Minor League Baseball To Have 'Copa De La Diversión' In Effort To Reach Latino Communities

For some time now, major sports leagues in North America have branded at key points in their seasons to appeal to Latinos across the country.

Now, a sizable number of Minor League Baseball teams will do the same during parts of their upcoming 2018 season.

A total of 33 teams will partake in “Copa de la Diversión,” or the “Fun Cup,” which will be part of Minor League Baseball’s “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” (“It’s Fun To Be A Fan”) initiative that will seek to engage the Latino communities.

Much like what has transpired in the NBA and Major League Baseball, teams will rebrand under new personas on the field that tie into the local communities. Teams will see renaming on uniforms and caps.

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.

For example, the Everett Aquasox will be rebranded the Everett Conquistadores. According to a memo from Minor League Baseball describing how the rebranding ties into the local Latino culture, the “Conquistadores” name was selected due to Everett’s historical beginnings, and the exploration of the Pacific Northwest. The first European record of the landing on the Washington coast was completed by Spanish explorer Juan Perez.  The Spanish exploration of the Olympic Peninsula and the subsequent land claims pre-date the Declaration of Independence. The AquaSox’s familiar brand icon, Webby, adorns a conquistador’s helmet to represent the past, present and future of Everett’s growing community.

To add to the experience on the days teams transform as part of Copa de la Diversión, clubs will also provide other Latino aspects at the ballpark including food-and-beverage offerings, and culturally relevant music.

“Sports teams symbolize their respective community’s uniqueness, often adopting nicknames and logos depicting these special traits,” said Kurt Hunzeker, MiLB’s Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Research. “MiLB and the participating teams embraced this creative approach when developing the ‘Copa de la Diversión’ brand identities, and the final designs reflect the unique characteristics of each team’s fan base while staying true to MiLB’s one-of-a-kind brand of fan-centric fun.”

All told, there will be 165 games across Minor League Baseball that will engage in Copa de la Diversión starting on April 8, in Round Rock, Texas, and concludes on Sept. 2, in Rancho Cucamonga, California.