The Outlaws refers to it's Western theming. The team, for it's first few years, was owned by Canadian actor John Ireland, who had played roles in Western TV shows and movies. They are the third MLB franchise to be based outside the United States, and currently the only other team based outside the U.S. after the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos, relocated to Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season and became the Washington Nationals.