Alright, so fantasy baseball season was creeping up, and you know what that means – the annual headache of picking a team name. It always sounds easy, but man, it can be a real struggle sometimes.
My Initial Brain Farts
First thing I did, like always, was just sit there. Staring. I tried to just let something pop into my head. Nothing. Zilch. Just the usual boring stuff like “The Champions” or my last name plus “Bombers.” Super original, I know. My kid could come up with better, and he just mashes random words together.
So, I figured, okay, let’s get methodical. I grabbed a notepad – yeah, old school, I know, but sometimes it helps. Started jotting down my favorite players. Then I tried to think of puns related to them. Some were okay, most were just awful. I mean, how many times can you use “Judge” in a pun before it gets old? Pretty quickly, it turns out.
Digging for Inspiration (The Clean Way)
I then went down the rabbit hole of just thinking about baseball itself. Slang terms, famous moments, that kind of stuff.
- Tried some alliteration.
- Thought about mascots.
- Even considered some inside jokes from my league, but most of those are probably best kept private, if you catch my drift.
I spent a good hour just scribbling. My page started looking like a mess. Lots of crossed-out words. A few doodles that had nothing to do with baseball. My dog was looking at me like I was crazy, probably because I started muttering potential names under my breath. “Soto-matically Awesome?” Nah. “Acuña Matata?” Been done to death.
Getting Somewhere, Slowly
Then, I shifted gears. I thought, what kind of vibe do I want for my team? Do I want to be intimidating? Funny? Clever? I lean towards funny, usually. Less pressure if my team stinks, you know? If you have a super serious name and finish last, it’s just embarrassing.
So, I started focusing on things that just sounded amusing, even if they weren’t pure genius. I thought about combining player names with pop culture references. That can be a goldmine, or a total dud. I came up with a few that made me chuckle, but I wasn’t sure if anyone else would get them. That’s the risk you take.
I also made sure to check if the names were already taken in my league. That’s a rookie mistake, getting your heart set on a name and then finding out someone else snagged it. Been there, done that.
The “Good Enough” Moment
Finally, after what felt like ages, I landed on a couple I didn’t hate. I read them out loud. This is a key step, trust me. Sometimes a name looks good on paper but sounds clunky when you say it.
I didn’t have a “eureka!” moment with fireworks and angels singing. It was more like, “Yeah, that one’s pretty decent. It’ll do.” I picked one that was fairly simple, a bit silly, and not too try-hard. Something that, hopefully, gets a little smile when people see it in the standings.
And that was it. Team name sorted for another year. It wasn’t rocket science, just a bit of brainstorming, some trial and error, and eventually settling on something that felt right. Or, at least, right enough. Now for the hard part – actually drafting a good team!
