By Brian Hoffman
It’s finally here, what our local Carolina League baseball fans have been waiting for since it was announced our Salem team was going to change their name.
The Salem baseball team will announce their new moniker at an event at Salem Memorial Ballpark this Saturday. They’re doing it up right, a three hour event with live music by the Eric Wayne Band. Melissa Gaona of WDBJ-7 and Brett Sharp of the 94.9 Star Country are hosting what they’re calling a “Launch Party.” Boston Red Sox pitcher Zack Kelly, from Lord Botetourt High, and former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster will be there.
The party gets started at 4 pm Saturday and it runs until 7 o’clock. It’s free to the public, but if you want a chance at some free stuff you have to RSVP on the team website. I have to get used to not calling it the “Red Sox Website,” because as of Saturday they’re not going to be the Red Sox anymore. The team will still be affiliated with the Boston Red Sox but the new name will be unique to the Roanoke Valley.
“This isn’t just a logo change but rather a celebration of our community, its history and the future of Salem professional baseball,” said Salem General Manager Allen Lawrence. “Minor League Baseball is known for its’ fun and creative identities with each brand telling a story that reflects the character of its community, and we are so excited to unveil a brand, inspired by our fans, that gives us a story to share.”
Concessions will be available with a lineup of food trucks. There will also be a petting zoo, face painting and balloon art as well as live demos, inflatables and activities for fans of all ages. The event will conclude with a fireworks show at 7 pm.
It sounds like a lot of fun, and I’m anxious to know the new name. As you’d expect the folks at the baseball office have been tight-lipped about letting it get out. Billy Powell, our pressman at the paper, has a daughter, Lexi, who works for the team during the summer and Billy said she doesn’t even know. Only a few of the “higher ups” were privy to the new name.
Of course, they’re going to have hats and shirts and the like ready to purchase on Saturday, so the folks making that stuff had to know. I guess if I was a real investigative reporter I could have called all over the country to companies that make baseball apparel, maybe disguising my voice and asking how the “Salem Order” is coming along. Truth is, I’d just as soon be surprised.
Come Saturday this will be the sixth name change of our local team since they debuted as Salem Rebels in 1955. They changed to Salem Pirates in 1972 and that made a lot of sense since we were a Pittsburgh affiliate. In 1981 the team was sold to a group from Nashville headed by Larry Schmittou, who also owned the Nashville Sounds. He wanted to change the name and had a contest with the winning entry announced as “Redbirds.” I thought that was a very odd choice since we weren’t a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate. What’s more, the team was terrible as Schmittou left the Pirates for the Padres. He then sold the team to a group from New York and for awhile we were affiliates of the Rangers, but still called Redbirds.
When Kelvin Bowles bought the team in 1987 the Pirates returned and the name was changed to Buccaneers. I really liked that name, it suggested Pirates while still being different. We had some cool logos, a Long John Silver bird for a mascot and our uniforms even got in the movie Bull Durham. Check it out.
Unfortunately, the Pirates left for Lynchburg and the name was changed again. When we hooked up with the Rockies we became “Salem Avalanche,” a name I didn’t care for at all. When’s the last time we had an avalanche in Salem? I guess it fit in with Colorado but our logo was busy and folks referred to it as an “A spewing chunks.” Then, when we left the Rockies for Houston, the name made no sense at all.
That brings us to Red Sox, which has been the name since 2009. It says it all. We’re affiliated with the Red Sox and it even has a little history going back to the Roanoke Red Sox when they played at Maher Field years ago. Not a bad name, but after 16 years every fan has some kind of shirt or hat and you need to sell new stuff to survive in 2025. The team made an effort with “Beer Mongers” for Thursday night games but do you want your elementary school child to go to school with “I’m here for the beer” on his or her shirt?
So, we’re a changin’. We’ll find out the new name this Saturday and I’m absolutely pumped to hear what it is. I’ve saved up money for a new hat and shirt and I’ll be out there as soon as I get home from the Roanoke College football game in Lexington. Lot’s of stuff going on Saturday, state cross country at Green Hill Park and the “Wolverine Duals” wrestling tournament at Andrew Lewis. I can’t be at everything but I’ll have it all covered.
As I mentioned, I have no idea what the name will be. However, in last week’s football contest I asked our loyal readers for suggestions and I got a good response. Not everyone wrote down a potential name but many did and here they are, in no particular order. If one of these hits I’ll be real surprised.
Our contest readers suggested the following: Blue Ridge Rattlers, Blue Ridge Bombers, Salem Mules, Salem Ridge Runners, Blue Ridge Stars, Salem River Dogs(was once the name of our pro soccer team, I still have a hat), Salem Homies, Salem Blue Sox, Salem Generals, Salem Spartans(won’t sell a lot of new stuff there), Salem Little Spartans, Salem Red Dragons, Salem Times-Register(thanks for the shout out), Salem Meteors, Salem Ball Sox, Wolverines(again, folks already have hats and shirts), MAGAtrons(I won’t be wearing that hat), Salem Champions(what if the team sucks, you still have to sell stuff), Salem Commanders(might have a lawsuit) and, finally, Salem Young Guns. I don’t know that we want to promote violence, the Washington Bullets bailed under pressure and I always liked that name.
There they are, suggestions from our readers. I’ve got to pick one of those names to give someone a free round of golf at the Academy Street Course. See our football contest story on this page to see who I chose and I hope to see you out at the ballpark Saturday.
