The Fans Have Spoken: River Bandits Returns To The Quad Cities
Published on December 13, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release
After a four-year absence the River Bandits will once again be the name of professional baseball in the Quad Cities, winning a two-phased ReName the Team contest in overwhelming fashion, the club announced at a John O'Donnell Stadium press conference on Thursday.
The ReName the Team contest began in August, as local baseball fans had the opportunity to submit suggestions for the new team name. The most popular choices were then narrowed down to six finalists, enabling fans throughout the Quad Cities to support their favorite pick during an online vote in September.
River Bandits emerged as the clear-cut favorite, garnering more than 51 percent of the tally with 7,212 total votes. Better than 14,000 fans chimed in during the contest, which saw the name Channel Cats finish second with 30 percent of the vote. The other four options - Talons, Current, River Eagles, and Swing - all received between four and six percent of the total vote.
"The fans have spoken loud and clear," announced Main Street Iowa's Dave Heller, Managing Partner of the group that completed their purchase of the club less than two weeks earlier. "This community clearly has strong positive associations with the name River Bandits, and as we look forward to our first season running the club we are glad to embrace that sentiment. Our goal is to return to the days when going to see the River Bandits was one of the most popular things to do in the Quad Cities."
That means that 2008 will mark the second coming of the River Bandits, which served as the team's moniker from 1992-2003 before shifting to the Swing of the Quad Cities in conjunction with the unveiling of the renovated John O'Donnell Stadium prior to the 2004 season. During the organization's first 32 seasons in the Midwest League from 1960-1991, the club was known as the Braves, Angels, and Cubs, reflecting their Major League parent club at the time.
The new primary logo features a black and gray raccoon donning a bandit hat and wearing a red bandana over his mouth while holding a baseball. Behind the raccoon is an image of Centennial Bridge outlined in gold, sitting above the text, "Quad Cities River Bandits." Alternate logos and hats will be unveiled next week and the new uniforms will be unveiled in late January.
The logo was the result of a unique collaboration between two acclaimed graphic designers, Francis Santaquilani of FSDesign and Todd Radom of Todd Radom Design.
"The River Bandits new logo will have broad appeal," said Santaquilani, the designer of the raccoon. "It captures the spirit of Minor League Baseball as well as the Quad Cities."
"The new logo has a 'lively' personality," commented Randy Jacobs, CEO of local marketing agency Jacobs Thoms. "The overall impression is aggressive but at the same time fun. The raccoon character adds some emotion to the icon and the colors are vibrant and positive, supporting a lively personality."
"This is an exciting day for baseball in the Quad Cities," said Bob Herrfeldt, co-owner of Main Street Iowa. "We wanted a logo that was bright, colorful, fun, fan-friendly, and completely distinctive to the Quad Cities. This logo accomplishes all of that and much more. It's a winner."
"The great thing about this logo is its versatility," said Kirk Goodman, Vice President of Main Street Iowa. "It works just as well with pre-schoolers as it does with teenagers, parents, and grandparents. Folks of all ages are really going to love it!"
"As soon as the contest started, it was clear that there was a lot of sentiment among the fans for the River Bandits name," added General Manager Ben Burke. "Talking to people around town that certainly seemed to be the popular choice. Now we have a great opportunity to come out with fresh new logos that portray a new day for River Bandits baseball while paying homage to the history and tradition that the name already comes with."
Indeed, the original River Bandits burst onto the scene with a bang, setting a franchise record that still stands with a 91-win season in 1992. The same year also saw a record 250,745 fans pass through the gates, a mark that was surpassed two years later when the post-flood campaign of 1994 drew 260,471 to the ballpark. The River Bandits qualified for the playoffs in seven of those 12 seasons, as local baseball fans were treated to the likes of future big leaguers Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Billy Wagner, and Richard Hidalgo.
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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.
