The Eric Wayne Band kicked off the hour-long wait for the Salem Red Sox’s new name Saturday night at 4 p.m., playing their originals and covers of Mario’s “Let Me Love You,” the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” and Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.”
Although the event was advertised to start at 4 p.m., the actual announcement didn’t come until later in the night after remarks from local media personalities Melissa Gaona of WDBJ and Brett Sharp of Star Country, our emcees for the night; Salem City Manager Chris Dorsey, team General Manager Allen Lawrence and Assistant GM Blair Hoke. Antoine Terrell of K92 was also there with a T-shirt cannon.
Sporting an “energy blue” blazer, Gaona hinted at Easter eggs leading up to the announcement, which included giveaways dispersed throughout.
Dorsey briefed the audience on the history of the team. Since Salem Memorial Ballpark’s opening in 1995, the team has been known as the Avalanche and subsequently the Red Sox and have been affiliated with three different Major League teams: the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros and now the Boston Red Sox.
He warned those in attendance to be open-minded after initial shock factor of a new name and that the name was creatively created with feedback from community, and that ultimately, the rebrand would offer more long-term opportunity for community.
Minor league baseball teams create jobs and bring in outside business such as local vendors and food trucks for games and events like this one. They also provide a community gathering place.
After Dorsey’s remarks, Gaona returned to garner more hype for the name change stating, “There are a lot of bad things in the world, but you forget about the bad things at the ballpark no matter who wins.” She added, “If you’re a hardcore Virginia Appalachian and you love where you live, the name is for you.”
Lawrence was then introduced and gave the reason behind the rebrand and name change.
“We played the very first game on this field on August 7, 1995. Aside from that, this is the biggest day in the history of this stadium. Just like the game of baseball has evolved tremendously so has the business of baseball.”
“A lot of people have asked us why. Why in the world would we rebrand from the Salem Red Sox? The Red Sox are one of the most recognizable, iconic and successful brands not only in baseball but in sports throughout the world, and it’s very simple, every great business evolves and that’s what we’re doing here. We wanted to establish a personal identity to this market. We wanted to create brand loyalty and a sense of pride. We wanted a story to tell.”
Hoke elaborated on the market research Lawrence brought up and shared examples of other minor league team names.
“As Allen mentioned, through market research, we collaborated with industry experts to find what works best for all communities. Through this we identified trends of the most popular brands in Minor League Baseball. You’ll find these logos are bold and cartoonish, unique and playful, while having regional ties to the communities. Many brands include an animal to give the identity personality. Examples of successful Minor League Baseball identities: Rocket City Trash Pandas, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Binghamton Ruffle Ponies and the Rome Emperors.”
“The new team identity embraces the fun and quirkiness that makes minor league baseball special, highlights the natural beauty and charm of the Roanoke Valley, honors the deep-rooted baseball history in Salem, and offers a look that everyone — from lifelong locals to first-time visitors — can rally behind,” the team said in a news release in July.
After Hoke’s remarks, a video played on the big screen to introduce the Salem RidgeYaks. Gaona and Sharp reemerged sporting RidgeYak baseball caps and advertising new merchandise in the “Yak Shack,” which quickly had a long line to get in.
Lawrence and Hoke explained the new name.
“The name combines Salem and Blue Ridge. The kayak represents the waterways and outdoor recreation in our area. The Yak personifies strength, resilience and hard-working spirit our players and [blue-collar] community are well-known for. A yak is also a home run in baseball,” Lawrence said.
“Our secondary logo has the Blue Ridge Mountains and tree line on the forehead of the yak-our backdrop here at the ballpark. We get to enjoy the beautiful view we sometimes take for granted. Salem Memorial Ballpark has been ranked #1 backdrop in Minor League Baseball, and we want to honor that,” Hoke said.
Alternate logos include the Roanoke star and pull it all together at the state level by including the Virginia state map.
“Being a Red Sox affiliate, we get mixed up all the time thinking we’re in Salem, Massachusetts, so we wanted to bring the state of Virginia in,” Lawrence said.
“Even down to the colors, there’s a purpose to every element to this brand. The blues represent the Blue Ridge Mountain. The warmer golden hour represents our beautiful sunset, drawing inspiration from the city of Salem seal and the iconic red represents our wonderful relationship with the Boston Red Sox,” Hoke says.
Gaona and Sharp then introduced a new member of the RidgeYaks, the team’s new mascot, Mac the Yak, named after McAfee Knob, with kids excitedly screaming “Mac the Yak!” and running like they did earlier for T-shirts to give him high-fives.
A video message from the Boston Red Sox’s President and CEO Sam Kennedy played before Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, Boston Red Sox pitcher and Roanoke native Zack Kelly and Eliza Long, a pediatric oncology patient, came out to model the RidgeYaks’ new jerseys. The announcement ended with a “We love you Eliza” from the crowd and a “Go Yaks” chant, both encouraged by Sharp. Someone proposed in the intermission, the Eric Wayne Band came back, and fireworks closed out the night to start a new era for the Salem RidgeYaks.
