Chattanooga Lookouts will look a lot like the L.A. Dodgers this year

AT&T Field is the home stadium of the Chattanooga Lookouts.
AT&T Field is the home stadium of the Chattanooga Lookouts.

The Chattanooga Lookouts are just a couple of months away from embarking on their first season as Class AA affiliates of the Minnesota Twins.

Yet they will still look a lot like the Los Angeles Dodgers.

photo Lookouts pitcher Yimi Garcia (10) delivers a pitch in the first game of a double header aginst the Jacksonville Suns in 2013.

Due to the pending change in ownership this offseason, the Lookouts will be wearing the same uniforms this year as they have since 2009. Chattanooga's six-year partnership with the Dodgers followed a 21-year relationship with the Cincinnati Reds, with the Twins representing the first American League parent club of the Lookouts since the Seattle Mariners in 1987.

"It's a timing issue for us, and it's a timing issue for our uniform company," Lookouts general manager Rich Mozingo said Tuesday. "There is only so much they can do, and if you are going to change things, Minor League Baseball sets deadlines that we could not reach in order to make changes for this season."

The Lookouts have been owned by Frank Burke since 1995, but Atlanta-based general partners Jason Freier and John Woods purchased the team in December for a reported $12 million to $13 million. The sale must be approved by the Southern League, Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball, and that process could be completed within the next several days.

"We didn't just miss this by a week or two," Mozingo said. "We missed it by a bunch. Some of these deadlines can be before the prior season ends."

One simple alteration that will take place is the removal of the "LA" on each Lookouts jersey sleeve, which now will contain a Twins logo.

"It's not ideal, but it's not an issue at all," Twins farm director Brad Steil said Tuesday night. "Our four full-season clubs have different colors, and Rich has been great about keeping us updated on the situation. It's a sensible decision considering the circumstances."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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