During the American Revolutionary War, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne was noted for his intense, explosive personality. He would later become the army’s General in Chief, a US statesman, and a member of the US House of Representatives, but it was his early military career that earned him the nickname Mad
Category: The Story Behind the Nickname
Dizzy in Michigan: The Story Behind the Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing, Michigan, is known for being an industrial center, home for more than 100 years to Oldsmobile, which was founded as Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897 and produced more than 14 million cars at its Lansing factory before production ceased in 2004. The state capital, Lansing is located in mid-Michigan,
Wide-Eyed in Texas: The Story Behind the Laredo Lemurs
This is an objective, scientifically proven fact: Lemurs are awesome. Also, people love lemurs. It’s science. Here’s another scientific fact for you: Laredo, Texas, is not close to the island nation of Madagascar, which is located in the Indian Ocean and is the only place in the world where lemurs live
The Apple of Our Eye: The Story Behind the Fort Wayne TinCaps
Fort Wayne, Indiana, has two notable claims to fame. First, in 1845, a noted American conservationist named John Chapman died and is buried there (more on him later). Second, on May 11, 1871, the first-ever professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne, when the Fort Wayne Kekiongas beat the Cleveland Forest Citys
Skating in the Swamp: The Story Behind the Florida Everblades
The Everglades, a sweeping, steamy wilderness in south Florida, plays host to an incredible natural diversity. The U.S. National Park there has been designated an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance. It’s known for its mangrove forests and as a breeding ground for hundreds of
It’s a Porcupine Train: The Story Behind the SWB RailRiders
When I first saw the logo for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, which features a porcupine riding a rail, one obvious question leapt to my mind: Where the heck did a porcupine riding a rail come from? Turns out I’m not the only one. I spoke with the team’s president and general manager Rob
South Claw: The Story Behind the Lakewood BlueClaws
The New Jersey shore is one of my favorite places. The annual trip I take there with my family is the highlight of my summer—from the beaches to the fried food to the boardwalk rides to the more fried food. In fact, the only thing I don’t like about the shore is
The Rockford IceHogs: Comfortable in their Own (Hog) Skin
The Rockford IceHogs, American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, know what people say about them, but they’re comfortable with who they are, and they know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. “A lot of people, they go, ‘IceHogs, that’s kind of a stupid name,’” said Mike Peck, the team’s
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are the Picture of Stability
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes have had the same team name and, conceptually, the same logo since their inception in 1993. In minor league baseball terms, this puts the team’s identity roughly on par with prehistoric cave paintings and Betty White—attractive, but really old. In a logo landscape that shifts and
Knights Enjoying Renaissance in Charlotte
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, was named for Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III of the United Kingdom, who held a career 0-1 record in American Revolutionary Wars. And where there are kings and queens, there are knights. So it is that the triple-A minor league
Champing at the Bit: The Story Behind the Vermont Lake Monsters
The last professional baseball team to carry the nickname Expos was not from Montreal, but rather Burlington, Vermont. When the Montreal Expos moved to Washington DC after the 2004 season, the team’s short-season single-A affiliate did not have time to change names before the 2005 campaign started. “When Major League
Birds of Play: The Story Behind the Oklahoma City RedHawks
The triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks play in Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the centerpiece of Oklahoma City’s hopping, rejuvenated, brick-covered Bricktown entertainment district. It’s a beautiful ballpark—voted one of the 10 best in the minors by USA Today readers—and everything about it pays homage to the city’s baseball history. Statues of Mickey Mantle,