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With the largest number of votes ever cast in a Batter's Box poll already in as we pursue an answer to the eternal quesetion, "What should be The Official Batter's Box nickname for the Blue Jay bullpen?" it will be necessary, as we originally projected, that we go to a runoff.

The top two finishers in our poll are in the new followup poll at the top left of the site. So what's it gonna be, Bauxites? Arny's Army or The GO Train?

For a look at the original story which listed and described the original six finalists, click "More." The descriptions of our two new final-finalists remain as they originally were for your edification. And the results from that original vote are in the first comment posted to this reconstituted thread.

Original Story Follows

Yes, it's a little ironic that we're going to this vote right after a dominating Doc Halladay complete game win, but baseball and irony have always played well together ...

So, we've selected the six finalists in the Batter's Box Bullpen Nickname Contest, dreamed up in the recent Bullpen Report v.4.

Make sure you vote in the official poll at the top left of the page and feel free to give your comments here in this thread to support your favourite. Now, meet the finalists ...listed alphabetically along with the name of the submitter and a few words explaining and/or analyzing the entry.

Proposed Nickname: Arny's Army
Submitted by: Gerry
A few words: An obvious and ingenious play on the legendary "Arnie's Army" that followed golf Hall of Famer Arnold Palmer during tourney play, and in this case a clear appreciative tip of the cap to pitching coach Brad Arnsberg.

Proposed Nickname: Flashback
Submitted by: Mick
A few words: Okay, this one kind of sucks and will probably finish last of the six; I'm not even going to vote for it, and I came up with it. It's just a rule (see "WAMCO") that all unit-within-a-team nicknames at least consider something with the various players' initials forming some sort of acronymicized word. And here, we are faced with the daunting combination of Frasor, League, Schoeneweis, Speier, Batista and Chulk ... FLSSBC? There is no combination of those letters that makes sense without the purchase of a vowel or three, so we'll go with a roughly phonetic pronunciation and "flashback" -- and who knows, maybe this unit will be a flashback to the halcyon days of Henke, Ward, Timlin and Acker.

Proposed Nickname: The GO (Game Over) Train
Submitted by: Fawaz
A few words: GO Transit is Canada's first, and Ontario's only, interregional public transit system, linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)." (I live in Texas, I had to look that up.) So you have the local tie-in and broadcasters and columnists and game reporters can luxuriate in the overuse of phrases like "the Blue Jays rode the GO Train to victory last night."

Proposed Nickname: The Legion of Doom
Submitted by: Caino
A few words: Ummm .. really, it just sounds sorta cool, ya know? And maybe it could lead to one of those free fan Super Fun Pax Comix booklet giveaway days down the road. Potential downside: local headline writers could really turn this nickname against the bullpen in less-than-successful efforts.

Proposed Nickname: Miggy and the Jets
Submitted by: Jobu
A few words: The upside of this nickname is that we already have a completed theme song though the obvious downside is that we'd have to get someone to sing it; also, as several Bauxites pointed out, this nickname does make it sound like there's one Eckerslian closer and a supporting cast of bit actors along for the ride. But still, a great nod to a well-known pop ballad by baseball aficianado Elton John (just kidding, there). There's also the matter of the New York sports teams that overused this song in 1986, with both Kenny (O'Brien) and the Jets and Lenny (Dykstra) and the Mets.

Proposed Nickname: Toronto Fire Department (TFD)
Submitted by: Mike Green
A few words: The Core Values of the Toronto Fire Deparment (the real one) include integrity, teamwork and innovation, and that's a good start for any bullpen. Note, too, that Toronto Fire Chief William Stewart has the initials "W.S." and if your bullpen is leading in Wins and Saves, that's a Good Thing. A classic nod to the historical "fireman" imagery used to describe baseball bullpens.

Let's Try This Again, Shall We? | 20 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mick Doherty - Sunday, May 29 2005 @ 06:54 PM EDT (#118043) #
The actual poll will be posted shortly. Thank you for your patience.
VBF - Sunday, May 29 2005 @ 07:00 PM EDT (#118045) #
If I may, I will make a very large sign displaying the name of the winning entry to be hung in front of the first row, behind the bullpen.
Cristian - Sunday, May 29 2005 @ 07:07 PM EDT (#118046) #
I like the idea of Miggy and the Jets. Not so much the name but the idea of a group led by Batista. So how about The Artist's Colony? Or if you want to reach into Canadian artistic references that casual baseball fans won't understand, how about The Group of Seven? In fact put me down as a write-in vote for the Group of Seven.
Jdog - Sunday, May 29 2005 @ 07:17 PM EDT (#118047) #
Im going to be a sore loser and say I don't really like any of these although I voted for Legion of Doom.

The K birds

thats what it should be , and we could talk them into gettign K bird jackets just like the T birds from Grease!

