Take me out to the ball game

What the heck is this?

Sometimes I wonder who is in charge of designing team logos. Some creations just don't make any sense at all. Some, like the one seen here, are just plain creepy.

OK, OK. I know. The nickname for the Chattanooga Double-A minor league baseball team is the Lookouts, thanks mostly because of nearby landmark Lookout Mountain that casts its formidable presence over the city. So there is more than just a little logic to naming the team the Lookouts. In fact, I think it's a great nickname.

Perhaps, alternatively, the team could have been named the River Benders because of the gigantic twist the Tennessee River takes around town. Or the Missionaries, because of another looming geological formation, Missionary Ridge, that hugs the city.

But Lookouts is good. And famous. Lookouts were playing baseball in Chattanooga as far back as 1885. I'm just not so sure about the logo, though. A pair of heavily-lidded, not-too-alert cartoon eyeballs. No clue that it even represents a baseball team. If I were the team logo designer, I'd at least consider using something like binoculars to represent a team called the Lookouts.

The Davidson County Civil War Round Table was in Chattanooga this past weekend to take in historic battlefield sites like Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Chickamauga. Those areas consumed most of our daylight hours. But during the evenings, at least seven or eight of us took in the Lookouts on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Groundskeepers prepare the infield prior to a game with the Smokies.

The team plays its games at AT&T Field, located on the top of a rise that gives a commanding view of the landscape beyond the outfield fence.

And you can't find a better value for your dollar, or in this case, your two dollars. General admission seats are $4, but with a senior citizens discount, you can get in for wallet-saving $2. That's considerably cheaper than a gallon of gas, thus giving you more bang for your emotional mileage.

The Lookouts are the Double-A farm team for the Los Angeles Dodgers. There is an area behind the right field foul line called Lasorda's Landing, named for the iconic former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda. This is a little annoying for a Phillies' fan such as myself, but since I was in enemy territory I tried to make the most of it. So I attempted to blend in with a ballpark hot dog, soft pretzel and a soft drink the best that I could. I don't think I was found out. I even rooted (reluctantly) for the Lookouts in their games against the Tennessee Smokies, a Chicago Cubs' farm team that is from Kodak, TN, just a few miles east of Knoxville.

All in all, the weekend was spectacular. The group got its fill of Civil War history laced with a little baseball.

Now I'm primed for the Winston-Salem Dash and/or the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Anyone coming?