Big Lug, Ratchet
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ATY0505p012-021 3/17/05 2:33 PM Page 13 [ Logo/Mascot Profile ] BIG>>> LUG, RATCHET & LUGGIE >>> Mascots and Logo of the Lansing Lugnuts The ‘Nuts—as the Lansing Lugnuts are fond- ly called by fans—have proudly become one of the most beloved team names in the sports world. As the team’s vice president of marketing, Darla Bowen, put it: “It’s fun on every level. It’s quirky, it has alliteration, and it’s timeless.” Their popularity makes it virtually impossi- ble to find anyone that has a bad thing to say about the team name. But it was not always this way. When owners Tom Dickson and Sherrie Myers first announced Lansing’s team name, it was almost as impossible to find anyone who approved of the name. “It was a tornado of hostil- ity,” said Myers of Lansing residents’ reactions to the Lugnuts. The story building up to this storm of fan fury is filled with irony and drama. As Lansing is the capital of Michigan, and because of its huge local Photograph Photograph Courtesy of the Lansing Lugnuts automobile industry, most of the 2,000 entries in the 1995 “Name the Team” contest were tradition- Ratchet and Big Lug al names such as the Senators, Capitals, or any- thing to do with cars. Ratchet Big Lug After consulting focus groups, Dickson and Myers found these options to be unfavorable. For OFF THE FIELD OFF THE FIELD one, the groups claimed local fans would want a Favorites… Favorites… name independent of their automotive industry. Movie: The Land Before Time Movie: Jurassic Park Moreover, the co-owners were looking for an eccentric name that would prove successful in the TV Show: Power Puff Girls TV Show: Friends minor league market. Wanting to open their team Song: “Bye Bye Bye” Song: Lugnuts Theme Song store the day the team name was announced, Dickson and Myers had put themselves on a tight Drink: Kool-Aid (purple- Drink: Milk timeline; they forced themselves to select a name saurus rex) School Subject: Biology quickly. School Subject: Geography With all these factors in mind, the “River Color: Teal Dragons” was hastily selected—Lansing is on a Color: Purple river and Dragons are peculiar mythology. The ON THE FIELD ON THE FIELD name was trademarked and logos were drawn up D.O.B.: April 1998 D.O.B.: May 1995 and sent to merchandise manufacturers. A mere two months prior to the grand open- Height: 6' Height: 6'10" ing of the River Dragons’ team store, Dickson and Weight: You shouldn’t ask! Weight: Big Myers—looking over last minute entries from the contest—came across about a dozen proposals for Lugnuts; too many to ignore. It was love at first sight; it was quirky, it was fun. The name AT THE YARD | May 2005 13 ATY0505p012-021 3/17/05 2:33 PM Page 14 [ Logo/Mascot Profile ] incorporated the automotive industry— store’s windows. Peeping through the Sultans). The Lugnuts’ arrival marked a lug nut is “a steel bolt that secures the hole he saw the team’s name, logo and the first time Lansing had an affiliated wheel of a car.” Meanwhile, focus colors… sort of. When the story ran the baseball team. groups changed their tune saying that following morning all that was correct As fans celebrate a decade of base- the city’s ties to their automotive her- was the team name. The logo depicted ball and “GO NUTS” chants, support itage might be too much to walk away by the reporter did not resemble the remains as strong as ever: after becom- from after all. Luggy everyone loves today but an ugly ing the first minor league team ever to There was only one obstacle to hur- worm-like cartoon. Moreover, the article attract over 500,000 fans in their inaugu- dle: the toy company Hasbro already said the team’s colors would be red ral season, attendance at Oldsmobile trademarked the name “Lugnuts” for a and blue. Park remains consistent. potential future action figure! This did While how the name leaked to the Of course no fan is as loyal as Big not faze Myers, who remained steadfast public obviously played a huge factor, Lug and Ratchet, the Lugnuts’ two mas- in her mission to use Lugnuts as a nick- the general population of Lansing was cots. It is not exactly clear what the col- name. Calling top Hasbro executives, up in arms over the Lugnuts. They had orful creatures are, but their prehistoric Myers pleaded her case while openly expected something serious, respectful appearance indicates a relation to admitting that there was not much at the to local tradition like all the major dinosaurs. Do not let the unusually large time Lansing baseball could do in return. league clubs. As Norveda Lunda of teeth frighten you, though! Both base- Fortunately, that did not matter. Within Lansing was quoted in the Lansing State ball enthusiasts are the most loveable 24 hours, Hasbro gave up the trademark. Journal only days after the premature and fun Lugnut fans at Oldsmobile Park. Lansing would be the Lugnuts! reveal, “The naming committee has The purple, teal-spotted Big Lug and his With the countdown clock at two made Lansing the laughing stock of female teal, purple-spotted companion months, and ticking, the Lansing baseball history.” Ratchet have never been spotted with- Lugnuts needed a logo. Local resident Town and team officials were bom- out their favorite team’s hat (backwards Craig Wheeler had submitted a handful barded with negative feedback. The obviously) and jersey. Although they of names to the “Name the Team” con- story even found its way to ESPN’s would never give up a day at the stadium test with logo renderings to go along SportsCenter, CBS’s Late Show with to learn how to use the small silver with each one; he was more than eager David Letterman, and CNN. Yet, even screws in the auto shop, no one loves to draw the Lugnuts’ logo. with a town of angry and disappointed their ‘Nuts more than Lansing’s Big Lug The logo is an artistic vision of a fans, “Nuts and Bolts” brought in over and Ratchet! [] Eric Karlan cartoon lug nut—though, the depiction $75,000 in the first 48 hours. bares more of a resemblance to a nut The negative public feedback was FF! and a bolt. “Luggy,” the lug nut, is silver not a surprise to Dickson and Myers. TS O while the other team colors are red and They knew the fans would come to love HA black. Luggy can be found all over the the quirky Lugnuts more than they ever team’s apparel, always with the same could love a traditional ball club. They dizzy expression on his face. were correct in their prediction. It took Even with the unveiling and team a matter of weeks for the hatred to dis- << home store opening only days away, the resi- sipate. Now, most locals have obliterat- dents of Lansing remained anxious and ed the negative incident from their impatient. The arrival of baseball to minds. Michigan’s capital was one of the most The 2005 season will be the exciting events in its recent history. Lugnuts’ first as a farm team for the road >> Local journalists tried time and time Toronto Blue Jays—Lansing has also again to bribe the Lugnut officials work- been a Midwest League Single-A affiliate ing on the store to spill the beans. No for the Kansas City Royals (1996-98) and one ever did give away the surprise, but Chicago Cubs (1999-2004). Before the that did not prevent the newspapermen decade-long era of Lansing baseball, the to find out early after all. team made homes in Lafayette from The day before the Lugnuts’ official 1955-1957 (as the Chiefs and Red Sox), team store, “Nuts and Bolts,” opened to Waterloo from 1958-1993 (as the Hawks, << batting the public, a reporter got his big break Royals, Indians, and Diamonds), and when he discovered a crack in one of the Springfield from 1994-95 (as the practice 14 AT THE YARD | The Game Starts Here.