New poll shows MiLB’s Most Outrageous Name award goes to the Trash Pandas

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Sprocket is the mascot for the Rocket City Trash Pandas. (Rocket City Trash Pandas)

When news broke that Minor League Baseball was returning to the Huntsville area, the people of the Rocket City were called upon to name the team, and settled on what a recent survey revealed is the Most Outrageous Name in MiLB.

See how the Rocket City Trash Pandas received this “honor” from baseball fans:

About the recent survey

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Fans of Minor League Baseball decided on MiLB’s Most Outrageous Name. (Michael Seale/Hville Blast)

So, how did our beloved Trash Pandas win the Most Outrageous Name award?

Approximately 4,000 baseball fans were surveyed by Casino.org to have them weigh in on what they thought were the most off-the-wall names in MiLB as well as some interesting info about the teams.

The Trash Pandas received the most votes, which is impressive considering some of the other names of MiLB teams across the country. Here are the 10 Most Outrageous Names in MiLB according to the survey:

  1. Rocket City Trash Pandas
  2. Amarillo Sod Poodles
  3. Binghampton Rumble Ponies
  4. Akron Rubber Ducks
  5. Albuquerque Isotopes
  6. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
  7. Sugar Land Space Cowboys
  8. Lansing Lugnuts
  9. Hartford Yard Goats
  10. Biloxi Shuckers

Oddly enough, The Biloxi Shuckers, the team name at no. 10, is the team that was formerly the Huntsville Stars. Here’s the full survey and how teams finished.

What is a Trash Panda?

The Rocket City Trash Pandas have the “most outrageous name” in Minor League Baseball, according to a recent survey. (Rocket City Trash Pandas)

So, how did we get the name Trash Pandas? Well, the short answer is that a trash panda is a slang name for a racoon, which any one who lives in the area knos is a prominent critter around here.

The previous MiLB team in the area was the aptly named Huntsville Stars. But in today’s market, the more off-the-wall and unique name you can find is better for marketing, apparently.

That said, the team could not use the name Rocket City Raccoons because of the similarity to a certain Marvel Comics character, so when fans voted on the team name, that was not an option.

But the fans did get to vote from these options (in order of how they finished in the fan voting):

  1. Trash Pandas
  2. ThunderSharks
  3. Moon Possums
  4. Space Chimps
  5. Comet Jockeys

The name “Trash Pandas” received nearly half the votes, overwhelmingly winning the name contest.

The name has been so unique and niche that Trash Pandas merchandise has been sold nationwide, with the team selling more than $4 million in merch before ever playing its first game.

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Michael Seale
Michael Seale
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