It's Official, Rays considering name change

[Mac the Knife]

When the team was first considered, Stingrays was among the choices, but a minor league team (?!?) owned the rights.

From the St. Petersburg Times, 3/1/1995:

Naimoli said he was "a long way down the track" on choosing a team name, along with team colors and a logo. "It's something totally unique yet reflects all good things in the area," Naimoli said. `No one will guess it."

The name won't be Stingrays. Naimoli recently made an unsuccessful offer to buy rights to that name from the Hawaii Winter League, which has a team called the Maui Stingrays, according to league executive director Bob Berg.

"It's a valuable trademark for us, and we did not want to part with it," Berg said from Honolulu. "They made an offer, but it was not something that was tenable. It was certainly not as much as we would have liked. They said they had other solutions rather than pay us what the mark may be worth. We wish them the best of luck."

The Hawaii league is a private independent league that operates under MLB sanction.

So, a NICKNAME can be protected? What about all the Tigers, Bears and Giants out there? I don't get it.

Yes and no - it depends entirely on how the first group trademarked the name.

In this case, its likely the Stingrays organization scooped up trademark rights on ancillaries (shirts, hats, etc.) that the MLB organization would simply have to be able to utilize - and which they probably didn't agree to terms on.

[Survival79]

When the team was first considered, Stingrays was among the choices, but a minor league team (?!?) owned the rights.

From the St. Petersburg Times, 3/1/1995:

Naimoli said he was "a long way down the track" on choosing a team name, along with team colors and a logo. "It's something totally unique yet reflects all good things in the area," Naimoli said. `No one will guess it."

The name won't be Stingrays. Naimoli recently made an unsuccessful offer to buy rights to that name from the Hawaii Winter League, which has a team called the Maui Stingrays, according to league executive director Bob Berg.

"It's a valuable trademark for us, and we did not want to part with it," Berg said from Honolulu. "They made an offer, but it was not something that was tenable. It was certainly not as much as we would have liked. They said they had other solutions rather than pay us what the mark may be worth. We wish them the best of luck."

The Hawaii league is a private independent league that operates under MLB sanction.

So, a NICKNAME can be protected? What about all the Tigers, Bears and Giants out there? I don't get it.

Yes and no - it depends entirely on how the first group trademarked the name.

In this case, its likely the Stingrays organization scooped up trademark rights on ancillaries (shirts, hats, etc.) that the MLB organization would simply have to be able to utilize - and which they probably didn't agree to terms on.

If you search TESS you will find that "Maui Sting Rays" was filed by Hawaii Winter Baseball, Inc. on March 9, 1993, cancelled on January 11, 2003, and filed again on April 6, 2006. Interestingly enough, there are no records for "Maui Stingrays" although it appears that at some point the team used "Sting Rays" on logos and "Stingrays" on jerseys.

[Brian in Boston]

The reason that Hawaii Winter Baseball re-filed the Maui Stingrays name is that the league is preparing to re-launch. They've also re-filed the Honolulu Sharks, Hilo Stars and Cane Fires names (the latter being part of the old West Oahu Cane Fires identity). Additionally, the league has filed the new name North Shore Honu with the USPTO. Honu are Hawaiian Sea Turtles.

To date, the HBL hasn't re-filed the Kauai Legends, Kona Navigators, Lahaina Whalers or Waikiki Beach Boys names/logos.

[Survival79]

Hawaii Winter Baseball League returning

The pro development league returns after an eight-year hiatus with four Oahu teams each playing 40 games in October and November, sources told the Star-Bulletin.

Hawaii Winter Baseball will play ball again in '06

The league will feature four teams ? all on O'ahu ? including the Honolulu Sharks and West Oahu CaneFires from the original league. Each team will play 40 games in October and November.

The league has filed five team names for a four team league: Maui Sting Rays, Hilo Stars, Honolulu Sharks, North Shore Honu, and Cane Fires (no city or area designation). Last time I checked, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii were separate islands. If these articles are true it would seem that the Maui Sting Rays and Hilo Stars won't be playing in this league.

