Top 7 Rejected Names for the Lansing Lugnuts

The Lansing Lugnuts have been Mid-Michigan's beloved minor league baseball team since the mid-1990s. But would they be as beloved if they weren't the "Lugnuts"?

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It's a fun name. It pays homage to its home city's history with the automotive industry. You'd really be hard pressed to come up with a better name for Lansing's ball club than the Lugnuts.

Not convinced? Imagine if other choices had been seriously considered.

Here are our Top 7 Rejected Names for the Lansing Lugnuts:

7. The Lansing Big O's

The Big O's could have been a tip of the hat to Oldsmobile, which has deep history in Lansing. But who wants a big "O" on the scoreboard? Kind of sets you up for an expectation of several scoreless innings.

6. The Lansing Red Cedars

Would naming the team for one of Lansing's rivers have been kind of cool? Sure, but it's not very catchy.

5. The Lansing Governors

Lansing's the capital of Michigan and therefore the seat of the state's legislature. But the Governors are a terrible mascot - trust me, it's what my college was saddled with. What are they going to do? Gavel the other team into submission?

4. The Lansing Potholes

Lansing surely has more than its fair share of potholes. As tempting as it might be to name a sports team after them, it's probably best we don't.

3. The Lansing License Plates

We like the alliteration of Lansing Lugnuts, and like we've said, we like the idea of honoring the city's automotive legacy. But there aren't a lot more parts of a car that start with 'L' than Lugnuts. The Lansing Low-Beams? The Lansing Left Door Handles?

2. The Lansing Loogies

Ball players are known to spit quite a bit. But eww.

1. The Lansing Boils

See what we did there? We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Lugnuts it is!