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I thought it would be interesting to go back, and to see what our team could have potentially been called.
From the URL, here are the names that were on the 2004 poll:
Bandits / Beltway Bandits
Bullets
Cicadas
Federals
Filibusters
Expos
Grays
Monuments
Nationals
Patriots
Senators
Snakeheads
River Rats / Dogs
Keep trying! (meant for those who wanted different nickname than those listed above)
If they had been the Senators it would have screwed up the continuity even more. The Minnesota Twins are of course the original Washington Senators. The Washington Senators who came into being in 1969 were a new franchise which then relocated to Texas.
Calling the Nationals the Senators would have made for three teams with a claim to that name.
They would not be the first.
The Baltimore Orioles became the NY Highlanders who became the NY Yankees.
The Minnesota Twins are of course the original Washington Senators. The Washington Senators who came into being in 1969 were a new franchise which then relocated to Texas.
Expansion in 1969 brought into being the Royals, the Pilots, the Padres, and -- the Expos. The expansion version of the Senators was born in 1961, along with the LA Angels. The NL expanded the following year by adding the Mets and the Colt .45's.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandstander
Calling the Nationals the Senators would have made for three teams with a claim to that name.
The Senators were often referred to as the Nationals in their day, and the short-form "Nats" has been used to refer to each of them. There was debate at the time of approval for the Expos-to-DC transfer as to what traditions the new club would identify with. Early on, the people with the money felt that there was not much local identification with the Montreal club, but there was to the days of Walter Johnson, Harmon Killebrew, and Frank Howard. So the Nats plugged into the heritage of all teams that had represented DC on the diamond, including of course, the Homestead Grays. The Expos were officially added back to the family when the Ring of Honor was added to Nats Park in 2010.
Lol. Cicadas. Pretty bad list. Good thing they picked the Nationals.
I would've liked to have seen what the Cicadas caricature team logo looked like.
I grew up in New England and was a Montreal Expos fan dating back to 1969 when they played at Jarry Park. I was disappointed that they left Montreal but the Nats have made a good home in the nation's capital.
There was debate at the time of approval for the Expos-to-DC transfer as to what traditions the new club would identify with. Early on, the people with the money felt that there was not much local identification with the Montreal club, but there was to the days of Walter Johnson, Harmon Killebrew, and Frank Howard. So the Nats plugged into the heritage of all teams that had represented DC on the diamond, including of course, the Homestead Grays. The Expos were officially added back to the family when the Ring of Honor was added to Nats Park in 2010.
Interesting. They actually were the Expos yet marketed themselves as the heirs of other DC clubs.
While there have been new teams which have taken over abandoned markets, the Mets in New York, the Royals in Kansas City, the Brewers in Milwaukee and the Mariners in Seattle, Montreal is the only team with an existing identity to move to an abandoned market. Consequently we can't compare their decisions about team identity to any other franchise. (I'm counting the Brewers as a new team because they were the Pilots for but a single season and thus had no traditions to bring along.)
Say the Padres left San Diego and a few years later the A's moved there. Would the new San Diego team market the glories of Rickey Henderson or Tony Gwynn?
Interesting. They actually were the Expos yet marketed themselves as the heirs of other DC clubs.
While there have been new teams which have taken over abandoned markets, the Mets in New York, the Royals in Kansas City, the Brewers in Milwaukee and the Mariners in Seattle, Montreal is the only team with an existing identity to move to an abandoned market. Consequently we can't compare their decisions about team identity to any other franchise. (I'm counting the Brewers as a new team because they were the Pilots for but a single season and thus had no traditions to bring along.)
Say the Padres left San Diego and a few years later the A's moved there. Would the new San Diego team market the glories of Rickey Henderson or Tony Gwynn?
Seems a rational decision to me. No offense to great city of Montreal, but what connection do baseball fans in Washington have with the place? People would prefer to revel in the traditions of Walter Johnson (local high school is named after him) than Rusty Staub.
Still, they try to please everybody. They embrace all DC baseball history as well as the Montreal heritage. A tricky strategy but it works.
You have to remember their big issue was (and remains) the hostility from the league and Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, who did not want the competition.
The Brewers have actually done throwback nights where the team wears Pilots uniforms.
As for your question re the As in San Diego (that would be their 4th location), I suppose if they were called the As, then sure.
Seems a rational decision to me. No offense to great city of Montreal, but what connection do baseball fans in Washington have with the place? People would prefer to revel in the traditions of Walter Johnson (local high school is named after him) than Rusty Staub.
Still, they try to please everybody. They embrace all DC baseball history as well as the Montreal heritage. A tricky strategy but it works.
You have to remember their big issue was (and remains) the hostility from the league and Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, who did not want the competition.
The Brewers have actually done throwback nights where the team wears Pilots uniforms.
As for your question re the As in San Diego (that would be their 4th location), I suppose if they were called the As, then sure.
The A's have never been marketers of their history outside of Oakland. They have a couple of Grove and Foxx signs on the outfield wall where past A's are honored, but that is about it. I can recall no mention ever of their connection to Kansas City, but then who would want to be associated with those losing years? Of course the KC A's failed to produce any stars identified with that team, so who would Oakland be honoring? Jerry Lumpe? Bobby Del Greco?
I would've liked to have seen what the Cicadas caricature team logo looked like.
Well, here's what their AA farm team came up with in 2014 as part of an April Fool's joke about the team changing its name from the Harrisburg Senators to the Harrisburg Mayflies. That's one fierce looking insect!
I grew up in New England and was a Montreal Expos fan dating back to 1969 when they played at Jarry Park. I was disappointed that they left Montreal but the Nats have made a good home in the nation's capital.
MLB as usual just made a complete mess of the situation. DC paid a 30-year price. With any luck, Montreal's tab will not be that long.
The A's have never been marketers of their history outside of Oakland. They have a couple of Grove and Foxx signs on the outfield wall where past A's are honored, but that is about it. I can recall no mention ever of their connection to Kansas City, but then who would want to be associated with those losing years? Of course the KC A's failed to produce any stars identified with that team, so who would Oakland be honoring? Jerry Lumpe? Bobby Del Greco?
I guess you have answered two of your own questions regarding the legacies of the As and the Expos.
Philadelphia Athletics: 1901-1954
Kansas City Athletics: 1955-1967
Oakland Athletics: 1968-2017
-- Who knows what's next --
Four HOFers did play for the KC A's.
Jim "Catfish" Hunter RHP 1965-1967
Reggie Jackson OF 1967
Satchel Paige RHP 1965
Enos Slaughter OF 1955-1956
Not bad considering the club's best season was 74 wins and the fact that financial issues made them basically a Yankees farm club for many of those brief years. And who could forget the goats and sheep on the right field berm at Municipal Stadium. That's baseball...
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