Sharing the Continental Baseball League

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 12:52 AM

Hi, folks -- long-time listener; first-time caller. For a few years now, I've enjoyed creating team identities in OOTP as a way to pass the time at the end of a long day, shut the ol' brain off, exercise some OCD tendencies, etc. Over time, I've consolidated these teams into a baseball universe that has grown... fairly massive. With two leagues of eight twelve-team divisions apiece, I somehow ended up with 192 squads on my hands (I promise, I'm not a shut-in or anything).

Not having much aptitude for graphic design, I repurposed the work of just about every prolific contributor to this site, as well as others like SportsLogos, Behance, et al. I did plenty of adapting (of colors, designs, cities, team names) and created several of these teams from scratch, but for the most part this league draws heavily from the heavy lifting of others -- although, as far as I can recall, I added at least some twist or tweak to every design rather than lifting anything wholesale. I'm afraid that I did not do a great job of sourcing the work I borrowed, as I never expected to post these here. I decided, however, that others might enjoy making use of some of these teams in their own leagues, or improving on my ideas (which I, of course, encourage). In any event, thanks are due to TxRanger, NoPepper, Low, and countless others whose work has inspired.

The Continental Baseball League is a celebration of America (and its neighbors). Every state fields at least one team, and five countries are in some way represented. I tried to maintain a sense of connection between each city and its team name, without straying too far into MiLB team name ridiculousness or self-seriousness on the other end.

Without further preamble, I'll post the first twelve teams -- the Eastern League's Noreaster Division -- below. If folks are into it, I'd be happy to post more. Thanks for indulging a newcomer.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 12:57 AM

The Albany Firebirds

I confess that there is little connection to Albany in the Firebirds name—this is one that stuck with me from youth, when I must have seen the logo of the Arena Football League team of same name. A middling squad with a few power bats in the mix, the Firebirds play their home games at American Express Field.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 12:58 AM

The Albany cap; I lost it in the previous post.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 01:03 AM

The Boston Silvers

I can't recall from whom I stole the name, but I loved the homage to silversmith Paul Revere. A formidable lineup of speedsters backed by a strong young one-through-five, Boston is a perennial contender in the division and calls Ted Williams Park home.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 01:08 AM

The Burlington Black Bears

Vermont's sole entrant is a playoff regular (in my setup, 32 teams from each league (the top three finishers in each division, plus eight wildcards) enter a March Madness-style bracket), jacking dingers (and giving up almost as many) in the friendly confines of Ben & Jerry's Park.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 01:13 AM

The Cape Cod Anglers

From Kennedy Field in the windswept town of Falmouth, the Anglers represent the whole of the baseball-rich Cape. Bereft of top-tier talent, the hard times they have fallen on my league appear to be permanent.

Cole · 12-22-2018, 07:04 AM

These look great. Any chance you would also share the league as a quickstart? Seems like a cool concept.

ArcAngel · 12-22-2018, 08:05 AM

Now how the heck did I miss THESE creations by low?!?

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 08:58 AM

The Halifax Windjammers

A bit of an unorthodox name for the first Canadian team, but it felt to me as though it worked, somehow, and was true to Nova Scotia. The Windjammers have been a .500 team in their best years, and play their home games at High Liner Park.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 09:05 AM

The Maine Guides

An unexpected powerhouse, the Guides were named for a now-defunct minor league team from Portland (as well as for the legendary professional wilderness guides whom tourists would hire to lead them through the untamed portions of the state). This squad is stacked with talent, and are a tough beat at Alfond Park. I believe I adapted this logo and these uniforms off of a SportsLogo concept for the Boston Beacons.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 09:09 AM

The Montreal Bandits

I honestly can't recall how or why I settled on 'Bandits' for a city with such rich and unique traditions, but something about it seemed to flow. The boys of Laurentian Park are buoyed by the league's best starting pitcher and a scary lineup of young talent.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 09:10 AM

I can definitely do that! Just want to make sure I have the teams in good shape without any glaring errors first.

Cole · 12-22-2018, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrapperJohn

The Halifax Windjammers

A bit of an unorthodox name for the first Canadian team, but it felt to me as though it worked, somehow, and was true to Nova Scotia.

