In a Maepisode called “Hungry, Hungry Homer,’’ Homer Simpson went on a hunger strike to thwart the move of the fictional Springfield Isotopes to Albuquerque. It was invented by the writers of “The Simpsons.” Perhaps no team has a more unique origin for its nickname than the Isotopes. “Everybody is looking for unique,’’ Greene said. Greene had never heard of a Chukar, but once he found out it was an Idaho game bird, he thought it was a good idea and fans grew to like it. That’s when the team’s radio broadcaster threw out the idea of Chukars. “Every county in the nation has a high school team named the Eagles,’’ he said. The winner? The Eagles, which Idaho Falls GM Kevin Greene didn’t think was a good choice. ![]() The Idaho Falls team had a name-the-team contest after the 2003 season when they changed their affiliation from the San Diego Padres to the Kansas City Royals. It’s a reference to the agricultural s community in the area because almonds, walnuts and pistachios are grown there. The Modesto Nuts adopted their nickname after the Modesto Athletics switched affiliation to the Colorado Rockies in 2005 (though they’re currently affiliated with the Seattle Mariners). 2 cap last year and ranked 30th in attendance with an average of 5,745 a game. He said the idea is for fans – especially kids – to have positive memories of their visit to the ballpark, whether their team wins or loses. Parnell added: “We’re not in the baseball business. “You have to plan for the Bad News Bears to show up.” “It’s much more than about winning and losing,’’ said Todd Parnell, the chief operating officer of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, who changed their name after moving from Connecticut in 2010. And they can’t promote winning because there’s no guarantee the parent club will assign them top prospects. It’s difficult for minor league teams to promote players because they may leave at a moment’s notice. The parent club decides which players to assign and when they will play. Quirky nicknames are popular with minor league executives, who have little control of the baseball side of the operation. The Rubber Ducks ranked 47th in minor league baseball attendance last year, averaging 5,074 per game. That figure jumped to 4,221 in 2013 and has topped 5,000 the last three seasons. ![]() The year before Babby bought the the team, it averaged 3,772 fans per game. He bought the Akron Aeros in 2013 and changed them to the Rubber Ducks at the end of that season.Ī year ago the franchise won the 50th annual Larry MacPhail Award for the minor league team that has demonstrated unique and creative promotional efforts. ![]() This isn’t the first time Babby changed a team’s name. “We don’t want to take ourselves too seriously,’’ he said. “It helps to energize the brand.’’Īnd Taylor prefers quirky nicknames. “Sometimes you need a fresh coat of paint,’’ Traub said. John Traub, vice president/general manger of the Albuquerque Isotopes, agrees the name change may work for the Suns. He thinks there will be more fans wearing Jumbo Shrimp gear at the Baseball Grounds this summer and the new name will create more buzz around the team. Still, Taylor believes the name change will be a success. The Pensacola News-Journal called it a “Dumbo’’ name. Thousands of fans signed a petition on protesting the new name. The move was controversial because the Suns had one of the more recognized names in minor league baseball. Jacksonville joined the parade at the end of last season when new owner Ken Babby changed his team’s name from Suns to Jumbo Shrimp. There are the Iron Pigs, Isotopes, Grasshoppers, Flying Squirrels, Tin Caps, T-Bones, Lugnuts, Wingnuts, Nuts, Chukars, Lake Monsters, Timber Rattlers, Sea Dogs and SeaWolves. The team has 70,000 followers on Facebook and was 10 th in minor league attendance last year, attracting an average of 7,832 in a park that seats 7,200.Īlthough a few iconic nicknames remain popular ( Durham Bulls, Toledo Mud Hens), unusual nicknames are all the rage in minor league baseball. The El Paso team cap was voted the “Best Cap in the Minor Leagues’’ last year in a poll on mlb.com. ![]() In two months, they were selling team merchandise in all 50 states and several countries. He said he told the team owners, “Stay strong.’’ When Brad Taylor, the general manager of the El Paso minor league baseball team decided to call the team the Chihuahuas in 2013 after it moved from Tucson, he knew there would be criticism.
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