The Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, will pay tribute to 19th-century agricultural scientist, environmentalist, and innovator George Washington Carver when they play as Alabama Peanut Runners this season. The name is a wink and a nod to Carver’s with peanuts, as well as the “runner” variety of peanut grown in Alabama.
The identity is centered around a running peanut character who is wearing a bow tie that evokes images of George Washington Carver. The character is carrying a jar of peanut butter and a microscope, a reference to Carver’s work as a scientist. A maroon and cream jersey features a Peanut Runners wordmark surrounded by leaves and peanuts.
The Biscuits developed the identity and educational platforms around it in partnership with Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee community where Carver lived and worked as a professor at the Tuskegee Institute. Carver, who was born into slavery in the 1860s, is highly regarded for his significant accomplishments during a period of deep racial polarization.
The Peanut Runners will take the field August 28 and 31.
