ST. GEORGE — The Staten Island Pizza Rats or Bridge Trolls won't be taking the mound for at least another year.
The Staten Island Yankees, the borough's minor league baseball team, announced Monday that it would keep its name for the 2017 season because of delays getting a new moniker and logo approved.
"We had a favored name, logo and branding plan," team president Will Smith said in a statement. "We were prepared to move forward, but encountered obstacles that unfortunately delayed the process beyond industry deadlines.
"These delays also would have compromised the quality of the product we aim to bring our fans. I always said that, until there is a new name, we are the Yankees. That remains true today."
Over the summer, the team announced the rebranding in hopes of increasing popularity, turning to the public to get suggestions for new names.
The club narrowed it down to five choices and polled fans online to find their favorite — the Bridge Trolls, Heroes, Killer Bees, Pizza Rats and Rock Pigeons.
While Pizza Rat was an early favorite, some were less than happy with the potential choices.
Councilwoman Debi Rose posted on Facebook that she was "disappointed" with the suggestions and pitched "Captains," "Commodores" and "Big Wheelers" as alternatives.
"They sound more like apocalyptic events than celebrations of our character," Rose wrote of the team's suggestions.
"Among the names submitted, surely there were more that celebrated Staten Island's character in a more positive light?"
