The Salt Lake Bees logo symbolizes a baseball team that developed amid the tranquility of the mountains and the vibrant emotions of its fans. The club maintains a connection to local traditions, blending big-league character and community closeness.
Professional baseball in Salt Lake City entered the Pacific Coast League in 1915, when Bill “Hardpan” Lane moved a financially troubled franchise from California to Utah. The Bees played their first PCL game on 31 March before 10,000 spectators and defeated the Vernon Tigers 9-3. In 1925, Tony Lazzeri set a league record with 60 home runs before joining the New York Yankees.
The club moved to Los Angeles in 1926 and later became the Hollywood Stars. Salt Lake hosted teams in the Utah-Idaho and Pioneer leagues before the Bees returned to the PCL from 1958 to 1965. The team began a Chicago Cubs affiliation in 1963. Another PCL franchise arrived from Vancouver in 1970, became the Salt Lake Angels in 1971, won the league title, later adopted the Gulls name, and moved to Calgary in 1984.
The modern franchise arrived in 1994 when Joe Buzas relocated the Portland Beavers to Utah. It played as the Salt Lake Buzz until 2000, then became the Stingers in 2001 after a trademark dispute with Georgia Tech over the name Buzz. That year, it joined the Los Angeles Angels’ minor league system. Mike Trout, Torii Hunter, John Lackey, and Jered Weaver later passed through Salt Lake.
Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller bought the team in 2005 after Buzas died and restored the Bees name. Bumble became the mascot. The club opened the 2008 season with a 21-1 record but did not win the championship. In 2025, the Bees moved into a new home, The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan.
Meaning and History
What is Salt Lake Bees?
It is a Triple-A baseball team from Salt Lake City. Its home stadium is known for scenic mountain views of the region. The team’s name refers to the symbol of industry featured on the Utah state flag. Games feature family-oriented events and affordable tickets, attracting audiences of all ages.
2006 – 2014
The bee image that embodies the Salt Lake Bees baseball club’s identity is inspired by the city’s historical roots and Utah’s nickname, the “Beehive State.” The nickname reflects the diligence and unity of the region’s first settlers, so Brandiose designers used a bee as the team’s key symbol.
The logo features a bee in baseball gear positioned to the left of the main inscription. The character stands in an attacking stance, ready to hit the ball with a bat, visually conveying the players’ mindset. The bee’s body is rendered in black-and-yellow stripes, with wings tinted yellow and outlined in black. The sports uniform is detailed, including shorts and a jersey. On the bee’s head is a black baseball cap similar to those worn by the team’s players during games. The character’s smile adds a bright emotional accent, creating a positive mood for fans.
To the right of the bee is a two-level text composition. The top line contains the city name “Salt Lake,” set in small capital letters in a strict serif typeface. The lower portion features the enlarged team name “Bees,” also in capital letters, set in a typeface with wider serifs. The initial letter “B” stands out for its larger size. The text is rendered in black with a double outline: the inner contour is white, and the outer is bright yellow.
Black and rich yellow are associated with the bee image, energy, and teamwork.
2015 – today
The update to the Salt Lake Bees baseball club identity, developed in collaboration with the Brandiose design studio, was a logical step following the successful use of the previous bee image. The team decided to refresh the logo while retaining a style close to the earlier symbol. The idea was to maintain an emotional connection with fans and strengthen the logo’s perception by removing unnecessary elements and simplifying its structure.
The bee symbol in the baseball uniform was slightly revised. The figure received reinforced outlines, giving it a neater appearance. At the same time, the overall style remained unchanged. The bee retains its yellow-and-black stripes, baseball gear, black cap, and bat, all positioned ready to hit a pitch.
The main changes affected the text portion of the logo. The inscription “Bees” remained in its previous place. Instead of a double outline, a simplified single outline appeared, rendered in a rich yellow shade. Removing the white intermediate line made the typeface clearer and more unified. The upper inscription “Salt Lake” also remained, harmoniously complementing the main text.
The design’s simplification and emphasis on the primary color created a unified, harmonious image for the club without sacrificing visual appeal.




