Sharing the Continental Baseball League

[TrapperJohn]

The Madison Jays

Madison is a terrific city without a pro sports presence, so they were certainly deserving of a CBL squad. The Jays play ball at Alliant Energy Stadium, and sport a fairly traditional look. I'm afraid to say that, even though I updated their entire identity fairly recently, I can't remember who created this logo or Jays wordmark—it was definitely one of the talented creators on here (pretty sure it was Low, from whom I've stolen one ton, but maybe I'm misremembering).

[TrapperJohn]

The Milwaukee Muskies

Borchert Park in Milwaukee is where you'll find the Muskies, another identity that I'm afraid to say is not original with me (though it's a name I think is just perfect). Again, I settled on this look so long ago that I can't remember whose hard work laid the foundation for it—apologies for being so hazy with my credit. Hey, at least I figured out how to make the accent line (which probably has a technical name) under the Milwaukee on the away jerseys. Just trying to offer a little flair to the Muskies, who, based on their usual record, could use it.

[TrapperJohn]

The Rockford Defenders

Yet another set indebted to Low, the Defenders are the third of Illinois's four teams (hey, if Iowa gets two...). I'm not sure how I paired this team name and city—it's been floating around for many years—but until I learn more about Rockford, the Defenders will set up shop in Chrysler Park. A workmanlike .450 club, maybe Rockford can spice up your league's AA or AAA contingent.

[TrapperJohn]

The Springfield Railsplitters

Bear with me here! Originally the "Rail Cats," the name always bothered me—it just felt a bit generic and minor league to me. So I thought, what is truly vital about Springfield, IL? And there was only one answer. A deep dive on Google revealed one usable preexisting Lincoln logo, which I adapted for my purposes. 'Rail splitting' being a key part of the Lincoln mythos, the name felt like a revelation—and not too much of a departure from my original inclination. Is it a little bit goofy? Maybe. But it's so *of its city* that I think the bizarre name still works; the Knickerbockers, Packers, and Celtics are a little bit goofy, too. The Railsplitters play ball at Sangamon Park, and do so with great defense and occasional flashes of success.

[TrapperJohn]

The St. Louis Showboats

The Heartland Division happens to be home to two of the Western League's four most successful, decorated teams—Iowa is one, and St. Louis is the other. The boys of Maya Angelou Park are a spiritual successor to the Cardinals: so good, so pesky, so obnoxious, so hard to kill (apologies, Cardinals fans). The New York Yankees (or Empires, in my iteration) of the West, they had to inherit the Cardinals' red, and "Showboats" felt like an utterly perfect fit for the kings of the Mississippi River. I've always loved the imagery of the Memphis Showboats from the old USFL, and someone had already put great work into bringing that to life in OOTP. I just did a little Photoshop work to bring the team and its smokestacks to St. Louis, and this powerhouse has never looked back.

[TrapperJohn]

The Twin Cities Timbers

The last team up in the Heartland Division is the Timbers, locked in near-constant struggle with Chicago to finish third behind Iowa and St. Louis. I had a lot of fun sprucing up (sorry) this identity after discovering the defunct MLB project over on SportsLogos; there I found an excellent "TC" wordmark that I could port over to this club (I even made the little waves in the reflected portion of the main logo—probably the greatest thing I've ever done in Photoshop. You're welcome.). I am slightly proud of having made a plaid away jersey that looks halfway decent—I tried many iterations before this one finally clicked. The Timbers look sharp every time the lights go on at Target Park, and have a well-rounded squad that is rarely out of contention.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Thanks to both low and Trapper John for the Iowa Barnstormers set. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Not sure if I planned to have a Springfield Railsplitters team or not, if I don't have at least one such team created by now. But if not, I think I will perhaps have one very soon, if and when my computer's hard drive space and my time actually allows and all. Good work, TJ and low. CD out.

[DustyElbows]

PLAID UNIFORMS!! And for my hometown team, no less

[JohnnyLarue]

Long time lurker just saying thanks for the uniforms.



As a former resident of Madison I called them the Beltliners in my game. Seeing how Madison has the Beltline and all. I thought about bringing back the Muskies or the Hatters at one time though.



Oh and Rockford is called the Timeworkers in my game (reference to the Clock Tower that now ceases to exist)

[TrapperJohn]

Apologies for the delay—back now with the Gulf Coast Division, the second of eight divisions in the Western League. First up:

The Austin Outlaws

Dell Park is home to the Outlaws, a middling squad with good speed and occasional surges of power. This set was inspired by an Outlaws football concept over on SportsLogos; I'm sure this team name has been paired with this city any number of times, but it does roll off the tongue (even if it doesn't necessarily capture the true, weird spirit of Austin). A nice, clean set—nothing flashy here, but reflective of the product on the field.

