The mascot of a professional sports franchise should be one that instantly connects that franchise to the community. In some cases, that school of thought works really well. The New Orleans Saints are a great example.  The city has a unique connection to the song "When the Saints Go Marchin' In" and it's Catholic heritage certainly doesn't hurt.

The Triple-A baseball team in New Orleans has been known as the Zephyrs since 1993. The moniker, Zephyr, was a holdover from the time the franchise was based in Denver. The term Zephyr means " a light west wind". That's not exactly what New Orleans is known for.

In an effort to connect the franchise more solidly with the fan base in New Orleans and Louisiana the franchise conducted an online contest to choose a new name. That new name was announced at a press conference yesterday. The Zephyrs will now be known as the New Orleans Baby Cakes.

We wanted to create a name and a brand that allowed the heart of this city to shine through it. While we take our responsibility to provide affordable family entertainment very seriously, we also want to embrace the fun which permeates through New Orleans. We will continue to create a festive atmosphere with great partners in a clean, immaculate environment where you can bring your family.

That's what Senior Vice President and General Manager Cookie Rojas told reporter Julie Boudwin of the Times-Picayune and NOLA.com.

If you don't quite understand the "Baby Cakes" moniker it really is quite fitting for a franchise in the New Orleans area. Baby Cakes refers to the tradition of finding the baby in a Mardi Gras King Cake.

If you're wondering what the team will look like on the field, The team’s colors include navy blue along with the Mardi Gras combination of purple, green and gold. The navy blue is a tip of the cap to Zephyr uniform.

If you're wondering what some of the other suggestions were for the Baby Cakes new name they included Cajun Crawfish, Po’boys, Tailgators, Night Owls, Red Eyes and King Cakes.

The team, an affiliate of the Miami Marlins, is set to open play on April 6th against the Red Birds of Memphis.

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