There are few trends in sports more pronounced than minor league baseball teams abandoning their parent club’s brand in favor of a unique nickname appropriate to the local community. So shortly after the 2014 season, when the Oklahoma City RedHawks announced that they would take on the name of their
Category: Minor League Baseball
Junior Hockey Jersey Battle on the Ball Diamond
The Quebec Capitales of baseball’s independent Can-Am League are no stranger to bringing ice to the ballpark. Once again the Capitales and their opponents will don jerseys paying tribute to their respective local hockey teams — for 2016 the Capitales will wear uniforms based off of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL
Gimme Some Fin: The Story Behind the Daytona Tortugas
For 22 seasons, the Florida State League was home to the Daytona Cubs. But after the 2014 season, when Chicago switched its High-A affiliate from Daytona to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the team in Daytona signed on with the Cincinnati Reds and started the process of developing a new identity. “We
Columbia Fireflies to celebrate Carolina connection to Prince
In 2011, Prince performed a concert in Columbia, South Carolina, the hometown of his drummer, John Blackwell. After the concert, Prince donated a quarter-million dollars to a charity called the Eau Claire Promise Zone, which benefits preschoolers in the city’s poorer neighborhoods. Since then, the donation has had a substantial effect.
Blue Wahoos to go as Pensacola Mullets on What If Night
There’s an alternate universe in which the Double-A baseball team in Pensacola, Florida, is called the Mullets. In our universe, when fans voted back in 2012 on a team name, Blue Wahoos was chosen over Mullets, Aviators, Redbones, Salty Dogs, and Loggerheads. But this week, the team will take the pan-dimensional journey to that
Top cat no more: Lynchburg Hillcats changing names
The Lynchburg Hillcats, High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, are playing their last season with their current nickname. The team announced this week that after 21 seasons with their current nickname, they’re holding a name-the-team contest to decide on a new name for next season and beyond. The open submission
If Pigs Could Fly: The Story Behind the Texas AirHogs
When the Grand Prairie AirHogs debuted on May 8, 2008, against the Saint Paul Saints, their unusual name warranted an explanation in the game’s media notes. The AirHogs, a brand-new independent franchise based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, were visiting Minnesota to take on one of the American Association’s classic teams, the Saints,
Frederick Keys, Lynchburg Hillcats to wear Hey Arnold! jerseys
Minor league baseball jerseys based on pop culture are a dime a dozen these days, but every once in a while, one stands out. The Frederick Keys, High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, will take to the field on 90s Nickelodeon Night Friday, June 17, in jerseys featuring the title
Introducing your Binghamton Bronies? (No, Not Really)
We put this story out there in the world with the knowledge that most minor league baseball name-the-team contests are a total farce, and there’s a 95 percent chance that the Binghamton Mets already know what their team name is going to be next season, but the Double-A Binghamton Mets are
Back to the Salt Mines: The Story Behind the Lincoln Saltdogs
The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, has a lot going for it. With a quarter-million residents, it’s the state capital (its skyline is highlighted by the nation’s second-tallest capitol), it’s home to the University of Nebraska, it hosts an expanding tech industry, and it’s named for a president who guided the United
Lakewood BlueClaws to wear Harry Potter jerseys
We’ve been inundated with minor league baseball promotions featuring Star Wars and Ghostbusters jerseys this year, so when a team decides to take on another cultural icon, it kind of catches us off guard. Next Friday night…yes… #HarryPotter Night with jerseys and a Snitch Baseball Giveaway https://t.co/kS0DfHmCWn pic.twitter.com/BiWLceUdmA — Jersey
Nothing Normal about them: The story behind the Cornbelters
Stretching across the plains of the midwestern United States, you’ll find a part of the continent defined in many ways by its most prominent crop. Last year, four states produced more than a billion bushels of corn each: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. “They refer to it as the Corn