We have a name and logo for the new Butte (MT) team debuting this coming season in the summer-collegiate Expedition League: the Mining City Tommyknockers.
The team is playing out of 3 Legends Stadium at the Copper Mountain Recreation Complex. The ballpark opened in 2017 and has been home to American Legion baseball.
According to a team press release, tommyknockers are mythical beings that keep miners safe, often knocking to indicate danger or to tell the miners where to dig. They are also known to be quite mischievous, often stealing the miners’ food or tools and playing other practical jokes.
“The fan participation in naming the team was off the charts and support for the Tommyknockers name was very strong, garnering 72 percent of the fan vote,” said Dane Wagner, General Manager . “The residents of Butte and the surrounding communities now have an outstanding team name with ties to mining in a fun and whimsical way. The orange, black and gray colors tie into the great mining history here in Butte and the team’s primary and secondary logos are incredible. We are going to have a lot of fun with the mascot design. This is an exciting time for Tommyknockers fans as we embark on our 2021 inaugural season.”
The logo was designed by Jason Stemm of Stemm Creative. Orange, Black and Gray are the official team colors.
Expedition League teams play a 64-game season beginning on May 25, 2021 and ending on August 7, 2021 with one week of playoffs after the regular season to crown the League champion.
Butte formerly hosted Minor League Baseball in the form of the Butte Copper Kings, the ill-fated team where then-owners Mike Veeck and Bill Murray once had an Opening Day fireworks extravaganza snowed out. The Copper Kings played at Alumni Coliseum at the Montana Tech campus.
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