A stroll in the graveyard of forgotten MiLB team names
Thursday, November 12
Welcome to the Baseball Traveler newsletter. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham was born on this date in 1876, so please read this edition while enjoying a cup of coffee.
To be alive is to ask the question, "What could’ve been?" How would things have turned out if, at a key moment, a different decision had been made? Minor League Baseball teams are not immune to this common source of agita. For every team identity, there are many others that were considered but ultimately rejected.
Some of these forsaken names have been brought to life via "What Could’ve Been" promotions, in which teams spend an evening embracing a path not taken. Many others have been relegated to the dustbin of history, celebrated by no one, remembered by few.
Let us now travel through the graveyard of rejected Minor League team names, primarily focused on identities briefly resurrected for a What Could've Been-style theme night. There are many more where these came from, and innumerable others we'll never know.
Bowling Green Cave Shrimp (Bowling Green Hot Rods, High-A TB)
The Hot Rods debuted in 2009 after relocating from Columbus, Ga., with their arrival preceded by a Name the Team contest. The most intriguing possibility among the finalists was Cave Shrimp, celebrating the sightless albino shrimp found in nearby Mammoth Cave. The team staged a Cave Shrimp salute during their inaugural 2009 season and this, Minor League Baseball's first "What Could've Been Night," was named MiLB.com’s "Promotion of the Year."
Also considered: Speedsters, Bluegills, Turbos, Sparkplugs, Mammoths
Lynchburg Love Apples (Hill City Howlers, Single-A CLE)
In 2016, Lynchburg's team announced that they were considering a rebrand but ultimately decided to stick with the Hillcats (a moniker that endured until they became the Hill City Howlers prior to the 2026 campaign). This decision to stay the course deprived the Minor Leagues of an exquisitely absurd identity: the Love Apples. This, a tribute to Thomas Jefferson's description of a tomato after he allegedly became the first person in Virginia to eat one, was one of the finalists in the Name the Team contest.
Also considered: Derechos, Doves, Lambchops, River Runners
Worcester Wicked Worms (Worcester Red Sox, Triple-A BOS)
When Boston’s Triple-A affiliate was in Pawtucket, they were named the Red Sox but referred to as the PawSox. When they moved to Worcester following the 2019 season, they retained the Red Sox name but became known as the WooSox. It may have seemed like an obvious choice, but the team considered many other options along the way. One was the Wicked Worms, which was resurrected as an alternate identity in 2023. This referenced Worcester's longstanding "Worm Town" nickname, originally derived from train schedule abbreviations and popularized by punk rock DJ Leonard B. "Worm" Saarinen in the late '70s.
Also considered: Rocket Sox, Night Owls, Dirt Dogs, Gritty Kitties, Green Bananas
Pensacola Mullets (Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Double-A MIA)
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos were almost named the Mullets. This moniker, referencing both a type of fish and a hairstyle, was described by the team as a "close runner-up." The Mullets made their on-field debut in a 2016 "What-If Night" promo, and beginning in 2022 the team has played as such for every Thursday home game. Yes, the logo features a fish rocking an iconic "business in the front, party in the back" haircut.
Also considered: Redbones, Salty Dogs, Aviators, Loggerheads
Binghamton Stud Muffins (Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Double-A NYM)
Binghamton is home to six vintage carousels, thanks to the long-ago beneficence of a local industrialist. Rumble Ponies, a name adopted in 2016 following decades in which the team was known as the Mets, is a nod to this claim to fame. It was not the only carousel-themed identity among the slate of finalists, which also included Rocking Horses and, yes, Stud Muffins. This latter name, a celebration of "the collection of carousel horses belonging to Binghamtonians" was first utilized as an alternate identity in 2019.
Also considered: Bullheads, Gobblers, Timber Jockeys
El Paso Desert Gators (El Paso Chihuahuas, Triple-A SD)
Did you know that San Jacinto Plaza, a park in El Paso, was once home to a congregation of alligators? This bit of bizarre local history led to the inclusion of Desert Gators as one of El Paso's Name the Team finalists in 2013. Chihuahuas prevailed, of course, but the team staged a Desert Gators "What Could Have Been Night" promo in 2016.
Also considered: Aardvarks, Buckaroos, Sun Dogs
New Hampshire Primaries (New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A TOR)
Of all the "what if" scenarios in Minor League Baseball, perhaps this one looms the largest. Prior to the 2004 season, the name of Manchester, N.H.'s new Eastern League team was announced as the Primaries. This unique moniker, honoring New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary elections, was met with heavy criticism from fans and local media alike. The team, adhering to the principles of democracy, surrendered to the will of the people and held a new Name the Team contest in which Fisher Cats emerged triumphant. The Fisher Cats first played a game as the Primaries in 2007 and now do so in every presidential election year. It's a bipartisan affair, with a logo that features both a donkey and an elephant.
Also considered: Manchester Millers, Granite State Mountain Men, New Hampshire Granite
Before the New York Yankees were Yankees, they were Highlanders.
The Yankees' Triple-A affiliate has rebranded as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders, resurrecting their parent club's original moniker while adding elements specific to the Northeast Pennsylvania region they call home.
READ ABOUT THE SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE HIGHLANDERS HERE
Oh, and while we’re on the topic of new looks: The Breakfast Tacos, a San Antonio Missions alternate identity, will make their debut on April 16.
The first Minor League Baseball game I ever attended was the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 1989 at Lackawanna County Stadium. It was the team's inaugural season, but I did not know that. It was all new to me. My grandparents had recently moved to the Poconos and I thought it was really cool to see the Triple-A affiliate of my favorite team, the Phillies. The ballpark had the same dimensions as Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, as well as the same unforgiving artificial turf.
My first "professional" visit to see the team was in 2014. At that point they were a Yankees affiliate named the RailRiders, and the ballpark, essentially torn down and rebuilt, was named PNC Field.
My favorite ballpark feature at PNC Field is the woodsy outfield berm, dotted with trees and rocks and located adjacent to mountainous terrain. Speaking of which, this bit of graffiti I spotted in the home clubhouse stipulated that "Mountain Man was here." To be fair, Mountain Man (a peripheral Duck Dynasty character) had visited Minor League ballparks all over the country that season. Mountain Man was everywhere.
For a fully immersive blast from the past, check out my 2014 Ben's Biz Blog post chronicling my visit to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If you'd like to share your own Scranton/Wilkes-Barre baseball memories or request a future team to be highlighted in an archival section of this newsletter, email me benjamin.hill@mlb.com
Thank you for being here, I appreciate it. Get in touch via email at benjamin.hill@mlb.com and please follow me on Instagram (@thebensbiz), X (@bensbiz) and Bluesky (@bensbiz.bsky.social). I await your correspondence.
Contact Benjamin Hill
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