The meaning of British baseball team names
Collated by Joe GrayTo add the story behind a British baseball team name that you know, please email team.names@gmail.com.
The Bristol Badgers were named with a desire for something that offered a symbol of England, the "spirit" of an animal, and alliteration, while avoiding a standard label of an American sports team. The badger is the largest predator in England and the team felt it had a kind image as a social animal with real fighting spirit. The Bats grew out of the Bristol Badgers as their second team, and the desire remained to combine English wildlife and alliteration, with the pun on baseball equipment being a bonus.
Catford Saints - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
Like a number of squads in Great Britain in the 1930s, the Saints primarily comprised Mormon missionaries. The title was probably tied to the religious conviction of the club.
Chelmsford Clippers - courtesy of Hamzen
Formed in 2009, the Chelmsford Clippers' name recognizes the historical importance of sailing barges in Essex's trade, and also contains an element of self-deprecating humour, with the Los Angeles Clippers being a famously unsuccessful basketball team.
Chelmsford Judges - courtesy of Vince Warner
The Chelmsford Judges were named in commemoration of Sir Nicolas Conyngham Tindal, who was a famous, Chelmsford-born judge of the 19th Century. A large statue of Judge Tindal can be found in Tindal Square in Chelmsford.
Crewkerne Cutters - courtesy of Patrick Carroll
The Crewkerne Cutters operated for 4 years during the 1990s, playing in a league called Baseball Southwest, which was not affiliated with the governing body of the time. The name had two bases. One referred to Crewkerne's history as a textile producing town, particularly of sails and webbing. The other referred to the class of sailing boat called a cutter. The pun on the baseball pitch was a bonus. The team played on a diamond laid out on the playing fields of Wadham School on a hill rising above the town.
Croydon (Borough) Pirates - courtesy of Dave Ward
The Croydon Borough Pirates (later just the Croydon Pirates) were formed in 1981 by Eric Petrie and Pete Paully, with the latter recently returned from the States, where he had followed the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Essex Arrows/Essex Archers - courtesy of David Shaer
Waltham Abbey, site of the home ground of the Essex Arrows and Essex Archers, is where King Harold II is buried. This monarch died during the battle of Hastings, reputedly being shot in an eye by an arrow. The monikers "Arrows" and "Archers" commemorate this event and its links to the area's heritage.
Halton/Liverpool Trojans - courtesy of Norman Wells, Sr
In 1946, a team was formed in Halton by a group of ex-servicemen. The founder members socialised in a pub in West Derby called the Halton Castle, which served beer to a number of other baseball teams, including the Liverpool Robins. It was Alan Robertson, coach of the Robins, who suggested that the group should form a competitive outfit after seeing promise in a friendly between his team and theirs. The Halton Castle served Trojan beer, which was most team members' preferred drink, causing one barmaid to brand the team as "the Trojans in the back room." This label stuck when it came to decide on the official moniker. The Halton Trojans survived until 1958, when they folded owing to a lack of interest. In 1964, the team was re-formed as the Liverpool Trojans, retaining the label from that barmaid's casual remark.
Hornsey Red Sox - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
The club was founded in 1935 by Doug Cowling and at some point in the team's history he wrote to Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey to tell them they had recently named their club the Red Sox. Not long after, Cowling received a letter from Yawkey and Red Sox manager, Joe Cronin, accompanied by a suitcase full of Major League equipment.
Kensington Spirit of '76 - courtesy of Jeff Archer
This team from 1976 was named after a clothing wholesaler that provided financial backing.
London Exiles - courtesy of Jeff Jeffrey
In 1996, a rift in the London Wolves split the first team and the second team, with the "exiled" second-team players leaving to start up the London Exiles in time for the 1997 season.
London Mets - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
The name comes from the Meteors - a softball team belonging to the same club that was founded in 1988. The youth baseball team was first called the Mets and then when it was decided an adult team would be added in 2007, the board insisted on the Mets moniker. The second team - the Metros - is also an offshoot of the original Mets/Meteors names.
Menwith Hill Patriots - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
As a club based on a US military base, the Patriots were named in honour of their affection for their home country.
Milton Keynes Bucks - courtesy of John Tyas
This team name is a play on words, as the name Bucks represents a young stag as well as the shortened name for Buckinghamshire, the county in which Milton Keynes lies.
Oldham Greyhounds - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
Founded by William Brown in 1935, the Oldham squad played their games at the Oldham greyhound Stadium in the Watersheddings area, hence the name.
Oldham North Stars - courtesy of Pete Baxendale
The team was named after the North Star pub, which is the place where the founding meeting took place.
Rudheath Majestics - courtesy of Ioan Said
Previously called the Rudheath Rhinos, this team, which was created to support children in the Rudheath area of Northwich, changed its name to the Rudheath Majestics after the uniform supplier Majestic offered backing.
Ruislip/London Ducks - courtesy of Jeff Archer
These connected teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s were named in an attempt to break the mould of mundane monikers. Jeff Archer, the team's manager, went on to serve as General Manager of the Brunel basketball team in their first year in the national league, in the early 1980s, and the his liking for the Ducks label was carried with him. In 1987, the Brunel Ducks won the National League Basketball Championship Trophy.
Stretford Saints - courtesy of Chris Woodall
During 1947, the year of formation for the Stretford team, the founder members discovered that the remnants of a pre-World War II team was still playing in Swinton, and it was decided that this side would be Stretford's first opponents. Prior to the Stretford team's visit to Swinton, the players were asked to provide a name, and they opted for the Stretford Sioux. When the team arrived at the Swinton ground, however, they found that they were being advertised as the Stretford Saints, because nobody could spell Sioux.
Thespians - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
The team got its name from its players' profession. Primarily made up of American music hall artists who performed in London, the team won national championships in 1893 and 1894.
Watford Sun-Rockets - courtesy of William Morgan
At some point before the 1969 season, a team then known as Barnet Quinta made links with a Watford-based firm called Sun Printers. This explains the "Sun" component of the name. The provenance of the "Rockets" component is explained separately. A US Air Force base in Ruislip passed on their uniforms to the club, and the word "Rockets" decorated the shirts.
West Ham Hammers - courtesy of Josh Chetwynd
Although the West Ham club was not affiliated with West Ham United, the football side was a popular fixture in the area when the baseball club was formed in 1936. The team's owner, LD Wood, actually allowed locals to decide on the team's name and, not surprisingly, the Hammers nickname was chosen.