Perhaps inadvertently, perhaps not, but you are paying homage to a former pro basketball team in Halifax by the same name:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Windjammers

Scott Vibert · 12-22-2018, 02:55 PM

This could make a fun QuickStart

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole

Perhaps inadvertently, perhaps not, but you are paying homage to a former pro basketball team in Halifax by the same name:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Windjammers

Oh, I'm sure I had to have come across that at some point—it's too unusual a name for me to have come up with it out of the blue.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 04:24 PM

The New Hampshire Rock Cats

This identity was partially cribbed, of course, from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats—a tribute to the Granite State and its (late) Old Man of the Mountain. From Oracle Park in Nashua, the Rock Cats are consistently just a mite north of average.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 04:29 PM

The Ottawa Renegades

I adapted the Renegades from a truly sharp Ottawa Stags concept posted on Chris Creamer's site—the city has a history with the Renegades name, of course, and I ended up liking the pairing of the defiant stag in the logo with the word renegade. A young team with upside (but little to show for it thus far), the Renegades play their home games at Nortel Park.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 04:32 PM

The Providence Seawolves

Another city/team name combo that has been jostling around in my brain since I was a kid—a hardy seafaring name, as befits Rhode Island's lone representative. The Seawolves call Textron Park home, and have a tendency to bob just below the surface (of .500 ball).

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 04:37 PM

The Quebec City Cascades

"Cascades" felt appropriately classy for a town with a bit of francophonity to it—I know little of the area's geography, but there are some neighborhoods that contain the Cascades name. Admittedly, it just... felt Canadian? Unfortunately, desolee, the Cascades are a bit of a doormat; not a lot of victories over at Stade Canac. I adapted their branding from a Patriotes concept at Sportslogos that seemed to fit the bill.

TrapperJohn · 12-22-2018, 04:43 PM

The Worcester Huskies

The final team in the Noreaster Division is the Huskies—a generic sort of name, to be sure, but one which nevertheless felt right at the time. I can't remember from whom I stole the logo (or to which city it once belonged), but I adapted it to create an offbeat color scheme for a relatively nondescript town. With an older roster and limited historical success, the team from Hanover Park has a chip on its shoulder.

12-22-2018, 12:52 AM	#1
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	Sharing the Continental Baseball League Hi, folks -- long-time listener; first-time caller. For a few years now, I've enjoyed creating team identities in OOTP as a way to pass the time at the end of a long day, shut the ol' brain off, exercise some OCD tendencies, etc. Over time, I've consolidated these teams into a baseball universe that has grown... fairly massive. With two leagues of eight twelve-team divisions apiece, I somehow ended up with 192 squads on my hands (I promise, I'm not a shut-in or anything). Not having much aptitude for graphic design, I repurposed the work of just about every prolific contributor to this site, as well as others like SportsLogos, Behance, et al. I did plenty of adapting (of colors, designs, cities, team names) and created several of these teams from scratch, but for the most part this league draws heavily from the heavy lifting of others -- although, as far as I can recall, I added at least some twist or tweak to every design rather than lifting anything wholesale. I'm afraid that I did not do a great job of sourcing the work I borrowed, as I never expected to post these here. I decided, however, that others might enjoy making use of some of these teams in their own leagues, or improving on my ideas (which I, of course, encourage). In any event, thanks are due to TxRanger, NoPepper, Low, and countless others whose work has inspired. The Continental Baseball League is a celebration of America (and its neighbors). Every state fields at least one team, and five countries are in some way represented. I tried to maintain a sense of connection between each city and its team name, without straying too far into MiLB team name ridiculousness or self-seriousness on the other end. Without further preamble, I'll post the first twelve teams -- the Eastern League's Noreaster Division -- below. If folks are into it, I'd be happy to post more. Thanks for indulging a newcomer. Last edited by TrapperJohn; 12-22-2018 at 12:52 AM. Reason: Fixing em-dashes

12-22-2018, 08:05 AM	#8
ArcAngel All Star Starter Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Bremen OH USA Posts: 1,019	Now how the heck did I miss THESE creations by low?!? __________________ My OOTP Creations thread My OOTP Creations on Photobucket

12-22-2018, 04:37 PM	#19
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Quebec City Cascades "Cascades" felt appropriately classy for a town with a bit of francophonity to it—I know little of the area's geography, but there are some neighborhoods that contain the Cascades name. Admittedly, it just... felt Canadian? Unfortunately, desolee, the Cascades are a bit of a doormat; not a lot of victories over at Stade Canac. I adapted their branding from a Patriotes concept at Sportslogos that seemed to fit the bill. Last edited by TrapperJohn; 12-22-2018 at 04:38 PM. Reason: Forgot an image.

