The Florida Fire Frogs have ambition. First, they’re one of only a handful of minor league baseball teams named for an entire state. A few others spring to mind, like the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Arkansas Travelers, and Connecticut Tigers—and hey, the Carolina Mud Cats are named for two states—but
Category: The Story Behind the Nickname
In the Hunt: The Story Behind the Down East Wood Ducks
The story behind the brand-new Down East Wood Ducks, a brand-new Single-A team in the Carolina League, needs to be addressed in two parts: 1. Where exactly is Down East? and 2. What is a Wood Duck? First, as a geographic signifier for a sports team, “Down East” is probably as
Northwestern Exposure: The Northwest League’s New Logo
If you’ve been to the Pacific Northwest, you will immediately recognize the color palette featured in the new logo for Minor League Baseball’s Northwest League. Placid blues and greens (and if we’re being honest, grays) surround you at every turn. Countless waterways and sprawling forests and (when the skies clear
Uh Oh, It’s Magic: The 2017 Baseball Winter Meetings Logo
Every December since 1901, executives, owners, general managers, scouts, hot dog vendors, and job seekers from Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball’s collective 190 teams convene for four days for the sport’s Winter Meetings. The event has become a media extravaganza, culminating with the Rule 5 Draft, when the
Glow in the Park: The Story Behind the Columbia Fireflies
From mid-May to mid-June, Congaree National Park in South Carolina is home to a rare natural display that can only be seen in a few places around the world. The mating rituals of Photinus carolinus—also known as synchronous fireflies—create a hot, steamy, Christmas-in-Springtime wonderland of lightning bugs blinking in unison. The
Tapping into Something Special: The Story Behind Five Tool Ale
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league in the upper midwest made up of 20 teams and, as of this season, one craft beer. The league, whose alumni include Max Scherzer, Ben Zobrist, and Curtis Granderson, features teams like the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, Rochester Honkers, and Mankato Moondogs, to name a
Explosive Brand: The Story Behind the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
The year 1997 saw the movies Titanic and Men in Black take Hollywood by storm. The TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Teletubbies, and South Park premiered. Hanson was singing MMM Bop, the Back Street Boys were making their United States debut, and the first Harry Potter book was published. And
In Training: The Story Behind the Hartford Yard Goats
The Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, are named for the most unglamorous, squat, workhorses of railroad locomotives. In the rail industry, yard goats, or switchers, hardly ever leave the rail yard. Instead, they toil in obscurity, spending their days moving trains around to get them ready
Sweet New Logo: The Story Behind the New Orleans Baby Cakes
It’s possible that the New Orleans Baby Cakes are the first team in sports whose logo is a cartoon representation of a plastic toy that many people think represents baby Jesus. Let me explain. Until this season, the Baby Cakes franchise, Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, had been known as
Bucking Trends: The Story Behind the Memphis Redbirds
In a minor league baseball landscape of increasingly outrageous logos and team names, the St. Louis Cardinals farm system is unusual. Three of the Cardinals’ six affiliates are named directly for their parent club, including Double-A Springfield, High-A Palm Beach, and Rookie League Johnson City. Two of the three Cardinal affiliates with unique names are the
Rocking Horse: The Story Behind the Binghamton Rumble Ponies
A lot of small towns proclaim themselves the Something Capital of the World. There are multiple cities that claim the title of Blueberry Capital of the World, Music Capital of the World, or Financial Capital of the World, to name a few—but only one city lays claim to the title
Big Little Logo: The Story Behind the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Whenever the term “oxymoron” comes up, “Jumbo Shrimp” seems to be the first example people can think of. “Jumbo” means big, “Shrimp” means little. In a way, the oxymoronic nature of the term makes it a perfect fit for the name of a minor league baseball team that plays in the biggest little