The Yankees don’t want the Yankees to be called the Yankees anymore
ByVia Paul Sokoloski, the Yankees have informed their minor league affiliates in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Tampa, and Staten Island that they want them to drop “Yankees” as their nickname. “There’s only one team they want as the Yankees,” said Jim Timlin, chairman of the Lackawanna County Stadium Authority board in Northeast Pennsylvania. “And they live in the Bronx.”
“It was a recommendation,” added Timlin. “We don’t have to listen to them. But it would be a good idea to go along with them. The Yankees, when they come back [to Scranton] in 2013, may have a different name. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre-something. The naming rights are up for grabs.” The Triple-A Scranton franchise will play all of their 2012 home games on the road as PNC Field undergoes $40M worth of renovations.
There’s something fishy going on here, no? The Yankees just offloaded their stake in the Staten Island franchise, and now asked them to change their name. Meanwhile, they’re purchasing the SWB franchise … and are still asking them to change their name. I’m sure there’s some weird legal reason behind it, but it just seems off from where I sit.
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“The Yankees, when they come back [to Scranton] in 2013, may have a different name. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre-something. The naming rights are up for grabs.”
Hold on… What does that last part even mean? Are we going to be following the SWB Dunder Mifflin Marauders or something?
Dunder Mifflin is a fictitious company in a town that does not actually exist.
Despite there being a “Steamtown Mall.”
… Dunder Mifflin is in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Or, at least, the branch that is the subject of the show.
I know. I’m saying that’s not an accurate depiction of Scranton.
Like in that Family Guy Emmy video from a few years ago where Stewie said, “Indians and Hispanics don’t live in Scranton.”
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Imcluding Trenton?
Including Trenton?
Trenton is The Trenton Thunder.
The Bombers
Their logo can be a B-52 with the SW combined like the NY.
I don’t think that would look too good…
Skull and xross bones
Tampa Tarpons.
That sounds like…
Logo.
Mascot.
Ha ha. Nicely done, sir.
I can think of two possibilities:
1. By using Yankees for Scranton and SI, someone feels the “real” Yankees brand name is being watered down (I would disagree, and love the way it reinforces the brand and legacy from top to bottom).
2. They realize that if all these teams are called “Yankees” and dress as Yankees, it might supress the marketing potential of the minor league teams. Only way to verify that would be to check the sales of Trenton vs SWB/SI merchendise.
Option 2 is my guess. Also, I like this because I will get to add to my inventory of MiLB hats!
Nice handle. I love Breaking Bad, I’m addicted!
I don’t like this. Maybe I’m mistaken but I thought George liked it like that because once you were drafted you were a “Yankee” and should conduct yourself accordingly.
I probably made that up but its something I always thought was cool how every level was the Yankees and not some cheesy minor league team name.
+1
I think you hit right to the core of the issue. George liked the idea. He’s not here anymore, so his decisions are getting reevaluated.
I don’t think that the people in the Scranton area would be too terribly broken up to see the old Red Barons name return.
On a tangentially related note, I wouldn’t mind seeing the “Wilkes-Barre” dropped from the team’s name when the sale goes through, given Luzerne County’s conduct in regards to the franchise over the years, especially recently.
The Red Baron Pizza’s….YUM…BARF
I thought the stadium was in Moosic.
#Lived in Clarks Summit in a previous life
I’d rather they not bring back a name that, to me, is forever associated with the Phillies.
The name is not associated with the Phillies, minor league franchise have their affiliation chnaged all the time and do not change their name, as a fan of the AAA team before and after the Yankees came, I say change the name back to Red Barons.
What did Luzerne County do? Would you please elaborate or provide a link? Thanks.
who cares what the nicknames of the minor league affiliates are? Call them whatever, “Douches”, “Weirdos”, “Cookie Monsters” (and sign David Ortiz
). No one cares how they’re called.
What’s next, a crackdown on little league teams?
I like it. There should only be one team called the Yankees. And the minor league teams can pick a mascot with local significance, which people should like. For example, I see on Wikipedia that the Scranton area was once populated by the Scahentoarrhonon people.
The Scranton Wilkes-Barre Scahentoarrhonons. I like it.
If they’re going for local significance, they could use “Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Octogenarians,” or perhaps “Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Corruption.”
SWB Jailin’ Judges?
SWB Juvenile Jailers?
I think this is kind of silly. I like that they’re called the Yankees. Whatever.
The Los Angeles Angels of Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
+4
I’ll double check but I’m pretty sure you might of just won the internet.
Well played, sir.
Glad to see after getting bounced out of the playoffs in the first round they’re focusing on important matters.
I heard Brian Cashman hung out with his kids last weekend instead of spending 24 hours of every day searching for rotation options.
What an asshole.
How dare he?!?!?!?! And how dare a marketing department that has nothing to do with on the field issues be concerned with off the field issues?!
Isn’t Pawtucket the PawSox. Maybe Scranton can be the Scrankees. I’m aligned with Tampa being the Tampons.
Since they can’t use “Clippers,” I kinda like “SWB Iron Horses.”
The rivalry with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs would be epic.
SWB Bacon Makers
Ah, good point, I hadn’t thought of that.
One of the teams should use the name “Highlanders” I think the yankees would cream their pants over that.
There can be only one.
Just like naming your kid after yourself — that’s a lame dynastic move. A distinctive entity deserves its own identity in life. Minor leaguers are not Yankees yet. In my region, the Salem VA team, which changes affiliations more than most guys change their “socks,” is now affiliated w/the Bostons. Naturally, they are now the Red Sox. Who wants to be as unimaginative as those fatheads. Of course, now, those wannabes will probably… oh never mind.
The Clippers were the Clippers for a long time and Bobby Meacham didn’t seem to mind.
I understand that the Yankees also asked the state of New York to stop calling itself New York.
Staten Island Baby Bombers??
I mean that’s what they call the team sometimes.
Staten Island Baby Bombers??
I mean that’s what they call the team sometimes.
I don’t know about Scranton and Tampa.
Some famous Scrantonians who could lend a name:
Joe Biden
P.J. Carlesimo
Jerry Orbach
Bill O’Reilly
Bill O’Reilly
The SWB Assholes?
Logo.
Looks like you don’t like Bill O’Reilly very much. As often happens here, I beg to differ with you.
The Whitey whackers over the unfortunate Whitey Ford pretzel incident.
after the unfortunate*
The S-WB Masons. If you don’t like having a box of paper for the team logo, superimpose The Free Mason’s logo on it too! If you dont’ like the WB Mason guy as the mascot, use Jim Mason!
Oh. How could I forget, “Where good enough is never ever good enough!” as the slogan draped across the stadium rafters?
As aFree Mason, I take offense at that.
I, for one, vote for a marketing strategy of extending the Yankee name everywhere. Failing to do that, I would like to see a uniform minor league name like those suggested above (Hghlanders, Bombers, etc).
If George Steinbrenner was still alive, I think he would have wanted a uniform marketing presence by using the Yankee brand up and down the system.