Baseball By Design: Stories of Minor League Logos and Nicknames

New Britain Rock Cats

Guy Gilchrist, known as “Jim Henson’s Cartoonist,” has had an amazing career creating characters for Henson creations like The Muppets, Muppet Babies, Fraggle Rock, and others. He's also worked with cartoon icons like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons, Pink Panther, and Disney.  
In addition to all of that, Guy is a big baseball fan and has created a handful of iconic minor league logos, including the subject of this episode, the New Britain Rock Cats (now the Hartford Yard Goats). He also created Jax, a character on the new MLB Network creation, the Traveling Spaceship Show. Guests include:
Guy Gilchrist, guygilchrist.com
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
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Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.
 

Traverse City Pit Spitters

This week's episode takes us to the (tart) cherry capital of the world, Traverse City, Michigan, home of the National Cherry Festival and collegiate summer ball's Traverse City Pit Spitters. Guests include:
Jacqueline Holm, Traverse City Pit Spitters
Jason Klein, Brandiose, brandiose.com
Kat Paye, Executive Director, National Cherry Festival
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
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Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

Trenton Thunder

The Trenton Thunder have had the same name for more than three decades, but that name has been paired with a series of different logo concepts over the years—from a two-headed thunderbird, Thor the God of Thunder, and the current iteration, a storm cloud and lightning. Guests include:
Mike Warren, Trenton Thunder Director of Media Relations & Play-by-Play Broadcaster, X @Mike_WarrenPxP
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
Scott Rippe, Facebook Rippeology
Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:
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Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

West Michigan Whitecaps

The West Michigan Whitecaps have played for more than three decades in Grand Rapids, about a half hour from Lake Michigan. Guests include:
Jim Jarecki, Vice President and GM, West Michigan Whitecaps
Jason Klein, Brandiose, brandiose.com
Kaitie Janecke-Soltesz, Naturalist, LinkedIn
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:
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Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social
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Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

Todd Radom: Three is the Magic Number

Designer Todd Radom stops by to chat about the many permutations of the number three in the world of sports design—plus cheesesteaks in both Philadelphia and Japan, convenience store preferences, and more!
Guests include:
Todd Radom, toddradom.com
Dan Simon, Studio Simon, studiosimon.net
Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:
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Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social
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Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

New Years Eve Stumperpalooza with Dan Simon!

We're ringing in the new year with a flurry of Studio Simon Stumpers from Dan Simon! It's the 100th episode of Baseball By Design with at least one of Dan's signature trivia questions, and we mark the occasion with not one, not two, but NINE stumpers!
Guests include:
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:
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Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social
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Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

Lake Country DockHounds

The independent professional Lake Country DockHounds embody Wisconsin's relaxed summertime lake culture with their cartoon dog fisherman.
Guests include:
Bryan Giese, General Manager, Insta @bgiese77
Dominic Stearn, Broadcaster, Insta @dominicstearn19
Mike Magestro, Mindspike Design, mindspikedesign.com
Ranger Amy Burnett, Insta @therealrangeramy, Twitter @rangeramy
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:
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Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social
linktr.ee/BaseballByDesign
Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net: Celebrating Three Years

Chris Creamer, the godfather of sports branding journalism and founder of the website SportsLogos.net, joins to help celebrate three years of Baseball By Design. We talk about the challenges of covering sports branding, what to do with leaks, and when good brands are replaced with bad ones.
Guests include:
Chris Creamer, Sportslogos.net
Dan Simon, Studio Simon: www.studiosimon.net, Insta @studio_simon
Find the Baseball By Design podcast online:
Instagram @baseballbydesign
Threads @baseballbydesign
Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social
linktr.ee/BaseballByDesign
Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.