Tempe Sunrise: Club Reintroduced as Apollos

[Apollos]

Tempe Sunrise: Club Reintroduced as Apollos

A huge announcement came at today’s Winter Meetings as the Tempe baseball club officially announced that they will be re-branding the franchise for the upcoming 2037 season and will henceforth be known as the Tempe Apollos. Tempe brass unveiled the new look with star 2B Juan Rincon on hand to model the team’s new home threads and young starting pitcher Will Taylor showing off the new look away jerseys.



Rumors had persisted for the last several years that the team was looking to forge a new identity following its re-entry to the PEBA in 2032, and along with the construction of their new ballpark in downtown Tempe, creates the aura of an almost fully refreshed franchise. Many industry analysts expect the Apollos to be competitive for the first time since their return to the PEBA in 2037 and it seems fitting then that Owner Chris Van Hauter, on hand for the big reveal ceremony, struck a tone of renewal during the announcement:



“The Tempe baseball club is proud to announce we will be re-naming the franchise in preparation for the 2037 season. Following the construction of our downtown stadium, Gisolo-Duppa Field, and its christening in 2033; the rebirth of the once proud Tempe franchise, risen from the ashes of contraction, will enter its final phase.



With a name that pays homage to the pioneers who first settled the Tempe region – thusly named after the vail of Tempi in ancient Greece, which lies in the shadow of Mount Olympus where Greek Gods once ruled. And with a healthy nod to our home in the Desert Hills division, Tempe will heretofore be known as…. The Tempe Apollos.



The God of sunlight and archery, and the son of Zeus, Apollo will be the symbol of our club’s return to prominence, leading Tempe from the depths of Hades’ domain following two decades of toil,” read the team’s press release, quoting directly from Van Hauter’s press conference.



The new logo, crafted by MCDesign Studios, shows a gradient yellow and orange sun encircled by a dark blue silhouette of Apollos’ sturdy frame aiming a bow and nicely compliments the statue in the center field plaza which may have alluded to this name change several years prior. The home jerseys are predominantly the same shade of dark blue, with blue lettering and yellow trim outlines, and a thin, orange stripe complementing the yellow piping. “Tempe” is emblazoned across the front of the home jerseys in the same yellow lettering cast in a sweeping font which Van Hauter characterized as “embodying the swift, aggressive nature we want to play with and accompanied by classic baseball undertones.”



The away uniforms are a dark shade of gray with yellow and dark blue piping and blue lettering bearing the team’s home city. The new cap, again dark blue, carries the letter T from the team’s away jerseys with a gray bill offsetting the predominant dark blues of the uniforms.



Tempe will be sporting the new uniforms throughout spring training and promised that the team stores – 6 throughout the Tempe region – along with those located in and around GD Field, will be stocked with the new merchandise immediately.