PORT ANGELES — A logo that incorporates a native Olympic Marmot, Olympic mountain peaks and a summer sunset over the Strait of Juan de Fuca has been selected to represent the Port Angeles Lefties.
The new West Coast League baseball team announced its primary logo along with a series of “Lefties” wordmarks and the club’s mascot “Timber” in a press release Wednesday.
“Representing the community was our primary focus,” co-owner Matt Acker said of the logo design process.
“We wanted it to be strong and attached to the community. I thought they did an excellent job by including a native animal, the blue of the water, the peaks and the color of the setting sun on the Strait.
“I went back and forth about putting silver on the mountains, but the white of the snow makes the mountains really pop.”
Lefties co-owner Dean Reynolds, who has a long career in marketing as a graphic artist and visual designer, supervised a “worldwide search” for the right artist and found him just down the road in Sequim’s Matthew Fleming.
Fleming is best known for developing concert art for major touring artists such as Dave Matthews and Ben Harper. He has lived in Sequim since 2015 with his wife, Robin.
“Matthew was a revelation, truly professional and a gifted character animator,” Reynolds said.
“We were obviously thrilled to have someone local involved. “He will be a great long-term partner.”
Acker has admitted to being hard to please when it comes to elements of visual design. But he’s more than pleased with the final product.
“I put my two cents in when I could. Dean Reynolds and Matthew did a great job,” Acker said.
“We are really happy with them and excited for everybody to get a chance to see them. We wanted to make sure we had taken the time and energy to put forward something people will like and get behind and that we are really proud of.”
Buy gear at team store
Merchandise bearing the new marks will be available soon at the Lefties team store, which is likely to open before the holiday shopping season shifts into high gear.
The store will be located two doors down from Next Door Gastropub on West First Street.
“We would like to have the team store open before Thanksgiving so we can be there during the holiday season,” General Manager Ryan Hickey said.
“We are a week or two away, but we want to make sure when we open the doors we want it done and we want it done right so we are proud of it and the community can take pride in not only the team but the brand itself.”
Season tickets also should be available soon online and in-person at the team store.
“We are finishing up our ticketing system and that should be up roughly around the time the team store will open,” Hickey said.
“So people can buy season tickets as Christmas gifts. And we are working on some new merchandise, some jersey options and all three hats the team will wear out on the field.”
A team-operated booth selling Lefties gear also will be available at Civic Field when Port Angeles hosts the WCL opener against the Victoria HarbourCats on Thursday, June 1.
Hickey said a mascot costume for Timber also was being designed and created.
“We wanted a marmot, we wanted these colors [surf blue, sunset orange and midnight silver metallic] and we wanted something similar to successful baseball teams that had animals as mascots,” Hickey said.
“It gives people a chance to rally behind it, and makes it more enjoyable for kids. The marmot is not your typical, run-of-the-mill recycled animal, but a species unique to the area. We think kids will love Timber and look forward to coming out to the games and interacting with the mascot.”
As part of the logo and mascot release, the Lefties provided a bit of a backstory for Timber.
Timber is described as “territorial.” And “fiercely protective of his home,” as well as being “fluffy.”
The mascot’s favorite foods include “stray cats, sour apples and sweet onions,” a fun nod to the Lefties’ rivals the Victoria HarbourCats, along with the WCL’s Wenatchee Apple Sox and Yakima Valley Pippins, as well as the Walla Walla Sweets.
“Having some fun with a little dig at the other teams there,” Hickey said.
“We have a great relationship with the HarbourCats and they have been tremendously helpful to us throughout this process. It will be a fun rivalry, a good-natured rivalry. Their organization is first class and we are excited to kick off the season with them in June.”
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
Port Angeles Lefties A secondary wordmark logo for the Port Angeles Lefties includes the Olympic Mountains and the sun setting above the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
