Minor League Baseball is back in Wichita for the first time in 12 years. On Wednesday evening, Wichita’s new announce their new team name, the Wichita Wind Surge.
The Miami Marlins Triple-A affiliate, and relocated New Orleans Baby Cakes franchise, will take the field in 2020 at a new ballpark across the river from downtown. Wichita’s new ballpark is being constructed in the same spot where the Wichita Wing Nuts (independent league; 2008-2018) and the Wichita Wranglers/Pilots (double-A; 1987-2007) played.
The Wind Surge name was announced after a name the team contest and social media teases in the weeks leading up to the announcement. Names that were teased include the Linemen, the River Riders, the 29ers and the Doo-Dahs.
The team name comes from the city of Wichita’s nickname “The Air Capital of the World.”
“Wichita is the air capital of the world, and we’re paying homage to the wind. It’s a mighty force,” said assistant general manager Bob Moullette. “It’s powerful to us, and timeless.”
The team’s brand statement read:
“Our visual identity embraces Pegasus, an eternal symbol of aspiration, free spirit and a daring, determined attitude — harnessing the wind and surging forward.
“Our core colors, navy blue and red, are deeply rooted in the visual culture of baseball. They are also found in Wichita’s beloved flag. Sky blue pays tribute to Kansas’ wide-open prairie skies, which have inspired innovators and dreamers to soar to new heights from time immemorial. Yellow gold is the color of sunflowers, wheat, and summer sunsets-all iconic identifiers of our region.
“We are surging forward with new vibrancy, a new energy, and a fierce sense of purpose.”
The logo set was created by New York-based graphic designer, Todd Radom. Radom’s previous work includes official logos for Super Bowl XXXVIII and the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, as well as the graphic identities for Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels. He is also the author of “Winning Ugly: A Visual History of the Most Bizarre Baseball Uniforms Ever Worn.”
Radom wanted to connect Wichita’s baseball history in the design but still have a completely new identity.
“Some team names lend themselves well to imagery, and this was not one of those,” Radom said. “Forces of nature are not often easy to depict. But in keeping with the Wichita themes and attributes, the people there and what it was all about, the word that kept coming up was ‘aspirational.’ That’s the idea of this pegasus; a winged horse takes it back to Wranglers and horses in some way, but it’s about moving forward. And the players at Triple-A, they are so close to the Majors, it’s about moving up for them as well.”
Radom, Moullette and the rest of the Wichita organization wanted to create a look that would last for generations.
“[Radom] knew how seriously we wanted to take this and was confident that he could create an iconic brand,” Moullette said, “one that would not just be there for 10 years but for the duration of our [stadium] lease, 30 years. And then, hopefully, another 30 years after that.”
After the name was announced, baseball fans in Wichita and across the country went to social media to share their displeasure of the new name. There is even an online petition to change the name, which has thousands of signatures already.