Replacing the NL West
DENVER ZEPHYRS
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Why Zephyrs?: This was the name of the Denver AAA team from 1984-92, during which time they were affiliated with the White Sox, Reds and Brewers. That Zephyrs team wore green and a darker blue but I adore this purple and sky combo. The wisps on the letter Z recall the west wind, which is where the Greek word zephyr comes from.
Colors: sky blue #88c8e2, purple #3b0067
LOS ANGELES SABERS
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Why Sabers?: Not Sabres, Sabers! We're not talking swords, but saber-toothed cats, which have been found preserved at La Brea. (For both words, sabre vs. saber is a variant spelling, but the cats most commonly have the -er ending.) Between the two Los Angeles teams in this series I imagine this one to be the Dodgers - Dodger Stadium is only about ten miles from La Brea, while Anaheim is much further - but the choice is up to you.
Colors: blue #2c80cf, red #a02020
PHOENIX JAVELINAS
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Why Javelinas?: Originally this was the Phoenix Flames, but I never did any logo work for that name and had an idea to create a pastiche of the Orioles' cartoon bird. So Javi Javelina is born! Javelinas (also known as peccaries) are more common in Central and South America, but their habitat extends up to include much of Mexico, Arizona and the far southern reaches of Texas. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, then it suffices to say that a javelina is an animal kind of like a pig. This is a Spanish word, so make sure you don't pronounce it like "javelin".
Colors: maroon #660033, tan #c6b79f, brown #8d6c51
SAN DIEGO SAILS
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Why Sails?: One of a couple of names I have borrowed from the ABA, the Sails were the final incarnation of the team most consistently called the San Diego Conquistadors. IMO this name works better for baseball than for basketball - Sails has the kind of laid-back vibe that baseball teams' names should have in general.
Colors: teal #347973, #8ecfc9, #e7f0ef
SAN FRANCISCO SEALS
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Why Seals?: Seals is a name with a huge amount of tradition in San Francisco, being the name of the PCL's most successful historic franchise. The Seals won 14 PCL championships and produced a handful of Hall of Famers, including Joe DiMaggio and Paul Waner. My only moment of hesitation comes from having teams called the Sails and Seals in the same division, but that's something I don't personally mind.
Colors: navy #073370, orange #f36e08, #f7a364
