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Fort Wayne, IN -- When Parkview Field opens next season, Fort Wayne and the surrounding communities in Northeast Indiana, Northwest Ohio and Sourthern Michigan will be cheering on the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Hardball Capital CEO Jason Freier, and TinCaps General Manager Mike Nutter, unveiled the teams new identity and logo at a press conference at the Grand Wayne Convention Center on October 2.
The TinCaps moniker is a reference to the beloved pioneer Johnny Appleseed, who was known for wearing his tin cooking pot upon his head. The primary logo will be an apple wearing Johnny's trademark Tin Cap. Two alternate logos will incorporate Fort Wayne's initials, FW with either a Tin Cap or an apple stem and leaf. The TinCaps primary color scheme will consist of organic colors -- green, red, brown. This color scheme is consistent with both the Johnny Appleseed theme and the project goal of creating Parkview Field as a true park and gathering place within the center of downtown Fort Wayne.
 
"In Minor League Baseball you have the opportunity to creat a brand with a true regional flavor," stated Nutter. "Johnny Appleseed, while known nationally, is a regional pioneer and folk hero. His story and the history of the area, gives us an identity that is distinctively Fort Wayne. Johnny was a poineer of the Midwest frontier in a time with seemingly endless opportunity. We feel a part of a new frontier in Fort Wayne's growing downtown with the continued development of the Harrison Square project.
The creation of a new identity for the team began with a community-wide name contest that drew over 2,500 suggestions over the course of the two-week entry period. Further input was collected from the community regarding some of the more prevalent categories identifies as a result of the contest entries. At the close of the process, all of the suggestions and input were considered by local and national marketing experts along with the team's staff and ownership. The team sought a new identity that had its roots in the Fort Wayne communtiy, would appeal to a wide audience and was unique in the crowded national sports landscape.
The TinCaps will begin plat at Parkview Field on Thursday, April 16th at 7 p.m. when they take on the Dayton Dragons on Opening Day of the new Parkview Field. |