Names Relating to Weather, Military Lead the Way

OMAHA, NE - Since the Omaha Royals final home stand got underway on August 21, fans have been able to submit their ideas for a possible new name for Omaha's Triple-A team in 2011, when it moves into the new ballpark in Sarpy County. So far, over 400 different names have been suggested, with those in favor of a new team name overwhelming those fans who favor keeping the same moniker as Omaha's parent club.

Names relating to the weather and to the military have been leading the way so far. Some of those suggestions include Storm, Hail, Heat, Blizzard, Twisters, Bombers and Commanders. Some fans have just tweaked the name to vary slightly from Royals, suggesting Monarchs and Kings. Other fans, no doubt sad to see the demise of Rosenblatt Stadium following the 2010 season, have submitted the team name Blatts for consideration.

"It has been a fun process to see what people think and feel about the metro area and how they think their Triple-A team should be perceived," said Martie Cordaro, Royals Vice President/General Manager. "We hope that all fans who come out to these final two home games tonight and Thursday will take part in this process, or they will visit our website."

Fans are able to submit their team name ideas in person at Innovation Research Fan Services at Rosenblatt tonight and tomorrow night. They may also go to www.oroyals.com and submit their ideas through Monday, September 6.

Team officials will review all of the fans' ideas beginning on September 7. On September 13, the Royals will release the top 24 names and the public will be able to vote for their three favorite names from the 13th through the 27th of the month, again at www.oroyals.com. On October 4th, the team will release a list of the top nine names remaining under consideration and fans will be able to vote online for the one name they like best.

In November, Omaha's Triple-A baseball club will release its team name, mascot, logos and uniforms at a public event. Details on the event will be released soon.

One lucky fan who suggests the name of the team will win two Box seat 2011 season tickets in the new Sarpy County ballpark and an official home jersey personalized with their name on the back.

For Omaha Royals tickets, call (402) 738-5100, or print tickets online at www.oroyals.com.

ABOUT THE ROYALS: For the second year in a row, readers of Omaha Magazine voted the Omaha Royals as Best Omaha Sports Team in the magazine's 18th annual Best of Omaha Awards, published in its January/February 2010 edition. 371,046 fans attended Omaha Royals games in 2009, making the Royals the largest-drawing sports team or event in the metro area last year. The team's total attendance, as well as the average of 5,457 fans per game, marked its largest figures since the 2000 season. Omaha's Triple-A franchise has now drawn over 300,000 fans a year to Rosenblatt Stadium for 23 consecutive seasons, dating back to 1988.