Dodgers unveil new jerseys
The Oklahoma City Dodgers will wear new jerseys for eight games this season as part of Minor League Baseball’s initiative to embrace local Hispanic communities.
Dodger blue took a new shade Tuesday evening in Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers unveiled their new jerseys for Minor League Baseball’s new “Copa de la Diversion” (or Fun Cup), a season-long initiative designed to embrace the culture and values that echo with the local Hispanic community.
Under the initiative, the Dodgers will be named “Cielo Azul” (or Blue Sky) for eight games in the upcoming season
“We were very fortunate that we had some great local designers that helped us concept this idea and bring it to life,” OKC Dodgers president and general manager Michael Byrnes said at a public unveiling Tuesday night at Supermercados Morelos.
The concept that features a lighter blue, orange and white came from the famous Dodger blue, which correlated with the Oklahoma sky and the breadth of the diversity of Hispanic culture in Oklahoma.
“We really wanted to pull on that imagery,” Byrnes said.
Also, the Dodgers paid respect to Los Angeles’ most famous Hispanic player, Fernando Valenzuela. He was known for looking to the sky during his windup.
The team also used the scissortail flycatcher, Oklahoma’s state bird, as inspiration in the logo.
“Sports teams symbolize their respective community’s uniqueness, often adopting nicknames and logos depicting these special traits,” MiLB vice president of marketing strategy and research Kurt Hunzeker said in a release. “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.”
Cielo Azul jerseys will be worn during fourgame series against the Omaha Cazadores de Tormentas (or Storm Chasers) on May 31-June 3 and El Paso July 27-30. El Paso will remain the Chihuahuas.
A total of 33 minor league teams will participate. A special cup trophy will travel and be present at the games. It will be awarded to the team with the best attendance, fan involvement and social media engagement at those games.
Upon completion of the campaign, the Cielo Azul jerseys and caps will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting a local non-profit organization focused on the Hispanic and Latino communities.
OKC will feature live music, live performances and special concession stand items during the two series at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.