Looks like a Warthog...
Mandalay Baseball Properties, the management company of the Class A Carolina League’s Winston-Salem Warthogs, has received more than 3, 000 suggestions about what to rename the team as it prepares to move into a new downtown stadium next April.
Steve DeLay, executive vice president of Mandalay, said the name will likely come from the list of 10 culled from the 3, 000 submitted as part of a renaming contest. The names were submitted in a community wide contest that began April 20 and has ended.
But DeLay did not rule out the possibility of some other winner beyond the list of 10.
“There were none that really jumped out and said, ‘Wow, everybody loves this name,’” he told The Winston-Salem Journal.
Why no front-runners ? Perhaps a look at some of the suggestions will explain.
Names submitted include the Mad Toms, Woodchucks, Copperheads, Wallbangers, Rhinos, Thunder, Aviators, Racers, Red Wolves and the Dash. The team explained why it picked each of the finalists. For example, Wallbangers was selected because it is “a fun and unique baseball term.” The Mad Toms, Woodchucks and Copperheads were picked because they are commonly found in North Carolina.
Colon climbing back It wasn’t that long ago that Bartolo Colon was arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Now he’s just trying to get out of Rhode Island. Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young winner with the Los Angeles Angels, signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox in the off-season, but suffered an oblique injury in his first start with Class AAA Pawtucket on April 3. It sidelined him for more than a month. But after rehabbing at the Red Sox ’ extended spring training, Colon was expected to make his second start with Pawtucket on Saturday. He hopes to earn a spot in the Red Sox’ rotation, but must demonstrate durability after missing much of the past two years with injuries.
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