The Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in the International League, released a new secondary logo that calls back to the franchise’s past, and includes a handful of easter eggs.
The Bats franchise debuted in 1982 as the Louisville Redbirds, a moniker they used through 1998. After a brief, three-season stint as the Louisville RiverBats from 1999 to 2001, the team dropped “River” from its name and went just with Bats. After more than a decade with a purple and black brand, the Bats adopted their current identity, created by SME Branding.
The new secondary mark evokes that short-lived RiverBats logo—the bat with a bat—but with a few details that elicit hometown pride.
Lots of minor league teams incorporate an outline of their home state into their logos, but it’s usually at a large scale, encompassing the full mark. The Bats included the state of Kentucky in this new logo, but tucked away in the counterform between the wing and the baseball bat.
The new logo also incorporates a sneaky Fleur-de-Lis in the claws of the bat. The icon is included in the city’s official seal because it was the symbol of Louisville’s namesake, King Louis XVI of France.
The Bats will begin their 2025 campaign March 28 with a home game against the Memphis Redbirds.
