Move Over Wally

There are some new xml_names in town

By: Blair Goldstein | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: June 10, 2008

Winston-Salem fans could soon be cheering on the Aviators or supporting the Dash.

Or, they could be rooting for the Racers, the Rhinos or the Wallbangers.

The five are all that remain of the more than 3,000 submissions of names to replace the Winston-Salem Warthogs.

Kevin Terry, the president of Baseball Downtown, said that the final name of the team will be selected from the list of five.

"It's not that we dislike the Warthogs, it has its heritage here," Terry said. "For us moving forward, the idea was there's a new ballpark and a new management team, let's start with a new name and a new brand, everything new."

The final team name is expected to be announced before the end of the current baseball season in August, he said.

The team is still working out what the mascots for each of the names would look like, Terry said. He said he wasn't sure how the team would animate the Dash -- the hyphen between Winston and Salem -- or the Wallbangers, baseball slang for a heavy hitter.

The team has hired Dave Raymond to help with that process. Raymond is the creator of the Philly Phanatic, the mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies major-league baseball team.

The goal is to have a new name to go along with the new stadium, which is under construction on the western edge of downtown. It is planned to be done in time for the 2009 baseball season.

Mandalay Baseball Properties, the management company now running the baseball team, held a community contest to get suggestions for the team name.

Last month, the team announced 10 finalists. It cut the names Thunder, Red Wolf, Copperheads, Mad Toms and Woodchucks.

According to a press release, the names were cut because other minor league or collegiate teams already use the names or because of logo and mascot considerations.

The search for the new team name has drawn communitywide attention and, at times, criticism.

Betty Polivka, a longtime fan and a member of the Warthogs fan club, said she is not too happy with the final five. She suggested the name Hustlers because the players are always hustling on the field.

"I just can't imagine what they are going to pick. But I know it's not up to me," she said. "I'm not real impressed with those."

Blair Goldstein can be reached at 727-7284 or at bgoldstein@wsjournal.com.