97.1 The Ticket -- Minor League Baseball has seen its fair share of wacky names over the years.
As the decades have passed, names have progressively gotten stranger. It used to be the likes of the Toledo Mud Hens, Savannah Sand Gnats and Augusta Green Jackets that were considered rather unique. Now there are names like the Florida Fire Frogs (Atlanta Braves affiliate), Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets) and the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels).
Well, you can add another wild one to the list.
The Tigers' Class A Short Season affiliate formerly known as the Connecticut Tigers? They're now the Norwich Sea Unicorns.
That's right, the Sea Unicorns.
The club announced the re-brand Thursday after a "name the team contest" produced other contenders such as Golden Roses, Mill Mules, Narwhals and Salty Dogs.
The Sea Unicorns will continue to play at the same stadium in Norwich, CT.
"With a new decade comes a new identity, featuring a snarling, tusk-bearing, tattoo-sporting, spear-toting, captain hat-wearing marine mammal,"
the club said on its website.
"2019 was our 10th season as the Connecticut Tigers and the 25th of having Minor League Baseball in Norwich. Now it's time to bring new energy to the ballpark and new excitement around our team," said Sea Unicorns general manager Dave Schermerhorn. "This also coincides with our new [stadium> lease with the City of Norwich, so it's a good time to bring Norwich back into our name, to strengthen our bond and show how proud we are to be based here."
*Seaing* is believing.The Connecticut Tigers are now the Norwich Sea Unicorns!---- https://t.co/fGGgmOV9fA pic.twitter.com/N5Mwa5r4ok
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB)
December 5, 2019 Norwich Sea Unicorns!!! Loving the unis @thecttigers @MiLB @MiLBPromos pic.twitter.com/xjLnLMwOxt
— Jennifer Elizabeth Castro (@LandinosMah)
December 5, 2019 The team had announced plans to rebrand back in April and they received around 700 suggestions from fans, before being narrowed down to the five finalists -- based on two primary criteria: "that the name reflect the history of Norwich as well as the family-friendly brand of entertainment that Minor League Baseball is known for."
Norwich's harbor is a major part of its history, so San Diego-based logo design team Brandiose dug deep into that history.
"It all revolved around the legends told by these Norwich sea captains, the tall tales they brought back and the creatures they had seen along the way, either real or imagined," Schermerhorn said. "Narwhals, colloquially known as sea unicorns, are a living species of whale residing in Arctic waters. Norwich, as well as neighboring New London, were once heavily dependent on the whaling industry."
