Effective with the start of the 2011 season, the most successful and winningest franchise in league history will be known as the Los Angeles Scorpions. The team will continue to play at the Scorpion Pit in Redondo Beach, CA., but the team's administrative offices moved from the South Bay to Los Angeles during the season, and this change reflects that.
"Our appeal is global," owner/GM Michael Weintraub announced. "This name just reflects the international nature of the franchise by associating it with our home city of Los Angeles, one of the great international cities in the world."
The name change is the fourth for the franchise, which began as the Alaska Kodiacs in 2002. That name was changed to the Stockholm Sluggers during spring training that year as Weintraub bought the franchise. After winning two Cecil Cups in Stockholm, Weintraub and the team moved to South Florida, where the team played as the Mighty Manatees of Florida Baseball Club for two seasons, where Mighty Manatees won two more Cecil Cups.
Then, Weintraub and the team moved to California and settled in the South Bay region of Los Angeles. "We love the South Bay, and plan to stay at the Scorpion Pit for years to come," Weintraub insisted, perhaps referring to rumors that his recent trip to Stockholm was a scouting trip for a possible return for the franchise to Sweden.
In other news, Weintraub announced that the team has hired Alvin Davis, recently fired as the manager for the Seattle Monarchs, as the team's new bench coach. "Alvin has great success and we welcome him into the Scorpion family" Weintraub said. As long as he stays away from the pitching staff, I'm sure he'll work out just fine for us."
The Monarchs front office congratulates the Alaska/Stockholm/Florida/South Bay/Los Angeles franchise for attempting to ensure that it retains the franchise record for most team names, even as it sees its former success dimmed by the rising tides in Seattle and the River Cities.
ReplyDeleteWe also appreciate the fact that Los Angeles is once again willing to pick up the Monarchs' rejects and find something useful for them to do in their dotage.
You mean you're passing up the opportunity to be known as the "Los Angeles Scorpions of South Bay?"
ReplyDeleteThe problem with that joke is that the South Bay is a legitimate part of LA (it's the part of LA along the coast, south of LAX), unlike Anaheim or Saskatoon.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be kind of like Zev renaming his team the New York Wolves of Brooklyn.