Proposed names for the Washington Nationals?

[raysox 2,563]

Just curious, but was there any other names considered for the Nationals when they relocated from Montreal? I'm looking for a name for my Yakball team there, but then I wondered if there was any other options

[BryanSmalls 115]

The only two names I recall being considered were the Washington Senators (a Bud Selig favorite) and the Washington Grays (former DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams favorite).

Source

[Gothamite 24,114]

Yep, those were the three fInalists.

The city didn't want "Senators" because they don't have any (which I thought small-minded, a wasted opportunity to raise awareness). Don't know why they didn't choose "Grays", which was my favorite of the bunch. We have plenty of MLB teams named after antecedent minor league clubs, why not one after a Negro League club? Again, a wasted opportunity.

Although, thinking about it, I seem to recall that the Negro League Museum might have objected to the name being "appropriated" or something. Which again seems awfully small-minded and another waste.

[raysox 2,563]

I think of those 3 the Nationals was the best call. The Senators failed twice already. It WOULD be pretty cool to see a team take a Negro League team, but one that had a better name.

[pmoehrin 1,116]

I liked the name Nationals.

The name had history, its a name that only a DC team could really use, (can't picture the Houston Nationals taking the field) and it didn't come off as being over the top.

Maybe a little plain but it works. Could have done alot worse.

[BryanSmalls 115]

It was a lost opportunity for "ownership" to stamp their claim to a new nickname altogether rather than resort to repacking the former Montreal Expos, established in 1969, as the "Washington Nationals" who were "established in 1905".

/sour grapes

[SoxSteeler 26]

I liked grays but no one asked my opinion when they were deciding.

[Don 7]

I thought the Nationals were the best of the bunch myself. It was the original name of the Senators, so why not? I liked the concept of the Grays name but not really the name.

[MBurmy 1,139]

Other proposed names were Gridlocks, Potomac Fever, Federals, Monuments and Beltway Bandits...my suggestion had been the "Washington Eagles".

[Magnum 1]

I like the Nationals the most. There was a 19th century team by the same name ... maybe that was the source of inspiration.

[Gothamite 24,114]

Other proposed names were Gridlocks, Potomac Fever, Federals, Monuments and Beltway Bandits...my suggestion had been the "Washington Eagles".

There were lots of suggestions, but the only three considered by the club were Nationals, Senators and Grays.

[JH42XCC 224]

I thought the name "Washington Senators" implied that Washington, D.C. was home to the U.S. Senate.

[OnWis97 4,595]

I thought the name "Washington Senators" implied that Washington, D.C. was home to the U.S. Senate.

It does. I think what Gothamite is trying to say (though I never heard this complaint about the name) is that since DC does not have statehood ("no senators"), they did not want the name. There is a big push in DC for statehood. I think their license plates now even say "taxation without representation." If there was a big DC push to avoid the name for that reason, it was probably just using the opportunity to make that point. Too bad; "Senators" is my favorite of the bunch.

[speedy 185]

Washington Federals would've been a great name. "The Feds" just sounds ominous and intimidating, much better than Nats. While their original identity had some flair, it was awful. This new one lacks a lot of character but it's clean. So many great things could've been done with a Federals nickname.

[DeFrank 1,276]

I'm pretty fine with the Nationals. It's simple. Works well, the fans are behind it. Nats is just as common as Skins, Caps, etc.

[aci 68]

Washington Federals would've been a great name. "The Feds" just sounds ominous and intimidating, much better than Nats. While their original identity had some flair, it was awful. This new one lacks a lot of character but it's clean. So many great things could've been done with a Federals nickname.

"The Feds" does actually sound pretty good. Imagine the headlines... "Feds Lock Up First Place"

"Grays" sounds alright, but as a Canadian, it always looks like it's spelled incorrectly to me.

As far as using Negro League team names, I think the two best are the Kansas City Monarchs and the Indianapolis Clowns. If Indy were to ever get an MLB team, Clowns would be a great name for the team, but a really, really hard identity to execute, I think.

And the name "Black Crackers" cracks me up every time I hear it.

[TopCat 2]

I liked grays but no one asked my opinion when they were deciding.

This is a good post. Just quoting it and bringing it to everyone's attention.

[Epiphanic 13]

I like the Nationals the most. There was a 19th century team by the same name ... maybe that was the source of inspiration.

This. There was a team in the National League in the 19th century called the Washington Nationals. Of the choices, they got it right.

[Gothamite 24,114]

Nah, it was a bad name then and it's a bad name now.

It was the official name of the 20th century team, but the fans hated it enough to call them the Senators regardless.

Nationals was a compromise name, to serve the political and financial interests of various constituencies, which never results in the right answer.

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt 3,649]

Nah, it was a bad name then and it's a bad name now.

It was the official name of the 20th century team, but the fans hated it enough to call them the Senators regardless.

Nationals was a compromise name, to serve the political and financial interests of various constituencies, which never results in the right answer.

It's a bad name (although their fans almost never call them the Nationals) but it's still much better than the other two options. Senators failed twice, and Grays is a terrible name. I understand wanting to honor a Negro League team, but sorry, with a name that terrible no thanks.