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- SportsGuy789
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While Major League Baseball teams might get all the fame and glory, Minor League Baseball can really pull people together. These “farm teams” help boost community spirit while showcasing local talent and promoting regional economy. Also, thanks to many teams embracing the more goofy nature of the sport by having fun with names, logos, and mascots, they can be very entertaining to watch.
Here are examples of Minor League teams that embody the good-natured fun of the sport by selecting monikers that might be a little wacky or kooky, but represents the people, region, history, and/or culture with a bit of a nod and wink. Sometimes chosen by the owners, and other times chosen by the fans themselves through local contests, these are definitely memorable, to say the least.
Which zany minor league names are your favorites? Albuquerque Isotopes? Montgomery Biscuits? Maybe you're a BlueClaw? Vote now!
- 1
Amarillo Sod Poodles
The winning choice of a "name the team" contest held in 2018, a sod poodle in the nickname pioneers of the past gave prairie dogs, which are prevalent in West Texas. According to Tony Ensor, the Sod Poodles' president and general manager, the name is perfect:
Everything's about family in Amarillo and that's what Minor League Baseball is all about. So doing research into sod poodles, there are a lot of similarities. In the life of a sod poodle, family is the most important and protection of that family. That pioneer spirit and never getting beaten down, that underdog character that withstands everything. That said a lot about the people of Amarillo.
Home run? - 2
Sugar Land Space Cowboys
Originally called the Sugar Land Skeeters (slang for mosquitos), the Sugar Land Space Cowboys got a groovy name upgrade when the Houston Astros bought them in 2003. The name honors both NASA's Johnson Space Center that's just down the road, and the rich cowboy history and culture Texas is known for.
Home run? - 3
Richmond Flying Squirrels
In 2009, The Richmond Times-Dispatch held a contest to rename Virginia's Richmond Braves and to engage the community in the minor league team; more than 15,000 submissions poured in. Beating out other contenders such as Flatheads, Rhinos, Rock Hoppers, and Hush Puppies, the Flying Squirrels was submitted by a fan due to the popularity of the soaring rodents in the area.
Home run? - 4
Albuquerque Isotopes
The New Mexico city Truth or Consequences earned its quirky name in 1950. In 2003, the Albuquerque Isotopes came into being. New Mexico apparently has a rich cultural history of allowing groups of people to name towns and institutions based on contests.
In 2001, the Albuquerque Dukes moved to Portland, OR, and the Calgary Cannons were relocating to Albuquerque and needed a new name. Around the same time, The Simpsons aired the episode “Hungry, Hungry Homer,” where Homer learns that the Springfield Isotopes might move to Albuquerque. For a city filled with Simpsons fans with a good sense of humor, it was serendipitous.
The Albuquerque Isotopes were an immediate hit. Isotope Park opened in 2003 and figures of the famous family adorn the stadium.
Home run? - 5
Rocket City Trash Pandas
In 2018, a local contest to name the Madison, AL, team earned them the new moniker of Rocket City Trash Pandas, but it wasn't due to the popularity of Guardians of the Galaxy and its heroic raccoon, Rocket. The deep-seated love residents had for the local varmint gave it the upper hand when it came to voting, beating out competitors ThunderSharks, Moon Possums, Space Chimps, and Comet Jockeys.
Home run? - 6
Montgomery Biscuits
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Double-A affiliate in Montgomery, AL, got its memorable moniker from a 2003 naming contest. Team owners Sherrie Myers and Tom Dickson picked the Biscuits from all the suggestions because, as Myers quipped, “Biscuits - how much more Southern can you get?”
However, Myers revealed, when the name was first announced, it didn't go over quite as well as they'd hoped. “When we announced the Biscuits in 2003 you could hear a pin drop… and we were on a stage in this huge summer concert area," she recalled, adding that although some fans wanted something serious and revered, “instead they got campy and delicious.”
Home run? - 7
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
After Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania was granted a minor league baseball team in 2008, the region turned to the public for name suggestions. The local newspaper, The Morning Call, whittled it down to eight for folks to vote upon, including the Crushers, the Gobblers, the IronPigs, the Keystones, the Phantastics, the Phillies, the Vulcans, and the Woodchucks.
The winner was the IronPigs, a name derived from the term “pig iron," a crude form of iron used in creating steel or wrought iron.
Home run? - 8
Akron RubberDucks
More than just a cute name, the Akron RubberDucks pays tribute to the historical significance of the rubber industry in the Ohio city. Akron earned the nickname “Rubber Capital of the World" thanks to becoming home to rubber companies and tire industries such as Goodyear and Firestone.
RubberDucks owner Ken Babby reinforced the idea of celebrating Akron's historical significance while also enjoying creativity with the name. “We wanted to do something that was fun and entertaining while honoring the heritage of this great community.”
Home run? - 9
Fort Wayne Tin Caps
This minor league team from Fort Wayne, IN, looked to their past for inspiration when it came to choosing a name. Back in 2009, the team opted to honor local folk hero and pioneer legend Johnny Appleseed, known for sometimes wearing a tin pot on his noggin. As a result, his distinct look was worked into both the name and the logo of the team.
