Why Are the Arizona Diamondbacks Called the Snakes?

What comes to mind when one thinks of the phoenix of MLB? As of 2023, Arizona Diamondbacks it is! Having made it to the World Series after 22 years of playing underdog is nothing short of commendable. Of late, the spotlight on Arizona is strong enough to unearth some lesser-known facts about where it derives its name from. It’s time to dive in, with some background!

The MLB franchise, the Arizona Diamondbacks, was instituted in 1995 and made a banging entry in 1998. However, their glorious start lasted merely for 3 years before slipping into oblivion to victory, making them the youngest team to win the World Series. Fast forward to today, as ‘the Snakes’ prep to battle against the mighty Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic, their rattles sound louder than ever.

How This MLB Expansion Franchise Became The Arizona Diamondbacks We Know Today

The D-Backs association with ‘Snakes’ can be seen prominently in the extensive snake imagery in their branding. A quarter century ago, they adopted the Diamondback rattlesnake as their primary logo, influenced by the fact that the Diamondback rattlesnake is native to the region and is a symbol of the desert Southwest. Apart from what the snake meant to Arizona symbolically, it is important to note how Diamondbacks even came into the picture.

Choosing the ideal name was anything but a piece of cake, particularly given that the MLB extended team was just getting started. Jerry Colangelo, the owner at the time, hosted a public competition where the winner would receive a lifelong season tickets to the games. After filtering out the overwhelming magnitude of entries, they somehow made it work. The shortlisted names were ‘Diamondbacks’, ‘Coyotes’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Rattlers’ and ‘Scorpions’. With that, after a lot of brainstorming, Diamondbacks won the favorite, and the rest is history. Now, some snake tidbits!

Arizona is home to more species of rattlesnakes than any other state in the US. The western diamondback (which is where the MLB team derives its name from) is one of the 13 species. With the dominance of these rattlesnakes in the union, it makes it nothing but obvious to use this as a moniker for the team. In addition to that, the facets of a diamond are similar to the diamond-shaped patterns on the rattlesnake’s back, hence the name. Keeping all this in consideration, doesn’t it all add up to the qualities of the 2023 World Series contender, the D-Backs?

Here’s Why The ‘Snakes’ Is An Appropriate Moniker For Arizona Diamondbacks

The namesake ‘The Snakes’ for the Arizona Diamondbacks can be seen as a fitting representation of the team’s performance and overall image for several reasons. Snakes, particularly resilient hone to adapt to challenging environments. This resilience aligns with the 84-win team’s determination.

They faced and overcame obstacles on the baseball field as 2023 postseason and most recent Game 7 against the Philadelphia Phillies have shown. Along with that, the diamondback snakes are known for their venomous strike. Similar to that, the pitching prowess of the team is synonymous to the ‘strike’, which has brought them victories.

Read More: What Animal Is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Mascot? Why Is It Not a Snake?

With snake-like qualities of agility, speed and intimidation, one can’t help but wonder if the Diamondbacks will bag the Commissioner’s Trophy this October or not. Will Phoenix create history in MLB after decades? Well, one can only wait and watch the suspense unwind.

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