I can’t find any good links at the moment, but I thought everyone would be amused to know that Calgary Cannons, AAA affiliates of the Florida Marlins, will be moving next year to Albuquerque. Fans there elected the new name for the team.
The Isotopes.
Let’s just hope no fans in Calgary get the idea to prevent the move with a hunger strike. 
That’s baseball right? What happened to the Dukes?
Slee
Gone, baby, gone.
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/stadium/297363sports04-06-01.htm
And I’m in the "holy cow this is a #@$!*% stupid idea.
umm . . . crowd. I’m in that crowd. Or something.
I believe Hungry Hungry Homer is saying “Goooo 'Topes!”
I think this is a great idea. I’d buy a 'Topes shirt.
Funny thing is, even if I weren’t planning on starting a minor league baseball cap collection, this would make me start.
Dancin’ away my hunger pangs.
Movin my feet so my stomach won’t hurt.
I’m kinda like Jesus,
but not in a sacreligious way.
How refreshing! I heard a piece on NPR about the proposed move & name change about a week ago.
Yes, the Dukes was the original minor league team name - based on the fact that Albuquerque was named after the Duke of Albuquerque. But the merchandising alone … I’d buy a hat or t-shirt & I’m halfway across the country!
Other cities/sports teams who could have been equally lighthearted:
The WNBA team in Miami - the Humidity "It’s not the Heat… their mascot could have been a raindrop or something.
The NFL team in Tennessee - the Tuxedoes. Just imagine the uniforms… and they could write their plays on the 3-D BB. Probably not a good idea to have Comander McBragg as the announcer, though.
"I said A! (A!)
L! (L!)
B! (B!)
U! (U!)
querque! (querque!) "
Well, you could always start with a Springfield Isotopes cap from Cooperstown Ballcap Co. (who also have lots of cool caps from historic minor and major league clubs that really did exist, plus a few more that didn’t).
That is sooooo cool! Hm, I might even think about buying some memorabilia from the Isotopes… Of course, with the Marlins doing as badly as they are, how long will it be before the Isotopes outdraw them?
I was in Colorado in late May. My folks live near the southern border, and the news they get is from network affiliates in New Mexico (all of which are based in Albuquerque). Anyway, there were reports on the news then that someone probably affiliated with New Mexico’s biggest newspaper, the Albuquerque Journal, had started selling shirts and other goodies with the “Albuquerque Isotopes” name and logo before the name was announced or even formally decided upon. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there long enough to see how the issue resolved.
I heard a report on this from NPR. It was pretty clear that the owners wanted to use the Isotopes name because there would be a built-in market for merchandise from around the country. It was a clear money-maker for the team. That seemed to be the only motivating factor.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I’m part of the “uhh… ok” crowd.
It’s from the Simpsons, clayton, the Springfield Isotopes move to Albequerque in one episode, and Homer goes on a hunger strike to get them back. (Yes that’s right, I said Homer and hunger strike in the same sentence.)
I feel so proud, I read the thread title and knew exactly what you meant. Ah I love being a Simpsons fanatic.
Add to this list the Quakes, a California League baseball team in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, a city of about 150,000 a bit west of San Bernadino, and quite close to the Cucamonga (naturally) and San Andreas faults. BTW, their home stadium is called the Epicenter, and the team mascots are Tremor and Aftershock.