Why are the called the Cardinals?

In 1899, the St. Louis Browns became the St. Louis Perfectos. That season, Willie McHale, a columnist for the St. Louis Republic reportedly heard a woman refer to the team’s red stockings as a “lovely shade of Cardinal”.

McHale included the nickname in his column and it was an instant hit among fans. The team officially changed its nickname in 1900.

Why am I excited to see their city?

Again, another city I hit on my road trip and whilst it is very much a blue collar town there are some awesome things to see in town.

The Budweiser Brewery is a lot of fun (especially the free samples), and you get to meet these famous guys! (oh wait that’s Dave and I with a wagon….)

As well as that sweet wagon, the St Louis Arch or Gateway to the West, is one of the coolest landmarks I’ve seen in person (just struggle to get a good photo with it).

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

Nothing beats a good rivalry, and the Cardinals have a HEATED rivalry with the capital of the Mid-West Chicago.

No matter how either team is going, these fans cannot stand each other, and on any given day you’ll find 100s of people who are wearing shirts about how much they hate the cubs over how much they love the Cardinals. Long may rivalries like this continue I say! (although the Cardinals fans have to deal with the historic Cubs win in the 2016 World Series)

 <– A t-shirt a Cardinals fan might wear

Who is a famous fan?

Given the sustained success that the Cardinals have experienced, there is no shortage of famous fans to pick from.

Billy Bob Thorton, John Grisham and Chingy are all fans…

But how can we go past St Louis’ native and worldwide rap superstar, the one and only Nelly (cue the Nelly baseball related song “Batter Up”)

A fun/weird fact about the Cardinals?

Not weird, not fun, but more holy shit!

The Cardinals have won more than 9,300 games, 11 World Series Championships, 18 National League Pennants, 3 National League Eastern Division Titles, and 8 National League Central Division Titles!!

Why are the called the Astros?

Being in gun crazy Texas, the professional Houston MLB team was known as the Colt. 45s, which also gave us this sweet logo:

But in order to “keep with the times” in 1965, team President Judge Roy Hofheinz, while citing Houston’s status as “the space age capital of the world” changed the name to “Astros” and the rest as they say, is history.

Why am I excited to see their city?

Given the events of the last week, it will be a humbling experience to see a city that has come through the other side of such devastation.

I have had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans not long after Hurricane Katrina, and seeing the way the city bounced back and the passion of the locals was inspiring – hopefully I’ll get to see this again in Houston.

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

I think the Astros have a pretty cool mascot named “Orbit”. Like his name suggests, Orbit will circle the stadium, greeting fans of all ages and providing a memorable experience at Minute Maid Park (the Astros stadium).

Aside from Orbit, there is the “Minute Maid Train”, which will circle the stadium every time the Astros hit a home run!

Who is a famous fan?

Some of the rap games biggest stars hail from the Lone Star State, and many of them grew up in the Houston area.

Some fans include, Paul Wall and Chamillionaire, but I’m going to go with my favourite basketball ball player of all time TRACY MCGRADY! (George Bush Senior was unlucky to miss out here)

Cue the highlights!

A fun/weird fact about the Astros?

Minute Maid Park has a retractable roof, and it can take anywhere between 12-20 minutes to get that thing closed!

Why are the called the Rangers?

Whilst you are forgiven for thinking the Rangers might be named after living legend Chuck Norris’ character “Walker – Texas Ranger”, the Rangers were actually named Rangers as a homage to the entire Texas law enforcement agency.

I still prefer to pretend it was Chuck though.

Why am I excited to see their city? 

I can’t wait to get into Dallas, see the huge trucks, huge people, but most of all the HUGE TEXAS STYLE BBQ!

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

The Rangers have their own unique mascot race called the “Dot Race” and uhhh just watch…

Who is a famous fan?

Alright, Alright, Alright – I think you know the guy! His name, is Matthew McConaughey!

A fun/weird fact about the Rangers? 

Just like I alluded to earlier, the food in Texas is HUGE – and that goes two fold for their ballpark.

Check out some of the available concessions below.

Bacon on a stick

The Choomongous (a 24-inch Asian beef sandwich)

Sausage Sundae (It’s 1/4 pound of grilled sausage sliced in half and placed on either side of a paper bowl like a banana. In the middle there’s one scoop of mac ‘n cheese, shredded brisket, and mashed potatoes, and it’s topped with a cherry pepper)

 

Why are the called the Rockies?

Named after the famous mountain range that goes through Colorado, the Rockies are not the first franchise to have this nickname.

Previously, there was a professional Ice Hockey team known as the Rockies, and when the Rockies (baseball team), were admitted to the MLB, many fans questioned why they’d pick a nickname with such a poor stigma attached to it…

No, the locals don’t hate their beautiful mountain range, rather, the Rockies (Ice Hockey) were abysmal! Winning on average only 19 games a season between 1976 – 1982.

