Anyone remember the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds? Or did any of you buy a season ticket back in 1999?

There was plenty of anticipation for the new independent league entry and their $15 million, 6,400-seat complex in Williams Township just outside of Easton.

But their ownership ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy. Records showed that 128 people submitted claims for season ticket sales.

In this version of my Yesterday column — reminiscing about sports and pop culture — I will look back at some quirky team and individual names on the sports and pop culture fronts.

Do you recall what former NHL teams were based in Oakland, Kansas City and Cleveland? Was the NFL ever linked to Hershey? Who was the wrestler known as the “man of 1,000 masks?” Did you ever shout for a certain brand of oatmeal? And who was the former Phillie who was always “ready?”

A Pirate in Allentown ... Remember Allentown native and former Pirate catcher Ed Ott? He returned to his roots in 1997 to manage five of the seven seasons for the Allentown Ambassadors of the Northeast League.

The Ambassadors were an instant hit, playing their games in Bicentennial Park. In their inaugural season, they led the league in attendance with over 120,000 people, but they were down to 43,000 in their final season.

Kim Batiste, a popular Phillie from their pennant-winning ‘93 squad, and pitchers Andy Carter and Rich Hunter spent some time in the venture. Tom Thobe, who had a cup of coffee with the Braves, also briefly called Allentown home.

Living Here in Allentown ... Minor league baseball in Allentown dates back to the late 1880s.

Here are some interesting team names through the years: Buffaloes, Chiefs, Colts, Goobers, Cardinals and Red Sox. The last team played its games in a stadium that would later be demolished and become the future site of the Lehigh Valley Mall.

By the way, Billy Joel released “Allentown” in 1982, depicting the struggles of the area.

Liked It Green ... From 1912-33, the Coaldale Big Green was a football franchise. The club played as an independent until it joined the Anthracite League in 1924 before moving to the Eastern League of Professional Football.

Coaldale, which played with local talent, won the coal region’s Curran Cup in 1921, 1922 and 1923.

A Texan and a Hershey Bar ... In 1952, the NFL launched a franchise in Dallas after the former New York Yanks were sold back to the league.

With five games remaining during their 1-11 season, the franchise was again returned to the league, which then based its operations between Hershey and Akron, Ohio — the latter hosting their remaining home games.

Did You Want It? ... Remember the phrase “I Want My Maypo?” It was an oatmeal first marketed in 1951, and its commercial featuring the animated character Marky Maypo became legendary.

It was something many of us had to try as kids — another option from Cream of Wheat — and Wilt Chamberlain, Mickey Mantle and Johnny Unitas served as commercial spokespersons in the ‘60s, stating, “I want my Maypo!”

Our Saturdays Gone By ... There are plenty of moments when I wish I was back in front of the TV on a Saturday morning, spending about five to six hours — beginning around 7 a.m. — watching seemingly endless cartoons. I’ve tried watching some of them on YouTube and streaming services, but the feeling was different back then.

Anyway, here are some classics with unusual titles: Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, Space Ghost, Tom Slick, Super Chicken, Underdog, Cool McCool, Milton the Monster, George of the Jungle, Precious Pupp and Squiddly Diddly, to name a few.

One of my favorites was the 1960s version of Spider-Man, a lost treasure.

You really have to put your “thinking caps” on to recall these: The Beagles, The Wizard of Oz, Alvin, Snooper and Blabber, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, Super President, Tom Terrific and Mighty Manfred, and Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?

If you have any, please feel free to submit them.

Beyond the Cartoons ... Aside from cartoons, there were plenty of kids’ shows we watched that had some unique titles. Here are some: Ultraman, Gidget, Shindig!, Hullabaloo, Zoom, The Bugaloos, and one of my favorites, the British-based Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, along with Thunderbirds.

Those last two used electronic marionette puppetry, then known as “Supermarionation.” If you remember them, they’re worth a second look on YouTube.

On the Ice ... Some of my favorite distinctive names are from hockey.

In the NHL, one of my favorite former teams is the California/Oakland Golden Seals, and I even have a T-shirt. I’ve always had an affinity for California-based teams, and their gold and green uniforms caught my eye.

Flyers Reggie Leach and Terry Murray were once part of their history.

How are the Cleveland Barons tied to them? California relocated there in 1976, and they were active through 1978 before merging with the Minnesota North Stars — another great name.

The Kansas City Scouts were an expansion team and stayed in the Midwest city through 1976, eventually becoming the Colorado Rockies and then the New Jersey Devils. Who was their coach? It was Bep Guidolin, a classic name.

They chose Philly’s Simon Nolet in the expansion draft, and Washington selected Bruce Cowick. Remember them?

The Atlanta Flames are another quirky team from the past. They were in the South from 1972 until 1980, when they moved to Calgary. Their first playoff series came in 1974, when they stunned the Flyers in Game 1, but the Flyers won the next four. If you’re a hockey buff, you’ll recall all-time leading scorer Tom Lysiak.

But Philly has had a long hockey tradition dating back to 1925. It was then that the Arrows debuted, and their name was changed to the Ramblers and then Rockets. From there, they were renamed the Quakers, followed by the Falcons, then Rockets again, and finally the Ramblers for a second time.

Philly Plops ... Two Philadelphia-based teams that may have slipped out of your memory are the Philadelphia Charge and Fury.

The Charge was a women’s professional soccer team that played at Villanova from 2000-03, and the Fury was a North American Soccer League entry from 1978-80. The Fury made headlines when rock stars Peter Frampton, Paul Simon and Mick Jagger became major investors.

The Philadelphia Fox was a Women’s Professional Basketball League team that folded midway through the 1979 season, and on the men’s side there were the United States Basketball League’s Philadelphia Aces (formerly of Atlantic City) and the Philadelphia Spirit. Also, there was the Pythians, a Negro League–based team.

Of course, there were the Lehigh Valley Valley Dawgs.

You Sang Them ... They were referred to as “novelty songs” for their distinctiveness. Most made their way up the charts in the 1960s and ‘70s. Here is a sampling — see how many you can hear in your head:

The Pied Piper; Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep; Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da; Monster Mash; Dancin’ Fool; King Tut; Mr. Bojangles; Mr. Jaws; and Short People.

WWWF/WWE Wrap ... In each column, I will recall a pro wrestler we watched in our youth and teenage years.

As well as being known as “The Man of 1,000 Holds,” Mil Máscaras was also known as the “Man of 1,000 Masks.”

Máscaras, a native of Mexico whose real name is Aaron Rodríguez, often wore a bright yellow or silver mask and was known for his acrobatic style. He wrestled in the WWWF during the mid-1970s into the early 1980s.

He began his career in Mexico in 1965 and held championships in the AWA, IWA and NWA, as well as Mexican titles.

Overall, Máscaras compiled an impressive career record and was known for his flying cross chop, diving crossbody, plancha suicida, Paro Special and Mexican stretch moves.

Memory Lane ... In each column, I will look back at a player, manager or media personality from our yesterday.

In keeping with the theme, do you remember utilityman Randy Ready? He played second base, third base, all outfield positions, and was a designated hitter.

Ready came to the Phillies along with John Kruk in June 1989 from the Padres for Chris James. He spent three years with the Phils before being granted free agency in 1991. Ready returned to the Phillies for his final two seasons in 1994 and ’95.

His most memorable Phillies moment was when he made an unassisted triple play against the Padres in 1991.

Along the way, Ready spent four years with the Padres, four years with Milwaukee, and one season with Oakland. He hit .256 in 289 games for the Phils, and .256 overall in 777 games over 13 seasons.

Your thoughts are always welcome and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.