Despite initial controversy over the name, the Hartford Yard Goats are suddenly hot.
"Everyone’s talking about it," said Danbury resident Monika Burger – "it" being the new logo, with Whalers colors – which is apparently a big hit with the fans and a homerun for the team.
Burger was shopping at the team store in Hartford along with friend Marie Schweitzer, of Berlin.
"A lot of the sizes in the hats are already gone. I was afraid to not get T-shirts, so I grabbed three right away," Schweitzer said.
The team's general manager, Tim Restall, called the response phenomenal and told NBC Connecticut the team kept its store on Trumbull Street open an extra two hours Thursday night to accomodate all the shoppers, who each have their own reasons for now buying in.
"I like the Whalers colors," said Paul Cicero, a Hartford police officer. "Not to sound silly, but it's kind of cute and I wouldn't mind sporting the hat."
Since the logo was unveiled Wednesday, more than 1,000 customers have made purchases, according to Restall, who said the company making the gear called the sales unprecedented.
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"They've never seen any team start out with this kind of reaction," Restall said.
Hartford Yard Goats gear can be purchased at the team store on Trumbull Street next to the XL Center in Hartford, at the Rock Cats stadium in New Britain or online at YardGoatsBaseball.com.
