Team Nicknames

[chanceron]

The National League was of course the first League to form back in 1876 and since then has had over 40 different teams enter its league. Some of the lessor known teams were

Chicago White Stockings, Colts and Orphans ...finally the Cubs in 1902
Cleveland Blues
Indianapolis Hoosiers
Kansas City Cowboys
Milwaukee Cream Citys (who came up with that name I wonder)

Does anyone know what National League team had the most nicknames (6) and can you name them. During a 5-year span they changed their name 3 times?
----------------------------------------------------------
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

---Vincent Van Gogh

[RuthMayBond]

The National League was of course the first League to form back in 1876 and since then has had over 40 different teams enter its league. Some of the lessor known teams were

Chicago White Stockings, Colts and Orphans ...finally the Cubs in 1902
Cleveland Blues
Indianapolis Hoosiers
Kansas City Cowboys
Milwaukee Cream Citys (who came up with that name I wonder)

Does anyone know what National League team had the most nicknames (6) and can you name them. During a 5-year span they changed their name 3 times?
----------------------------------------------------------
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

---Vincent Van GoghWashington Olympics/Nationals/Blue Legs?

[chanceron]

Thanks for the quick reply RuthMayBond but Washington is not it....as far as I know Washington only had two teams in the National League, the Statesmen from 1886-1889 and the Senators who came over from the American Association in 1892. They played in the NL from 1892-1899.

The Washington Nationals were an old Union Association team in 1884 and I believe the Olympics and the Blue Legs were old American Association teams.

The team I'm thinking about were from the Nation League only and they had 6 nicknames while playing in the NL.

[Utter Chaos]

Atlanta Braves 1966-present
Milwaukee Braves 1953-1965
Boston Braves 1941-1952
Boston Bees 1936-1940
Boston Braves 1912-1935
Boston Rustlers 1911-1911
Boston Doves 1907-1910
Boston Beaneaters 1883-1906
Boston Red Caps 1876-1882

[chanceron]

The Braves are the team...good work utter...congrats go out.

[chanceron]

There is no recount, unless you live in Florida. The key to the question was teams playing only in the N.L.

Some of the Dodger teams you listed played in the A.A.

Thanks for your post just the same.....don't tell me ....let me guess.....mmmmm.............The Great Chanceron guesses..................... Your a big-time Dodger Fan from Brooklyn.

[Chisox73]

Thanks for your post just the same.....don't tell me ....let me guess.....mmmmm.............The Great Chanceron guesses..................... Your a big-time Dodger Fan from Brooklyn.

Yes he is,and he is one of our most respected posters here.I can vouch for that.

You should check out his pics on the Brooklyn Dodgers site.They're awesome. :clapping

[bluezebra]

"The National League was of course the first League to form back in 1876 and since then has had over 40 different teams enter its league. Some of the lessor known teams were

Chicago White Stockings, Colts and Orphans ...finally the Cubs in 1902"

Enter? Lesser known? The Cubs are the ONLY franchise to be in continuous action in the National League since Day One. The nickname changed, but it's still the same franchise.

Do a little better research. There have been name changes, and franchise moves, but NOWHERE near 40 DIFFERENT teams entered the NL since 1876. AND, there were FOUR leagues formed BEFORE the National League:
American Association
Players League
Union Association
National Association

Bob

[Zito75]

How about the Spiders? I've always like that nickname... ;)

[Utter Chaos]

The Cubs are the ONLY franchise to be in continuous action in the National League since Day One. The nickname changed, but it's still the same franchise. The Braves have also existed since the original NL year of 1876. Not the same nickname and not in the same city but it's still the same franchise.

[chanceron]

Thanks for the post bluezebra, I did mis-count the teams that entered the NL but not by much, it is actually 34 not over 40. I counted the dodgers, braves and giants more than once, my mistake. Thanks for pointing that out.

But the players league didnt form till 1890, the union league formed in 1884, and yes the NAPBBP (National Association of Professional Base Ball Players) was around in the in the middle of the century, and became an organized league in 1871.
So again you got me there as they were 5 years ahead of the NL, but I still don't count it as a league, because of all the scandals it was involved in (gamblers, contract jumpings, etc). The teams seldom met the quota of games played. Yet they would still hand championships out. I think the Boston Red Stockings won 4 out of their 5 championships before the league folded in 75. But nevertheless it was a league, but the 2 other leagues you mentioned were not around when the NL organized in 1876.

