New (And Old) Minor League Nicknames

The baseball season is fast approaching, and you will be seeing some new, and old, logos and nicknames all around Minor League Baseball. Here's my two cents on some of them.


Bowling Green Hot Rods (A, South Atlantic)- I like this logo and name, despite the fact that it's replacing a great name/logo (Columbus Catfish). It's flashy, but not over the top. I rate it: B+




Salem Red Sox (A, Carolina)- I not only can't stand when a team adopts its MLB affiliate's team name, but when it gets rid of one of the best nicknames (Avalanche) in the Minors, well, that's even worse. I didn't like it when my current employer did it in '05(Cannons became the Nationals), and I don't like it now. Rating: C-




Quad Cities River Bandits (A, Midwest)- This is a team that realized the error of its ways and returned to a classic. Quad Cities was known as the River Bandits until '04, when they became the Swing of the Quad Cities. Horrible name, and 5 years later, a return to the way it should be. Rating: A-




Gwinnett Braves (AAA, International)- Okay, so despite the MLB name, I actually like this logo, and the fact that we didn't lose a good nickname in the deal (Richmond Braves), I guess it's okay. Rating: C+




Winston-Salem Dash (A, Carolina)- Awful. Just awful. This is exactly why you don't let fans vote on team names. We lose the unique Warthogs name and logo, and we're left with this atrocity. No character, no relation to the team, nothing. Rating: F