Mustangs unveil Cobb Field logo
"There has never been an official logo for Cobb Field, and we felt that it was appropriate at this time to develop a unique identity to commemorate the stadium in its final season," said Mustangs General Manager Gary Roller. "We believe the image is representative of the storied history of the stadium and plan to feature it on as many applications as possible throughout the course of the season. We're pleased and excited about the design, and hope the community will be as well."
The new logo shows the front entrance to the stadium and lists the first (1948) and last year (2007) that the Mustangs will call Cobb Field home. The Mustangs have played every season - with the exception of a five-year period Billings didn't field a Pioneer League team from 1964 to 1968 - at Cobb Field.
Originally known as Athletic Park, the 3,600 seat stadium was renamed Cobb Field prior to the start of the 1948 season in honor of Bob Cobb, the man responsible for bringing organized professional baseball to Billings. Cobb led a group of Hollywood investors who financed the original Billings Mustangs, which served as a farm club for the Hollywood Stars Professional Baseball team.
To prepare for the first season in 1948, the city expanded the grandstands of old Athletic Park, which was built sometime in the 1930s. Although Cobb Field has undergone some minor changes and renovations, the wooden structure remains much the same as it was in 1948.
Last November, the voters of Billings passed a bond issue for a new $12.5 million stadium to replace Cobb Field.
Work is already underway to remove Athletic Pool to make way for the new ballpark and construction will continue throughout the 2007. At the conclusion of the 2007 season, Cobb Field will be raised and the new park is scheduled to be ready when the Mustangs begin the 2008 campaign.
In honor of Cobb Field and the construction that will be taking place this year, the Mustangs will have two other Cobb Field promotional nights. On Friday, July 13, the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive replica construction helmets compliments of Big Sky Airlines. On Saturday, July 14, the first 1,000 fans will receive a miniature bronze stadium replica of Cobb Field compliments of Yellowstone Surgery Center.