The Tennessee Smokies have been the Cubs Double-A affiliate since 2007 and with a four-year extension announced earlier this season, the Smokies will continue to be the Cubs affiliate until 2018. With that, the team has re-designed their look to bring their colors and logo more in tune with the Chicago Cubs.
The wait is finally over! We're very excited to present to you our new logos, colors & uniforms! #SmokiesSwag pic.twitter.com/jbXJUI0mi5
— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) October 22, 2014
The Smokies have always had a bear for a mascot, but now their bear resembles a fiercer version of the Cub that adorns their major league club. The colors are now closer to the blue and red color scheme that the Cubs use.
A closer look at the logos
New alternate logos include the "Four-Seam", "Bear With Two Bats", "Batting Bear" & "Bear Head" Logos. #SmokiesSwag pic.twitter.com/BpEcEeRT4D
— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) October 22, 2014
And a better look at the new alternate jersey.
And here's a closer look at the alternate blue jersey modeled by our very own @BenDuvall50. #SmokiesSwag pic.twitter.com/Qm88cE3dQT
— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) October 22, 2014
As you can see, the new jersey evokes the Cubs alternate jersey without actually copying it. Nice job.
Overall, I think this new look is a great move for the Smokies. They have the fierce and "edgy" look that minor league fans want and combine that with a strong connection to the major league look that sells with fans of the parent club.
For those who don't care about fashion, the Smokies taking this step is a sign that they expect to be aligned with the Cubs for a long time. While things can shift quickly in the minors, as we learned from last month's "affiliation shuffle," all indications are that the Cubs and the Smokies intend to be affiliated for a long time.