As they prepare to rebrand, the Connecticut Tigers (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) are unveiling a slate of five finalists for their upcoming new name.
In April, the Tigers announced that the 2019 season would be the last with their current name, as they were making plans to rebrand for 2020 and beyond. The announcement came in anticipation of Norwich City Council approval of a 10-year Dodd Stadium lease extension, which ultimately moved forward.
The rebranding process has taken another step forward with the unveiling of five finalists for a new name. Regardless of which name is chosen, Connecticut will be dropped from the franchise’s identity in favor of Norwich. The five finalists, with descriptions from the team, are listed below in alphabetical order:
Norwich Golden Roses
The Golden Roses pays tribute to Norwich’s history as “The Rose of New England” which led to the moniker of The Rose City. Norwich was known as a center of wealth, commerce and influence. Immigrants coming to the area were told the streets were “paved in gold”. In fact, in 1959 a small street was actually paved in tar with gold flakes during the city’s 300th anniversary celebration.
Norwich Mill Mules
The Mill Mules celebrates Norwich’s rich textile history. Large mills sprang up along the three rivers that flow into the city in neighborhoods such as Taftville, Occum, Yantic and Greeneville which all became “mill towns” where hardworking citizens turned raw materials and goods arriving at Norwich Harbor into good ole American products.
Norwich Narwhals
The Narwhals is a tribute to the Unicorn of the Sea, allegedly seen by merchant sailors as they sailed to and from Chelsea Landing at the Norwich harbor, bringing goods across the Atlantic to and from the city. Whether real or imagined, these creatures helped fuel the legend of the Norwich ship captain.
Norwich Salty Dogs
The Salty Dogs celebrates the city’s legendary seafaring captains, and the gritty “tough as nails” attitude the community embraces. A salty dog is a nickname for a sailor who has spent much of his or her life aboard a ship at sea. Many of the buildings still standing from this era in the Norwich harbor area bear a plaque with the names of these captains that once called them home.
Norwich Sea Unicorns
The Sea Unicorns is a tribute to the mythical sea creatures and lore that legendary Norwich sea captains would see and experience during their travels. These captains were known for their skill in avoiding imperial taxation during peacetime and later at eluding warships during war but would also bring back to Norwich tall tales of close encounters with mythical creatures along the way.
Fan voting on the five finalists begins today and runs through Friday, October 18. More information can be found on the team’s website.
The Tigers have played at Norwich’s Dodd Stadium since 2010, their first season in Connecticut after relocating from Oneonta, NY. The franchise has been known as the Connecticut Tigers since arriving in Norwich, carrying over the Tigers name from Oneonta.
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