More details of the league are scheduled to be announced May 31, including players, the names of the other two teams and schedules.

Hawaii Winter Baseball owner Duane Kurisu is part-owner of the San Francisco Giants.

Perhaps it is just a coincidence that the owner of the league is part-owner of the San Francisco Giants and that they are waiting to announce the other two teams until May 31, which happens to be the last day that Tampa Bay can submit a name change to MLB.

[Claystation360]

how about Tampa Bay Pewter Sox or Black Sox even seem to be cursed .

[Brian in Boston]

It would appear that three of the re-launched Hawaii Winter Baseball franchises will be the Honolulu Sharks, North Shore Honu and (fill in the geographic designation) Cane Fires. The fourth franchise's name is anyone's guess.

As for re-filing the names of the Maui Sting Rays and Hilo Stars, I'd guess that the reason for protecting the first is to keep another team - potentially, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays - from co-opting the nickname portion of the brand. There's also the possibility that the league would like to sell "throwback" merchandise featuring the logos of former clubs... though that doesn't explain why they didn't refile the Kauai Legends brand.

[UTampaSpar10]

I remember the blue jays wanted to called just the jays.

Ironic because when they entered the league they wanted to just be called the Blues...

I heard some story about MLB poo-pooing the name because Labatt's owned the team and they had a beer called Labatt's Blue (I believe that happened to the Grizzlies in the NBA as well when it was rumoured FedEx would rename them the "Memphis Express").

I hate singular nicknames, but I think it would be cool to see them named the Thunder... you'd have the Thunder and Lightning representing the Tampa Bay region, perfect for the thunderstorm capital of the united states.

If they are going to change the name I agree the only thing that I think would be good would be if they changed it to Thunder (if they are going to stay with Rays in their name they need to keep the Devil). Once they do they can change the name of the dome back to the Thunderdome since a) Tropicana Field is a dumb name for an domed stadium, Thunderdome sounds sooo much better, Tropicana no longer has their corporate office in Bradenton, they moved up to Chicago and c) it goes along with the other sports teams in the area.

[dunford]

Isn't there some kind of bylaw preventing Major League Baseball franchises from using team nicknames that are inclusive plurals (like Heat, Thunder, Storm, etcetera)?

I'm not sure, but I think there might be.

[DEAD!]

I remember the blue jays wanted to called just the jays.

Ironic because when they entered the league they wanted to just be called the Blues...

I heard some story about MLB poo-pooing the name because Labatt's owned the team and they had a beer called Labatt's Blue (I believe that happened to the Grizzlies in the NBA as well when it was rumoured FedEx would rename them the "Memphis Express").

I wonder what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would have thought had baseball team been called the Blues....

[TruColor]

Isn't there some kind of bylaw preventing Major League Baseball franchises from using team nicknames that are inclusive plurals (like Heat, Thunder, Storm, etcetera)?

I'm not sure, but I think there might be.

Could be. I'm pretty sure that the NFL has that rule...

[Survival79]

Career already tainted before it starts

By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

Published April 30, 2006

RAYS RUMBLINGS: Serious work is under way on the potential name/logo change, but with MLB's (slightly flexible) May 31 deadline looming, it's 50-50 something will be done for next season.

[leedsunited]

Forget a name change, how about a wholesale franchise shift to another city?

I can't think of a more depressing place to play than the Trop. Made Montreal's Stade Olympique look like Yankee Stadium in comparison.

[pjinners]

I remember the blue jays wanted to called just the jays.

Ironic because when they entered the league they wanted to just be called the Blues...

I heard some story about MLB poo-pooing the name because Labatt's owned the team and they had a beer called Labatt's Blue (I believe that happened to the Grizzlies in the NBA as well when it was rumoured FedEx would rename them the "Memphis Express").

