice to see the community initials on the cap, instead of the nickname initial or a mascot. Baseball teams owe it to their communities to provide a cap that can represent the community. (Though were I a Colorado Springsian, I'd prefer the old interlocking CS logo to the new one, but the point is that it seems that most teams tend to move away from community-initial caps with redesigns, and the Sky Sox have kept the city name front and center.)

[Oso]

I like the new wordmark and colors. Most of the logos are smooth too. Only one I don't like is the mountains, the eyes and eyebrow clouds are rather cheesy.

[roxfan00]

Official game cap

Batting practice cap

Batting practice jersey

Home jersey

[BBTV]

Home jersey

SKY and SOX are each three characters long. Why does SOX have to intrude on the piping, while SKY fits fine to the left of it?

[RedEye]

the gap between the two words would be huge.. if this were type set with a typical space between the two letters on a pull over it wouldn't look odd.. but due to where the text falls in relation to the center of the buttons and over lap on the jersey front you are gonna have this issue... would look better on a jersey with no piping.

[Krona]

why not just move sky over to the right a bit. thta way both words overlap the piping, giving some balance

[JayJaxon]

I don't think it's a bad set at all. To me, this is an upgrade.

[crashcarson15]

I like this new set as an upgrade, and I love that BP cap.