Copa de la Diversión (“Fun Cup”) is taking shape for the 2019 season, as the 72 participating teams have unveiled their alter egos for the Minor League Baseball initiative. Ranging from the “Mariachis de Nuevo México” (Albuquerque Isotopes) to the “Cascabeles de Wisconsin” (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers), teams are once again taking a unique approach with their alternate branding.
After a successful 2018 that was recognized with our award for Best New Logo/Branding, Copa de la Diversión is coming back this year with an increasing number of clubs. The alternate identities assumed by participating teams not only provide unique merchandise offerings and specialty uniforms, but serve as one of the key components of the effort by MiLB and its teams to reach out to their Latinx communities.
All told, there will be 72 participating teams in this year’s Copa de la Diversión, a significant increase from last year’s number of 33. The clubs unveiled their Copa de la Diversión identities individually during the day on Monday, with Twitter becoming active as the marks were released to the public. That included this tweet from MiLB, featuring all 72 Copa identities:
72 teams are now chasing the 2019 Copa de la Diversión!
¡Ahora 72 equipos están a la carrera por la Copa de la Diversión 2019!
➡️ https://t.co/o4w9WnYnKK #MiLBesDivertido pic.twitter.com/SU54wOTYGC
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) March 18, 2019
A full listing of the individual names with descriptions is available on MiLB’s website.
Copa proved to be a point of success for many teams last year, evidenced in part by a May game that saw the San Antonio Missions (Chanclas de San Antonio) draw their highest crowd to Wolff Stadium since 2004. The winner of last year’s Copa, however, was Albuquerque, whose successful run with the Mariachis de Nuevo México name included a single-game attendance record (16,975) for its first-ever Mariachis game on May 5, 2018.
The 2019 Copa de la Diversión schedule kicks off in April, featuring a 397-game slate.
Image of the Lowriders de Fresno (Fresno Lowriders) uniform courtesy Fresno Grizzlies.
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