Staten Island Yankees new name choices are 'out of a zombie apocalypse'

The Staten Island Yankees already had one of the most iconic team names in all of sports stitched across the front of their uniforms but, when it came to fans picking out a new name to span the players' chests, they tended to go more with ironic.

Like many other minor league teams, the New York Yankees' Single-A affiliate — currently in the process of rebranding itself— announced a "Name Your Team" contest allowing fans to make suggestions for a new moniker back in June.

And the New York-Penn League team received over 2,000 of them. Last week the team announced the finalists and some local politicians aren't happy about the five choices:

• Staten Island Bridge Trolls
• Staten Island Heroes
• Staten Island Killer Bees
• Staten Island Pizza Rats
• Staten Island Rock Pigeons

Staten Island City Council member Debi Rose is now urging the organization to go trolling for a new name.

In a letter to the team, Rose said the five choices for a new name don't reflect the largely ignored borough's character. Other NYC residents may beg to differ.

"We can have names we can be proud of and be whimsical, but the names that they chose really sound like something out of a zombie apocalypse and I was offended," the Councilwoman said.

You can still vote for one of the choices on the team's website and the Yankees insist that the name which gets the most votes will be chosen.

But it looks like the team has already has a favorite.

Early favorite in the clubhouse #PizzaRats @SIYanks @MiLB pic.twitter.com/RXYm52vqzF

— Radley Haddad (@bo0rad) September 8, 2016

The irony? The Boro of Buses doesn't even have a subway (it's just a train) but, there are plenty of rats on the ferry.

Yankees farm team will wear ‘Game of Thrones’ jerseys for George R.R. Martin Night (PHOTOS)

Folowers of 'Game of Thrones' were left stunned after one of its biggest characters was killed off in the season five finale Sunday but baseball fans will get a chance to see the the tribal rift continue in a more more civilized — and less bloody — scenario this summer.

The Staten Island Yankees will wear Thrones-inspired uniforms for a game with the Hudson Valley Renegades on Aug. 8 for George R.R. Martin Night at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island. The Baby Bombers will be the Direwolves — a nod to the Starks, aka the good guys — while the Renegades will represent the nefarious Lannisters.

Don't miss the #GameofThrones themed festivities on August 8 for "Meet @GRRMspeaking Night"! http://t.co/EQ4YxEejiq pic.twitter.com/fWjI45mLhL

— StatenIslandYankees (@SIYanks) June 15, 2015

SI Yanks Director of Marketing and Fan Experience Mike Holley said that he reached out to GoT creator George R.R. Martin via email and pitched the author on his idea of the two teams representing the two families from the show, wear Thrones-style uniforms and raise money for charity.

"I saw an interview with Martin and he was talking about how his view of Staten Island from where he grew up (in Bayonne) became the inspiration for King's Landing in his universe," Holley said.

Ultimately, he won Martin over and the “Game” was on.

Holley said it's easily the best-selling game so far this season. The first 2,500 fans will also receive a Staten Island Direwolves cap.

Martin will sign autographs for fans, although he won't be throwing out a first pitch. But there will be a live wolf on the field.

Just a reminder: Leave your swords at home.

Brooklyn Cyclones to rededicate vandalized Jackie Robinson statue

The vandalizing of the Jackie Robinson statue outside the Brooklyn Cyclones' Coney Island ballpark has given the team an urgent reason to turn that dark and despicable act into bright light shining on the spirit of harmony.

The team announced it is holding Unity Day events this Monday at MCU Park to highlight the spirit of racial harmony captured in the monument of Robinson and his Brooklyn Dodger teammate Pee Wee Reese.

“We wanted to use this as a platform to show what Jackie and Pee Wee stood for and not have the conversation just be about what happened to the statue,” said Cyclones spokesman Billy Harner.

The event will start with a re-dedication of the statue outside the ballpark, followed by the first game of the Cyclones "Battle For The Bridge" doubleheader against their minor league rivals the Staten Island Yankees. After the twin-bill, there will be a free screening of the new film about Robinson, “42.”

Vandals caused an uproar after scrawling swastikas and racist epithets on the statue of Reese with his arm draped around Robinson outside MCU Park.

A reward for information leading to the conviction of the culprits has grown from $10,000 to $50,000.

Jeter's secret sim game goes well, will be in Yankees lineup on Sunday

It sounds like Derek Jeter's top-secret simulated game went off without a hitch. According to reports, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he expects Jeter to be activated from the disabled list and in the Yankees lineup on Sunday.

Girardi revealed that Jeter played in the sim game today at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island at the same time that the Yankees were being shut out by the Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0, on Chris Archer’s two-hitter in the Bronx.

The ballpark is the home field of the Yankees' minor league affiliate the Staten Island Yankees.

Jeter’s whereabouts had been kept top secret by Girardi and the Yankees. He revealed Jeter's visit to Staten Island when asked at his post-game press conference at Yankee Stadium.

The 39-year-old captain tested his strained right quadriceps with eight at-bats against an unnamed Staten Island Yankees hurler, according to the Yankees manager.

He ran from first to third, from second to home, and if he feels OK on Sunday he will be in the lineup against Tampa Bay, said Girardi.

“If he comes in and feels good, he will play for us,” Girardi said. “It’s obviously someone we’ve been waiting for for a long time. We had him for one day and we won that game. Hopefully, that ratio continues.”

@RealMichaelKay The Captain is in Staten Island!!! #JeterComeback pic.twitter.com/xeWHCA7H2H
— Donny DFINE (@DonnyDFINE) July 27, 2013

The Staten Island Yankees are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Cyclones Saturday night at 7.

There is no chance that Jeter will be in the Staten Island lineup.

Yankees' Staten Island Farm Team Wins Title, Then Gets Sold

The New York Yankees are selling their Staten Island farm team just days after it won the N.Y.-Penn League championship.  It was the team's second title in three years.

The asking price for the team is $8.3 million-- about the price of Derek Jeter's Florida home give-or-take a couple of the mansion's nine bathrooms.

The Staten Island Yankees won the championship on Tuesday night.

According to a report in the New York Post, the Yankees and their partner, Mandalay Baseball, expect the sale of the farm team to be approved and sold by the end of the month.

The Steinbrenner Foundation, set up by Yankees former owner, George Steinbrenner, will keep a small piece of the franchise, which moved to Staten Island from upstate Oneonta in 1999.

The team-- which plays in Richmond County Bank Ballpark just a short walk from the Staten Island ferry--  has reportedly had trouble drawing the crowds its rival the Brooklyn Cyclones draws in Coney Island.

The Cyclones are owned by the New York Mets and have been drawing sold-out crowds regularly.

The buyer of the Staten Island Yankees was not identified, but it has been reported on-line that a hedge-fund manager is putting up the cash for the team.

According to the Post, Mandalay and the Yankees are getting together to purchase the Yankees Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre farm team for $14.6 million.

The Steinbrenner Foundation will also own a piece of the Scranton team too.

Scranton is usually the final stop before making the bigs.  Manny Banuelos, the 20 year-old phenom, is currently playing there.