AMERICAN LEAGUE
ANAHEIM ANGELS (1961)
The team opened play as the Los Angeles Angels but became the California Angels when they moved to a new stadium in Anaheim. In 1997, the team became known as the Anaheim Angels.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (1901)
During the 1901 season, the team played in Milwuakee, then moved to St. Louis in 1902 and became known as the Browns. The team moved to Baltimore in 1954 and team officials and fans made the call to revive a traditional Baltimore team nickname, the Orioles.
BOSTON RED SOX (1901)
In the early years of the American League, the team was known as the Pilgrims or Puritans. The team was also briefly known as the Somersets -- a reference to owner Charles Somers. The team later became known as the Red Stockings, but the team's name was shortened to the current Red Sox by sports writers.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (1901)
Originally the team was called the Invaders because they invaded Chicago before the opening of the 1900 season. The team adopted the Chicago White Stockings name used by the National League team in the late 1880s. Sportswriters shortened the name to White Sox when writing headlines.
CLEVELAND INDIANS (1901)
Team names have included Broncos, Blues (for the uniform color) and the Naps (in honor of team manager Nap LaJoie). From 1912 to 1915, the team was called the Molly McGuires because of the large number of Irish players it fielded. In 1915, after a losing season, the team ownership decided to make a fresh start and adopted the Indians.
DETROIT TIGERS (1901)
The team was originally known as the Wolverines -- named after the former Detroit team in the old National League. Sportswriter Phil Reid of the Detroit Free PRess thought that the team's blue and orange stripes looked like the uniforms looked like those of the Princeton Tigers and he started to call them the Tigers. The name stuck.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (1969)
The name Royals was chosen by the team's fans.
MINNESOTA TWINS (1901)
Named for the Twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The team moved to Minnesota from Washington in 1960.
NEW YORK YANKEES (1901)
The team first appeared in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles and then moved to New York in 1903. The team was originally called the Highlanders for its Hilltop Park. In 1914, Jim Price of the New York Press is credited with coming up with the Yankees name.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS (1901)
The team began in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics. The team moved to Kansas City in 1955 and then to Oakland in 1968.
SEATTLE MARINERS (1977)
Named the Mariners to reflect the nautical heritage of Washington State.
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (1998)
The team name was chosen by the Tampa Bay fans.
TEXAS RANGERS (1961)
From 1960-1971, the team was known as the Washington Senators. The franchise left Washington in 1971 and moved to Texas. The team name was chosen to honor Texas' legendary law enforcement group.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (1977)
A blue jay is the national bird of Canada
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (1998)
In Arizona there is a popular snake called the diamondback.
ATLANTA BRAVES (1876)
The team began in Boston, then moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and then to Atlanta in 1965. As a member of the National Assocation, the team was known as the Red Caps. Later, the team became the Red Stockings, but was most commonly was known as the Beaneaters. In 1912, the team became known as the Braves because owner Jim Galtney was a Tammany Hall chieftain. The team's names have also included the Pilgrims, Doves and Bees.
CHICAGO CUBS (1876)
Originally known as the White Stockings, the team was later known as the Colts, Orphans, Cowbowys and Broncos. In 1901, two sportswriters started calling the team the Cubs because it was loaded with very young players and the name stuck.
CINCINNATI REDS (1890)
Named for the abbreviated form of Red Stockings as a tribute to the great Cincinnati team of the 1860s. Called the Red Legs briefly in the 1940s during the time of the Communist scare.
COLORADO ROCKIES (1993)
The team took the nickname used by several previous teams in the Denver area.
FLORIDA MARLINS (1993)
The team was named after the Miami Marlins, a former AAA franchise.
HOUSTON ASTROS (1967)
The team was orginally known as the Colt 45s, but became known as the Astros when the Astrodome opened.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (1890)
In 1889, the team located in Brooklyn picked up the nickname Bridegrooms after three players got married in the offseason. Other names have included the Superbas, the Atlantics and the Robins. By World War I, the team had become known as the Dodgers. The name had its root in the term New Yorkers used to describe Brooklyn residents -- trolley dodgers. In 1958, the team moved to Los Angeles and kept the Dodgers nickname.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS (1970)
Brewers was the name of the first National League team in Milwaukee in 1878, the name of the first American League team there in 1901 and the minor league American Association team.
MONTREAL EXPOS (1969)
The team was named after Expo '67, the World's Fair.
NEW YORK METS (1962)
Short for Metropolitans. This team name is a throwback to New York's American Association franchise of the late 1800s. The team also selected its team colors of blue and orange as a tribute to the Giants and Dodgers, two teams that had left New York for the West Coast.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (1883)
The name for the original National League team in Philadelphia. Also spelled Fillies in the early days. The team was briefly known as the Quakers and Bluejays.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (1887)
Originally known as the Alleghenies when it was a part of the American Association. The team was later known as the Innocents after they left the American Association to join the National League. The team got its current name because it pirated Lou Bierbauer, star second baseman from the Philadelphia American Association team.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (1892)
The team was originally known as the St. Louis Browns in the American Association. Other names included the Maroons and the Perfectos. A sportswriter noticed the red trim on the team's jerseys and coined the Cardinals' name.
