Help me name a team for Oxnard, Calif.

[BigRed75]

I am nearly done with remaking the professional baseball universe in time for expansion to 36 teams by 2025. There are just two new teams that I am having trouble coming up with nicknames for, so I thought I'd open it up to a vote.

This poll is for a California League expansion team that will begin play in Oxnard, California in 2026. I have come up with four finalists. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Berries - The Oxnard Plain, on the edge of town, is responsible for 1/3 of California's yearly strawberry harvest. The town also hosts a yearly Strawberry Festival.

Condors - The iconic California Condors often fly in the skies over Oxnard. The bird is so identified with the state that it seems like ther should be a California League team with that name.

Gulls - Oxnard is the largest city in Ventura County, and Gulls is a traditional name for Ventura County sports teams. Plus, the Oxnard city logo has a seagull prominently featured. However, I already have plans for another High-A team (in the Carolina League) to be the Seagulls because that is the town's historical minor league nickname.

Rams - The newly re-re-located L.A. Rams have signed a deal to hold their training camp in Oxnard. If this name is selected, the backstory will be that the team bought the rights to the new franchise, and the Oxnard Rams will play in uniforms very similar to the L.A. Rams, with the same blue-and-gold color scheme.

Those are the choices. Please vote, and if you wish to leave a comment explaining your decision, I would find that very helpful as well.

Thanks!

[Cujomatty]

I voted Condors but how the Oxnard Oxnardians didn't make the list is a mystery.

[The Wolf]

Earthquakes.

[Anyone]

I voted Condors. I don't know if condors really are dangerous birds of prey, but that's their image in my mind.

And when a team is named after an animal, I like it to be named after a fearsome one (e.g. if I'd had anything to do it, the U of Oregon teams would certainly never have been named the Ducks). Rams might sound fearsome, but they're actually just male sheep.

[kq76]

Originally Posted by Anyone

Rams might sound fearsome, but they're actually just male sheep.

Uhh, but with really big horns. They're definitely one animal I wouldn't want to piss off.

And I quite like the Beavers and Ducks names. They're great logos and colours. Yeah, fearsome can be cool, but not every team name needs to be fearsome.

To answer the OP's questions, I typically like to leave the more common names for the big cities and go for more unique names for smaller cities. So while I like Rams, I'd leave that out. And Condors while there's no major team that I know of that uses that name, I'm really surprised there isn't because that's such a cool name. So I'd leave Condors for a major city. Gulls is kind of... an awkward name so unless it really fit for some reason I'd avoid it.

That leaves me with Berries and that's just weird, but I think you could play with it a bit. Something to do with jelly or jam or canning or pies. For example, Jammers could be said to represent that your players are jamming up the opposition or putting them into jams. The Jamestown Jammers have one of the coolest logos and uniforms in the minor leagues so you could go off of theirs. The Jelly-leggers could be implying you're giving the opposition jelly legs. I'm sure others could more inventive too like Stompers representing how you stomp on berries and how you'll stomp on the opposition. Yeah, I'd go with something along those lines.

[BigRed75]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Earthquakes.

Can't do Earthquakes because they'll be in the same league as Rancho Cucamonga. This ain't the CFL here, boys...

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

Oxen, for alliterative purposes.

[Hammercraft]

[Eugene Church]

I voted for Condors... it would make a good logo and mascot.

I would prefer something associated with the sea, since it is a coastal city.

Seagulls or Sea Gulls instead of Gulls.

Seahawks or Sea Hawks

Beachcomers... because of the 20 miles of beach.

[sol_phenom]

The Oxnard Octogenarians. A team of all veterans.

[Assos]

Well, it could be the Earth Quakes, two words for you CFL lovers out there!

I like Condors, that is how I shall vote!

[golfguy613]

Without a doubt, Condors is the way to go!

[msupoke]

Oxnard Spineless Yellowbellies to honor California's deep political history.

[Motorhead667]

Condors

[toxicavenger74]

I always name my Oxnard minor league team the Oxnard Peppers. It goes with the heavy agriculture industry.

[Bub13]

Nerds. So they become the Oxnerds.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Bub13

Nerds. So they become the Oxnerds.

Very creative!

[Ty Cobb]

The Oxnard Painters. There's a lot of local issues with taggers & graffiti, I hear.

[Orioles1966]

California Condors
California Cobras
California Conquistadors

[BigRed75]

Well, since this is going to be a single-A expansion team playing in the California League, I doubt very much the other teams would be too pleased with the new guys claiming the whole state.