The Connecticut Tigers are rebranding. The short-season A-ball affiliate of the Detroit Tigers will undergo a name change for the 2020 season. Playing at Dodd Field in Norwich since 2010, when the Defenders left for Richmond, the Tigers have thought of deviating away from the parent name once before, after the inaugural season in 2010.
Now they are making a change for real, and the team wants your input. Like the Yard Goats did in Hartford, fans can submit their ideas for what the new name should be. Later this summer the top choices will be announced and, from there, a vote will take place to determine the winner. Here are our ideas for what the Tigers should be called in 2020:
Seawolves:
Like the short-lived Arena Football League team in Hartford, the Seawolves encapsulates New London County. The USS Connecticut is a seawolf-class submarine ordered in 1991 in Groton and launched in 1997. The Connecticut and the Seawolf are two of three seawolf-class fast attack submarines in the Navy.
Boomers:
Off the same submarine theme, a ballistic missile sub is also known as a boomer. There are 18 in service in the United States, all of the Ohio class. At the very least, if this isn’t the team mascot for the Seawolves, we’re going to have a problem.
Harbor Cats:
Historic downtown is centered around the harbor where the Thames, Shetucket and Yantic Rivers meet. Playing off this is a nice little ode to the town, while the cat… well… pick an animal. It’s minor league baseball – the wackier, the better.
Renegades:
A renegade is someone who deserts and betrays, aka a traitor. And what more famous traitor in American history is there than Norwich native Benedict Arnold? Hopefully 250-ish years is enough time to not harbor any bad feelings. And hey! There could be a promotion where mascot Benedict Arnold always loses an in-game event like a race.
Lobster Rolls:
Admittedly, this one is cheating, because this name existed once. Last July the Tigers re-branded for a single game as the Lobster Rolls. According to Brandiose – the company who designed the Lobster Roll look and will design whatever wins this contest – it honors Connecticut’s fishing heritage. The look is already there and it was a hit – go full-time with it!
