Jul 24, 2012 (All Things Considered) — From the Iola Gasbags to the Kirksville Osteopaths, there's no denying that the world of minor league baseball team names is a pretty loopy place. Sportscaster Tim Hagerty explores the stories behind those names in his new book, Root for the Home Team.
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Gasbags To Honey Bugs: Baseball's Nutty Team Names
by NPR Staff
Jul 24, 2012 (All Things Considered) — From the Iola Gasbags to the Kirksville Osteopaths, there's no denying that the world of minor league baseball team names is a pretty loopy place. Sportscaster Tim Hagerty explores the stories behind those names in his new book, Root for the Home Team.
![According to Hagerty, Kansas' Iola Gasbags (1902, 1904) adopted their name after becoming widely known as braggers: "They traveled to these other cities, and they'd be bragging that they were the champion, so people started giving them the nickname Gasbags. And they said, 'You know what? Yeah, we are. We're the Gasbags.' "](http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/07/25/1904-iola-gasbags---national-baseball-hall-of-fame-library.-cooperstown--nysmall_custom-d40a788081fbe139d0c9faa3cc0815021bb041e4.jpg&s=51 "According to Hagerty, Kansas' Iola Gasbags (1902, 1904) adopted their name after becoming widely known as braggers: "They traveled to these other cities, and they'd be bragging that they were the champion, so people started giving them the nickname Gasbags. And they said, 'You know what? Yeah, we are. We're the Gasbags.' "")
In 1911, the Missouri State League baseball team in Kirksville — home of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine — called iself the Kirksville Osteopaths. In 1899, the New York State League included a team based in Auburn — home to a state penitentiary — called the Auburn Prisoners. In 1903, that same New York minor league included a team from Schenectady called the Schenectady Frog Alleys.
Do you see a pattern emerging? In Root for the Home Team, sportscaster Tim Hagerty explores the weirdly wonderful world of minor league baseball's team names. He joins NPR's Robert Siegel to discuss the stories behind some of the most off-the-wall names he encountered.
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