In minor leagues, zany names sell
Sharing name, market with Braves not easy
The rebranded Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp enjoyed a surge in interest. The Gwinnett Braves hope a quirky name brings a similar bump.
The Braves are causing another furor around town, but this time it has nothing to do with the organization partnering with politicians to get money from taxpayers to fund a stadium.
This ruckus is more emotional than money. It’s a debate on what to name the local nine, who are presently called — yawn — the Gwinnett Braves.
Buttons. Sweet Teas. Big Mouths. Lamb Chops. Gobblers. Hush Puppies. Those are the finalists to replace G-Braves. Seriously.
The reaction to those finalists from some fans here at Coolray Field on a Monday night in July was almost hostile. The faces they made were a clear rebuke of the final six.
But many other fans laughed and appreciated the outlandish names, as if the monikers meshed perfectly with the zany ethos of minor league baseball.
North Johnson, the general manager of the G-Braves, rooted for all the disagreement and disparagement he could get. Bring it on, Johnson said. Call us names, call us anything, pile on. Just notice us.
“We’ve been all over social media,” Johnson said with a big smile.
Exactly. Gwinnett is looking for the big bang of rebranding that comes with a name change.
The G-Braves are the Atlanta Braves’ Class AAA team in Gwinnett County, which is northeast of the city. The team has been mired next to last, or last, in International League attendance since 2012. It needs to press reset in the worst way to try to capture a fan base.
“People are talking about the Gwinnett Braves and what our potential name change will be,” Johnson said. “Three weeks ago we weren’t in conversations. Today we are in almost every conversation in this marketplace, which is a win for us.”
The shine of the new ballpark built nine years ago has worn off. What hasn’t worn off is the resentment to the stadium built with taxpayer dollars. Many feel the Atlanta Braves oversold the benefits of the new stadium to Gwinnett County politicians they successfully lobbied for the construction money. The Braves insisted the minor league club, which moved here from Richmond, Va., would fuel an economic boom and pay dividends. It hasn’t come close to the predictions.
“It’s real,” Johnson said of the ill will. “I wasn’t here; just two people are still here when the stadium opened. People can complain about decisions made 10, 11 years ago, but this structure is not going anywhere, so why let a 10-year-old feud fester? Why not come out and enjoy one of the best things Gwinnett County has to offer? It’s like every other park in the county, which was paid for with taxpayer dollars.”
When you walk around Coolray Field and ask fans how often they come, they say, “This is the first time” or “Twice a year, maybe.”
It’s not the drive to the stadium that keeps fans away. Several fans said they live five minutes from the ballpark and still don’t come.
The reluctance has something to do with a lack of identity. The Major League Baseball Braves play 36 miles away. In addition, the G-Braves are the only Class AAA team in the minors that has the combination of being wholly owned by the parent team and sharing the same name and media market.
“When we share a market with our big-league club and we share the same name, there is no separation from an identity standpoint,” Johnson said. “This will help us shape our own identity, so when people hear we are the Gwinnett Granite Tops, or whatever, they know it’s us. There is no confusion where the fan says, ‘Well, I heard something about the Braves,’ and they default to the Atlanta Braves. The purpose is to have our own identity.”
The Gwinnett Buttons/Big Mouths/Hush Puppies/Sweet Teas, or whatever have plenty to offer. A fan will be able to sit a few rows off the field for $9 and watch a terrific young hitter such as outfielder Ronald Acuna bash his way to the big leagues. The AAA team can feature a major leaguer such as reliever Aroldys Vizcaino, who throws 98 mph, on a rehabilitation stint. You cannot see 98 this close in the big leagues for $9.
The parking lot is paved and close to the entrances of the ball-