The Hyannis Athletic Association announced this weekend that its entry in the Cape Cod Baseball League now will be called the Harbor Hawks. Known for 33 years as the Mets, the organization voted to change its name following last summer’s season in order to maintain its long-time relationship with local merchandise vendors, who are forbidden by Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) to produce items carrying major league team insignia.
Hyannis’ move comes 14½ months after its counterparts in Chatham and Orleans pulled the same identity-change trigger (see last year's Examiner article) for largely the same reason. Three other teams (the Bourne Braves, Harwich Mariners, and Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox) continue to share their names with major league organizations and must, under MLBP terms, buy their logoed merchandise from officially-licensed suppliers. However, because non-identical monikers and images are not subject to the same restriction, alternative brands are beginning to appear on items so they still may be locally produced. (For instance, Hyannis’ home jersey the last two seasons had the word “Hyannis” rather than “Mets” emblazoned on the front.)
Time was, the relationship between MLBP and the Cape League was much more relaxed, to the point where the Hyannis club once even used uniforms donated by their National League namesake. However, shortly before the 2008 Cape League season began, the organization threatened, among other things, to eliminate MLB’s annual $100,000 grant to the league if compliance was not immediately forthcoming. Negotiations did provide some temporary relief, but the requirement stuck, and several long-standing identities have now disappeared from the beachscape. More’s the pity.
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