[TrapperJohn]

The Corpus Christi Roadrunners

Down to Corpus we go—incidentally, is there a city in America with a name that's more fun to say? Roadrunners are endemic to the southwest, and I thought it was a nice pairing for a speedy squad sporting spicy black-and-neon-teal uniforms. These Roadrunners play at Whataburger Park, naturally, and though I know I stole this logo from one of you... I can't recall from whom it was cribbed. Here's to you, most excellent creators.

[TrapperJohn]

The Dallas Wranglers

Another big market joins the ranks of the CBL as we head to Dallas and American Airlines Stadium. The Wranglers has been done before, and having paired this city and team name years ago I've been thrilled to see more talented creators offer interpretations of their own. The best of them, in my opinion, was the logo work of Hockey13Playa, who devised this smooth look (and if I'm misidentifying the designer, my sincere apologies). A bold blue set befits an uber-talented Dallas squad, and this one seems to fit the bill.

[TrapperJohn]

The Galveston Mariners

One of the surprise teams of the Western League plays at Jack Johnson Park in Galveston, Texas, buoyed by an MVP in centerfield and a quality supporting cast. The Mariners name is apt for the seaside, squally port of Galveston, and the logo set and wordmark draw from creative alternate Seattle Mariners designs from SportsLogos.

[TrapperJohn]

The Houston Apollos

Here's a team identity I must say I'm thrilled with—was very excited to discover an amateur Pecos League team online that used the name and had created some great logos and wordmarks to go with it (just had to do a lot of Photoshopping to make it work). I didn't even change the colors; the rich blue and yellow just jibe, and give a sky-and-stars feel to America's spaciest city. The Apollos play ball at Toyota Park, and send plenty of balls into orbit (when they're not racking up strikeouts).

[TrapperJohn]

The Jackson Deltas

After placing Eastern League teams in Biloxi and Tupelo, our last foray into Mississippi takes us to B.B. King Field in Jackson, where I encountered a problem: I loved the name "Deltas" to represent the region, but couldn't think of a logo that fit the bill. A team as good as this one deserves better than a triangle, so I settled on a gator to pay homage to the area and grant some teeth to the squad. Jackson is a regular contender, boasting the best defensive shortstop in the league.

[TrapperJohn]

The Lafayette Ospreys

A bit of a funky set for the Ospreys, one of the last two teams in to the CBL—when I realized that I had placed a major-league-level team at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, it dawned on me that I had probably taken things too far. Still not sure that I've found the right look for this basement-dwelling squad, but it's a marked improvement over what I had before. Can deep purple, dark green, and dirty gold co-exist in one uniform? I still don't know.

[SupermanBSU]

Living in NOLA, those colors are dope. Perfect homage to Mardi Gras' Purple, Green and Gold.

Originally Posted by TrapperJohn

The Lafayette Ospreys

A bit of a funky set for the Ospreys, one of the last two teams in to the CBL—when I realized that I had placed a major-league-level team at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, it dawned on me that I had probably taken things too far. Still not sure that I've found the right look for this basement-dwelling squad, but it's a marked improvement over what I had before. Can deep purple, dark green, and dirty gold co-exist in one uniform? I still don't know.

[TrapperJohn]

The Little Rock Capitals

Arkansas' only entry in the CBL is the Caps of Little Rock, who play ball at Brooks Robinson Park. I relied on adapting the fine work of folks in the retro uniforms thread to give the Capitals' set a classic feel; the faded blue and orange provides an old-school sensibility, along with the fantastic retro logo (all I had to do was add the Little Rock). I have a soft spot for the Capitals, who punch above their weight in a small market and tend to stay pretty frisky in the competitive Gulf Coast Division.

[TrapperJohn]

The Memphis Kings

What is there to say about this set, other than that I stole it from Low? In my opinion, it's his finest creation—simple, stately, professional, and fun. The only flourish I added was the bright teal accent to complement the yellow; I left the rest untouched, preferring to bow to the master. This team identity was the rare one that actually caused me to rename two of my squads; I tend to be pretty set in my ways with regard to those designations. I originally had the Tupelo Kings (for Elvis) and the Memphis Hounds, but seeing Low's creation caused me to rethink that. The Kings, of course, are perfect for Memphis—not for the Hound Dog singer, but for Dr. Martin Luther King, who delivered his final sermon and was assassinated in a city already rich in civil rights history. Placing the Kings in Memphis felt apt—and I just couldn't pass up these uniforms. They play ball—pretty well, too—at AutoZone Park.