a request from Pat Victory...

GREENVILLE, SC

A controversy has developed over the naming of Greenville's minor league baseball team---

Quick Summary---
MLB turned down the team owners' first choice name: "The Greenville Joes" because of the obvious association with native son "Shoeless Joe Jackson" who was banned for life from baseball for his association with the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Shoeless Joe has also been denied entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the same reason. The team owners then went to their second choice name: "The Greenville Drive"---a name that has met with overwhelming disapproval (roughly 80% in polls).

A grass roots effort called "Hall Yes" has formed with the following goals:
1. Generate fan support of the effort to lift baseball's ban on Shoeless Joe and get him inducted into the Hall of Fame.
2. Draw attention to the effort and stand up to Major League Baseball by calling the team "The Greenville Joes" anyway---even though the "official" name is "The Drive".
3. Create a logo and merchandise in support of the effort with profits going to support the campaign, the Joe Jackson Museum and local Little League Baseball leagues.
4. With the ban lifted, clear the way for the team to be renamed "The Greenville Joes"---the first choice name of the fans and the original first choice of Team Management.


Hall Yes bumper stickers, created with the approval of the Shoeless Joe Jackson estate, are being printed now. (See jpeg below). The plan is to make them available through local merchants at a nominal cost. And online.

A website, HallYes.com, with the full story and an online petition is scheduled to go live the week of Dec 12.

On the website, there will be a link to the Greenville Joes store where fans can purchase a variety of team items to show their support of the effort.

Even though the "Hall Yes" website is still being finished, the merchandise section is already up and operating at the link provided below. More items will be added as time goes by. This email is being sent in advance because "Joes" items would make a great Christmas gift for people who wish to support the cause, for any baseball fan----and for anyone who can't stand the name "Drive".

If you know of others who might be interested, please forward this email to them. The whole effort is going to depend on grass roots support and people who are willing to spread the word and "talk it up". So, if you like the idea, consider forwarding this note to everyone on your email list. Because of the association with Shoeless Joe and MLB, this effort will probably get some national exposure, so don't be shy about forwarding to out of town friends.

Here's the link to "JoeStuff".

www.cafepress.com/gvljoes

from: Pat@TenthPlanetAdvertising.com