Dodgers News: Triple-A Affiliate Announces Major Change
The Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate made headlines of their own during the World Series as the Oklahoma City Comets were introduced.
Oklahoma City’s Minor League Baseball team has been part of the Pacific Coast League since 1998 and affiliated with the Dodgers since 2015.
The introduction of their new identity was made during a brand launch event at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark as a part of a bigger celebration. This marks the fifth name in the team’s history, following the 89ers (1962-97), RedHawks (1998-2014), Dodgers (2015-23), and the temporary “Baseball Club” label used last season.
“Having the opportunity to carry the Dodgers name here in Oklahoma City was always great. One of the most iconic brands in sports,” said Comets president Michael Byrnes. “Then the transition of ownership to Diamond Baseball Holdings just opened the door for us to go back and reconsider what is our identity, and we felt like that gave us a chance to have something that’s Oklahoma City’s.”
The Comets name honors both Oklahoma City’s progress and legacy, nodding to the city’s growth and the iconic nickname of Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, “The Commerce Comet.”
Mantle’s legacy is prominent at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, which sits on Mickey Mantle Drive and features a statue of the iconic slugger near the third-base entrance.
“There was motivation to use Mantle as an inspiration,” said Byrnes, adding that there’s an image of Mantle on the end cap of every row of every section of seats at the ballpark. “But there was also this theme of, Oklahoma City, it’s modernizing. There’s a lot of optimism here. There’s a burgeoning aerospace industry. All these things began to take shape and help us narrow it down.
With light blue and red colors inspired by the Dodgers, the design keeps a visual link to the parent club, including a baseball streak under the Comets wordmark as a tribute.
The home caps showcase “OKC” in a diagonal style, with a streaking comet baseball weaving through the letters. On the road uniforms and caps, a looping baseball creates the “C” in OKC. Additionally, a tertiary logo featuring an astronaut, affectionately nicknamed “Moon Man” by the front office, will appear in ballpark signage, marketing, and educational materials.
“The feedback we were receiving in focus groups, and when we worked with people in the community, they were coaching us on doing something that was very professional, that had a major league feel to it,” said Byrnes. “There is sentiment, especially since the [NBA’s] Thunder got here, that Oklahoma City is a big league city.
“But we were also challenged to make it fun. There was a lot of history that we were picking up on as well.”
Photo Credit: SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
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