For Saturday home games this season, the Staten Island Yankees (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) will take the field as the Staten Island Pizza Rats. The team will use the Pizza Rats name for five Saturday home games, beginning June 23, at Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George.
“We’re going to have some fun with this brand at the ballpark in 2018,” said President Will Smith.
In 2016, the Staten Island Yankees sought a new team name to create a hometown identity. The Pizza Rats made its way to the team’s final five potential monikers. The final decision was left to the fans, who voted for their favorite in a “Name the Team” contest. By an overwhelming margin, the winner of the contest was the Staten Island Pizza Rats.
“I was in a meeting this offseason and someone recounted the rebranding contest,” Smith said. “His lone comment was that it could not possibly be Pizza Rats. When I asked which one he preferred, he could not recall any others. That has been the response of many – it’s unforgettable.”
Along with the name change, the team released six new logos designed by Brandiose and will feature new merchandise both online and in-store at the ballpark, including New Era baseball caps, hoodies and t-shirts. All of the logos and accompanying merchandise can be viewed at pizzaratsbaseball.com.
“Of the five finalists, this was always an intriguing direction,” Smith said. “I understand it’s polarizing when heard for the first time. We believe these designs define a new brand that has something for everyone.”