What should Spartanburg's new baseball team be named? We have some ideas. What are yours?
Spartanburg is buzzing with excitement about a new downtown stadium and the return of Minor League Baseball.
One of the most common questions asked around town and on social media is, "Will the team still be the Wood Ducks or will they have a new name?"
While no information has been provided about the team's rebranding or the renaming process in Spartanburg, curious baseball fans can learn a lot from the names and naming of other teams.
For example, when the Down East Wood Ducks, then the High Desert Mavericks, moved to Kinston, North Carolina, a fan contest was held to choose the new mascot, with the Wood Duck being chosen from a list of finalists. The wood duck is a local animal, and “Down East” is a nickname for Kinston’s region.
WNCT reported has reported that Kinston Mayor Don Hardy wants to keep the Down East Wood Ducks name for future team-naming rights.
Local wildlife, city nicknames, historical references and more are on the table when it comes to Minor League team names and mascots. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the Richmond Flying Squirrels are among the most creative names, currently, in the minors.
Below are some of the prevailing trends in the Carolina League and how we think they could play out in Spartanburg.
But first ...
What to know: Here's how Spartanburg landed a Minor League baseball team, downtown stadium project
Spartanburg baseball history: Rich tradition at Duncan Park
What would you name the Spartanburg's new baseball team?
The Herald-Journal wants to know what you would name Spartanburg's new baseball team. Take our reader survey and share your ideas for the new team.
Want to share more about your pick? Email reporter Samantha Swann at sswann@shj.com. Readers' favorite names will be shared in an article this month.
City names or nicknames come first
All but three of the Carolina League's teams incorporated the name of the city they're located in into their name. The Carolina Mudcats, Delmarva Shorebirds and Down East Wood Ducks all reference their region.
Spartanburg has two nicknames that the team could use: Hub City, referencing the city's history as a hub for community and transportation, and Sparkle City, coined by one of the Spartanburg's famous bands, the Sparkletones.
Historic baseball team names are an option
In the Carolina League, the Carolina Mudcats of Zebulon, North Carolina, use a mascot that dates back to the 1960s, when the team was called the Columbus Mudcats. When they moved from Columbus, N.C., to Zebulon in 1991, the team was renamed the Carolina Mudcats. They've kept the name through six affiliation changes since then.
Spartanburg has been home to a number of baseball teams since the 1900s, including the Spartanburg Spartans and the Negro League, Spartanburg Sluggers.
From 1963-1980, and again from 1986-1994, Spartanburg's historic Duncan Park was the home of the Spartanburg Phillies, a South Atlantic League minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia big-league team of the same name.
Previous Spartanburg team names have been the Peaches, Traders, Spinners and Suns.
Most recently, the Spartanburgers, a Coastal Plain League team, made Duncan Park home in the summer of 2021. The Spartanburgers mascot was a giant ketchup bottle named "Tom 8-0."
Animals of the Carolinas are common mascot choices
Animal mascots are easily the most popular choice with nine of the 12 teams in the Carolina League having animal mascots. Examples include the Columbia Fireflies, the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, the Charleston River Dogs and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The team's current mascot, the wood duck, is found throughout the region and is known for its colorful plumage. The wood duck was named South Carolina's State Duck in 2009.
Some of our animal friends in Spartanburg include black bears, which have been seen in the county and recently downtown, beavers, red and gray foxes, coyotes, king snakes, dragonflies and bullfrogs.
Wood ducks are found in Spartanburg's preserved areas, according to Spartanburg Area Conservancy Executive Director Sam Parrott.
"They're beautiful, and I would say probably one of the most iconic waterfowl species for our state of South Carolina," Parrott said.
Woodcocks (Whip-poor-wills) and river otters are also able to thrive in Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE's) protected areas where they aren't disturbed by humans or pollution.
"They're (woodcocks) so rare a species that I don't think many people know we have them in the area, and I think they're super cool. I would buy a hat with a woodcock on it for sure," Parrott said.
The long-beaked bird is also known as a Timberdoodle.
Some mascots reference MLB affiliate or regional interests
For example, in the Carolina League, you'll find the Salem Red Sox, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and the Fredricksburg Nationals, an affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Spartanburg team will be an affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
The nearby Greenville Drive's name references the Upstate region's automotive industry, both present and historical.
In Spartanburg, the Boykin Spaniel, the State Dog of South Carolina since 1985, might be a mascot option, Parrott said, as the hunting breed has an interesting downtown origin story.
The first of the Boykin Spaniels was a Spartanburg stray that followed Spartanburg Bank President Alexander White to church at First Presbyterian one Sunday in the early 1900s. White was impressed with the dog's personality and retrieving skills so he sent the pup, "Dumpy," to his hunting partner, Lemuel Whittaker Boykin, who had been looking for a small dog for duck and wild turkey hunting.
A dog mascot could also be a nod to Francis "Frank" Fretwell, whose family owned Spartan Grain and Mill Company. Fretwell was a well-known dog lover and the owner of Monfret Kennels. He bred both standard poodles and Italian Greyhounds and was a former president and governor of the American clubs for both breeds, and during his career, had eight world-champion standard poodles.
Of course, recently, Spartanburg Community College chose "Chasers" as its nickname to honor the world-famous dog of the same name.
For a supernatural twist on this theme, there's the legendary Wompus Monster, the star of the popular haunted woods attraction Wompus Woods which ran during the fall in Cowpens for 25 years. The Wompus Monster of Cowpens resembles a classic horror movie werewolf, but 12 feet tall with long fangs and a half dozen horns — quite the intimidating opponent.
References to manufacturing or industry would also be appropriate for Spartanburg, as would references to music. The downtown Music Trail spotlights the many artists who called Spartanburg home, including Pink Anderson, the Marshall Tucker Band, Ira Tucker, Hank Garland, and the Sparkletones.
Looking toward the future, it’s anticipated that Spartanburg will be known for its trail systems, both the city-wide Daniel Morgan Trail System and the bi-state Saluda Grade Trail, which will run from Inman to Zirconia, NC.
How could this manifest for the new Spartanburg team?
We can (likely) assume the team won't be the Spartanburg Wood Ducks or Spartanburg Rangers. So what might they be named?
Here are some of our top choices for the new team:
Spartanburg Peaches - Not only is this a historical name, but it also references the county's best-known agricultural product.
Hub City Trailblazers - In reference to the city and county's parks and trails, present and future.
Hub City Locomotives - Or "Locos" for short. Could be a crazy engineer/conductor for a mascot. Great hat and uniform possibilities.
Sparkle City Strummers - For all the past, present, and future Spartanburg musicians.
Hub City Boykins or Spartanburg Spaniels - The Boykin Spaniel has strong state and city ties and is super cute to boot. Can you imagine Boykin bat dogs?
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg. Can't get enough food news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for foodies, Spartanburg Eats.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: What should Spartanburg's new Minor League baseball team be named?