I hate singular nicknames, but I think it would be cool to see them named the Thunder... you'd have the Thunder and Lightning representing the Tampa Bay region, perfect for the thunderstorm capital of the united states.

Re: The Blue Jays.

Blue Jays was the winner of a name-the-team contest. Word at the time was Labatts owners selected Blue Jays from the entries hoping it would be shortened to "Blues", but sportswriters and fans ended up going with "Jays". As well, the University of Toronto's teams are all the "Varsity Blues" and as I remember the university objected to the possibility that the baseball team would take that name.

[tdk1984]

Isn't one of the possibilities for the new name the Tarpons? I'd be waiting for some announcer to screw up and call them the Tampons.

[KJTALBOT]

Florida Flamingos!

They could have pink as their primary color.

[The_Admiral]

You know every single city they'd visit would greet them with "Taaaam-poooons!" chants. Almost makes you want them to switch to the NL so they can travel to Philly.

[dunford]

Isn't there some kind of bylaw preventing Major League Baseball franchises from using team nicknames that are inclusive plurals (like Heat, Thunder, Storm, etcetera)?

I'm not sure, but I think there might be.

Could be. I'm pretty sure that the NFL has that rule...

Wait a second. You know what the new name's going to be, right? You'd answer in the negative if it were going to be the Thunder.

Ha! I feel like Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective - we can rule out Thunder! (Now, if only we can stop that Bugs Meany from further decimating the great uniforms of the NFL)

[Natsfan36]

Isn't there some kind of bylaw preventing Major League Baseball franchises from using team nicknames that are inclusive plurals (like Heat, Thunder, Storm, etcetera)?

I'm not sure, but I think there might be.

Could be. I'm pretty sure that the NFL has that rule...

Wait a second. You know what the new name's going to be, right? You'd answer in the negative if it were going to be the Thunder.

Ha! I feel like Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective - we can rule out Thunder! (Now, if only we can stop that Bugs Meany from further decimating the great uniforms of the NFL)

Those were some of the best books ever.....very hard to find out...

[BigShoop]

I remember the blue jays wanted to called just the jays.

I hate singular nicknames, but I think it would be cool to see them named the Thunder... you'd have the Thunder and Lightning representing the Tampa Bay region, perfect for the thunderstorm capital of the united states.

I think would be good would be if they changed it to Thunder........Once they do they can change the name of the dome back to the Thunderdome.......... it goes along with the other sports teams in the area.

I'm all for the Thunder.....

Lightning, Storm, and now Thunder. Yeah, that would kick ass..........well, depending on the logo.

[leedsunited]

When the team was first considered, Stingrays was among the choices, but a minor league team (?!?) owned the rights.

From the St. Petersburg Times, 3/1/1995:

Naimoli said he was "a long way down the track" on choosing a team name, along with team colors and a logo. "It's something totally unique yet reflects all good things in the area," Naimoli said. `No one will guess it."

The name won't be Stingrays. Naimoli recently made an unsuccessful offer to buy rights to that name from the Hawaii Winter League, which has a team called the Maui Stingrays, according to league executive director Bob Berg.

"It's a valuable trademark for us, and we did not want to part with it," Berg said from Honolulu. "They made an offer, but it was not something that was tenable. It was certainly not as much as we would have liked. They said they had other solutions rather than pay us what the mark may be worth. We wish them the best of luck."

The Hawaii league is a private independent league that operates under MLB sanction.

So, a NICKNAME can be protected? What about all the Tigers, Bears and Giants out there? I don't get it.

Yes and no - it depends entirely on how the first group trademarked the name.

In this case, its likely the Stingrays organization scooped up trademark rights on ancillaries (shirts, hats, etc.) that the MLB organization would simply have to be able to utilize - and which they probably didn't agree to terms on.

That cheap bastard Naimoli must have lowballed the heck out of the Maui organization. I can't imagine they'd have been too tough to pry the name from - and are they even still in existence?