Why OKC Baseball Club rebrand for 2025 is expected to last until fall 2024

Michael Byrnes would not show his cards Tuesday.

Oklahoma City’s Triple-A ballclub is rebranding this season. The Oklahoma City Dodgers are no more, even with the affiliation remaining to Los Angeles.

Hello, Oklahoma City Baseball Club. Well, for one season.

But is the club close to a reveal of the new name for the 2025 season?

“Stay tuned to 2025,” said Brynes, the team’s president and general manager.

In other words, tune in next fall.

More: OKC Dodgers are no more. Meet the Oklahoma City Baseball Club for now.

MLB rules are the biggest reason. But the club is also still working through every detail and name options from an initially long list.

Still, when OKC opens its Pacific Coast League title defense at Tacoma on March 29, there will be a new look for the season to bridge a gap between Dodger Blue and whatever colors are chosen for 2025.

“One of the keystones of Minor League Baseball are all these unique names,” Byrnes said at a preseason media luncheon inside Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. “Knowing that we can have that Oklahoma City controls or has as our own is going to be really important.

“I’ve discovered in some of these conversations (with fans) that now people are saying, ‘You know what, we want to get back to something that’s ours, that’s unique,’ especially when we can emphasize the Dodgers piece of this is going to remain the same.”

Byrnes was emphatic that the change does not impact the working relationship with the Dodgers.

It’s just time to make a change.

“The Dodgers affiliation has been such a strong one for us and being able to carry their brand for a number of years was something great for our community and great for baseball fans in the local area,” Byrnes said. “But we also know that people want to have the ability to connect with something that is local to Oklahoma City.”

More: OKC Dodgers sweep Round Rock Express to win Pacific Coast League championship

What about just going back to the 89ers brand?

Byrnes said it wasn’t just that easy. So, don’t expect the popular brand used from 1962-1998 to be the final choice.

Enjoy that on Thursdays this season when OKC hosts Throwback Thursdays with the team wearing 89ers jerseys.

So, if not the 89ers, what is next for the OKC Baseball Club?

Could something crazy and unique be in the works? Some organizations have opted for pure fun — Trash Pandas, Sod Poodles, Lugnuts, etc.

Approaching this with something that outlandish would be a bit out of character for OKC’s organization. But it’s not out of the question.

“It’s going to be something that we know is going to be ours,” Byrnes said. “I think as the process continues, we’ll be able to share more about what it’s going to be and what level of wacky it’s going to be.

“But we do feel confident it’s something that is going to be representative of fun, and really, we’re eager to get the information out there as soon as it’s reasonable.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Baseball Club rebrand expected to last past 2024 MiLB season