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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats unveiled new logos and uniforms to be used for the 2016 season and beyond Monday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Bats majority owners Stuart and Jerry Katzoff were on hand for the announcements revealing the first significant image change for the organization since before the 2002 season when the team shortened its name from "RiverBats" to "Bats."

"Louisville loves the Bats, and Louisville loves tradition. But in baseball, a changeup now and again is a good thing, and we're excited about this one," said Mayor Fischer. "I expect this will reinvigorate interest in the team, get even more people to games and draw even more people to our downtown. That's a win."

The new logos feature a red and navy color scheme that celebrates the great baseball tradition of previous Louisville baseball franchises that also used the colors. The prominent use of red also signifies Louisville as the players' final stop before joining the Cincinnati Reds in the Major Leagues. The Bats' name is derived from both Hillerich & Bradsby's rich history of producing baseball's finest bats in Louisville and the winged mammal found prominently in the region, each of which are featured in the new look.

"We hope Bats fans will enjoy the team's refreshing new look for the 2016 season," said Stuart Katzoff. "The modern design will help the organization remain one of the most recognizable in Minor League Baseball while the team continues to perform in a first-class facility in a first-class city."

SME Branding in New York developed the team's new look, a process which began in March 2015.

"The Bats tasked SME with an overall objective of delivering a brand identity that got back to the grass roots of Kentucky baseball," said a statement from SME. "The overall identity suite is accented by stylized typography inspired by baseball's past as well as the bourbon industry, synonymous with Kentucky. The move away from the previous black and purple was made in an effort to rekindle the spirit of the original brand palette when the team was known as the Louisville Redbirds."

Four new uniform combinations were introduced at the event on Monday. Along with red and navy, the team's new palette will also feature cool gray and white. The Bats will use their new circular logo as their primary mark and the new "LB" ligature as their cap insignia.

The Bats' home whites will feature the new "BATS" wordmark in red across the chest with a navy number underneath on the left side. The Bats' red home cap will feature the "LB" ligature in navy. The road grays will feature the new "Louisville" wordmark in red with navy bats dotting the i's and navy numbers underneath on the left side. The navy road cap will feature the "LB" ligature in red and a red bill.

The new uniform package will feature two alternate looks. The red patriotic alternate will feature the American flag "LB" ligature on the left chest, white numbers on the right chest and American flag numbers on the back. The navy alternate will have the "LB" ligature in red on the left chest and numbers in white on the right chest.

"We are thrilled to bring this new style to the city's longest-running professional sports team," said Bats Senior Vice President Greg Galiette. "We cannot wait to see the new colors on the field, in the dugout and in the stands."

Merchandise is immediately available for purchase by calling the Bats' front office at 502-212-BATS during normal business hours. The Bats will open their 2016 schedule with a six-game road trip beginning April 7 before the home opener on Thursday, April 16 vs. Toledo at 7:05 p.m.