The new owners of Springfield's independent baseball team have selected a new name for the club: Lucky Horseshoes.
The decision came after more than 1500 suggestions from fans. The ownership group, known as Capital City Baseball, said most of the submissions included a nod to Abraham Lincoln and the city's signature culinary dish. The horseshoe sandwich usually includes meat on bread covered with fries and cheese.
The team said the decisions pays homage to both, pointing out the superstitions of finding a penny and rubbing Lincoln's nose on a bust of the former president at Oak Ridge Cemetery as bringing luck.
The new primary logo will feature a horseshoe character with a French fry bat. Horseshoes will also be served at games this summer played at Robin Roberts Stadium on the city's north side.
"We couldn’t be more grateful that our community has picked a name that represents the heart and soul of Springfield. It also represents our vision of being unique, both on and off the field. We are proud to be the Lucky Horseshoes!” said Lucky Horseshoes co-owner Tim Hoker.
“We were delighted to see that Springfield fans took our call-to-action to heart, and chose a name that represents this wonderful city,” added WWE Hall of Famer and Lucky Horseshoes Co-Owner Jeff Jarrett. “With the launch of this new brand, we can turn our focus to making Robin Roberts Stadium the premier entertainment destination in Central Illinois.”
The team has been called the Springfield Sliders in recent years. But the new owners had earlier indicated they wanted to create a new tradition.
Opening Day is scheduled for June 4.
