It's now the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees!!

SCRANTON/WILKES BARRE (December 12, 2006) -- The Scranton/Wilkes Barre Triple-A baseball franchise will begin 2007 with a new look and a new name as the club has officially been renamed the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees. The announcement was made as part of a significant event at the Stadium Club which included comments by New York Yankees General Partner Steve Swindal, President Randy Levine, COO Lonn Trost and Senior VP/General Manager Brian Cashman. The four were joined by franchise and County officials to unveil the new name and logo, which had been strongly supported by the public.

The name of the franchise has been a hot topic since the September announcement of the affiliation with the Yankees. County and club officials considered many alternatives, but in the end the decision was driven by public commentary.

"Yankees has been the most talked about name from day one," said club Executive Vice President/COO Jeremy Ruby. "It is the most recognized brand in sports, and it's an honor to have our team proudly wear the Yankees name."

The announcement was made as part of an event at the Stadium which featured the first public area appearance by Yankees officials. The four expressed gratitude for the support the team has received since the affiliation announcement and enthusiasm for the changes taking place.

Prior to the event the group toured the clubhouse, received an update on the conversion of the field from artificial to natural grass surface and took a sneak peek at both the new www.swbyankees.com website and the newly stocked Team Store. The Team Store will open to the public Wednesday, December 13 at 12 Noon with an initial SWB Yankees merchandise line including hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts in multiple designs (A complete list of products currently available is attached.) Additional merchandise will be added in the coming weeks and months.

"Christmas came early at the ballpark," said Ruby. "Pulling the curtain off of our new logo and introducing it to our great fans was like opening a wonderful present. We can't wait to see the new uniforms on the top Yankees prospects, all on our new grass field. We're counting down the days!"