The New Britain Rock Cats, a minor league baseball team, will become the Hartford Yard Goats upon moving to their new home next year, the team announced Wednesday.

Even though the Yard Goat is technically a truck or train—a reference to Hartford’s old railroad history—we can only hope the team’s branding will lean more toward its friendly animal counterpart.

“The Yard Goat is a serious workhorse locomotive, moving and shuffling cars from track to track in the rail yard keeping things in order,’’ the team said in a press release. “A Minor League Baseball player is like that humble Yard Goat, not a glamorous job, but working hard day in and day out away from the big city lights to assure that the Major League affiliate is kept on track.’’


The Colorado Rockies AA affiliate announced the name change—effective April 2016—after nearly 6,000 crowdsourced mascot suggestions and 35,000 online votes from fans. A selection committee then picked the winner from the 10 finalists with consideration of the fan voting.

The Yards Goats—which Boston.com endorsed earlier this month—beat out other finalists: Blue Frogs, Choppers, Hedgehogs, Honey Badgers, Hound Dogs, Praying Mantis, River Hogs, Screech Owls, and Whirlybirds.

Anthony Castora, who submitted the name, won lifetime season tickets for his winning idea.

The question now is where do the Yard Goats rank among an already rich group of eclectic Minor League Baseball team names. A few of our favorites:

• Richmond Flying Squirrels

• Montgomery Biscuits

• Savannah Sand Gnats

• Cedar Rapids Kernels

• Vermont Lake Monsters

• El Paso Chihuahuas

• Brevard County Manatees

• Fort Wayne TinCaps

Whether the Yard Goats top those is up for debate; however, 2015 is the Year of the Goat.