We have the final rebranding exercise in the new-look summer-collegiate Appalachian League with the rebranding of the Princeton WhistlePigs for the 2021 season.
“We are excited about our new brand and the level of excitement it will bring to Princeton. We look forward to welcoming our fans back to H. P. Hunnicutt Field to share in our new team and look,” WhistlePigs general manager Danny Shingleton said via press statement.
A WhistlePig is another name for a groundhog, which apparently live in abundance in the area. The original plan was to announce the team name on February 2–of course–but trademark discussions with the WhistlePig Distillery & Farm in Vermont slowed down the process. Since the baseball team doesn’t offer alcohol at games, it was determined there was not a serious overlap between the marks.
This means the rebranding of the Appy League’s 10 teams is now complete. This offseason MLB downgraded ties with the Appalachian League after elimination of Rookie leagues, with the new Appy League a new summer-collegiate league run in conjunction with MLB and USA Baseball. Before the downgrade the team played as the Princeton Rays and was owned by the Tampa Bay Rays.
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