The Bowie Baysox, the Baltimore Orioles’ AA level affiliate team, officially rebranded the team to the Chesapeake Baysox on Nov. 22.
“Chesapeake Baysox highlights the sense of pride in the region and a larger family of fans that are now supporting the team,” said team owner Greg Baroni, who also serves as the CEO of Attain Sports.
While the team name was changed to better reflect regional inclusion, similar to fellow Orioles’ minor-league affiliate Delmarva Shorebirds, not everyone is a fan of the new name.
Delegate Adrian Boafo (D-District 23) was invited to attend the naming ceremony but declined upon discovering the scope of the change.
“This is a backhanded slap towards the City of Bowie! We are a premier destination that has welcomed fans across the state for decades,” said Boafo, who previously served as the Vice Mayor of Bowie, in a social media post. “Very disappointing!”
He said that several residents reached out to express their disappointment following his statements.
The Orioles’ former minor league affiliate played in Hagerstown, before the Baysox officially incorporated in 1993, playing in Bowie’s Prince George’s Stadium. MLB superstars including third baseman Manny Machado, pitcher Kevin Gausman, and closing pitcher Felix Baustista played in Bowie before beginning their professional careers.
The team’s attendance has trended upwards in the past two years, in part due to the strength of the prospects the Orioles have drafted. Infielder Gunnar Henderson, who won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2023 and received MVP votes last season, played in Bowie in 2021 and 2022 alongside starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
Highly touted prospect Jackson Holliday played for the Baysox in 2023 and made his MLB debut last season.
Despite the new name, the Baysox will continue playing at Prince George’s Stadium with pride.
“While our new name reflects the broader fan base, we’re honored to hold on to the local traditions and spirit of the Bowie name,” Baroni said. “We like to refer to it as Bowie, the home of the Chesapeake Baysox.”
I like the new name. I think for minor league teams, unless they play in a city with significant name-recognition, it makes sense to be named for the region. I think the only confusing thing is that people will think their name is the Chesapeake Bay Sox instead of the Baysox