Here are the 7 finalists for the new name for Battle Creek's baseball team

For the new baseball team coming to Battle Creek, owner Brian Colopy wanted a name that has a local connection, is family friendly, unique and over the top.

With the seven finalists in the Name the Team contest, Colopy thinks he has checked all of those boxes.

"Some fun choices and fun is No. 1 for us," Colopy said. "And the cool thing is that the community gets to choose the name. And from what I have seen, this community has never been able to choose its own name for one of its teams and that's exciting for Battle Creek.

"It’s amazing to see everyone’s ideas. Every decision we make is going to be based around what is best for our fans and this is the first step."

Colopy is the new owner of the Northwoods League baseball franchise in town, formerly known as the Battle Creek Bombers. With a new lease with the City of Battle Creek to continue to operate at C.O. Brown Stadium, there will be a new team name for the franchise, which is now under local ownership.

The fans will get to vote on the new name, picking from one of the final seven choices: Balloon Animals, Cowbells, Crunchers, Doughnuts, Nut Smugglers, Sugartails and Thunder Chickens. Voting begins today and runs through 5 p.m. on Dec. 10. Fans can vote through the Name The Team link on the team website.

The team had over 1,000 submissions from its Name the Team contest.

“The response has blown us away," Colopy said. "All the creativity blew us away. We learned a lot about Battle Creek. You can see it in the names. It covers a lot of different areas, from cereal, to Camp Custer, the Belles and more."

The team released a brief description as to why each name was chosen as a finalist:

Balloon Animals: The Battle Creek Balloon Animals is not only fun to say, but it also connects with two major attractions in the Battle Creek area. The Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival, as well as Binder Park Zoo.

Cowbells: The Cowbells name pays respect to the rich history of both cereal and baseball in Battle Creek in a fun and subtle way. The cow ties back to the milk used to fill cereal bowls. The "bells" part pays homage to the Battle Creek Belles, who were a women’s professional baseball Team that called Battle Creek home from 1951-52 and were famously represented in the film “A League of Their Own."

Crunchers: Well renowned for being the birthplace of the cereal industry, the Battle Creek Crunchers signifies the sound made as one enjoys their favorite morning meal each day.

Doughnuts: Battle Creek Doughnuts pays homage to the "Doughboys" who passed through the Army training center at Fort Custer, formerly known as Camp Custer during World War I. Also, a baseball "doughnut" is a weighted ring that fits over the end of a baseball bat, used for warm-up swings during a game. Finally, nicknamed the "breakfast capital of the world," the Battle Creek area is home to numerous bakeries and donut shops.

Nut Smugglers: The Battle Creek Nut Smugglers connects to the history of Battle Creek through the furry, black squirrels that call the city home, initially brought to Michigan by John Harvey Kellogg. Smugglers is also a reference to the incredible residents of Battle Creek who helped slaves pass through the Underground Railroad, often having to smuggle people through their homes and businesses to help them to freedom.

Sugartails: The black squirrel was introduced to the area in 1915 by Kellogg, who wanted to repopulate the area with the species after their populations were devastated in the previous centuries by predators and human hunters. The “sugar” in Sugartails is a reference to the sweetening of cereal introduced after World War II in order to attract children who would eat cereal for breakfast each day.

Thunder Chickens: What’s a Thunder Chicken, you ask? It is a nickname given to wild turkeys, which are a native species to Michigan. Turkey is plentiful in the area and is also a connection to Cornwell’s Turkeyville, USA, which is known for having the "world's best turkey sandwich." The “thunder” in Thunder Chickens also refers to the world famous U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who can often be seen cruising the skies during the Field of Flight Air Show.

“The creativity fans showed in coming up with name suggestions blew us away," General Manager Tyler Shore said. "It just shows how much this community cares about their baseball team and we are thrilled to have them be a part of selecting the new team name."

Once the weeklong Name The Team vote finishes, there will be a reveal party with the new name and logo.

"I am very excited to see how the vote goes," Colopy said. "We love all of the choices in their own way. We have been debating and going through these for two weeks and beyond. To finally get to the vote is exciting."

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter:@billbroderick

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Here are 7 finalists for the new name for Battle Creek's baseball team