The Staten Island Yankees, who toyed with changing their name two seasons ago but then backed off, will take on a new identity on five Saturday nights this season at Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George.

The team will become the Pizza Rats on Saturday home games beginning June 23.

"We're going to have some fun with this brand at the ballpark in 2018," said Staten Island Yankees president Will Smith.

In addition to June 23, the team will also be known as the Pizza Rats on July 7, July 14, July 21 and Aug. 4, according to the team's website.

In 2016, the Staten Island Yankees sought a new team name to create a hometown identity, and the Pizza Rats were one of five nicknames that topped a list. The others were Bridge Trolls, Heroes, Killer Bees and Rock Pigeons.

The team then let the fans decide which nickname they liked the best in a "Name the Team" contest and the Pizza Rats won by overwhelming margin.

The five nicknames came under heavy scrutiny by the community as most people and politicians, including Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore), didn't like any of the names at all.

Some even referred to the finalist names as being "apocalyptic."

The branding was put on hold prior to the 2017 season, when Smith said the team would revisit the re-branding.

"Over time it became clear that the approval and acceptance of the new name and artwork would take longer than initially anticipated," the team said in a statement in December of 2016. "With that taken into consideration, we decided to table the rebranding process for the upcoming season."

But the rebranding was put back on the table recently when Smith was in a meeting, preparing for the 2018 season.

"I was in a meeting this offseason and someone recounted the rebranding contest," Smith said. "His lone comment was that it could not possibly be Pizza Rats. When I asked which one he preferred, he could not recall any others. That has been the response of many - it's unforgettable."

The team has already posted its new Pizza Rats merchandise on its website. In all, six new logos have been designed by Brandiose. Merchandise can be purchased both online and in-store at the ballpark, including New Era baseball caps, hoodies and t-shirts. All of the logos and accompanying merchandise can be viewed at pizzaratsbaseball.com.

"Of the five finalists, this was always an intriguing direction," Smith said. "I understand it's polarizing when heard for the first time. We believe these designs define a new brand that has something for everyone."

The Staten Island Yankees are short-season minor league team has been playing since 1999. It's the stop for many future Yankees.

Some will view the five-game rebranding effort as a way to draw fans into the park.

According to New York-Penn League attendance figures, the Staten Island Yankees were 11th in the 14-team loop in attendance in 2017, drawing just 2,040 per date. That's about half of what the team drew in the early 2000s.

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