Sea Dogs' Merchandise Among MiLB's Best Sellers

Minor League Baseball released their annual list of the top 25 teams in merchandise sales for the 2012 season. For the 20th straight season, the Portland Sea Dogs were among the top 25 teams out of 160 Minor League Baseball clubs.

The Sea Dogs have made the list every year of the franchises existence including 1993 when the team had yet to a play a game. The Sea Dogs and the Durham Bulls are the only two teams to make the list of top 25 teams every year since 1993.

The popular Sea Dogs logo which features team mascot Slugger; a loveable but fierce seal busting through a "P" with a bat in its mouth has remained virtually unchanged in the franchises 20 seasons. The only change to the logo occurred in 2002 when the team altered the color from teal to red when the organization switched affiliations from the Florida Marlins to the Boston Red Sox.

"The logo has certainly been a home run for the organization, stated Sea Dogs Executive Vice President & General Manager Geoff Iacuessa. "The logo works because it has universal appeal; it is well liked by kids and adults alike. It is remarkable that wherever you go you can find someone sporting the Sea Dogs logo."

The Sea Dogs logo was created by cartoonist Guy Gilchrist. Among his notable works is the comic strip Nancy.  

Many of the traditional items such as fitted hats, logo balls, and t-shirts are among the Sea Dogs' best sellers.

Sea Dogs merchandise is sold year round at the Hadlock Field Souvenir Store and online at www.seadogs.com.  

Minor League Baseball™ announced today that its national Licensing Program, consisting of the 160 clubs in the domestic-based leagues that charge admission to their games, generated an estimated $54 million in sales of licensed merchandise last year. The 2012 figure is a 3.3% increase over 2011 and ranks as the third largest yearly total since the program's inception in 1991. Sales of MiLB™ merchandise last year trail only 1994 ($60 million), when basketball hall of famer Michael Jordan played Minor League Baseball for the Birmingham Barons, and 2008 ($54.7 million). 

 "Our clubs and licensees should be commended for continuing to produce logos and merchandise that appeal to our more than 41.2 million fans annually, as well as non-baseball fans," said MiLB Director of Licensing Sandie Hebert. "Having more than 120 club stores on the MiLB.com website has also played a major role in growing the brands of our clubs, as well as the Minor League Baseball brand."

Rankings are based on wholesale sales reported from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Of the Top 25 clubs, 22 of them have stores on MiLB.com. The 2012 Top 25 is comprised of 20 clubs that were also part of the 2011 list. The five new clubs are the Albuquerque Isotopes, Columbus Clippers, Indianapolis Indians, Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Savannah Sand Gnats. 

 Here is the 2012 Top 25, listed alphabetically: Albuquerque Isotopes, Carolina Mudcats; Columbus Clippers; Corpus Christi Hooks; Durham Bulls; Fort Wayne TinCaps; Greensboro Grasshoppers; Indianapolis Indians; Lake Elsinore Storm; Lakewood BlueClaws; Lehigh Valley IronPigs; Midland RockHounds; Pawtucket Red Sox; Pensacola Blue Wahoos; Portland Sea Dogs; Reno Aces; Richmond Flying Squirrels; Rochester Red Wings; Round Rock Express; Sacramento River Cats; Salt Lake Bees; Savannah Sand Gnats; Toledo Mud Hens; Trenton Thunder; and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.