Braves’ AAA club changes name, hopes for interest

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The Atlanta Braves’ Class AAA farm team has a new nickname.

In a real curveball, it wasn’t one of the six finalists.

The former Gwinnett Braves, whose home stadium is in Atlanta’s sprawling northern suburbs, announced this past week that their new moniker is the Stripers — a tribute to striped bass fishing on nearby Lake Lanier.

The attendance-challenged franchise decided to change its name to create a distinctive identity and eliminate confusion with its parent club. After input from fans, six finalists were announced in July: Big Mouths, Buttons, Gobblers, Hush Puppies, Lambchops and Sweet Teas.

A selection committee initially decided on Big Mouths — another fishing nickname — as the winner. However, while developing logos and uniforms, officials decided it “was not fitting with the ultimate vision of the team,” according to a release announcing the new name.

So Stripers it is. “Gwinnett County is known for offering a wide variety of outdoor activities, including year-round striped bass fishing on Lake Lanier,” said North Johnson, the team’s vice president and general manager. “As the Stripers, we will honor that outdoor tradition while sporting a unique identity that fans across the region can embrace.”

If nothing else, the team could use some new fans.

Gwinnett’s average attendance this past season was 3,135 per game, by far the lowest in Triple-A, and that was nearly doubled up by the Double-A team that replaced it when it moved from its longtime Virginia home to the Atlanta metro area in 2009 The Richmond Flying Squirrels averaged 5,745 a game in the Eastern League.