Baseball team names strike out with Amarillo community

AMARILLO, TX (KFDA) - After more than 3,000 name submissions, Amarillo Professional Baseball has whittled down the final contenders of their "Name the Team" sweepstakes to just five. But now, many Amarilloans are begging the team to go back to the drawing board.

The City of Amarillo wants to hit it out of the ballpark next spring when it comes to the future baseball team. However, according to many, Amarillo Professional Baseball struck out with the proposed namesake.

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Here are the finalists and why they were chosen:

1. Amarillo Boot Scooters - The Boot Scooters combines Amarillo's genuine welcoming attitude with its fun western heritage.
2. Amarillo Bronc Busters - Amarillo has deep cowboy roots and the Bronc Busters honors the community's resilient, independent spirit.
3. Amarillo Jerky - Commemorating its famous cattle drive, there's only one region that can lay claim to the "Beef Capital of the World."
4. Amarillo Long Haulers - Long Haulers celebrates Amarillo's famous Route 66, open roads, wind-bent trees, and the fun of Minor League Baseball.
5. Amarillo Sod Poodles - A pioneer's nickname for the "Prairie Dogs," this fun-loving local animal is very aggressive in protecting its family and home.

Hundreds of comments poured in after we posted the team name results on Facebook.

Chance Reynolds wrote, "Those are literally the worst names I have ever heard. Those would be five finalists for the most ridiculous team names ever."

Others poked fun at the proposed "Sod Poodles" and designed their own logos involving poodles.

Someone even started an online petition asking the team to choose five other finalists. In only a few hours, more than 4,700 people signed it.

Despite the negative feedback, General Manager Tony Ensor said the names are meant to be a bit goofy and more kid-friendly.

"A lot of people were probably looking for names like the Reds, the Cardinals, the Braves or the Dodgers -- more major league-style names," said Ensor. "But in minor league baseball, the top names are the Chihuahuas, Flying Squirrels, Biscuits and the Iron Pigs. So those are the kind of names minor league baseball really promotes and it's about good, wholesome family entertainment and that's what we are going to bring."

Ensor is asking the community to trust the process.

"We understand how people feel," said Ensor. "We expected a lot of that kickback so to speak, but we want them to understand that this is part of a process. You go through the process and I think if they give it a chance, they're really going to enjoy what we are going to do with the brand and the name and see how it culminates in the end."

The team will take the most voted name and compare it with their own name criteria to pick a winner. That announcement will come this fall.

"Early in the fall they will get to see everything that comes out of the team name and what that means to Amarillo and the community," said Ensor. "So give it a chance. I think you are really going to enjoy it."

The public can vote on their favorite of the five until June 13. You can cast your vote here.

After you vote, you can also submit a deposit for 2019 season tickets. Season ticket deposits start at $50 per seat depending on seat location.

Once you place your deposit, you will officially be in line to pick out your seats at a later date this summer. The actual seat selection will be first come, first served based on your deposit date and time placed.

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