OKC Dodgers New Nickname

[Tydude]

https://www.milb.com/oklahoma-city/n...ity-transition

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City’s Triple-A baseball team will undergo a brand identity transition as the organization develops a fresh and local team name.

Effective immediately through the 2024 baseball season, the team will operate under the temporary name of the Oklahoma City Baseball Club. Following the conclusion of the 2024 baseball season, team officials will unveil a new permanent identity.

Although the organization will no longer be known as the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the team will proudly remain the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate under the current Professional Development League license.

“For the last nine years, it has been an honor and a privilege to share one of the most iconic brands in all of professional sports,” said Oklahoma City Baseball Club President/General Manager Michael Byrnes. “However, we’re excited this new era affords us the opportunity to strengthen our connection to our community and reinforce that we are Oklahoma City’s team.”

Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes added, “Our Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City has been an incredible partner over the last nine seasons and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them for many years to come.”

The process to develop the team’s new permanent identity is already underway, with the organization previously hosting a series of meetings and focus groups with key community leaders and stakeholders to receive input.

While the team cultivates a new permanent identity, it will spend the 2024 season celebrating the franchise’s history, which has been continuous since 1962. During every Sunday home game, the team will wear its City Celebration jerseys and hats, which were introduced in 2023 in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. During every Thursday home game, the team will wear refreshed Oklahoma City 89ers jerseys and hats. Other theme nights scheduled for the 2024 season will be announced at a later date.

New team merchandise is now available at the Team Store at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and online at okcbaseball.milbstore.com.

The OKC Baseball Club will play its first home game of the 2024 season on Tuesday, April 2. Season ticket packages and group outings are currently on sale, with single-game tickets going on sale in February. For more information, please call (405) 218-2182 or visit okcbaseball.com.

[Ginkasa]

Is this weird? This feels weird.

[jedicurt]

i am actually excited about this. i still wear my OKC Basketball Team hats and t-shirts..... i will totally get generic OKC Baseball Club gear!

[PoliSciGuy]

Nice! Though I wonder if this presages a change in affiliation, if the LA Dodgers would prefer to have their AAA team a bit closer to home.

[Bill Robertson]

Is this weird? This feels weird.

I think it's very weird. Just like the "Washington Football Team".
If you're going to change names pick a name and go with it.

[Thunderbolt]

Is this weird? This feels weird.

I get the rebrand. What I don't understand is the one-year temporary rebrand to OKC Baseball Club. Why not just go by Dodgers for one more year??

[Jake]

I really like the throwback 89ers logo with the mustache guy.

[runOKC]

This is kind of strange. My vote would be to switch back to the 89ers and just keep that permanently. The branding is cool and there are a lot of people who love that name/brand.

[Shortsyeararound]

89’ers are alive again- I hope.

[jedicurt]

Nice! Though I wonder if this presages a change in affiliation, if the LA Dodgers would prefer to have their AAA team a bit closer to home.

i think it's probably more just from a branding perspective. they were having to share their copyright with their AAA team. that is why most went away from same name branding unless they specifically own and operate the affiliate team. such as the Dallas Stars and the Texas Stars of the AHL. the Dallas Stars management group owns the Texas Stars, so okay sharing the copyright. the NHL went through teams having their minor leagues change names back in the mid 2000's specifically for this purpose as well. to better protect copyright

[Shortsyeararound]

Of note- the Okc Dodgers were the only team to share the same team name as their parent club in the Pacific Coast League. A name change makes sense.

[Zuplar]

I get the rebrand. What I don't understand is the one-year temporary rebrand to OKC Baseball Club. Why not just go by Dodgers for one more year??

Absolutely. Makes no sense to me.

[Thunderbolt]

Within an 12-year stretch, the team will have had FOUR different names.

Redhawks (last used in 2014), Dodgers (2015-2023), "OKC Baseball Club" (2024) + the new name (2025 >)

[Brett]

I like the OKC Slodgers as a name.

[Celebrator]

The Dodgers are such a recognized brand though, I don't mind sharing it with the big club and have always liked the branding! I proudly wear my OKC hat--love that primary, very classic interlocking OKC logo--need to go get me more while they are clearing them out! Other than Dodgers, the only name I would rather have would be the 89ers.

Looks like some of the new "Oklahoma City Baseball Club" gear is already out: https://okcbaseball.milbstore.com/co...ted-descending

[jedicurt]

The Dodgers are such a recognized brand though, I don't mind sharing it with the big club and have always liked the branding! I proudly wear my OKC hat--love that primary, very classic interlocking OKC logo--need to go get me more while they are clearing them out! Other than Dodgers, the only name I would rather have would be the 89ers.

Looks like some of the new "Oklahoma City Baseball Club" gear is already out: https://okcbaseball.milbstore.com/co...ted-descending

yes. but is it worth it for the Dodgers to share that copyright with us? it is such a recognized brand. i think that is why they want it back fully

[Dob Hooligan]

Seems to me that every 10-15 years MLB gets a different set of consultants who advise them on brand value. And they flip-flop on teams names. Some years it was the Tidewater Mets and some years it was the Tidewater Tides. Columbus Clippers or Columbus Yankees.

Or-after the Dodgers sold the OKC team to Mandalay (or whomever owns them now) they had a 3 year right to keep using the Dodgers name, and it expired without a renegotiation. At the last minute. Like now.

Or-The Dodgers decided the Ohtani deal is going to make the Dodgers brand so dominant in Japan that using it at the minor league level is a negative.

[BoulderSooner]

Nice! Though I wonder if this presages a change in affiliation, if the LA Dodgers would prefer to have their AAA team a bit closer to home.

locked in until at least 2030

[BoulderSooner]

Or-The Dodgers decided the Ohtani deal is going to make the Dodgers brand so dominant in Japan that using it at the minor league level is a negative.

i think this is the most likely

[Rover]

Let's name them the "Lightning" so we can have Thunder and Lightning.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Tyson]

Let's name them the "Lightning" so we can have Thunder and Lightning.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

No, no, you're on to something.

[Bill Robertson]

Let's name them the "Lightning" so we can have Thunder and Lightning.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Very corny. But I like it!

[Urbanized]

One of the folks who works for me suggested Flycatchers. I...actually sorta love it.

I have some more insight on this move when I came back from lunch and bumped into the president and vice president of the team, both of whom I've known and worked closely with for years. I think I know them well enough to spot if they were just putting on a brave face, but I came away convinced that they are pretty excited about this change.

They reiterated that they continue to have an excellent relationship with the parent club, and that they enjoyed a really nice shot in the arm relative to attendance and merch when they originally went to the Dodgers name. But reminded me that there have been ownership changes for both teams in the past two years; when the name change happened last time the ownership of both teams had substantial overlap. They said that at the end of the day each club preferred to fully control its own branding, and that especially for the OKC club there were many limitations placed on the way they used their branding. Both seemed pretty psyched to be taking on this change, and I came away convinced that this is a really good move for the team.

[Mississippi Blues]

Anything besides 89ers will be a disappointment to me.

[Zuplar]

I saw someone on reddit mention the Flycatchers name. It's not terrible, but I'd prefer they'd go back with either 89ers or Redhawks.