As team president Mike Nutter explained:
In Minor League Baseball, you have the opportunity to create a brand that with a true regional flavor. Johnny Appleseed, while known nationally, is a regional pioneer and folk hero. His story, and the history of this area, gives us an identity that is distinctively Fort Wayne.
Home run? - 10
Jersey Shore BlueClaws
Located in Lakewood, NJ, which is known for its blue crab fishing, the BlueClaws are named for the shellfish that made the area famous. The Jersey Shore area is known for an abundance of blue crab along the harbor area, and the team wanted to honor the region and the people who made a living from this resource.
Home run? - 11
Quad Cities River Bandits
Featuring Rascal the masked raccoon in their logo, the Quad Cities River Bandits was a return to form after the River Bandits had previously changed their name to Swing of the Quad Cities in 2004. Prior to that, the moniker was Quad City River Bands.
In 2007, when the team changed hands, the owners let fans pick the name, and an overwhelming majority wanted their beloved River Bandits back, with the only change being the pluralization of “Quad City” to “Quad Cities," representing the four cities along the Mississippi River.
Based in Davenport, IA, the team's name of “River Bandits” refers to the gun-slinging hooligans known as prairie bandits - sometimes called “Banditti of the Prairie” - who murdered Colonel George Davenport on July 4, 1845.
Home run? - 12
The Hartford Yard Goats
A goat is considered a stubborn animal known for the ability to eat anything in its path, while a “yard goat” is old-timey railyard slang for an engine that helps switch train cars from one locomotive to another. Chosen from a contest with thousands of submissions, the Yard Goats was seen as a perfect name because the team's new stadium was built on an old railroad yard, allowing the new moniker to pay homage to the city's history.
Home run? - 13
Tri-City Dust Devils
Once known as the Portland Rockies, when the team was based in the large Oregon city, its name became the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2001 when it relocated to Pasco, WA. Dust devils, also called dirt devils, are harmless little whirlwinds that pop up throughout the area. And the “Tri-City” part of the name refers to Pasco and its closest neighbors, Kennewick and Richland.
Home run? - 14
Cedar Rapids Kernels
In 1993, Cedar Rapids embraced its Iowa roots as a farming community and the corn-processing capital of the world when a 1993 contest gave its minor league baseball team the chance to rebrand. Thus, from the ashes of the Cedar Rapids Reds, the Cedar Rapids Kernels were born. Featuring the image of a surly bat growing from an ear of corn, the team's name represents the state's best-known export.
Home run? - 15
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
Featuring a muscled mussel pointing to where his homerun is going to land, the Mighty Mussels - an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins - changed their name from the Miracles, which is believed to have come from Miami’s Miracle Mile shopping area, before the team relocated to Fort Myers, FL.
Bob Ohrablo, president of Zawyer Sports, the company that owns the team, explained the choice of using a double entendre:
The name ‘Mighty Mussels’ conveys a sense of strength and fortitude while being reflective of the natural environment that surrounds us, and Southwest Florida deserves a team name that establishes its own identity.
Home run? - 16
Everett AquaSox
Once known as the Everett Giants when the team's parent club was in San Francisco, the AquaSox began a new relationship with the Seattle Mariners in 1995 and moved to the eponymous city.
The team wanted a name to reflect their new home, which was almost constantly damp and soggy due to rain. Thus, the AquaSox name was born. And to cement their bond with their new parent team, the Mariners, the “E” in “Everett” is a version of the classic Mariners logo turned on its side.
Home run? - 17
Omaha Storm Chasers
The tale behind this twisted team name is from a contest in which fans chose the term for fanatics who chase weather phenomena, whereas most teams just go for the event itself (e.g., the Hurricanes, the Cyclones, the Thunder). In a press release announcing the name change to the Storm Chasers, general manager Martie J. Cordaro explained:
The team name recognizes the importance of weather in the metro area and across the state. It also, in a whimsical way, pokes a little fun at the variety of weather we experience here.
Omaha, NE, is part of what's known as Tornado Alley, which has become a sacred ground for many actual storm chasers.
Home run? - 18
El Paso Chihuahuas
Bearing the visage of an angry little pupper as part of their brand, the El Paso Chihuahuas team is named not just for the miniature dogs known to be fierce, loyal, and fun, but also from the nearby Chihuahuan Desert. At the time of the name unveiling, team manager Tim Hagerty stated, "A chihuahua might be the smallest dog on the block, but he’s not intimidated by anybody.”
Home run? - 19
Hillsboro Hops
When one thinks of baseball, certain foods and drinks usually pop to mind: peanuts, hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, and - for many adults older than 21 - beer. So, when this Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate opted to rebrand, the team chose one of the four main ingredients in the bubbly beverage as its moniker as a nod to the craft brewing in the area around Hillsboro, OR, and to create a unique name to set itself apart.
It worked. The Hillsboro Hops were an immediate hit with hopheads, who bought up the merch as quickly as it was offered for sale.
Home run? - 20
Charleston RiverDogs
Chosen from a contest held by South Carolina Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in 1993, the term “river dogs” refers to the rodents nicknamed “river rats” that scurry along the banks of the nearby Cooper and Ashley rivers. However, probably in an effort to appeal to more families, the RiverDogs went with a yellow dog for their logo in lieu of a nutria (AKA coypu), the actual semi-aquatic rodent incorrectly called a rat.
Home run?
