The new Frontier League baseball team in Joliet, Ill., soon will begin its inaugural season, and it is asking its potential fan base to come up with a name:
We have held some brainstorming sessions and come up with a list of names. BUT… We know that someone out there may have a better idea! So…. Here’s the drill. Look over the list and let us know if you like any of these names. Or, send us your suggestion. While our “name the team committee” may choose your suggestion, we won’t be using a strict “vote count.” Of course, all ideas about how the new team name may be “marketed” are welcome.
One of the proposed names is the Joliet 66ers, named after historic Route 66 that runs through town.
Other suggested names include the Jailers or Jailbirds (a reference to the now-closed state prison) or the Steelheads (a reference to its long reputation as a steel-mill town).
Each suggested submission will be eligible for one of 66 (!) prizes that the team will give away, including a grand prize of a luxury box on opening night, a customized team jersey, tossing out the ceremonial first pitch, and two season tickets for the 2011 season.
All entries must be submitted by noon Monday. Rules and instructions are here.
The Frontier League operates as an independent professional baseball organization in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
If 66ers is chosen by Joliet, it wouldn’t be the first sports team with that moniker. The Tulsa 66ers basketball team plays in the NBA Development League, and the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino, Calif., is a Class A baseball team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. Bartlesville, Okla., also boasted an amateur basketball team, the Phillips 66ers, for decades.
(Hat tip: Kathy Miller)