With warmer weather and school out, it's a great time to enjoy summer baseball games with friends and family.
For this week's Carolina Curious, WFDD’s Abē Levine wanted to know how one team in particular – the Burlington Sock Puppets – got its name. So, DJ Simmons took a swing at learning the origins and its significance to the wider community.
First, what's in a name? Well, for the Burlington Sock Puppets, two things stand out: humor and history.
The team was formerly known as the Burlington Royals. However, a change occurred when Major League Baseball announced in 2020 that the Appalachian League, in which it played, would no longer be affiliated with the minor league.
President and General Manager Anderson Rathbun says while searching for a new name, the leadership came to learn more about the rich textile industry history in Alamance County. Then they brought in designer Dan Simon, who had his own idea.
"He's like it's kind of quirky – he doesn't usually go out this far – but like, how funny would it be if you guys named yourself the Burlington Sock Puppets?"
Rathbun says the name was fertile ground for the team to craft its own identity. It also connected it to Burlington's textile heritage.
"We're trying to give something back to the community, something that's their own," he says.
The team now has a variety of sock-themed characters for its merchandise, with some based on celebrities, like Michael Sock, from "The Office" and Dwayne "The Sock" Johnson.
Rathbun says the team has steadily seen an increase in support. He says the average attendance in 2019 was around 1,200 fans. Now, they're seeing over 2,000.