The Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies will be known as the Jersey Shore BlueClaws moving forward, the team announced during a VIP event at Convention Hall in Asbury Park on Wednesday.
The move comes with changes to the team’s on-field apparel, including four new hats all to be used moving forward. Additionally, the team announced that it is exercising a 10-year extension on its lease of FirstEnergy Park, which will run through the 2031 season.
Formerly known as the Lakewood BlueClaws, the team has been in Lakewood since 2001 and has been affiliated with the Phillies for 20 seasons.
Several former and current Phillies have spent time in Lakewood with the BlueClaws. Former MVP Ryan Howard was the first Blue Claw to make his major league debut when he joined the Phillies on Sept. 1, 2004. Cole Hamels, Carlos Ruiz and Howard were among the 2008 World Series Championship team members who played in Lakewood at some point in their minor league career.
There has been much uncertainty around the future of Minor League Baseball, and many questions remain unanswered following a lost 2020 season in which no teams were able to play. But Wednesday’s announcement made it clear that the Blue Claws are here to stay.