Post #13 My top 5 minor league baseball team names

Welcome back to Elliott's Quarantine Quintet!

The minor league baseball farm system is pretty cool. I like how many of the teams are not located in major cities. I am not going to get into the politics and business decision of Major League Baseball deciding to eliminate many minor league teams; suffice it to say I am not happy about it.

There is something extra special when a team's name is not only a cool one but also has local significance.

So here are my top 5 minor league baseball teams that definitely meet both of those qualifications.

    1. Augusta GreenJackets (A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants)

Augusta is famous for hosting the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, and the winner of the Masters gets the iconic green jacket (plus a nice payout; when Tiger Woods won the 2019 Masters, his payout was 2.07 million dollars). So I think its pretty cool that Augusta's minor league baseball team is an homage to that famous piece of clothing (though I don't get why there's no space between the two words). Also of note, Augusta is a city on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, so, while the Masters is played in Georgia, the GreenJackets play in North Augusta, which is in South Carolina.

    2. Akron RubberDucks (AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians)

Akron, Ohio is known as the "Rubber Capital of the World" for being the one-time headquarters of four major tire companies: Goodrich Corporation, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and General Tire (though only Goodyear is still currently headquartered in Akron). And rubber ducks are awesome. This team name also does not have the expected space, so I'm starting to think it probably has something to do with naming conventions for minor league baseball teams. I imagine Akronites are proud to cheer for a team that is named after what made the city famous while also giving the image of a beloved childhood toy.

    3. Round Rock Express (AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros)

This team, who plays its home games in a city a little over 150 miles northeast of Houston is owned by a group which includes Hall of Fame pitcher, and MLB career strikeout leader, Nolan Ryan. Ryan's nickname is "The Express," which I assume is a reference to the speed and power of his pitches. I think it's terrific that the team's name is a nod to its iconic owner, yet not in an overly direct way.

    4. Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies)

New Mexico place in American history might be best known as the location of the then-top-secret Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb and as the site of some early test detonations. There are not many choices for an iconic mascot for a team that plays in Albuquerque, but whoever chose the Isotopes nailed it. And, yes, I did have to look it up to make sure I was spelling Albuquerque correctly.

    5. San Antonio Missions (AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers)

I am not going to deny my partiality to Texas, but it's my blog, so I get to make these choices. I can't think of a more iconic Texas landmark than the Alamo mission in San Antonio. I have no idea how well known the Alamo is outside of Texas, but we here in the Lone Star State certainly remember it. This makes the name of this team a great tribute to its home city and that city's history.


What minor league baseball teams have you seen play live?


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