MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Eastern Iowa Baseball Needs You!

Published on March 21, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


All week long fans have been logging on to Darren Rovell's blog on CNBC.com to cast their vote for their favorite minor league logo in his March Madness-style tournament. Now, the Quad Cities River Bandits and the Clinton LumberKings are joining forces to help each other win their respective Friday match-ups in an effort to reach the Sweet 16.

"As neighbors in Eastern Iowa and along the Mississippi River, we want to see Clinton go deep into the tournament," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "This tournament has really been a lot of fun and we want to keep it going for River Bandits fans and LumberKings fans alike."

Both logos are making debuts in 2008. The LumberKings updated their logo for the first time since its inception in 1994. Thanks to New Era's design team, Louie has toned up, changed his facial hair and is even equipped with some new gear. Gone is the handlebar mustache, silver crown and green wood plank that epitomized the mascot for 14 seasons. Nowadays, Louie is sporting a new slick goatee, a shiny golden crown, and swings a more conventional wood baseball bat. With all the changes, he has still maintained the scrappy attitude that made him a fan favorite - arching his eyebrow and sporting his classic grin.

"We're honored and excited to partner up with our neighbors to the South in the River Bandits," said LumberKings' General Manager Ted Tornow. "We think that both logos are great and will give the fans of Eastern Iowa something to cheer about for the 2008 season. We wish the River Bandits luck as we both continue in the tournament."

Meanwhile, the River Bandits introduced their new name and logos earlier this off-season. The marks have already become a favorite in the Quad Cities, as local baseball fans have shown overwhelming support for the playful yet mischievous raccoon that is the face of the River Bandits new image. That excitement hit a whole new level earlier this week when the edgy, yet classic new uniforms were revealed to the public at a press conference on Thursday.

"We really enjoy the rivalry that the River Bandits and LumberKings have here in eastern Iowa," added River Bandits Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. "When we play Clinton during the season, we have every intention of winning the games, but for now, we want to see our brothers along the Mississippi River advance as far as they can in this tournament."

As of 5:20 p.m. central time, the No. 12 seeded River Bandits were leading the No. 4 seeded Williamsport Crosscutters, 52 percent to 48 percent, after more then 4,500 votes. Meanwhile, the No. 2 seeded LumberKings were leading the No. 7 seeded Toledo Mud Hens by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent.

Voting for both match-ups will remain open until 8:00 a.m. central time Saturday morning. Fans are encouraged to log onto www.darrenrovell.com and support both the River Bandits and the LumberKings

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from March 21, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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