We're excited to make our first blog post which we think we'll name (at least for now) The Beantown Blast. Why The Beantown Blast? Well, your friends here at Boston B League want to keep you better informed about our exciting sporting activities and share interesting (sometimes semi-relevant) information about our community, city and people. While we post plenty of game-day content and team photos on our Instagram, we hope that this blog will give us space to go a little deeper. Call it our digital dugout? Maybe not. That's sounds pretty cheesy. Oh, and feel free to follow us on Instagram.
In the spirit of all things local and legendary, we figured our first post should tip the cap to the nickname Beantown and why it still sticks. Sure, modern Boston might be more about breweries, biotech, and brunch than baked beans, but that old-school charm still runs deep—just like our love for weeknight softball and post-game drinks. Whether you’re playing in Fenway or celebrating in Brighton, this city’s got a special energy that brings people together. That’s exactly what Boston B League is about.
So...how did our beautiful city get this nickname?
Everybody knows that Boston’s nickname is “Beantown.” And many of you probably know why. But for those of you who don’t, here’s a short explanation.
In the old days, long before Boston became an upscale hub for academic, scientific and financial activity, it was actually a very poor town. Lots of people lived here who had recently arrived from other lands without money or education.
Fortunately, beans were cheap, nutritious and widely available. So these new Americans – Irish, Italians, Portuguese – ate lots and lots of beans. And, being imaginative and resourceful, they seasoned them with onion, garlic and even New England maple syrup. Over the years, beans in a myriad of forms became “home cooking” for many – a happy blend of food and warm, family memories.
Needless to say, our dietary tastes have changed. Few local restaurants now advertise themselves as beaneries. Modern Boston residents aren’t likely to serve guests a cup of garbanzo soup or a tureen of kidney-bean chowder – even if they flavored their confections with black pepper, rock salt or pork lard!
But, the Beantown moniker lives on. And those of us who live here still proudly consider ourselves not only Bostonians but Beantowners.*
* Or Beantownians or possibly even Beantownites.
Needless to say, if you've read this you might be wondering why we're talking about beans and not softball or rec sports in general! You have a very good point, so stay tuned for our next post where I think we'll stay a bit more on topic...