Lessor known teams??? I meant the lesser known team names (Chicago White Stockings, Colts and Orphans). I realize that the Cubbies have always been there, just not as Cubbies.

So yes I do need to research a little more, but the same can be said for you. I was trying to make it as short as possible, just to get my real trivia question out there. What team changed its nickname the most?

Here are the 34 teams not 40 that entered the NL
Atl/Mil/Boston Braves/Red Caps/Beaneaters/Doves/Rustlers/Bees
Balt Orioles
Brooklyn/LA Dodgers
Buffalo Bisons
Cubs White Stockings/Colts/Orphans/Cubs
Reds (76 thru 80) Red Stockings
Reds (90 thru today) came from AA Red Legs from 53-58
Cleveland blues (79 thru 84)
Cleveland spiders (89 thru 99)
Colorado
Florida
Hartford Dark Blues
Houston Colt .45s/Astros
Indianapolis 1878 Hoosiers
Indianapolis was the St. L. Maroons (different Hoosiers
Kansas city Cowboys
Louisville 76-77 Grays
Louisville 1892-99 became the pirates Colonels
Milwaukee Cream Citys (became Lit Debbie Cakes)
Montreal
NY mutuals 1876
NY/SF giants 1883-today
Ny mets
Phil 1876 Athletics
Phil 1883-today Phillies
Providence Grays
San diego
St louis 1876-77 Maroons
St. louis 1892-today Cardinals
Syracuse 1879 Stars
Troy 1879-82 (may not be able to count Troy) Trojans
Wash 1886-89 Statesmen
Wash 1892-99 moved from AA Senators
Worchester 1880-82 Ruby Legs

[chanceron]

American Association was in 1882, the other league you mentioned that was formed before the NL. So you did get 1 out of 4

[bluezebra]

The Braves have also existed since the original NL year of 1876. Not the same nickname and not in the same city but it's still the same franchise.

Correct. I meant to say, the only franchise in the SAME CITY since Day One.

Bob

[bluezebra]

[QUOTE=chanceron]Thanks for the post bluezebra, I did mis-count the teams that entered the NL but not by much, it is actually 34 not over 40. I counted the dodgers, braves and giants more than once, my mistake. Thanks for pointing that out.

But the players league didnt form till 1890, the union league formed in 1884, and yes the NAPBBP (National Association of Professional Base Ball Players) was around in the in the middle of the century, and became an organized league in 1871.
So again you got me there as they were 5 years ahead of the NL, but I still don't count it as a league, because of all the scandals it was involved in (gamblers, contract jumpings, etc). The teams seldom met the quota of games played. Yet they would still hand championships out. I think the Boston Red Stockings won 4 out of their 5 championships before the league folded in 75. But nevertheless it was a league, but the 2 other leagues you mentioned were not around when the NL organized in 1876.

Lessor known teams??? I meant the lesser known team names (Chicago White Stockings, Colts and Orphans). I realize that the Cubbies have always been there, just not as Cubbies.
**True fans know they were originally the White Stockings

So yes I do need to research a little more, but the same can be said for you. I was trying to make it as short as possible, just to get my real trivia question out there. What team changed its nickname the most?

Here are the 34 teams not 40 that entered the NL
Atl/Mil/Boston Braves/Red Caps/Beaneaters/Doves/Rustlers/Bees
**An Original Member
Balt Orioles
Brooklyn/LA Dodgers
Buffalo Bisons
Cubs White Stockings/Colts/Orphans/Cubs
**An Original Member
Reds (76 thru 80) Red Stockings
Reds (90 thru today) came from AA Red Legs from 53-58
**Same team. Left NL for 1881, returned in 1882-present
Cleveland blues (79 thru 84)
Cleveland spiders (89 thru 99)
Colorado
Florida
Hartford Dark Blues
Houston Colt .45s/Astros
Indianapolis 1878 Hoosiers
**Known as the Blues Hoosiers, 1887-89
Indianapolis was the St. L. Maroons (different Hoosiers
Kansas city Cowboys
Louisville 76-77 Grays
Louisville 1892-99 became the pirates Colonels
Milwaukee Cream Citys (became Lit Debbie Cakes)
**Known as the Grays in 1878, their only season in the NL. Found no reference to "Cream Citys", "Debbie Cakes"
Montreal
NY mutuals 1876
NY/SF giants 1883-today
Ny mets
Phil 1876 Athletics
Phil 1883-today Phillies
Providence Grays
San diego
St louis 1876-77 Maroons
St. louis 1892-today Cardinals
**STL Brown Stockings, 1876-77
Syracuse 1879 Stars
Troy 1879-82 (may not be able to count Troy) Trojans
**1879-82 valid
Wash 1886-89 Statesmen
Wash 1892-99 moved from AA Senators
Worchester 1880-82 Ruby Legs (sounds more like chorus girls than ballplayers)

