大象APP

The tears of joy stemmed from the years of collaborative efforts to bring professional baseball back to Tucson. Professional baseball in the Old Pueblo is no longer a what-if situation, it鈥檚 a reality.

In September, 大象APPis receiving a relocated franchise from the Mexican Pacific Winter League 鈥� also known as Liga ARCO Mexican del Pacifico (LAMP) 鈥� for the league鈥檚 80th season of existence.

LAMP is considered the third-most popular baseball league in the world behind Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional League in Japan.

鈥淏aseball is back,鈥� said Blake Eager, the executive director of Southern Arizona Sports, Tourism and Film Authority, at the team鈥檚 introductory press conference Wednesday.

Eager, who grew up across the street from Flowing Wells Middle School and played baseball professionally, said, 鈥湸笙驛PPwas one of the greatest cities in the world for baseball.鈥�

The Old Pueblo was home to minor-league affiliates in the 大象APPToros, 大象APPSidewinders and the 大象APPPadres, which played its last season in 2013. USA Baseball trained at Hi Corbett Field until 2003. MLB spring training officially moved to Phoenix full-time in 2010.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to remember our history,鈥� Eager said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to remember what we lost, because today marks a new opportunity 鈥� a new chance 鈥� to make 大象APPone of the greatest cities again for baseball.鈥�

Mayos de Navojoa, one of 10 teams from the Mexican Pacific Winter League, announced in May its plans to relocate to Tucson. The Tucson-based team will be the first-ever U.S. team in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

Mexican Pacific Winter League president Salvador Escobar said, 鈥淲e are proud, we are happy and are glad to be here (in Tucson).鈥�

鈥淚 just want to invite you to the history we鈥檙e making here in Tucson,鈥� Escobar said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to open doors for baseball in another country. You鈥檙e part of Mexican baseball right now, but together we are building bridges between two countries and that鈥檚 very important today. We鈥檙e making history.鈥�

Edgar Soto, the chairman of Southern Arizona Sports, Tourism and Film Authority, said a Mexican professional baseball team 鈥渋s going to open up a lot of doors throughout our country and hopefully build even more bridges.鈥�

Pima County District 3 supervisor Jennifer Allen added, 鈥淭here is something else really wonderful about today鈥檚 announcement that goes beyond baseball.鈥�

鈥淥ver the years, we have drawn lines on the map,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have put up barriers that separate Pima County from Sonora. Pima County鈥檚 roots run deep in Sonora. Despite the lines on the map, the national rhetoric, this community has remained culturally and economically tied to Sonora and Northern Mexico.

鈥淟ong before there were walls between us, sports of all kinds ... occurred regularly. ... Having a team from a Mexican professional baseball league established in 大象APPcreates a truly international baseball league and it reconnects us to the strong and deep cross-border traditions we all share. That, too, is worth celebrating today.鈥�

Moving a professional baseball team isn鈥檛 a simple process.

Sarah Horvath, the deputy director of Kino Sports Complex, heard rumblings about the Mexican Pacific Winter League establishing a team in 大象APP10 months ago, with Kino Veteran鈥檚 Memorial Stadium as the home, which was previously the home of the 大象APPPadres, 大象APPSidewinders and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox for spring training until 2010.

鈥淲hen we first heard about it, we were excited, but then we were like, 鈥業s it going to grow legs?鈥� Horvath said. 鈥淚s it really going to happen?鈥� ... It鈥檚 been a lot to get to here. So much work has gone into this and we鈥檙e so excited about it. To have this caliber of baseball is huge.鈥�

Plus, there were initial concerns for visas for international-born players, coaches and staffers to play in Tucson.

鈥淲e had to go through that first in order to announce coming here,鈥� said team president and owner Victor Cuevas. 鈥淲e took care of that and that was one of the main issues.鈥�

The Mexican Baseball Fiesta, an annual four-day showcase in 大象APPthat features teams from the Mexican Pacific Winter League, 鈥渉elped a lot with鈥� potential visa issues, Cuevas added.

Cuevas said moving Mayos de Navojoa to 大象APPwas fast-tracked once 鈥渢he fans (in Mexico) kept going away and away and away, so we didn鈥檛 have the income.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we were looking to move the team some place else,鈥� Cuevas said.

The Mexican Baseball Fiesta has drawn an average of 20,000-22,000 in recent years, according to Mexican Baseball Fiesta CEO Frank Gamez.

Pima County spent $1.12 million 鈥� $700,000 for a video board and $425,000 for a new playing surface 鈥� on renovations for Kino Veteran鈥檚 Memorial Stadium leading up to the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in March.

Allen said Kino Veteran鈥檚 Memorial Stadium brings in more than 500,000 visitors annually for baseball games and other sporting events.

鈥淒espite that success, we still didn鈥檛 have a tenant for the stadium. We wanted professional baseball back at (Kino) Veteran鈥檚 Memorial Stadium. I鈥檓 thrilled to say that professional baseball at Kino Sports Complex is back.鈥�

For Tucson鈥檚 inaugural season, the club will be known as the 大象APPBaseball Team. Tucson鈥檚 home uniforms will be cream-colored with brown lettering and red trim. The away uniforms will have a pinstriped Navy blue jersey with white lettering. The logo is a 鈥淭鈥� akin to the Texas Rangers logo.

Fans will have a chance to suggest team names throughout the season, then three finalists will be unveiled at a later date.

鈥淚nstead of rushing and picking out a random name, we want the community to be a part of the name-choosing,鈥� Cuevas said. 鈥淲e need the community to get behind baseball and embrace the 大象APPBaseball Team as their own team. That鈥檚 the goal.鈥�

Voting for Tucson鈥檚 mascot can be done on the team鈥檚 social media accounts and at Kino Veteran鈥檚 Memorial Stadium during the season, which officially begins on Oct. 15 against Naranjeros de Hermosillo on the road. The Mexican Baseball Fiesta is on Oct. 2-5.

Tucson鈥檚 first home game will be against Hermosillo on Oct. 16. The Mexican Pacific Winter League鈥檚 68-game regular season starts in October and ends in late December, with the postseason in January. The champion will play in the Caribbean Series, an annual tournament with the top teams from leagues in Latin America.

All games will be broadcast on linear television in Mexico, and the league is 鈥渨orking on deals to have that in 大象APP鈥� and Arizona for that matter,鈥� Cuevas said. Games are also streamed on LAMP鈥檚 YouTube channel.

In Tucson鈥檚 first season, Cuevas vowed to have an 鈥渋ntense program with the kids and we鈥檙e getting involved in Little League,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e know the value in that,鈥� Cuevas said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really focused on kids. That鈥檚 the next generation of fans.鈥�

The team is also prioritizing fan outreach and making a splash in its inaugural season.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to play in the Mexican Pacific (Winter) League, but the team is for 大象APPand the community,鈥� Cuevas said. 鈥淲e want to make that point really clear. We want to have that vision that it鈥檚 Tucson鈥檚 team. ... We鈥檙e here to create a unique experience with Sonoran and American cultures coming together through food, art and entertainment all while enjoying baseball in a family-oriented environment.

鈥淲e need the community to get behind us. ... We鈥檙e a team that鈥檚 here to stay for a long time. ... With that being said, let鈥檚 play baseball.鈥