[Eugene Church]

I went to Biloxi, Mississippi yesterday for a Southern League game between the new league member, the Biloxi Shuckers, and the Chattanooga Lookouts... very good game won by the Lookouts in 11 innings 6-5.

Biloxi was formerly the Huntsville Stars... very nice ballpark within a block or two of the beach... strong wind out toward left on a regular basis means a good number of homers which is good for the pitching-favored ballparks in the Southern League... there were four last night... it called MGM Park... MGM owns Beau Rivage, a really beautiful casino hotel.

Sad to say, minor league baseball may be becoming too expensive like MLB... Biloxi charged $12 per ticket... $5 cokes and $4 hot dogs... that's the highest I have ever paid... usually the tickets are $6 to $8 dollars... cokes and hot dogs around $3... most of the time parking is free.

I don't know about you, but the nickname Shuckers didn't do anything for me... a "shucker" is a person who opens oysters... their logo is terrible... see below.

Chattanooga has a great nickname, the Lookouts, named for Lookout Mountain... great logo, too.

Biloxi is a resort city on the Gulf of Mexico... Keesler Air Force Base is there, too... there are a lot good nicknames associated with the casino industry, airplanes and sea that could have been chosen... alliterative nicknames are in abundance, too... Beachcombers, Barracudas, Buccaneers, Beacons (famous lighthouse in the area), Blue Sox, Blasters, Bashers, Blazers, Blue Chippers (casino resort/sports draftees and signees) and Blue Crabs (seafood industry).

I know I'm old... but I just don't understand teams being named Biscuits (Montgomery), Isotopes (Albuquerque), 51s (Las Vegas)... myself I much prefer traditional names.