Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Staten Island Yankees announced over the summer that they were rebranding themselves for the 2017 season with a fan vote to choose the new name.
They announced the finalists in early September: Pizza Rats. Bridge Trolls, Heroes, Killer Bees, and Rock Pigeons.
Since then, the reaction to these choices has been tepid. The only information from the organization since then was that they will extend the time for fans to make their choice.
On Tuesday morning, the team sent out an announcement about the schedule for next season that starts out:
"The Staten Island Yankees are excited to announce the team's 2017 season schedule."
Has the team come to their senses and kept the name of their illustrious parent club?
The rebranding is addressed at the bottom of the missive:
"More information regarding our rebranding efforts will be available in the coming weeks."
They also are referred to as the "Baby Bombers" in the email, so is there a chance they could be the Staten Island Bombers?
However this ends up, this has been a public relations nightmare for the Staten Island Yankees, as it was for the Binghamton Mets.
Any time you let fans send in suggestions for a name, especially in this day and age, you leave yourself open to some people making a mockery of the process, as a name like Pizza Rats certainly does.
The way this franchise can save itself is to keep the Yankees name, but come up with a whole new design and uniforms to start fresh.
Staten Island will kick off their 16th season at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George on Monday, June 19, against cross-bridge rival the Brooklyn Cyclones.
For the first time since 2013, Staten Island will open the season at home on a Monday, June 19, against Brooklyn. The team then returns to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George on Saturday, June 24, for their first three-game series of the season as they take on division foe the Aberdeen IronBirds.
While fans will have to wait until early 2017 for the promotional schedule, dates such as July 4 vs. the Hudson Valley Renegades and the regular season home finale on Sept. 6 vs. Brooklyn should be games to mark in your calendar.
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