News - 02/10/2004

South Atlantic League (baseball) - Columbus Catfish

Columbus Catfish Unveil New Name, Logo

CATFISH ARE HERE!

(Columbus, Ga.) - General Manager Chris Gallas announced today that the team (the South Georgia Waves) has changed its name to the Columbus Catfish.

“One of the first things that I wanted to do as general manager was to change the team look and get the name more in line with the community,” said Chris Gallas, who joined the team in November. “The name came about from a mixture of the rich tradition of baseball in Columbus, the ballpark being on the Chattahoochee River and fishing being the major recreational activity in the area.”

The team’s new colors are a royal blue, peach, tan and black. The home uniform is a blue pinstripe with the word Catfish on the front chest while the road uniform is a solid gray and boasts the city name Columbus on the front chest in script. Both the home and road jerseys will have a Georgia peach with a fishing hook through it to further tie in the market.

“We have a new staff, fresh enthusiasm and many new ideas that will provide for an exciting and fun summer of baseball in Columbus at Golden Park,” said team owner David Heller. “We want to re-brand ourselves in the community, and changing the name is just the first step.”

New Catfish merchandise is already on sale at the team’s gift shop at Golden Park, located in the South Commons Complex. More merchandise will be on hand before the start of the home season.

The Columbus Catfish open the 2004 season at home Thursday, April 8, against the Capital City Bombers. Fans wanting information about 2004 Catfish season tickets, group outings or mini-plans can call the Catfish at (706) 571-8866 or visit the team’s web site at www.columbuscatfish.com . The Columbus Catfish are a class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

COLUMBUS CATFISH BASEBALL, GET HOOKED!

New name, new look for local baseball

WDAK-AM 540 to broadcast Catfish games

BY DAMON LAWRENCE
Staff Writer

A new name and logo wasn't the only thing being touted in the home locker room at Golden Park on Tuesday. A new attitude also seems to be in play for the minor league baseball franchise that occupies the facility.

The team announced a name change from the South Georgia Waves to the Columbus Catfish at an afternoon press conference. New general manager Chris Gallas spoke about the changes going on with the team and hopes for a successful 2004 season.

"With the re-branding of this team I think that's going to help change everything now," Gallas said.

The Waves finished last in the South Atlantic League in attendance a season ago, averaging less than 500 fans a game.

The last minor league team to hold the city's name was the Columbus RedStixx. They left after the 2002 season and relocated to Eastlake, Ohio.

The Waves relocated from Albany, Ga., to Columbus shortly before the start of last year's season. The team signed a two-year lease extension with the city of Columbus in July.

The Catfish had pictures of their new uniforms on display at the press conference. The home uniforms have the new nickname across the chest and are white with pinstripes. The road uniforms are gray with Columbus across the chest. Both sets have blue numbers.

The uniforms share a resemblance to the team's major league affiliate, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both the home and road uniforms will have LA on the sleeve.

The name change was the most important thing, Gallas said.

The Catfish will also have a presence in town, even when the team is on the road. Home and road games will be broadcast on radio station WDAK-AM 540. The Waves didn't broadcast games last year.

Nathan Raynor will serve as the team's play-by-play announcer. No one is slated to do color commentary, but Raynor said he hopes to have someone contribute to the broadcasts from time-to-time.