Copa de la Diversión: Es Divertido Ser Un Fan

January 24, 2019 11:51 AM

For the 2018 season, 33 Minor League Baseball hosted the first "Copa de la Diversión," or "Fun Cup," a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with participating teams' local U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities (MiLB.com). The new initiative culminates more than two years of collaborative work and research with U.S. Hispanic/Latino civic organizations where each of the teams play, per Forbes, who also include the full list of Copa nombres and translations. Ranking The Best Team Names From MiLB's Copa de la Diversión (Sports Illustrated)

Spoiler: The Albuquerque Isotopes, as the Mariachis de Nuevo México, were the inaugural winners of Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión event series (MiLB.com).

Minor League Baseball's Latinx Advisory Committee voted the Mariachis as the top identity, based on criteria such as attendance, marketing dollars invested, revenue gains and relevant community partnerships. Albuquerque emerged triumphant over a quartet of fellow semi-finalists: Monarcas de Eugene (Eugene Emeralds), Cucuys de San Bernardino (Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino), Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City Dodgers) and the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio (San Antonio Missions).

While the Copa names are pretty great, some existing Minor League team names are already fantastic.

posted by filthy light thief (6 comments total)

I don't follow sports in general, or MiLB specifically, so this was news to me when my dad recently sent me a shirt from Mariachis de Nuevo México, though I am rather home town proud :)

That said, I am in love with San Antonio's "Copa nombre" -- San Antonio Flying Chanclas, Sports Illustrated #1 name of the bunch (Mariachis was #3)

Hispanic children are so well-behaved because they grew up in fear of the chancla. What is it? It translates to sandal but it goes beyond footwear. You never underestimate a mother who can throw a chancla as a form of discipline. It’s not mean-spirited. It’s a learning tool. What you want in the team name of a professional sports team should intimidate opponents and this does that perfectly.

More context: 'La Chancla': Flip Flops As A Tool of Discipline (NPR Codeswitch, 2014)
posted by filthy light thief at 12:18 PM on January 24, 2019 [4 favorites]

Rápidos de Kannapolis
Kannapolis looks to honor the growing rate of Latinos in its community, which is why they named the team “The fast ones.”

Does it? The team is the Intimidators, named for Dale Earnhardt. I assumed "The Fast Ones" is a trying to continue that reference.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:09 PM on January 24, 2019

Hats off to the SI website developer who decided you have to pause their videos twice for it to stick. You've outdone yourself.
posted by srboisvert at 4:02 PM on January 24, 2019 [1 favorite]

As someone counting down the days til pitchers and catchers report for her preferred MLB team, I would just like to say that minor league baseball is the best baseball. If you have a minor league team in your city, it is less expensive and more fun than a major league game, and you will probably see future and/or former stars.

Also, the El Paso Chihuahuas didn't even need to change their name for this. They're real, and they're fantastic.
posted by the primroses were over at 4:50 PM on January 24, 2019

And jeers to the Kane County Cougars, who are also real, and also didn't change their name.
posted by wotsac at 6:17 PM on January 24, 2019

This is great, I'm only seeing it now but thank you for posting it!
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:43 PM on February 3, 2019