Why am I excited to see their city?

Denver is an awesome city year round, and really comes to life in the summer. It is one of those unique places where you feel like you’re in a big city, but there are enough cowboys and scenery around to make you feel like you’re in a rural country town.

Big fan of Colorado.

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

For some reason I cannot figure out, the song “Hey Baby” is always played in the 7^th inning stretch?

Cue the music!

Who is a famous fan?

My boys Trey Stone & Matt Parker aka the creators of one of the best shows of all time… SOUTH PARK!

A fun/weird fact about the Rockies?

While most seats in the Rockies Stadium are coloured dark green, the seats in the 20^th row are coloured purple.

Why?

To mark the official elevation of 1 MILE about sea-level.

This easily makes the Rockies Stadium the highest elevation in the league!

To all 30 before Thirty fans – sup?

I know, I know you’re hanging off every word I write, and need your daily hit of teams for me to profile and offer my spin on why I’m keen to see their town, and the off-beat traditions that occur…..

BUT!

I have to take a short hiatus.

You see, I’ve got a Grand Final tomorrow with my rugby team (Saturday 9am kickoff, TG Milner Sports Ground, be there), and who knows when I will be back.

However, do not fret, as I have a couple of posts lined up for Tuesday so you’ll get a triple dosage of teams.

Have a great weekend and go Whales!

George

Why are they called the Diamondbacks?

In the desert, you can’t you can’t remember your name…… Unless you’re the Diamondbacks!

As an expansion franchise in 1995, the name “Diamondbacks” was decided by a fan vote. Other contending names included the Coyotes, Phoenix, Rattlers, and Scorpions.

Diamondback refers to a type of snake that lives in the desert.

Why am I excited to see their city?

Another humblebrag moment, but I had one of the best times of my life when I last went to Phoenix as I got to see the Patriots defeat the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49! As you’ll see below, I had some pretty ok seats and met some cool characters….

Further, it is sunny all year round, the city has a ton of bars with cheap booze, and all the people are really friendly! Can’t go wrong in the desert!

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

It’s the desert. So naturally you gotta have one of these in your stadium right?

Who is a famous fan?

Billy Crystal is a big Diamondbacks fan… not sure why as he grew up on the Upper East Side of New York?

Trading the city for the desert is something I can get around though. Good for him.

A fun/weird fact about the Diamondbacks.

According to my research, the number 69 has never been used by a Diamondbacks player.

Not sure why the players are so averse to this particular number, as players at the cities local NFL team (The Cardinals), LOVE the number!

Why are the called the Padres?

When San Diego was awarded an expansion team in 1969, the club adopted the nickname of the city’s Pacific Coast League team, the Padres. The nickname, which is Spanish for father or priest, was a reference to San Diego’s status as the first Spanish Mission in California.

Why am I excited to see their city?

Another city, another humblebrag from your boy George – been to this town a few times and again, where do I start?

San Diego is a beautifully put together city, with a Spanish underbelly, awesome locals, food and beaches. Seriously, it reminds me of the North Beaches of Sydney meeting the infrastructure of the city, with the undertones of a country town. You simply cannot go wrong… look at it!

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

One cool feature in San Diego’s ballpark is the inclusion in the infrastructure of the old Western Metal Supply Co. building, a hundred-year old brick structure that had been scheduled for demolition to make way for Petco Park, was saved and incorporated into the design of the ballpark.

Who is a famous fan?

Legendary golfer Phil Mickelson is apparently such a big fan that he tried to buy the team when they were for sale a few years back!

A fun/weird fact about the Padres.

With a huge military influence in the city of San Diego, with Navy bases and Seals training constantly being conducted (due to the awesome weather year round), the Padres will wear full camo uniforms on regular rotation.

For the 2017 season, they would salute the armed services every Sunday home game – a very cool tradition that has been adopted league wide on Memorial Day and other Military appreciation nights.

 

Travelling about 30 minutes South on the I-5 from Los Angeles, you’ll end up in Anaheim, Orange County. Home of Disneyland, gun happy police officers, a large Latino community and of course, the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim).

Why are they called the Angels?

Los Angeles gained a second baseball team known as the Angels in the American League in time for the 1961 season. The Angels nickname had been used by the Los Angeles Pacific Coast League team from 1903 – 1957.

The “Angels” literally comes from the Spanish word “Angeles” which is literally the name of the city North of Anaheim (likely to tap into the larger media market in Los Angeles). Bold strategy, which clearly hasn’t paid off as LA remains a “Dodger Blue” town.

Why am I excited to see this city?

Again, I’ve been down to Anaheim a couple of times…. and…. yeah….. the stadium is pretty cool. Also Disneyland is fun I guess.

Apart from that, it’ll be an “in n out” job for the Angels – sorry guys.

