ON DECK: Desert Rats

The Yuma Desert Rats.

Get used to hearing that. Because in the succession of Yuma pro baseball team names — the Panthers, the Bull Frogs, the Scorpions, the Panthers again (although they never played a game) and any others I'm unaware of — the Desert Rats are the latest.

I've heard some skepticism around the name — although there's obviously some skepticism around the team as a whole. For me, I'm sitting on the fence a little while longer.

I'm assuming this team mascot won't be a literal rat. I would hope it would be some kind of grizzled prospector, long beard, maybe a pick-axe baseball bat hybrid in one hand. So there's some good options there. And obviously it's a one-of-a-kind name.

The question becomes how the one-of-a-kind name is marketed. It could be great. It could be scary.

After all, a rat by any other name would be just as sweet.