Atlanta Braves

The Braves got their name via suggestion by a random man, John Montgomery Ward. James Gaffney, the team’s future president at the time, was a part of an organization that had the Braves' logo and Ward told him that he should stick with it. This all happened, however, while the team was still based in Boston. There has been controversy surrounding the team, but about the practice logo, not the name.

Miami Marlins

Until recently, the Miami Marlins had been known as the Florida Marlins. The team had to make the swap because of the city’s funding for a new stadium. The Miami Marlins sounds much smoother than the Florida Marlins anyway. The team’s nickname isn’t very special and was just taken from previous minor league teams in the area. It’s pretty obvious that owner Jeffrey Loria isn’t going to ask for the fans’ opinions on a potential name change going forward.

New York Mets

Back in 1961, when New York was awarded a team, fans were asked to send in their suggestions for what the new club should be called. There were several options including the Rebels, Bees, Avengers, Burros and Jets, among others. Mets, however, won by a large margin, coming from the original name, the New York Metropolitans, which were a team in the late 1800s. I think it would be pretty cool to go and see a New York Skyscraper game. It’s certainly very fitting unlike some of the other options like Bees.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies were once called the Blue Jays, believe it or not. When they actually became a team back in the 1880s, they were known as the Phillies, though, which was short for the Philadelphias. When a new owner arrived, he held a contest to see what the new name should be. Blue Jays ended up being the winner, but it never really caught on and eventually the name was changed back to the Phillies. What would Toronto’s name be if Philadelphia’s were still the Blue Jays?

Washington Nationals

Washington hasn’t had the most success with baseball teams in the past. Washington teams, named as the Senators or the Nationals, have moved twice in the game’s history. The fans originally named the team the Nationals, but the press didn’t like it so it kept calling the team the Senators instead. After Washington was awarded a third team in 2005, the Nationals were back one again.