Modesto’s new baseball team is looking for a name. What’s your idea?
A new chapter in Modesto’s history of baseball is about to be written, and the people get to choose what it’s called.
On Oct. 8, a name-the-team contest for the Pioneer Baseball League’s expansion club in Modesto was opened to anyone with an idea.
The contest, sponsored by the Stanislaus County-based Cost Less Foods, will roll out in phases. The first phase, which ends Friday, will take any and all suggestions — except for “The Nuts.”
These suggestions can be submitted in the form with this story on modbee.com and will be sent to team owner Dave Heller and city officials for consideration.
Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Originality and creativity of the name
- Availability and practicality of implementating the name
- Inspiration for and execution of the name (how compelling the entrant’s personal inspiration for the name is and how well that inspiration is executed in the video or written material submitted)
- Relevance to and reflection of the name on the city of Modesto
- Fun and whimsical nature of the name. (Does it make people smile?)
Submissions will be narrowed to five or six names, which will be announced Oct. 20. The next day, the finalists will be put up for a vote. This vote will be published as a poll in The Bee. The winner of the contest will be announced at a press conference Nov. 10.
“This is really why I want the community to engage in a dialogue with the team. I want to hear what the community has to say, I want to hear what the community wants, and I’m a big believer in giving people what they want,” Heller said.
In a promotional video posted to the team’s website, modestobaseballclub.com, several ideas already have been floated: “Lowriders,” “Cruisers,” “Heat,” “Force” and “Dusters.”
Contests chose the names of several professional sports teams. When Major League Baseball expanded to Seattle in 1977, a naming contest chose the name “Mariners” from about 15,000 entries, according to MLB.com.
The Mariners eventually would become affiliated with the Modesto Nuts, which held its last game at John Thurman Field in September following failed lease negotiations with the city.
Just a day after the Modesto Nuts’ final game, the City Council voted unanimously to approve a lease agreement with Main Street Baseball LLC, led by Heller, for the use of Thurman Field.
New team ‘will never leave Modesto’
Heller said the team will be one that “embraces the community, supports the community and will be rooted in the community.” But he also promised that it would never leave Modesto for greener pastures.
“As long as I own the team and I’m breathing, it will never leave Modesto,” Heller said.
He added that he wants the team to be “completely different in every way” from The Nuts. As for what the team colors will be, Heller said they’ll be “bright, upbeat, fun and colorful” and not the muted, desert-like and cranberry colors The Nuts had.
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 3:53 PM.
