Unusual team names have taken over minor league baseball. But the El Paso Chihuahuas, Rocket City Trash Pandas and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp can move over because there's a new top dog when it comes to awesome nicknames.
Meet the Amarillo Sod Poodles.
The team name was selected after fans suggested more than 3,000 different names in a month-long name-the-team contest. The Sod Poodles, a pioneer's nickname for the "Prairie Dogs", was chosen due to its Texas pioneer ties, appeal to kids, marketability, and representing the fun of Minor League Baseball, the team said.
This moniker emerged victorious in a "Name the Team" contest, beating other options that recall Amarillo's Texas Panhandle location: Boot Scooters, Bronc Busters, Jerky and Long Haulers.
The primary logo features a coterie of Texas Sod Poodles defending their hometown turf. The cap logo features a Sod Poodle in the white hero's hat biting down on a stalk of prairie grass, a nod to the community's agricultural heritage. The leaning Sod Poodle is tipping his cap, representing Amarillo's welcoming hospitality. Finally, the Texas Pride mark represents the Sod Poodles' home, the great state of Texas.
The team's uniforms will be unveiled at a later date.
Amarillo Yellow, Texas Red and Blue, and Route 66 Retro Blue make up the club's new official colors. The Sod Poodles are the first professional sports team to use this color combination, according to team representatives.
The Sod Poodles will serve as the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres in the Texas League, after the San Antonio Missions' move to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for 2019. The Sod Poodles' inaugural home opener is set to take place on Monday, April 8, 2019, against the Midland RockHounds, Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.
And, in case you're wondering, you can score some sweet Sod Poodles merchandise on the team's website, sodpoodles.com.
