SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) presented its new league logo at a Wednesday morning press conference at the Syracuse.com offices.
The updated emblem represents the first such change in almost a decade.
“Today we unveil a new and exciting logo that honors the traditions of all the ballplayers who have called the NYCBL home,” league vice president Bill McConnell said. “It also fosters a new view to the future of the league.”
The striking image and fresh design also pays tribute to the state bird.
“The Eastern Bluebird has blue, white, red and grey, so that’s where we really decided to go with the logo colors,” said NYCBL consultant Dave Meluni who oversaw the project. “You’re going to see the year 1978 which was the first year that the league was established.
“The numbers there signify pretty much the footprint where the majority of the teams are. It’s big and bold – a visual piece that everybody will make synonymous with the league.”
The new logo will represent the NYCBL when play opens for the 39th season next June. It will also mark a return to inter-divisional play. Teams will play a 46-game schedule. A bulk of those contests will take place against divisional rivals, but as league commissioner Jake Dennstedt noted a small portion of games will involve teams from opposing sides of the standings.
“We’re looking to bring back crossover games,” Dennstedt stated. “We’re not sure of the exact amount. We’re looking at somewhere in the range of 36-40 games within the division. The other six to ten games teams will play against the other division.”
The season schedule will be announced in the coming months. Also in the coming weeks, the NYCBL will be providing details about a new franchise and the change in ownership of another.
More than seventy former NYCBL players dotted the rosters of major and minor baseball teams this past season. J.D. Martinez (Saratoga ’08) was named American League Player of the Week in late June while Mike Fiers (Saratoga ‘07/’08) tossed his first career no-hitter. Tim Hudson (Hornell ’96) retired as MLB’s active wins leader with 222 while Ryan O’Rourke (Brockport ’08) made his debut with the Minnesota Twins in June.
Upstate New York natives such as Chris Bostick (Webster ’11), Grant Heyman (Geneva ’12) and Tim Locastro (Syracuse Jr. Chiefs ’12) have honed their talents in the NYCBL. Bostick spent this past season playing for the Harrisburg Senators – the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Bostick’s efforts earned him a spot in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Locastro, a 13th round pick in the 2013 draft, finished the summer with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – the Advanced A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. After spending much of the summer recovering from an injury, Heyman helped lead the Hillsboro Hops – the Class A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks – to their second straight Northwest League Championship.
Click here to see a complete list of NYCBL alums in MLB this season.
Click here to see a complete list of NYCBL alums in MiLB this season.
The NYCBL is part of the 11-league National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NACSB). The alliance partners with Major League Baseball to provide a platform for amateurs to compete.
Nine organizations currently comprise the NYCBL: the Cortland Crush, Genesee Rapids, Hornell Dodgers, Olean Oilers, Rochester Ridgemen, Sherrill Silversmiths, Syracuse Jr. Chiefs, Syracuse Salt Cats and Wellsville Nitros.
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