MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Finalists For New Team Name Revealed Tuesday

Published on September 4, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Swing of the Quad Cities revealed the six finalists in the ongoing "ReName the Team" contest on Tuesday, unveiling the list of potential names at a press conference at the Isle of Capri's Paradise Tower that was televised live on the KWQC-TV6 news at 5:00 p.m.

The finalists were drawn from a collection of hundreds of nominations, as Quad Cities residents showed an overwhelming amount of interest in helping to pick the team's new moniker. The name suggestions ran the gamut, ranging from the Quad City Aces to the Quad City Zippers. But only the best six options could advance to the next phase, and the finalists were presented as the following:

- Channel Cats

- Current

- River Bandits

- River Eagles

- Swing

- Talons

"Now we've got a great list of options to choose from," said Swing General Manager Ben Burke. "We're ecstatic that our local fans showed so much enthusiasm and interest in trying to come up with a new name, and we're looking forward to seeing which of the final six they like the most."

Now that the list of nominations has been whittled down to the group of finalists, Quad Cities baseball fans can begin voting on which name they want to come out on top. The next phase of voting will take place online, and fans can vote for their favorite option on the Swing website (www.swingbaseball.com), the Quad-City Times' website (www.qctimes.com), and on the KWQC-TV6 website (www.kwqc.com). The fan voting will have a significant impact on the final decision made by the ReName the Team Committee, a group that includes wide range of representatives, including Swing staff members, sponsors, and fans.

Tuesday's announcement came one day before the Swing of the Quad Cities scheduled playoff opener, a 6:30 p.m. home game on Wednesday night against Beloit at John O'Donnell Stadium. The Swing, who finished the second half of the season in a three-way tie atop the Western Division, are offering Davenport residents half-price tickets to the playoff home-opener to express their thanks for a season's worth of support.

The Quad Cities have always been a place rich in baseball history, from the first pitch thrown by the Davenport Brown Stockings in 1879 to the current Swing of the Quad Cities' affiliation with the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Through it all, the one constant has been the fans. Baseball in the Quad Cities has seen 17 different team names over the last 128 years, but whether it was the Davenport Riverrats from 1901-1905 or the Quad City River Bandits from 1992-2003, the same loyal fans have been there to cheer on their hometown team.

As Main Street Iowa gets set to take over ownership of the organization, the new group wants to give local fans a chance to express themselves in the renaming of the franchise. So now, the fans are getting the chance to put their own imprint on the history of local baseball in the Quad Cities!

TICKETS: Tickets for all events at John O'Donnell Stadium can be purchased by calling the Swing of the Quad Cities ticket office at (563) 328-2000, coming to the box office located at the stadium along South Gaines Street, or by logging on to www.swingbaseball.com.

UP NEXT: The Swing are heading to the playoffs, beginning with an opening-round match-up on Wednesday at John O'Donnell Stadium! All Swing games feature a radio broadcast that can be heard on WKBF AM-1270 or online at www.swingbaseball.com, with the pre-game show starting 15 minutes prior to scheduled first pitch.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS: The Swing will host a first-round playoff match-up against Beloit on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at John O'Donnell Stadium. The ballgame has been dubbed Davenport Day, and all residents of Davenport will be eligible for half-price tickets with proof of residency.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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