The Montgomery Biscuits (Class AA; Southern League) will remain an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays through 2020, as the two sides have extended their player development contract (PDC). The agreement was previously set to expire after the 2018 season.
To celebrate this extension and 2018 being the 15th year of a Rays-Biscuits partnership, the Biscuits also announced that they will wear a new powder blue on-field jersey and hat (shown above) during each of the Biscuits Sunday home games.
The new powder blue jersey will be emblazoned with the letters “MGM” in honor of Montgomery’s abbreviation, complete with the Rays sunburst on the far right and the Biscuits’ fan favorite “Monty” biscuit character peeking through the center of the logo. The sleeves, neck, and button piping will be a darker navy blue. The New Era 59fifty hat features the Biscuits primary home logo over a powder blue base with navy bill. The Tampa Bay Rays “TB” logo is also located on the side of the hat.
The hat is now available for sale both online and at the Biscuit Basket Retail Store, along with an assortment of other powder blue apparel items to mark 15 years of partnering with the Rays.
The Rays and Biscuits relationship has been a nice one, with 69 Biscuits players going on to make their Major League debut with Tampa Bay, and another 30 Biscuits making their debut with other MLB teams. Future MLB stars like Evan Longoria, BJ Upton, David Price, Chris Archer, and Kevin Kiermaier all spent time in Montgomery on their way to Tampa.
“The Tampa Bay Rays cherish their relationship with the Montgomery Biscuits and the City of Montgomery”, said Mitch Lukevics, Director of Minor League Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays. “We are looking forward to continuing the relationship for years to come.”
The Biscuits have other promotions planned for the 2018 season to honor their relationship with the Rays. Sunday, May 13th will be “Rays Night”, with a Tampa Bay Rays themed baseball given away to the first 500 kids aged 12 and under. That game will also feature an appearance from the Rays two mascots, Raymond and DJ Kitty. Then, on Sunday, June 24th, the Biscuits will be giving away 500 replicas of the on-field powder blue jersey to kids as part of their “Youth Sports Night”.
“When we took over the Montgomery Biscuits, we vowed not only to make positive changes, but also to build on our existing relationships and maintain the successes we’re already enjoying,” said Lou DiBella, Managing Owner of the Biscuits. “The Biscuits have had a 15-year relationship with the Rays and that relationship continues to be strong and mutually loyal. We’re thrilled to extend our Player Development Contract with the Rays and look forward to working together for many years to come.”
You can view the current affiliation status on our Affiliate Dance page.