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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Isotopes Pull Sweep With Different Looks on Field

By Randy Harrison
Journal Staff Writer
      Late last year, Fred Matteucci had to play the role of David, reluctantly preparing a sling for Goliath. The Albuquerque businessman and owner of the Dukes baseball trademark since 2004 got a phone call with bad news.
    In an infringement on his ownership of that trademark, a store in a local mall was selling Dukes caps. Not only Dukes caps, but caps made by New Era, the license holder for all minor league and major league teams. But the Dukes are neither, and so Matteucci had to prep for a fight.
    "I sent somebody over there to tell them "You can't do this, because Fred Matteucci's got the trademark," he said Wednesday.
    That began what Matteucci called an expensive, if not protracted, legal process — first to get New Era to "cease and desist" and then to strike up a deal with the company.
    "It was very complicated, because Minor League (Baseball) believes it owns all minor league teams' trademarks, even after they die," said Jim Edgeington, general manager of Zia Graphics, which produces licensed Dukes products for Matteucci.
    New Era is now paying royalties to Matteucci, who agreed to an initial order to cost "five figures," he says. Zia Graphics is also cut in the deal as a vendor. So they've hit the streets of late, the "59Fifty" fitted caps in black, red, and gold with a red bill, all bearing the familiar Dukes logo that became iconic in become the city's baseball history.
    They were timely for Wednesday's Dukes Retro Night, in what has been an annual celebration at Isotopes Park of the city's baseball past.
    The Isotopes wore their own jerseys in the first game one of, essentially, a doubleheader, winning it 16-13 over Sacramento. Then in Dukes jerseys, Dallas McPherson hit a walk-off homer in inning eight of a 7-6 victory, sending home happy the announced attendance of 7,285.
    Many of them came in Dukes hats, jerseys, shirts and tank tops. One of the retail outlets for the hats is Raw Muzik on Central west of Rio Grande. Ivan Winchell, at age 24 the store's owner, said the cap is popular with a largely Hispanic clientele.
    "In about three weeks we've sold about 300 hats with no promotion, all word of mouth," says Winchell, watching the action from his seats down the left-field line. "It's more retro, and it represents the city more than the Isotopes. That's what the people believe."
    A variety of Dukes merchandise, from $5 Dukes pins to outerwear to the $35 caps, was also on sale at the ballpark on a concourse kiosk. The New Era caps are also sold at Fans and New Mexico Look, Zia Graphics' retail outlet.
    Matteucci, who grew up a Dukes fan, secured the rights to the Dukes trademark in 2004 for $1,400 plus attorneys' fees. The trademark was part of the sale of the Dukes franchise to owners who moved it to Portland, Ore., after the 2000 season. But it then lay dormant for two years and became available to the public.
    The night at the ballpark puts the Dukes back on the fans' radar, and Matteucci says he appreciates that.
    "John (Traub, Isotopes general manager) has been very cooperative, and I've been stubborn. I still think they should change the name. But I know it's not going to happen with this organization, and I've bought into that."
   

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