Pacific Coast League - Fresno Grizzlies

Fresno Grizzlies Unveil New Logos, Colors

Grizzlies feature 'outdoors flavor' in new colors, logo

By Bryant-Jon Anteola / The Fresno Bee

Fresno Grizzlies - Primary Logo

So long purple and black.

The primary colors for your Fresno Grizzlies are cedar and pine.

The Grizzlies unveiled their new team colors and logo Tuesday, marking the first drastic attire change in the Triple-A baseball team's seven years of existence.

Team president Pat Filippone said the new colors reflect the central San Joaquin Valley's reputation as an outdoors environment, with a plethora of agriculture and national parks.

"These changes were to have an identity for our team that represents the area," said Filippone, who concluded his first season with the Grizzlies in September.

"When you think of the image of Fresno, purple just doesn't come up. So we wanted to hit on the national parks, the outdoors flavor of the area. So you have the pine and the cedar colors, colors that reflect the area.

"Besides, do fans really want to wear a purple shirt?"

Fresno Grizzlies president Pat Fillipone unveils the team's new logo at a news conference. Kurt Hegre / The Fresno Bee

Continuing to play off the outdoors theme, the Grizzlies' new primary logo resembles a Boy Scout merit badge: a pentagon shield with a small Bear paw in the center.

The team's old logo — a purple "F" with slashes across it, as though it had been clawed by a grizzly — was eliminated "because it gave a negative tone of Fresno," Filippone said. The new uniforms are being designed and won't be ready until next year, Filippone said.

The other new logos are a ribbon-patterned patch with an "F" inside and a golden-colored bear with a baseball in its mouth.

And in an entirely new look in baseball, the Grizzlies will feature some caps that have a logo flushed to the right as opposed to the traditional placement in the center.

The Fresno Grizzlies unveil the team's new logo including their new caps, some of which have a flushed-right look.

Filippone said the flushed-right look is seen on surfer-style caps and recently has been popping up on golf hats.

Before coming to the Grizzlies, Filippone served as general manager of Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Filippone said a change in logo and colors in Rancho Cucamonga increased merchandise sales by 15%.

Filippone said Grizzlies merchandise sold well last season but added the changes weren't made primarily to boost sales.

Whether the change of look leads to a change of results on the field is another matter.

The Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, have suffered four straight losing seasons.

"I can't control the talent that comes in," Filippone said. "But I can control how they'll look."

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