‘Diversity, Inclusion’: MiLB 'Copa de la Diversión' Ready For 2022 Activation
Friday, April 1, 2022 at 11:45AM By Barry Janoff
April 1, 2022: Calling it an “authentic way to connect with the Latino population,” one of the most successful league-wide activation in MILB history continues in 2022 with the fifth Copa de la Diversión (Fun Cup).
This season, 85 on-field Hispanic identities will be part of Copa de la Diversión, including eight new teams and five teams returning with rebranded personas.
Copa de la Diversión is a major part of MiLB’s “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” (“It’s Fun to be A Fan”) Hispanic fan engagement initiative, which was created in 2017 with a four-team test initiative.
Each of the 85 participating MiLB teams, covering 33 U.S. states, will transform its on-field brand to a culturally relevant Latino persona, representing an extension of the team’s and community’s identity.
“The continued growth of the Copa de la Diversión initiative reinforces the importance of connecting with our Latino fans and the Latino community nationwide,” Kurt Hunzeker, MLB’s vp-Minor League business operations, said via the league.
“Our teams continue to authentically connect with the Latino population in their communities, leading to a deeper and more meaningful fan experience.”
During the first four seasons of the initiative, Copa-designated games had a nearly 20% higher average attendance than non-Copa games.
More than 3.5 million fans attended 840-plus Copa-designated games between 2018-2021, including nearly one million in 2021 alone, according to MiLB.
In addition, participating teams saw significant increases in merchandise sales, partnerships and concessions revenues. Extending their reach into local communities, teams partnered with more than 200 local Latino organizations on various events and charitable endeavors.
MiLB said teams involved in Copa de la Diversión have partnered with more than 100 local Latino organizations, donating more than $500,000 in cash and gifts-in-kind to local Latino philanthropies since 2018.
“Through the success of the Copa program, MiLB has solidified its commitment to the long-term growth of its U.S. Latino communities and its diversity and inclusion efforts across the country,” according to MiLB.
"It is important to our organization and all of Minor League Baseball that we continue to embrace everyone in and around our communities through the Copa initiative,” Victor Rojas, Frisco RoughRiders president, said via MilB. “We are excited to honor our rich and diverse Latino culture in hopes of creating a deeper connection to our community on a year-round basis.”
The 387-game event series is scheduled to begin April 9 in Hillsboro, Oregon, with Nationwide returning as the “official insurance partner of the Copa initiative.”
The eight MiLB teams joining Copa in 2022, include the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Manzanas Luchadoras de Fort Wayne), Frisco RoughRiders (Quesos de Frisco), Great Lakes Loons (Pepinillos Picantes del Norte), Quad Cities River Bandits (Bandidos del Rio de las Ciudades Cuádaruples), Somerset Patriots (Zorros de Somerset), St. Paul Saints (Santos de St. Paul), Syracuse Mets (Congueros de Syracuse) and Wichita Wind Surge (Tumba Vacas de Wichita).
Two teams — the Corpus Christi Hooks (Corpus Christi Cumbias) and Winston-Salem Dash (Winston-Salem Salsa) — return with new identities, while the Fresno Grizzlies (Fresno Lowriders), Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Lehigh Valley Coquís) and South Bend Cubs (Cabritos Maldichos de South Bend) are back with updated looks.
At the end of the season, one team will be named the overall Copa de la Diversión champion.
Previous winners include the Mariachis de Nuevo México (2018 and 2019) and the Wepas de Worcester (2021).
In addition, MiLB’s Latino Leadership and Community Growth Council, comprised of industry experts and civic leaders, will recognize the top-performing teams in several categories, including ballpark experience, community engagement and philanthropic impact.
“Since its inception as a four-team test in 2017, Copa continues to provide MiLB teams numerous opportunities to connect and engage with their local Latino communities in authentic, impactful, and fun ways,” said Hunzeker.
“From its award-winning identities to its community and philanthropic initiatives, Copa has transformed every facet of our business and serves as the centerpiece of our ongoing inclusivity efforts.”
Full list of teams and links to merchandise here.
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