Jaxx renamed 'Jackson Generals'
The team revealed their new name and new logo on Monday following their regular season finale, an 8-0 win over Chattanooga.
Digging way back to 1935, the owners of Jackson Baseball Club (the ownership group of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx) announced that starting in the 2011 season, the team will be known as the Generals, a former team name that dates back to early 20th century.
According the Kevin McCann, author of Jackson Diamonds - Professional Baseball in Jackson, "The name Jackson Generals has a rich history of unusual plays and colorful players. Some of the players who've spent time on the diamond in Jackson include Shoeless Joe Jackson, Edd Rousch, John McGraw, Ellis Kinder, Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek, and many others."
"This just makes sense on a lot of levels," said Diamond Jaxx general manager Tom Hanson. "Most people aren't aware of the rich history of baseball in Jackson and West Tennessee. It dates all the way back to 1903. We're excited about the new branding initiative and the overwhelming fan support just at the mention of renaming the team. We've set some attendance records for the season just since the announcement and we haven't even revealed the new brand yet."
A primary logo, depicting a dog in a military helmet biting a bat, and new uniforms for both home and away games were also revealed.
Throwing out the last pitch of the regular season as the Diamond Jaxx was Ms. Jane Des Ormeaux, the 93-year-old fan who doesn't miss a game. She also is the fan who came up with the name West Tenn Diamond Jaxx.
The first pitch as the Jackson Generals was thrown by local businessman Walt Mestan, a Chicago native who was one of the leading pitchers for the 1950 and 1951 Jackson Generals. The Generals will maintain their affiliation with the Seattle Mariners' organization.