12-22-2018, 12:57 AM	#2
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Albany Firebirds I confess that there is little connection to Albany in the Firebirds name—this is one that stuck with me from youth, when I must have seen the logo of the Arena Football League team of same name. A middling squad with a few power bats in the mix, the Firebirds play their home games at American Express Field.

12-22-2018, 12:58 AM	#3
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Albany cap; I lost it in the previous post.

12-22-2018, 01:03 AM	#4
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Boston Silvers I can't recall from whom I stole the name, but I loved the homage to silversmith Paul Revere. A formidable lineup of speedsters backed by a strong young one-through-five, Boston is a perennial contender in the division and calls Ted Williams Park home.

12-22-2018, 01:08 AM	#5
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Burlington Black Bears Vermont's sole entrant is a playoff regular (in my setup, 32 teams from each league (the top three finishers in each division, plus eight wildcards) enter a March Madness-style bracket), jacking dingers (and giving up almost as many) in the friendly confines of Ben & Jerry's Park.

12-22-2018, 01:13 AM	#6
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Cape Cod Anglers From Kennedy Field in the windswept town of Falmouth, the Anglers represent the whole of the baseball-rich Cape. Bereft of top-tier talent, the hard times they have fallen on my league appear to be permanent.

12-22-2018, 07:04 AM	#7
Cole Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick Posts: 2,685	These look great. Any chance you would also share the league as a quickstart? Seems like a cool concept.

12-22-2018, 08:58 AM	#9
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Halifax Windjammers A bit of an unorthodox name for the first Canadian team, but it felt to me as though it worked, somehow, and was true to Nova Scotia. The Windjammers have been a .500 team in their best years, and play their home games at High Liner Park.

12-22-2018, 09:05 AM	#10
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Maine Guides An unexpected powerhouse, the Guides were named for a now-defunct minor league team from Portland (as well as for the legendary professional wilderness guides whom tourists would hire to lead them through the untamed portions of the state). This squad is stacked with talent, and are a tough beat at Alfond Park. I believe I adapted this logo and these uniforms off of a SportsLogo concept for the Boston Beacons.

12-22-2018, 09:09 AM	#11
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Montreal Bandits I honestly can't recall how or why I settled on 'Bandits' for a city with such rich and unique traditions, but something about it seemed to flow. The boys of Laurentian Park are buoyed by the league's best starting pitcher and a scary lineup of young talent.

12-22-2018, 09:10 AM	#12
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	I can definitely do that! Just want to make sure I have the teams in good shape without any glaring errors first.

12-22-2018, 02:55 PM	#14
Scott Vibert Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: My Computer Posts: 8,182	This could make a fun QuickStart

12-22-2018, 04:24 PM	#16
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The New Hampshire Rock Cats This identity was partially cribbed, of course, from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats—a tribute to the Granite State and its (late) Old Man of the Mountain. From Oracle Park in Nashua, the Rock Cats are consistently just a mite north of average.

12-22-2018, 04:29 PM	#17
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Ottawa Renegades I adapted the Renegades from a truly sharp Ottawa Stags concept posted on Chris Creamer's site—the city has a history with the Renegades name, of course, and I ended up liking the pairing of the defiant stag in the logo with the word renegade. A young team with upside (but little to show for it thus far), the Renegades play their home games at Nortel Park.

12-22-2018, 04:32 PM	#18
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Providence Seawolves Another city/team name combo that has been jostling around in my brain since I was a kid—a hardy seafaring name, as befits Rhode Island's lone representative. The Seawolves call Textron Park home, and have a tendency to bob just below the surface (of .500 ball).

12-22-2018, 04:43 PM	#20
TrapperJohn Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 231	The Worcester Huskies The final team in the Noreaster Division is the Huskies—a generic sort of name, to be sure, but one which nevertheless felt right at the time. I can't remember from whom I stole the logo (or to which city it once belonged), but I adapted it to create an offbeat color scheme for a relatively nondescript town. With an older roster and limited historical success, the team from Hanover Park has a chip on its shoulder.