Few people probably think of cows when they hear the name Kansas City Royals.
The name and logo suggest the team was named for kings and queens, but the American League champions were actually named after a livestock exhibition.
Per For the Win, Sanford Porte, a bridge engineer, won a team naming competition held by the club in 1968 when it was added as an expansion team. Porte wrote that “Kansas City’s new baseball team should be called the Royals because of Missouri’s billion-dollar livestock income, Kansas City’s position as the nation’s leading stocker and feeder market and the nationally known American Royal parade and pageant.”
The American Royal livestock show still exists and features a number of different exhibitions from rodeos to the “world’s largest barbecue contest.”
The crown logo and team colors were also suggested by Porte, and while concept logos designed by Hallmark included images of animals, the team ultimately decided to avoid the livestock-based origin.
The team received over 17,000 entries and chose based on a majority vote of 6-1. Only late team owner Ewing Kauffman opposed the name, but he changed his vote after he grew to like it.
Photo via Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports Images
