In a March 2001 episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson staged a nine-day hunger strike to thwart plans by Springfield Isotopes owner Howard K. Duff VIII (of Duff Beer fame) to move the local baseball team to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The ordeal ended with Homer victorious, standing on the outfield grass
Tag: milb
Stinging Sensation: The Story Behind the Salt Lake Bees
The origin of minor league baseball’s triple-A Salt Lake Bees’ nickname traces back a couple thousand years—to the Biblical “land of milk and honey.” Utah’s Mormon settlers called the state “Deseret,” a word from the Book of Mormon that means honey bee in the Jaredite language. It’s the reason the
The Dog Days of Summer: The Story Behind the El Paso Chihuahuas
Admit it, the first time you heard the nickname for one of minor league baseball’s newest teams—the El Paso Chihuahuas, Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres—you thought of Paris Hilton. Or possibly Taco Bell. This is one of the reasons the announcement of the new nickname in El Paso
Holy Sea Cow! The Story Behind the Brevard County Manatees
If the rumors are true, the reason that there’s a minor league baseball team called the Manatees is that fans wanted a Major League team called the Manatees, but the powers that be wouldn’t allow it. Here’s Kyle Smith, general manager of the single-A Brevard County Manatees of the Florida
Everything is Better with Bacon: The Story Behind the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
One of the reasons many minor league baseball teams adopt wacky nicknames is that they want to emphasize the fun, family-friendly atmosphere of a game at their ballpark. As I’ve spoken with representatives from different teams for this series, it’s become clear to me that a lot of minor league
So Cool They Barely Need a Team: The Story Behind the Lake Elsinore Storm
In 2001, the Lake Elsinore Storm, single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, took their unremarkable storm cloud logo and made a terrific decision: They scrapped most of it. But they didn’t scrap all of it. They ditched the cloud and the breezy type and the lightning bolt and even
The story behind the Las Vegas 51s: Coolest logo this side of Gunga City
Here’s how much I like the nickname and logo of the triple-A Las Vegas 51s: I bought myself a 51s hat and shirt, even though I am a Phillies fan and the 51s are a Mets affiliate. I love their primary logo (above), the stand-alone alien head with the baseball seam
The Most Edible Mascot in Baseball: The Story Behind the Montgomery Biscuits
In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that at time of this writing, my wife has had me on a grain-free, sugar-free diet for the better part of a month—and I use the word better loosely. This means no ice cream helmet sundaes, no beer, and for
Rock ‘n’ Roll Cats: The Story Behind the New Britain Rock Cats
If you’re like me, you’ll be humming Stray Cat Strut the rest of the day after reading the story of the New Britain Rock Cats. After all, if ever there was one, Rocky the Rock Cat is a feline Casanova, a ladies’ cat. If they made a movie about Rocky,
Nancy, Sluggo, and Slugger: The Story Behind the Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2014, are among the most consistently popular teams in all of minor league baseball. They have been a fixture in New England since the 1993 expansion of Major League Baseball required the minor leagues to expand as well, first
Of Moose and (Celery) Men: The Story Behind the Wilmington Blue Rocks
The Wilmington Blue Rocks’ name derives from large chunks of rock found in Delaware’s Christina River. How the team went from a name based on lumps of blue-ish granite to logos that feature a moose and a stalk of celery merits some explaining. The first iteration of the Blue Rocks
Brooklyn Cyclones Win the Star Wars Jersey Battle
Durham Bulls, Sacramento River Cats, Toledo Mud Hens… y’all can step aside. The Brooklyn Cyclones just ended the Star Wars uniform contest. On the front of the jersey is a menacing image of Darth Maul surrounded by red and black. Across the front of Maul’s head is “Brooklyn” written in Aurebesh