The Appalachian League franchise Pulaski Yankees were the next team to adopt its name after the Appalachian League was demoted to become a wood bat collegiate league. After the Burlington Sock Puppets, the Bristol State Liners, the Johnson City Doughboys, the Elizabethton River Riders, the Greenville Flyboys, and the Kingsport Axmen, the Yankees were the seventh team to change its name.
The new moniker of the team is River Turtles. With a nod to its New River Valley heritage, the inspiration behind the River Turtles name was a renewed commitment to Calfee Park’s family-friendly culture.
The New River Valley is a region along the New River in Southwest Virginia in the United States. It is usually defined as the counties of Montgomery (including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg), Pulaski, Floyd, and Giles and the independent city of Radford, which are all located in the New River watershed.
River Turtles GM, JW Martin, stated in a press release : “When considering the name, we weighed feedback from the local baseball community, Calfee Park’s history, and our location in the New River Valley. After thoughtful consideration, we wanted a brand that represents what our ballpark is really all about. We have a welcoming, fun, family environment that puts smiles on faces. We think this brand captures that.”
The new logo shows a green turtle with a black shell and a yellow belly, sliding towards a home plate from a roundel that says Pulaski. In front of the roundel, the name River Turtles is written. The turtle wears a cap with a black crown, that sports a green P, and a green lid.
The team also sports a secondary logo without the roundel but with the very same turtle sliding towards home plate. Because of the lack of the roundel, the secondary logo shows the turtle as a whole.
Personally, I think this is the best logo so far. It is quirky, simple and it has this typical minor league feel.
Dutch Baseball Hangout 