K for strikeout of course.
Mark - Sunday, May 29 2005 @ 08:18 PM EDT (#118051) #
As an aside, I believe Scott Downs has earned an individual nickname. I am not around for game chats so I don't know if it's been said, but I like 3up, 3downs.
Ryan C - Sunday, May 29 2005 @ 08:55 PM EDT (#118052) #
The Group of Seven?

I kinda like that one too. Nice work.

Mick Doherty - Monday, May 30 2005 @ 01:32 AM EDT (#118069) #
From here, "The Group of Seven" sounds vaguely Maoist.

For the record, since I believe sportswriters should make their award votes public and I posted this thread (for whatever that's worth), I went with Arny's Army, which I think is genius as a group nickname. It was a last-minute coin flip call between that and TFD, though -- I like the historical simplicity of that one just as much.

I guess you have to be an Ontarian, which I most assuredly am not, to appreciate the "GO Train" thing, as at this moment, that looks like it may take a plurality, though nothing close to a majority. We may have to go to a second round with the top two finishers in a "runoff" if we're going to make this An Official Batter's Box Nickname.

And every candidate except my ugly "Flashback" forced acronym, which even I didn't vote for (and so far, neither has anyone else!) is well within reach of a "Top Two" finish.

Mick Doherty - Monday, May 30 2005 @ 01:43 PM EDT (#118130) #
The first 100 votes have been cast and the race is breaking down into two horses for the lead, two for the bronze and two to fill out the field:

GO Train - 30
Arny's Army - 29
***
Miggy and the Jets - 18
Toronto Fire Department - 16
***
Legion of Doom - 6
Flashback - 1

It's certainly not too late for Miggy or TFD to make a run into the final heat, though. If you haven't voted ... what are you waiting for?
Fawaz - Monday, May 30 2005 @ 02:24 PM EDT (#118133) #
I like the idea of incorporating the number 7 in the name, especially given how most of us feel the size of the bullpen. Perhaps a tongue-in-cheek 'Bionic 7'. Probably too late for that.

My only concern with Arny's Army is that it sounds more like a fan club than a part of the team, kind of like Hank's Homies, Millwood's Militia, heck, even the original Arnie's Army.

I don't think I'll ever call them anything other than Miggy and the Jets ever again, though I get the feeling the GO Train has a better chance of catching on. I'm so proud. And pathetic.
the shadow - Monday, May 30 2005 @ 06:45 PM EDT (#118180) #
I like the idea of incorporating the number 7 in the name, especially given how most of us feel the size of the bullpen. Perhaps a tongue-in-cheek 'Bionic 7'. Probably too late for that.

The Seven Dwarfs?????
Paul S - Monday, May 30 2005 @ 06:50 PM EDT (#118181) #
The Magnificent Seven?
Mick Doherty - Tuesday, May 31 2005 @ 11:56 PM EDT (#118280) #
RESULTS FROM FIRST ROUND VOTE
  1. GO (Game Over) Train 30.6%
  2. Arny's Army 27.1%
  3. Miggy and the Jets 24.1%
  4. Toronto Fire Department (TFD) 12.4%
  5. Legion of Doom 5.0%
  6. Flashback [statistically zero]
C. Oliver - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 08:07 AM EDT (#118294) #
Somehow, Jesus Figueroa has to be mentioned in the perfect Jays bullpen name. He is a staple in the Toronto bullpen and deserves some props. It's just not coming to be how to get his name in there. Any suggestions?
Original Ryan - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 09:40 AM EDT (#118299) #
Somehow, Jesus Figueroa has to be mentioned in the perfect Jays bullpen name.

Jesus's Saviors?

Rob - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 10:48 AM EDT (#118304) #
How about the GO Figueroa Train? ("Go figure"?)

No, not funny at all? Yeah, I thought so.
C. Oliver - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 12:30 PM EDT (#118328) #
I like both of the Figueroa suggestions!
The Bone - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 03:36 PM EDT (#118356) #
Ok - Initially I thought GO Train was very clever, but VBF had me change my vote to Arny's Army - If we're hanging a big sign in the bullpen, I think GO Train is just too inside
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 04:39 PM EDT (#118362) #
Well, so far, it looks like GO Train is pulling ahead ... frankly, I'm disappointed as I prefer Arny's Army, which as mentioned, I think may be less "inside," and have voted for it both times, so at least you know I'm not fixing the vote.
Fawaz - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 06:48 PM EDT (#118371) #
My impression was just the opposite. I thought a sign to the effect of:

the
Game
Over
train

with the green initials would be a more obvious reference within the building. Then again, I keep going to games with people that aren't even sure who all the players are, so maybe I'm underestimating the RC crowd.

I could go with Arny's Army, though. It's starting to grow on me.
VBF - Wednesday, June 01 2005 @ 08:38 PM EDT (#118381) #
I like Arny's Army. On the same line, how about Bruce's Brigade?
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