Bob

[iPod]

Thought you meant, like... The Murderer's Row, The Big Red Machine, Harvey's Wallbangers, The Jungle Club Infield, The Boys of Summer, etc.

[chanceron]

I reaserched a few of these teams with Baseball Encyclopedia and found a few more things out

They list the Milwaukee team as the Cream Citys also (10th Edition under team rosters), but then I find in a couple of other registers the Grays are mentioned as there team nickname. This was the 1978 team which played only one year and ended up in the cellar after winning only 15 out of 60.

Cincinnati may have been the same team as the original in 1876 thru 1880, but they didnt play in the NL in 1882 to present. They fielded a team in the A.A. from 1882 until 1889, then made in back to the NL in 1890....there was also a Cincinnati team in the Union League between those years.

There were actually 3 St. Louis teams in the NL. The brown stockings that you mention in 76 & 77, the Maroons who moved from Indianpolis in 1885 & 86, which I listed as 1876-1877 by mistake. And the Cardinals from 1892-present, the Cardinals began as the Browns, then the Perfectos (1899), before finally settling on the Cardinals in 1900

The reason I say I shouldnt count Troy is because they later became the Giants in 1883.

That may be so about the true Cub fans ...but I asked that question in a Cubs chat room once and was floored not many knew the first team was called the White Stockings.

The Worcestor Ruby Legs do sound like Chorus girls instead of Baseball players (LOL) ...they became the Phillies as we know them now. They played as the Quakers their first 7 years in the NL and in 1944 and 1945 they played as the Blue Jays, but I couldnt find a story on why those two war years they dropped the Phillies nickname.

Thanks for the post and your insight Bluezebra

[Cream Citys]

The Milwaukee Cream Citys, originating in Milwaukee in the mid 1860s, joined the NL in 1878 for one year. They resurfaced in the Union League in 1884 again for one season. They were state amatuer champs in 1868.

The Cream Citys were named after the special bricks made in Milwaukee in the mid-1800s. Many of the building built at that time in Milwaukee and throughout the midwest were made out of these golden colored bricks. At the time Milwaukee was known as the Cream City.

Today, the Milwaukee Cream Citys BBC, a vintage base ball team and member of the Vintage Base Ball Association, play throughout the summer in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, recreating what base ball was like in the 1860s.

[soberdennis]

Correct. I meant to say, the only franchise in the SAME CITY since Day One.

Bob
Just out of curiosity, I thought the Phils had been around since 1876, too. Please tell me was there a break in their history?

[Utter Chaos]

Just out of curiosity, I thought the Phils had been around since 1876, too. Please tell me was there a break in their history?Philadelphia didn't join the NL until 1883.

[bluezebra]

The National League was of course the first League to form back in 1876 and since then has had over 40 different teams enter its league. Some of the lessor known teams were

Chicago White Stockings, Colts and Orphans ...finally the Cubs in 1902
Cleveland Blues
Indianapolis Hoosiers
Kansas City Cowboys
Milwaukee Cream Citys (who came up with that name I wonder)

Does anyone know what National League team had the most nicknames (6) and can you name them. During a 5-year span they changed their name 3 times?
----------------------------------------------------------
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

---Vincent Van Gogh

1..The National League was NOT the first league formed.

2..The Chicago NL franchise has been in existence since Day One. And it was NEVER a lesser known team. They won the first NL pennant, and were first in FIVE of the league's first 10 years.

3..These teams were NEVER in the NL: Cleveland Blues, Milwaukee Cream Citys (who came up with that name I wonder) **Wisconsin is known as the "Dairy State". When Milwaukee was in the NL in 1878, they were the "Grays".

When Cleveland was in the NL, their nickname was the "SPIDERS".

Bob