Bowie Baysox rebrand to embrace more Maryland fans

BOWIE, Md. - The team that has been known as the Bowie Baysox for decades now has a new name.

"We have actually changed the name of the Baysox to the Chesapeake Baysox," explained Greg Baroni, who owns the team, which is the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

Baroni said they decided to make the change to better reflect the team’s regional reach, noting that last season, fans representing all 23 Maryland counties showed up for a game.

"The shift to the Chesapeake name is just a signifier, a geographical signifier, of the growing fanbase," Baroni said. "From Annapolis to Laurel, from Columbia to Bowie, we want fans to feel equally represented."

But a lot of fans have a lot of great memories seeing the Bowie Baysox play. 

So, when the team posted the news on social media Friday, there were plenty of positive comments, like, "Love this!!" While some other fans expressed disappointment. 

One wrote, "this feels like whitewashing the team’s identity by removing Prince George’s county from its brand." 

Another posted, "the Bowie disrespect is crazy."

Baroni told FOX 5 he understood the sentiment, but added, "our bond is here to stay … we’re gonna keep on emphasizing Bowie as the home to the Chesapeake Baysox. We have no intention of abandoning that."

The team is hosting a free Holiday Launch Open House to celebrate the new name and give fans a chance to see newly branded merchandise. 

The event is Saturday, November 23, from 1-4 pm, at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie.