Baseball has a rich and storied tradition. That goes without saying, though I felt the need to say it, so clearly I missed the memo. Anyways, part of that tradition is the names. I’m talking teams, leagues, players, mascots, fans, etc. Up and down the board, baseball has so many names that stand out. I’m not just talking about first names either, but last names, middle names, nicknames, city names, and team nicknames; the cool and interesting names are endless. That being the case, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we love to take those names and use them to name other things!
Specifically, I’m talking about our pets. That, for my money, is where baseball names have their most utility. A cat named Griffey, a dog named Cub, or a bird named Bambino- all great, all welcome. Naming your pets after the people and places of baseball is the rare instance where it’s hard to mess up the process. It’s a wholesome act, a funny moment, something endearing that never gets old. I’m sure I’m wrong about this point, but let me tell you something: I do not want to be corrected on this one. Fingers are planted in my ears, I’m not about to hear any compromising animal baseball names.
All of this is to let you know we got a new puppy. His name is Gibson, and he joins Paige, because, in this house, naming our pets after something baseball-related has turned into a mighty fine tradition. Seeing as how Gibson is likely to grow to be about 95+ pounds, being named after the biggest bopper of them all is quite fitting. Long live baseball pet names. They are the perfect distillation of the love we have for the game!
Lead photo courtesy of Emilie Thompson
