When they were first introduced, alternate logos for minor-league baseball teams were primarily just meant to be fun.
The game changed in 2015, when the Fresno Grizzlies temporarily became the Fresno Tacos and sold a ridiculous amount of merchandise.
Two years later, minor-league teams brought out Spanish-language alternate logos for “Copa de Diversion.”
By then, every MiLB team knew alternative identities were a critical revenue stream. In fact, it was so much of a business, a handful of designers from Brandiose, the firm that was making most of the alternative logos, branched off and started The Clink Room, a crowd-sourced business that allowed designers to make fake minor-league logos and sell them on New Era fitted hats.
Last week, the Chesapeake Baysox debuted their 2025 alternate identity: the Oyster Catchers. One of the logos featured a picture of an oyster with a baseball as a pearl.
Some saw an oyster. Others saw something unexpected. We see an opportunity to turn viral laughs into positive impact.
— Chesapeake Baysox (@BaysoxOfficial) March 22, 2025
In celebration of Women’s History Month, 10% of all Oyster Catchers merch sales will support @IamCervivor. https://t.co/ApGfw9gBsn
#GoBaysox #MerchForGood pic.twitter.com/ncFPPEh1Y4
When it hit social media last week, hysteria ensued. Did they not realize the logo looked exactly like a part of the female anatomy?
“It’s hard to believe, but after reviewing the logo both internally and externally, none of us saw what the internet saw,” said Ellen Walsh, chief marketing officer for Attain Sports, which owns the team. “Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”
Walsh said the lesson learned will be to use bigger focus groups to try to catch these things.
The logo was originally put on the back-burner, but believing fans would still like the gear, the team made an interesting shift. The Baysox want to go forward with the Oyster Catchers logo and donate 10 percent of the proceeds to Cervivor, an early-detection test for cervical cancer.
Sources told cllct the decision is not solely Attain Sports' choice to make. The logo must be further vetted by the powers at Minor League Baseball. And that’s what is happening now.
In the meantime, the demand for the merch isn’t subsiding. Unlicensed hats and T-shirts already have been posted on eBay.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.