The Cleburne Railroaders will begin their tenth season in the American Association this spring, and this season will come with a new look. The team invited fans to see the new logo and uniforms at La Moderna Field.
"This is not just a new logo or font but a new chapter," says Sean Decker, president of REV Entertainment, the majority owner of the Cleburne Railroaders.
Decker told fans the franchise "did not meet the standard" last year, going 43-57 and missing the playoffs.
"I want to be clear, I don't think there was a lack of effort, but there was a lack of execution," he said. "I think this refresh of the brand is more about substance and less about style."
Decker said the Railroaders plan "overwhelmingly positive" changes in 2026, including more affordable tickets. He said the team would also add more "premium experiences" and additional food and entertainment options.
"We're going to make tickets less expensive than they've ever been," he said. "This has to be a place where families can gather in this community and are excited to be."
The Railroaders' new logo includes a Texas flag in the middle of the "R", rivets along the side of the R to mimic a railroad line and a "cow catcher" and headlight at the front of the R.
The uniforms also include a "1906" patch to signify the first year of professional baseball in Cleburne.
"This is Cleburne here," one fan said. "The new look is a lot better. That's 1906, not many people exactly know what year it was, and we're growing every day, so let's show them who we are."
The first iteration of the Railroaders won the Texas League championship, but the team disbanded after one season. The current team started play in the American Association in 2017.
"There's great energy," says General Manager Jimmy Frush. "The sense I really got from people is they're genuinely excited to hear somebody who's coming into this role is from Texas and also a baseball guy."
Frush is from Texas but most recently worked in North Carolina as general manager of Learfield's USA Baseball Sports Properties. He says he looks forward to hearing feedback from fans.
"Especially in this first season, I'm going to be very active and encouraging people to share ideas. Talk about your experience," he says. "I think our job is to do the best we can to make this a place people enjoy being a part of."
Frush says he is working with Manager Pete Incaviglia on ideas to keep fans involved with the team to help them get to know players.
"If we can create opportunities that can become special experiences to fans, I just think a new set of ideas can help us consider everything," he says. "But I also look forward to seeing what's already been planned because it really sounds like there's a commitment to making this something the community can feel proud of."
"I've been doing this 20 years now," Incaviglia told fans. "Whether you win a championship or have a down year, you try to look back and say, 'What am I supposed to be learning from this year?' The thing I learned the most is you've got to have players who love to play baseball, who love to being a Cleburne Railroader, love playing in this stadium, love our fans and love our community. Every team I have ever won with or had championships with, and I've done it five times, all of them check that box. They all love to play the game, love where they're playing, the long bus rides. It's a grind, and you've got to love it."
The Railroaders will keep a white jersey as their primary uniform. A red "heritage" jersey is a "direct tribute" to the 1906 team with a Gothic style "R" to match the logo of the first team.
A blue "Cleburne" jersey is "designed as a love letter to the city itself, its bold electric blue reflects the wide, preserving Texas skies over Cleburne."
"They keep it small-town," a fan said after the reveal. "You can sit down next to the field, be face-to-face and recognize the players. They recognize you if you're in the seats much. It's really good to have a one-on-one feeling."
The Cleburne Railroaders open the 2026 season at home against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks May 14. More information is available at https://railroaderbaseball.com/.