Minor League Baseball

After Logo Goes Viral, Baltimore Orioles' Affiliate Seeks OK to Use It for Good Cause

The Double-A Chesapeake Baysox didn't anticipate the reaction they got to the logo designed for their alternate identity, the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers.

Jami Leabow

Oysters harvested in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.
Oysters harvested in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. / Kristi K. Higgins / progress-index.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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When the Chesapeake Baysox introduced their alternate identity – the Oyster Catchers – for the upcoming season, team officials undoubtedly were hoping to create a buzz.

Just not the kind it stirred up.

And now the effort is under review by Minor League Baseball.

Here’s why.

The team, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles -- shared two logos. One is a bird perched on a bat; the bird is an American oystercatcher with a long orange-red bill that resembles the kind seen at the bay, especially at the exposed oyster bars, according to the Chesapeake Bay Program.

The second one, well, is a glove with an oyster set in it, with a baseball that is supposed to look like a pearl inside the oyster.

But to some who saw it online, the oyster resembles part of the female anatomy instead.

“It’s hard to believe, but after reviewing the logo both internally and externally, none of us saw what the internet saw,” said Ellen Walsh, chief marketing officer for team owner Attain Sports, according to sports collectible website cllct. “Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”

But the Baysox hope to keep the logo and use it as a fundraiser for women’s health, specifically Cervivor, a cervical cancer patient advocacy group.

Minor League Baseball currently is looking over the logo, reported Darren Rovell, the founder of cllct, on Wednesday.

“The viral Oyster Catchers logo from the Orioles Double-A team has not been shelved,” he wrote on social media Wednesday. “It’s awaiting possible approval from Minor League Baseball.”

After the reaction came flying in when the logos were posted on social media, the team responded.

“Some saw an oyster. Others saw something unexpected,” the team posted to X. “We see an opportunity to turn viral laughs into positive impact. In celebration of Women’s History Month, 10% of all Oyster Catchers merch sales will support @IamCervivor.”

The Baysox currently are selling the merchandise with the bird logo through its online team store. Merchandise bearing the glove logo will have to wait for approval, if it comes, before the team can offer it. T-shirts and hats, which Rovell said are unlicensed, are available on eBay, however.

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Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.