Minor League Baseball teams are always looking to grab some attention. Every wacky promo night or uniform update or alternate identity announcement can make a club the talk of the town, or even the center of the baseball universe for a day.
Every once in a while, though, the response is far larger than the team anticipated -- and, occasionally, for reasons that were in no way a part of the plan.
Such was the case with the Chesapeake Baysox's alternate identity announcement shortly before the start of the 2025 Minor League season. But the Orioles' Double-A affiliate has turned what appeared to be an awkward misstep into a positive not only for the team, but for women's health.
In March, the club announced an identity inspired by the American Oystercatcher, a lushy plumaged, red-billed shorebird found year-round along the Chesapeake Bay. But the reveal of the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers logos -- specifically one depicting a baseball-holding oyster shell caught in a mitt -- had many commenters thinking of human anatomy rather than of the intended avian species.
A few weeks after internet users far and wide enjoyed jokes about the image, the Baysox revealed an updated version of that logo, which now "features a baseball glove with a teal and white cervical cancer ribbon and a pearl," per the team, while announcing a season-long partnership with Cervivor Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to cervical cancer advocacy and education.
The Baysox are set to play as the Oyster Catchers three times this season -- beginning with Friday night's matchup against the Altoona Curve (PIT). At that game as well as four other Friday night games (July 11, Aug. 15, Aug. 22 and Sept. 5), the team will recognize cervical cancer survivors and present tributes and educational moments about the power of preventative care. Fans attending these games are encouraged to wear teal and white to raise awareness for the cause.
At the end of the season, game-worn Oyster Catchers jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit Cervivor, Inc., and 10 percent of all Oysters Catchers merchandise sold throughout the season will also go to the nonprofit, with Minor League Baseball matching that donation.
“We’re honored to use our platform for meaningful action,” said Ellen Walsh, chief marketing officer of Attain Sports, which owns the Baysox, in the team's press release. “When the original Oyster Catchers logo went viral, we saw an opportunity to turn that moment into a bigger movement by shifting the conversation toward a cause that deserves greater visibility.
"This campaign is about more than a logo -- it’s about amplifying survivor stories and driving awareness for a preventable disease that impacts far too many. The Oyster Catchers alternate identity has become a powerful symbol of hope and purpose. As fans rally behind it, they’re helping to advance Cervivor’s important, life-saving mission.”