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Asheville Tourists’ New Logo Offers Tribute To Will Ferrell’s Harry Caray

Will Ferrell had a brief run-in with minor league baseball this year when he appeared, mustachioed, as a relief pitcher named Billy Ray “Rojo” Johnson for the Round Rock Express. It was entertaining, of course, in the way that only Will Ferrell can hold an entire minor league park hostage with beer-swirling and craziness that must have made for quite a night at the stadium.

Given the minor league fervor that the pop culture icon can apparently instill, another franchise may be sneakily trying to latch on themselves. In unveiling new uniforms and logos yesterday, the Class A Asheville Tourists, a farm club for the Colorado Rockies, moved towards a new set that invoked the club’s history. From the Asheville Citizen-Times:

The new primary logo for home-game caps features “Mr. Moon,” a sunglass-wearing, round-headed character that pays homage to the moonlit nights fans watch games at McCormick Field and the pro team’s original nickname of the 1910s, the Moonshiners.

Now, there are going to be a couple of variations of Mr. Moon. One is this rock star type fellow. Another is this aforementioned standard, sunglass version. Then there’s this easter egg as an alternative:

That’s the moon, eating a spare rib (although it isn’t a McRib, that’d be too obvious and meta).

Now, I’ve watched the SNL Best of Will Ferrell more times in my life than I can count, so there is only one possible thing in the world I think this could be a tip of the cap toward: Ferrell’s brilliant Harry Caray impression. As he asks, ”It’s a simple question, doctor, would you eat the moon if it were made of ribs?” That skit:

Is Asheville latching on to a throwaway line from the sketch? If so, I love it. The pop culture geek in me gives this new logo an A++++. The sports guy gives it a nice hearty, “Meh.” But, come on, this is just an exceptional throw back if it is the reference I hope it is.

Thanks to UniWatch for tipping about Asheville’s new design.