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12/11/2006 2:00 PM ET
"Chiefs" Nickname Returns Full Steam Ahead
Syracuse Chiefs
Plan B Branding's Jason Klein helped unveil the Chiefs' new brand identity. (Nick Pelkey)

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SYRACUSE (NY) - The resurrected Syracuse Chiefs (Toronto Blue Jays AAA affiliate) unveiled their new brand identity at Alliance Bank Stadium Monday. The team was formerly known as the Syracuse SkyChiefs. The new identity is part of a four-month creative overhaul of the Syracuse franchise.

The Syracuse ballclub was originally christened the "Chiefs" in 1934 when the team moved from Jersey City.

"Today marks the next era in Syracuse Baseball," Syracuse Chiefs General Manager John Simone said. "One of the reasons we selected the SkyChiefs name in 1997 was that it allowed longtime fans to still call the team "The Chiefs" for short. Fans always asked us to return to the Chiefs, and now we've found an imaginative way to make that return for those great fans."

The Chiefs' new logos honor the mighty railroads that shipped goods manufactured in Syracuse all over America. The new look includes a steam locomotive, a vintage engineer mark, and the word "Chiefs" stylized from the golden era of manufacturing.

The Chiefs' new official colors, Blue, Black, Silver and Graphite pay tribute to Syracuse's long-standing affiliation with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The new look includes entirely redesigned players caps and uniforms. The new home uniforms feature the "Chiefs" wordmark across the chest and engineer patch on the sleeve and for the first time in franchise history will feature each player's name across the back shoulder.

Road uniforms feature "Syracuse" across the chest and also include the engineer sleeve patch. Both the jerseys and pants will have Blue piping and Blue numbers. The new game cap, which will be worn both home and away, is black with the steam locomotive charging through the letter "C."

The Chiefs' makeover is the work of Plan B Branding, a San Diego-based creative ideas company specializing in storytelling and branding ideas. Partners Jason Klein and Casey White dreamed up fresh looks for the Cincinnati Reds, the World Series and several prestigious Minor League Baseball clubs. Many of these clubs broke franchise merchandising records with Plan B.

"Jason and Casey helped take our franchise to the next level," Simone said. "They gave the Chiefs the personal dedication and attention our fans deserve, and we couldn't be happier with the partnership."

The development process began last July when Klein and White met with fans, stockholders, staff and community members to learn about the stories, history, and personality of the Chiefs and Syracuse. Plan B developed the logos and uniforms and is providing ideas to enhance the 2007 fan experience.

"While in Syracuse, we immersed ourselves in the history of the Chiefs and listened to fans' captivating stories about the club," said Plan B's Jason Klein. "Focusing on Syracuse's golden age of manufacturing is a great way to connect the Chiefs name with the heritage of Syracuse."

Fans can purchase the new merchandise, including the official game caps and replica jerseys, online at www.SkyChiefs.com or in the souvenir store at Alliance Bank Stadium.