The MLB franchise formerly known as the Montreal Expos received a new brand identity yesterday. The team, which is being moved to Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium for the 2005 season, will be known as the Washington Nationals.
The league, which owns the team and plans to sell it to a local ownership group, said in September that the team would move to Washington. The team’s nickname and a pair of red, blue and gold logos will be used in all marketing and promotional materials. The timing of the announcement reflected the franchise’s desire to generate sales of tickets and team merchandise during the holiday season.
Nationals was the unofficial nickname of the Washington Senators team that moved to Minnesota for the 1961 season. Three pre-1900 teams in D.C. also carried the Nationals moniker. The nickname was chosen over Senators and Grays, which was the name of a Pittsburgh-based Negro League team that played some of its games in Washington.
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