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

The Rally Monkey! When the Angels need a helping hand, what better than a monkey jumping up and down on a screen to help out the team?

Who is a famous fan?

Interestingly, even though most stars in Los Angeles rep Dodger Blue, you can hit up an Angels game and probably see Will Ferrell, Kobe Bryant, or my personal favourite… Guy Fieri!!

A fun/weird fact about the Angels?

Despite being in the shadow of the Dodgers, the Angels perhaps have the best all around player in baseball Mike Trout. Guy is a beast and will likely be the first baseball player to sign a contract that will total $1 billion (that’s billion with a b)!

Having had the time of my life living in LA and attending countless games, this team is one that I follow closely and cheer for. Coincidentally, the last time they won the World Series was in 1988 – which was the year I was born!

In 2017, they’re looking like one of the hottest teams in the National League and will be tough to beat, although as Dodger fans know, they have the potential to under perform in the playoffs. Fingers crossed for this year!

Why are they called the Dodgers?

Much like their fierce rivals to the North the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers moved West from New York City (Brooklyn) to Los Angeles in after the 1957 season. Prior to this, the team had numerous nicknames including the Bridegrooms, Superbas and finally the Trolley Dodgers in 1911.

The Trolley Dodgers (later shortened to Dodgers), was a homage to the people of Brooklyn who dodged the trolleys that carried people through the busy streets. When the moved, owner Walter O’Malley liked the name and decided to keep it – if only he bought some of that quality public transport to LA with him though!

Why am I excited to see the city?

I’ll keep this short. Getting to catch up with old friends!

In all seriousness though, LA gets a bad rap because of the traffic and fake Hollywood crap. But come talk to me when you’ve spent time in Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey and the South Bay.

YOU WON’T WANT TO LEAVE!

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

Hmm traditions, apart from the actual time to get to the game longer than play itself?

How about when legendary announcer Vin Scully (who retired after the 2016 season) says “It’s time for Dodger baseballllll”!!

Also this song following every home win 🙂

 

Who is a famous fan?

Where do we start? Pretty much every Dodger game you go to you’re bound to see a celebrity reppin’ the team.

However, I’m going to go with the guy who’s LA born, LA bred, and when he dies he’ll be LA dead! Infamous rapper who was a pioneer – ICE CUBE!

A fun/weird fact about the Dodgers

This fact is not that f and is kind of a long story, but Dodger Stadium is built on a part of LA called Chavez Ravine, which was originally home to a large predominantly Mexican American community.

As it was a poor area, in 1951 it fell under the controversial government “National Housing Act”, which would build public housing in the area as the city government would purchase large sums of land right from under the residents feet.

When the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, the now government purchased land zoned for “public purchases” was approved controversially approved for development of Dodger Stadium. The rest as they say, is history, but there are still many figures who begrudge the government for moving so many people and letting big a major sporting team take all of this space.

(keep in mind today that LA land prices are some of the highest in the United States – still nothing on Sydney though!)

 

 

Why are they called the Athletics?

The Athletics’ name originated from the term “Athletic Club” for local gentlemen’s clubs—this dates back to 1860 when an amateur team, the Athletic (Club) of Philadelphia, was formed the basis of the Oakland name.

Why am I excited to see their city?

I feel like Oakland gets a pretty bad rap given they are across the Bay from San Francisco and have cheaper housing. Whilst I have been through Oakland, I haven’t spent a lot of time there.

One thing that would be cool is checking out Cal Berkely’s college campus – one of the top universities in California.

What is a tradition at their ballpark?

Most baseball teams play a lot better at home, but Oakland has something that other teams cannot claim (well maybe Detroit but I haven’t been there yet), and that is RAW SEWAGE!

You see, Oakland’s stadium is so old (a key reason why the NFL Raiders are leaving town), that raw sewage sometimes leaks into the clubhouse and stinks the joint up!

Who is a famous fan?

The second of the California teams, Oakland might be the least glamorous in the state. Still, that doesn’t stop our boy and legendary actor Tom Hanks from being a fan (well he grew up in the area….).

Apart from Tom, anyone who has seen the movie Moneyball is probably a fan (if you haven’t go see it), as it shows a team on a shoestring budget take it to the big guys!

A fun/weird fact about the Athletics

Keeping on from the famous fans, the movie Moneyball showed how the Athletics revolutionised modern baseball scouting!

The Athletics did not have the budgets to match the bigger teams in the league, so using sabermetrics (statistics that measure in-game activity) the Athletics were able to build a team on the cheap with players who were undervalued by other teams.

The key sabermetric the team used was their “On Base Percentage”, or how likely that player was to get on base – i.e. the best way to win baseball games!

Without too many spoilers, whilst the A’s never won the World Series with this method, the Boston Red Sox took the same approach in 2004 and finally won their first Championship since the Curse of the Bambino (their last World Series win before 2004 was 1916!!)