Clinton mascot gets new look
After 14 years, Louie the LumberKing has gotten a makeover.
“It was time,’’ Clinton LumberKings general manager Ted Tornow said, referring to the rejuvenation of the mascot that greets fans at the Midwest League club’s home games.
“Louie was introduced in 1994 and he was just looking a little old. It’s nothing extreme, but our looks all change over time and Louie, while he has done well for us over the years, was probably due.”
Gone are Louie’s signature handlebar mustache, silver crown and the oversized green-wood plank that represented a bat.
Now, Louie sports a stylized goatee, a golden crown and totes a more traditional, yet still larger-than-life wooden baseball bat.
“It’s a new, more modern look, something that is a little fresher,” Tornow said. “He didn’t exactly undergo plastic surgery, but it’s a nice update. Instead of going in for a complete makeover, he got a facelift.”
The new-look Louie will make appearances at Clinton home games throughout the upcoming season and will be featured on a patch on the team’s batting-practice jerseys.
“That’s about the only apparel change we’ve had to make. The script lettering on our home uniforms remains the same and our road uniforms will be the same as well,” Tornow said.
Clinton’s ticketing system is undergoing an offseason makeover as well.
A barcode scanning system will be used for tickets beginning this season, and fans purchasing season tickets will have the option of receiving a ticket similar to a credit card rather than receiving printed tickets for each of the 70 home games the Lumber-Kings play.
“For individuals, it seems like a great option,” Tornow said. “They can keep the card in their wallet or purse and have it scanned at the gate rather than having to tear out and keep track of tickets for each game.”
Printed tickets also will remain available for the club’s corporate partners who split up the tickets among employees or clients.
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.