I’m writing this from an Airbnb in Chicago. It was my youngest’s first trip to Wrigley. We have the certificate to prove it. She was very proud of that parchment. Showed it to everyone- pacifier firmly in mouth. Her sister asked me why the team is named the Cubs and though it’s not the most interesting answer for a kid, it got me thinking about the old ways of baseball teams acquiring their names over time as nicknames.
The Chicago Baseball Club earned a few nicknames from the press over its long history- White Stockings, Colts, and eventually the Cubs. The first because of socks, and the latter two simply highlighting the youth of the team. The Brooklyn Base Ball Club was initially nicknamed The Grays, but eventually picked up the more colorful nickname Trolley Dodgers… now the Dodgers. These are just my favorite two examples.
So how about the Raleigh Baseball Club as the initial name? Allow the nicknames to develop over time. Eventually one might stick. Is this likely? No. Is it historical and traditional? Yes. As traditional as organ music between pitches.
Let me sidetrack this discussion in service of an old-man take on noise in the ballpark. For most games I prefer cutting it as close to first-pitch as possible. For this Cubs game we obviously wanted to get in early to soak up the experience… but the pregame experience is rather different than the in-game experience. It’s loud like a hockey game, with promo’s and hype music. Then the game starts and it’s soft organ and quiet chatter. I mentioned it was an old-man take. Get off my quiet baseball field lawn!
While the “Raleigh Baseball Club” may be as unlikely as installing an organ, I think the primary benefit is that the nicknames develop organically over time. The naming of the team is the topic that sparks the most enthusiastic response from everyone. Any conversation I have with people about the idea of MLB in Raleigh immediately dives into potential names. For locals it may be slightly edged out by the topic of where the ballpark should be, but it’s close. Continuing the conversation through the early years of the team might maximize that energy. Contests can be held. Voting can continue. Fans can hope for their favorite name to win out in the end.
Branding shmanding. No, that’s a definite strike against not choosing a specific name. Branding, marketing, mascots, national name recognition… all important factors for a new team. Although these investments can be wasted on a stupid or less-than-inspired name.
The most prominent recent use of a location name is the Washington Football Team. Did it sound silly? Yes, but part of that was due to the undoing of an established name. “The Commanders” is the result of pausing the renaming. It’s okay. Could be better, could be worse. You really have to think through nicknames when choosing the name-name though. The Commies is a weird (though obvious) nickname for that team. My take on that whole situation was to pivot to tubers. Washington Redskin Potatoes! Most of the branding could stay, and the food options would have a strong theme. In the end, the Washington team doesn’t do much for my take here.
Location naming is most widespread throughout soccer. While the “Washington Football Team” sounds out of place, something like the “Washington Soccer Club” would fit right into that sport. But baseball is not soccer. The Raleigh Baseball Club… The Raleigh Baseball Team… is very likely to be named immediately. I accept that. But it is fun to think of the nicknames that could come and go if given a few years of ambiguity.
