Captains return to Fair Grounds Field

Published on January 8, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


Shreveport, La., - On September 8, 2000, the Shreveport Captains lost 7-2 to the Wichita Wranglers in Game 5 of their Texas League Eastern Division Championship Series, dropping the series 4-1. The next season, the name "Captains" disappeared from the team's uniforms.

But on May 14, the Captains will be back, as Shreveport Baseball Club announced that the newly renamed Shreveport-Bossier Captains will take the field looking for the organization's first American Association championship.

The new edition of the Captains hearkens back to the city's 30-season run as the Shreveport Captains from 1971-2000, when they were the double-A affiliate of the then-California Angels (1971-'72), Milwaukee Brewers ('73-'74), Pittsburgh Pirates ('75-78), and most notably the San Francisco Giants ('79-2000). It also incorporates neighboring Bossier City into the name, as has become a local tradition.

"At the end of the 2008 baseball season, we concluded it was time to make some significant changes in our organization and we wanted to energize the product we provided the Shreveport-Bossier community both on and off the field," team President Scott Berry said. "We started two and a half months ago by hiring a dynamic and respected general manager in Craig Brasfield to run our day-to-day operations and to put together a first-class front office, coaching staff, and team.

"We've spent the last 60 days interviewing people, analyzing our options, meeting with the city officials and talking to fans and community members in an effort to improve all aspects of our operation. We're extremely excited about today's announcements, which we hope will help make Fair Grounds Field the place to be this summer and will bring a league championship to the community in September."

At a press conference at the Boomtown Casino on Thursday afternoon, the team unveiled a primary logo that features a pirate dressed in cardinal and black holding a baseball bat and silver sword, wearing an "SB" hat with the word "Captains" underneath the names of the two cities. The Captains also showcased their two cap logos for 2009, the "SB" mark designed to look like bones in white outlined in black with silver accents, and the pirate captains' head on its own.

The logos were designed by Alan Beam and Beam Team Design of Arlington,Texas, a company that specializes in creative branding, logos, graphics, and uniform designs.

"I want to salute Alan Beam and his crew for designing a fantastic, marketable, fan-friendly look for this team," Vice President/General Manager Craig Brasfield said. "We feel that these logos will be very popular both in the local community as well as on the national level. I'm excited to see them in action on the field in 2009 as well as on the caps and shirts of our fans."

The team also introduced its new Web site, www.sbcaptains.com, as well as its front office staff for 2009.

No Shreveport baseball team has won a title since the Captains in 1995, but a championship in 2009 is just part of the goal. The franchise is looking to once again become a big part of the local sports and entertainment scene, committed to high-quality, affordable family entertainment. That renewed pledge to the community is reflected in the team's slogan for this season, "It's a Whole New Ballgame."

"I want to make it clear that we're not the double-A, affiliated club that played here before," Brasfield said. We understand that the name "Captains" brings a high level of expectations and we are up to the challenge to deliver. It truly is a whole new ballgame for Shreveport-Bossier baseball.

The team opens the season in Pensacola on May 14, and will be on the road for the first week of their 2009 campaign. The Shreveport-Bossier Captains' first game at Fair Grounds Field will be May 19, against Grand Prairie.

For tickets, promotional, advertising, and other opportunities with the Captains, check out the team's brand new Web site at www.sbcaptains.com, or call the Fair Grounds Field office at (318) 636-5555.

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American Association Stories from January 8, 2009


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