Appy League welcomes the Greeneville Reds

The Cincinnati Reds Caravan made a stop in Greeneville, Tennessee, on Friday, during which they unveiled the logos of their new Appalachian League affiliate.

The Greeneville Reds will play their first season in the Rookie-level circuit in 2018, operating out of Tusculum College's Pioneer Park. From 2004 through 2017 this facility hosted the Greeneville Astros. The Houston Astros organization decided to pull out of the league earlier this offseason, however, creating the opportunity for the Cincinnati Reds organization to establish a team there.
Every team in the Appalachian League carries the name of the parent club, and of course, the Greeneville Reds are no exception. The team's logos, designed in-house by members of the Cincinnati Reds' creative department, adhere closely to the organization's longstanding aesthetic. The primary logo features a "G" in the same style as the Cincinnati Reds' "C," with the "Greeneville" lettering also mirroring that of the parent club.
Local flavor can be found in one logo, however, as the Reds' anthropomorphic mustachioed baseball is depicted wearing a coonskin cap. This is a reference to Davy Crockett, a native of the Greeneville area. 
"Davy Crockett was born not too far down the road, so [the logo] is a good piece of history to go along with everything else," said Greeneville Reds general manager Paul Kleinhans-Schulz, who previously worked for the Pacific Coast League's New Orleans Baby Cakes. "But this is Reds country. Cincinnati isn't too far away, and the Reds are a solid brand, steeped in tradition." 
Tweet from @Reds: .@TJFriedl_1, @Corky_Miller and @Mr_MagicErvin channel their inner Davy Crockett in Greeneville. #RedsCaravan pic.twitter.com/6kfIPEUZEp
Kleinhans-Schulz, currently the only employee of the Greeneville Reds, has a long list of tasks ahead of him as he prepares for the mid-June start of the Appalachian League season. But he said that Friday's Reds Caravan, in conjunction with the unveiling of the logo, was a significant milestone for the fledgling franchise. 
"It was a lot of fun. The room was packed, and we unveiled the logos to a lot of fanfare," he said. "People are getting excited for Opening Day. The logos are recognizable but have a Greeneville twist, and that makes it that much more exciting."