BURLINGTON, N.C. -- Baseball in Burlington finally has its own identity. One that embraces the history of the community, and one that they can say is uniquely theirs. Burlington Baseball announced this morning via their YouTube that the long-awaited rebranding process has culminated in the team's sockingly different identity, now known as the Burlington Sock Puppets. The identity, created by Dan Simon of Studio Simon, pays homage to the rich textile tradition of this area by featuring two different sock puppets inside the primary logo.

"As we explored all possible identities for the team and engaged locally with so many different people, the stories and responses revolved around the uniqueness of what makes Burlington so special-- and ultimately it's the people." Ryan Keur, owner and president of the club, stated. "The people here in Burlington, both those new to the area and those that have been here for so long have this desire to be great. It is a community that works well together and has transitioned from industry to industry over the past one hundred years. Something that stuck out was that Burlington was the "Hosiery Capital of the South" and when we started discussing a name-- everyone continued to say they wanted something "to own", something "unique" that no one in the United States could say they had.... and with that, a "Sock Puppet" textile themed identity was born." Keur continued, "It is playful, fun and will resonate with the history of Burlington but send us into the future as one of the top entertainment and sports teams in the country! Lights, Camera, Action! All eyes are on Burlington, North Carolina and SOCKVILLE, USA!"

Anderson Rathbun, team general manager, added, "Burlington has always represented another team's and another city's brand. It's an incredibly exciting opportunity here that we now get to have something that reflects our team and reflects our community." The Burlington Club has donned identities such as the Senators (after the Washington club), the Indians (after the Cleveland club) and, most recently, the Royals (after the Kansas City club).

The new identity will be on full display come June 5 when the Sock Puppets take the field for the very first time at Burlington Athletic Stadium. Featuring some of the top collegiate athletes across the country, the revamped Appalachian League powered by MLB and USA Baseball will have the Sock Puppets play 27 entertainment-filled home games in Burlington, North Carolina from June until August. This new era of Burlington Baseball is founded on a valuable entertainment experience that will become one of the main summer traditions of Central North Carolina for years to come.

About the Sock Puppets

The Burlington Sock Puppets is owned and operated by Knuckleball Entertainment, LLC. As a member of the Appalachian League powered by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, the Sock Puppets will feature the top rising collegiate baseball players from across the country each summer. With all home games being played at Burlington Athletic Stadium, the club strives to give the City of Burlington, Alamance County and the surrounding Central North Carolina area unmatched family entertainment value. For information on Season Memberships, hosting an outing at the ballpark, partnering with the team and more, visit mlb.com/appalachian-league/burlington.