DANVILLE, Va. — Last year the stands at Legion Field at Dan Daniel Park sat empty due to the pandemic.
This year, the team looks forward to fans return, with their new identity, The Danville Otterbots.
More than 600 name suggestions came in from across the community.
The chosen name represents the area’s wildlife — including the otters that live along the riverbanks of the Dan River. Bots comes from the growth of STEM education and industry in the area.
Austin Scher is the team’s general manager.
“For the first time in almost three decades, we have a team name that is not borrowed from a major league affiliate but represents our town, our region and the members of our community,” said Scher.
Scher says they wanted the name to reflect the community.
“Looking at a barren ballpark and pretty much everything down to a phone and internet being removed from the premises– but we decided to look at it as a positive. For the first time we were able to develop something that meant something to the community,” said Scher.
Danville Sports are nothing new for Warrick Scott.
“We’re excited for our hometown that the Otterbots are here,” said Scott.
His Grandfather, Wendell Scott, started racing in Danville.
He looks forward to his hometown team coming back to life.
“I love how it merged and blended the different aspects of our area. It let you know that it was well thought out and that they considered all the different aspects and nuances of this magical place we call Danville, Virginia,” said Scott.
City Councilman Lee Vogler says this new team, along with the casino, will skyrocket the River City over the years to come.
“I know a lot of folks were sad when the Braves left and kind of wondered what was next, so to have a team jump right in, right off the bat is exciting,” said Vogler.
The Otterbots will play their first home game on June 3 against the Pulaski River Turtles.
Single-game tickets have not yet available. For more information on ticketing or Otterbots merchandise, you can visit the team website.
