The minor league team wants to end confusion between it and the major league Philadelphia Phillies.
By BOB PUTNAM
Published May 26, 2003
CLEARWATER - For 19 seasons, Clearwater's Minor League Baseball team has been called the Phillies. Now team officials are going to let the fans call it something else.
Voting, which began last month on the team's Web site, www.clearwaterphillies.com will determine the new name, said Clearwater ticketing and media coordinator Jason Adams. Fans helped whittle the list of entries from 40 to five.
The names were: Amberjax, Barracudas, Beach Dogs, Kingfish, Sand Sharks, Storm Surge and Wave. The choices were narrowed to two over the weekend, and the team could announce the finalists this week.
Fans can continue voting, but the team will have the final say. A decision most likely will be made the last week in August.
"We've struggled with being able to create our own identity," Adams said. "The Philadelphia Phillies have spring training here. The Clearwater Phillies play Minor League Baseball here. Shocking as it sounds, people have had a hard time distinguishing between the two."
Adams said the team has kicked around the idea for a while but did not pursue the name change until the city of Clearwater agreed to build a 7,000-seat stadium at 601 Old Coachman Road to keep the Philadelphia Phillies in town for another 21 years.
The team has called Clearwater home for spring training since 1947 and operated its Class A minor league here since 1985.
"This is the perfect setup," Adams said. "We'll have a new stadium and a new name to go along with it. People will be able to drive down U.S. 19, see stadium lights on and realize that baseball still is here in the summer."
Last season, Clearwater drew 78,459 total attendance, which ranked sixth in the 12-team Florida State League.
In addition to an increase in attendance, the name change could boost revenues, said Tina Gust, assistant director of licensing for Minor League Baseball. The latest trend with sports teams, particularly Minor League Baseball teams, is choosing a quirky name to cash in on the lucrative souvenir business. The merchandising boom has seen apparel sales grow from $2.5-million in 1992 to $38-million in the minor leagues last year.
"The name helps, but there are other factors," Gust said. "The logo, attendance, everything else plays a role."
This isn't the first time a local team has considered changing its name. In 2001, the Dunedin Blue Jays let fans make the call on a new name but ultimately decided to stick with the original.
