# Vomiting Baseballs. NOT a band name. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 28, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028 "2003-10-28T15:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/1 "2003-10-28T15:01:10Z")
Here in river city, thoughts are turning to baseball. Our stadium (currently named John O’Donnel stadium…but probably going to be corportately named to something like Oscar Meyer field) is currently undergoing a multi million renovation. I think this is a good thing. it’s a stadium nestled along the mighty Mississippi River, and baseball games at night there can be pretty nice. Past flooding issues, and an outdated infrastructure make the upgrade necessary. With an upgrade, game a name change for some reason. The powers that be held a naming contest and hired some fru fru California firm to pick the winner and design a logo etc. The team used to be called the River Bandits, not a great name…but it captures the spirit ok I guess. After numerous entries, the **best** choice apparently…was The Swing Of The Quad Cities!!! The logo features a[saxophone vomiting a baseball](http://www.swingbaseball.com/) … See…it’s so clever. We’re the hometown of Bix Beiderbecke, the famous Jazz player…umm who played the [trumpet](http://www.qctimes.com/answerbook/bix.html/)…and of course there is the “swing” meaning in baseball. So clever, and so insipid. This notion of using the “Of the Quad Cities” phrasing is so chi chi as to induce its own type of vomiting. “The Cubs of Chicago”? “The Yankees of New York”? To be fair, when a named was proposed for the civic center built here, many people hated [The Mark of the Quad Cities](http://www.themark.org/) as a name…and it’s turned out to be a successful arena. That doesn’t mean you have to apply the same logic to your local baseball team. Signed: dave of the beagles. ---
**Author:** ![Salieri2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Salieri2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salieri2)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/2 "2003-10-28T16:32:14Z")
Sorry, no sympathy from me…despite my generally outgoing nature. Why? I live in Omaha, NE, sans pro football. This forces me to retain my youthful allegiance to Washington’s (also ill-named) team–damn, I miss Joe Gibbs!–but also lures me into the occasional arena football game in the off-season. Now, as arena football goes, we have a pretty decent team, but the name? Beef. ‘The’ Beef, if you will, logo only recently altered to _not_ look like a particularly curly turd. Words almost fail me. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/3 "2003-10-28T23:37:35Z")
“Next to, but not in, the Mississippi River.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/4 "2003-10-29T00:27:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beagledave \* > \*\*This notion of using the “Of the Quad Cities” phrasing is so chi chi as to induce its own type of vomiting. “The Cubs of Chicago”? “The Yankees of New York”? > > To be fair, when a named was proposed for the civic center built here, many people hated [The Mark of the Quad Cities](http://www.themark.org/) as a name…and it’s turned out to be a successful arena. That doesn’t mean you have to apply the same logic to your local baseball team.\*\* Maybe they’re going for an old-timey feel? A few professional teams around the turn of the 20th Century used the same format. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/5 "2003-10-29T01:58:16Z")
I think they should have called them the “Hey badda-badda-badda, hey badda-badda-badda SWING! of quad cities”. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/6 "2003-10-29T03:03:56Z")
Please, please tell me everyone in Iowa calls it “The Mark of the Quad” for short, and then “The Mark of the Beast” for derision. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/7 "2003-10-29T03:44:59Z")
Sorry, we’re not that creative. Everyone just calls it “The Mark”. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/8 "2003-10-29T03:46:32Z")
Oh, and the Quad Cities shortens to “The Cities” instead of “The Quad”, probably because it’s more than four at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/9 "2003-10-29T04:30:45Z")
☹ What were the Quad Cities, anyway, and what are they now? All I can think of is … “Dubuque, Desmoines, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City, Keokuk, Ames, Clearlake” ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/10 "2003-10-29T04:48:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Vomiting Baseballs Team name!!! ---
**Author:** ![Etherman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Etherman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etherman)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/11 "2003-10-29T05:39:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\*☹ > > What were the Quad Cities, anyway, and what are they now? \*\* The Quad Cities are Davenport and Bettendorf, IA, and Rock Island and Moline , IL > [@](#): > > \*\* > All I can think of is … Marshalltown\*\* Damn, somebody on the outside knows we’re here, amazing. BTW I’ve been to the Mark, nice place. And it’s probably called “of the Quad Cities” 'cause if you called them “The Bettendorf Swing” most of us, even in the state, would say “huh”? It’s the Quad Cities, and treated as one place by most everybody. Still though, “The Swing of the Quad Cities” doesn’t really have that ring does it? Sounds like a ballroom dancing troupe. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/12 "2003-10-29T05:53:39Z")
> [@](#): > > This notion of using the “Of the Quad Cities” phrasing is so chi chi as to induce its own type of vomiting. “The Cubs of Chicago”? “The Yankees of New York”? Works for the “Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.” Or maybe not. Hey, on the bright side, I think you’ve found an answer for the ubiquitous question “where’s that vomiting smiley when you need it?” ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/13 "2003-10-29T15:09:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wikkit \* > \*\*“Next to, but not in, the Mississippi River.” \*\* heh. Local joke. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/14 "2003-10-29T15:12:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Etherman \* > > * * * > > . > > BTW I’ve been to the Mark, nice place. And it’s probably called “of the Quad Cities” 'cause if you called them “The Bettendorf Swing” most of us, even in the state, would say “huh”? It’s the Quad Cities, and treated as one place by most everybody. > \*\* My point was “Swing of the Quad Cities” sounds even dumber than “The Quad Cities Swing”. (We already have the [Quad City Mallards](http://www.qcmallards.com/) and the [Quad City Steamwheelers](http://www.steamwheelers.com/) ) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/15 "2003-10-29T21:18:41Z")
And the individual players are called what…Swingers? I hate team names where the players can’t be called anything that makes some kind of sense. St. Louis Blues Hockey and each player is what…a BLUE? I’m a BLUE, WTF is that? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/16 "2003-10-29T22:32:12Z")
Did anyone suggest Lord Far? ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/17 "2003-10-29T23:36:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beagledave \* > \*\*heh. Local joke. \*\* I miss the QC breadcast channels. Over here, I get all Des Moines stuff, and it has no heart. Funny, **Ender**. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/18 "2003-10-31T06:41:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Etherman \* > > * * * > > Damn, somebody on the outside knows we’re here, amazing. \*\* Er…you did know that **masonite** was quoting from _The Music Man_, right? 🙂 Anyway, why not call the team the Spiders? In honor of Big Spider Beck! :::Rilchiam falls on floor laughing::: That’s how my dad told me the name was pronounced, when I was a wee 'un. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/19 "2003-10-31T13:07:22Z")
I will agree that the whole thing is a little silly. But then, my team from the same league are named after the bolts that hold the tires onto the car. Lugnuts. I am so sick of hearing “Go Nuts” I could scream.The naming of minor league teams has gotten so out of hand. Then again, we are league champs. And we’re a Cubs affiliate, can you believe that?😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028/20 "2003-10-31T13:09:37Z")
Sorry, but it is SO a band name. “Billy Corgan. Vomiting Baseballs.” “Homer Simpson. Smiling politely.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomiting-baseballs-not-a-band-name/210028.md?page=2)