Indians High-A affiliates, the Lynchburg Hillcats, are looking for a new name

The Lynchburg Hillcats, who have been the Cleveland Indians' High-A affiliates since the start of 2015, are looking for a new name. Lynchburg will drop the Hillcats moniker that it has used for the last 21 years over their span of being affiliates for teams like the Atlanta Braves (2011-2014), Cincinnati Reds (2010), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1995-2009).

In order to choose a new name for the 2017 season and beyond, the Hillcats are turning to fan creativity and leaving it open to a vote. Like any smart organization that opens anything up to the internet, they are going to hand-pick the best submissions and let the fans vote from that remaining pool. Just ask Mt. Dew how bad it can go when you leave a public vote wide open to the internet.

Team president Chris Jones had the following to say about the name change, via the official press release on MiLB.com:

The Hillcats as well as other team names have been a big part of this franchise, and they will continue to be. We are excited to see what fans suggest as possible names for the team. We have a very loyal and passionate fanbase. We hope they will tap into their creative side to suggest some unique and imaginative names that will be associated with Lynchburg baseball for years to come. We want an identity that captures the rich history of this community and its great baseball tradition. I am confident our fans will generate some original and clever names that convey that to all of Minor League Baseball.

Their current (and soon to be former) name, Hillcats, is a play on the fact that Lynchburg Virginia is also known as "The Hill City" or "City of Seven Hills." They appear to be looking for something similar in their new name, so we probably will not see any whacky, off-the-wall minor league names like some other teams have.

The process of submitting a name for consideration begins today, May 25, and can be done on the Lynchburg Hillcats' website. Submissions must include a team name, as well as an explanation of that name's significance to the city of Lynchburg, Virginia. The fan who submits the winning name will receive two lifetime season tickets to Lynchburg games.