Albuquerque Isotopes

Albuquerque Isotopes
	Albuquerque Isotopes; Founded in 2003; Albuquerque, New Mexico;
Team logo	Cap insignia
	Class-level
	Triple-A (2003–Present);
	Minor league affiliations
	Pacific Coast League American Conference - South Division; ;
	Major league affiliations
	Los Angeles Dodgers (2009–Present); Florida Marlins (2003–2008);
	Name
	Albuquerque Isotopes (2003–Present); Calgary Cannons (1985–2002); Salt Lake City Gulls (1971–1984);
	Colors
	{{{colors}}};
	Ballpark
	Isotopes Park (2003–Present);
	Minor league titles
League titles
Division titles	2003, 2009, 2012
	Owner(s)/Operated by: Albuquerque Baseball Club, LLC
	Manager: Lorenzo Bundy
	General Manager: John Traub

The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Albuquerque was previously represented in the PCL as a Dodgers' affiliate by the Albuquerque Dukes, who won several PCL championships in the 1970s and 1980s before relocating to Portland, Oregon, as the Portland Beavers in 2001. The Isotopes began play in 2003 when the Calgary Cannons relocated to New Mexico. In 2012, Forbes ranked the Isotopes as the fourth most valuable franchise in Minor League Baseball.^[1]

The Isotopes' mascot is Orbit, a yellow, orange, and red alien.

Name origins[edit]

The fictional Springfield Isotopes from the long running TV series The Simpsons was the influence for the new name of the team. In the episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer", main character Homer Simpson attempts to thwart the team's plan to move to Albuquerque by going on a hunger strike. Subsequently, when an Albuquerque Tribune online survey helped the team decide its new name, "Isotopes" received 67 percent of the 120,000 votes.^[2]

Though team president Ken Young admitted that the name came from the series,^[3] he said at the name's unveiling, "We picked it because over the past year it has become a popular name, and it does have something to do with Albuquerque."^[4] The "Isotopes" name is appropriate, since New Mexico has a number of well-known scientific/military facilities dealing with nuclear technology, such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP), as well as hosting the Trinity test.

In the three months after the team's name was announced in September 2002, before the team ever took the field, the team sold more merchandise than the Albuquerque Dukes sold in any single season,^[5] and led minor league baseball in merchandising revenue in 2003.^[6] The team said they were able to tell when episodes featuring the Springfield Isotopes would air in different markets based on clusters of orders from different viewing areas.^[5] The team has no working agreements with the Fox Broadcasting Company or The Simpsons.^[7] However, statues of Homer and Marge Simpson can be seen at Isotopes Park.^[8]

Roster[edit]

Albuquerque Isotopes roster

Players

Coaches/Other

Pitchers

30 Geison Aguasviva
36 Steve Ames *
37 Chris Capuano * #
44 Ángel Castro
45 Kelvin de la Cruz
26 Jose Dominguez
50 Javy Guerra *
35 Blake Johnson
34 Aaron Laffey
14 Matt Magill *
49 Anthony Ortega
47 Matt Palmer
25 Red Patterson
16 Rob Rasmussen
-- Mario Santiago
46 Josh Wall *
45 Sean White

Catchers

31 John Baker *
6 Steve Cilladi
41 J. R. Towles
18 Matt Wallach

Infielders

7 Brian Barden
52 Elevys Gonzalez
9 Dee Gordon *
3 Elian Herrera *
8 Rusty Ryal
12 Justin Sellers *

Outfielders

21 Matt Angle
17 Nick Buss
15 Tony Gwynn, Jr.
10 Jeremy Moore

Manager

29 Lorenzo Bundy

Coaches

33 Glenn Dishman (pitching)
22 Franklin Stubbs (hitting)

7-day disabled list
* On Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster
∞ Reserve list
§ Suspended list
‡ Restricted list
# Rehab assignment
Roster updated June 17, 2013
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Los Angeles Dodgers minor league players

Awards[edit]

In September 2009, Mitch Jones was named the winner of the Joe Bauman Home Run Award, for the most home runs, 35, in minor league baseball.^[9]

Cultural references[edit]

In the USA Network series In Plain Sight, the character Raphael Ramirez (Cristian de la Fuente) plays for the Isotopes.
In the AMC series Breaking Bad, which is set in Albuquerque, Walter White can be seen wearing an Isotopes hat.
In the NBC series The Voice, music producer Adam Blackstone wore an Albuquerque Isotopes hat during Season One Battle Rounds preparations.^[10]

References[edit]

^ "How Billionaires Like Warren Buffett Profit From Minor League Baseball Ownership " Forbes. Retrieved on 6 June 2012.
^ "Doh! Go Isotopes!". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Hearst Corporation). May 13, 2003. p. C8. |accessdate= requires |url= (help)
^ Latta, Dennis (September 5, 2002). "Team President Throws Isotopes Name Into Play". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Publishing Company). p. A1. Archived from the original on 2003-08-22. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
^ Oakey, Steve (September 12, 2002). "To Attract Homer, Isotopes Need to Have Duff on Draft". The San Diego Union-Tribune (Copley Press). p. D2. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)
^ ^a ^b Latta, Dennis (December 15, 2002). "Isotopes Hit a Leadoff Homer at Cash Register". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Publishing Company). p. D1. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)
^ Ruiz, Don (August 1, 2004). "In Search of Elusive Huntington Tapes". The News Tribune (The McClatchy Company). p. C08. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)
^ Latta, Dennis (February 1, 2003). "'Topes, Simpsons Aren't in the Mix". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Publishing Company). p. D8. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)
^ "Albuquerque Isotopes/Isotopes Park/Homer and Marge". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
^ Hill, Benjamin (September 15, 2009). "Jones slugs way to Bauman Award: Home run crown, first big league action mark milestone season". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
^ "Catch Adam as Musical Advisor to Adam Levine". adamblackstone.com. Adam Blackstone. May 20, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albuquerque Isotopes

[1] "How Billionaires Like Warren Buffett Profit From Minor League Baseball Ownership " Forbes. Retrieved on 6 June 2012.

[2] "Doh! Go Isotopes!". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Hearst Corporation). May 13, 2003. p. C8. |accessdate= requires |url= (help)

[3] Latta, Dennis (September 5, 2002). "Team President Throws Isotopes Name Into Play". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Publishing Company). p. A1. Archived from the original on 2003-08-22. Retrieved June 11, 2007.

[4] Oakey, Steve (September 12, 2002). "To Attract Homer, Isotopes Need to Have Duff on Draft". The San Diego Union-Tribune (Copley Press). p. D2. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)

[Register-5] Latta, Dennis (December 15, 2002). "Isotopes Hit a Leadoff Homer at Cash Register". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Publishing Company). p. D1. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)

[6] Ruiz, Don (August 1, 2004). "In Search of Elusive Huntington Tapes". The News Tribune (The McClatchy Company). p. C08. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)

[7] Latta, Dennis (February 1, 2003). "'Topes, Simpsons Aren't in the Mix". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Publishing Company). p. D8. Retrieved June 11, 2007. (subscription required)

[8] "Albuquerque Isotopes/Isotopes Park/Homer and Marge". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 7, 2011.

[9] Hill, Benjamin (September 15, 2009). "Jones slugs way to Bauman Award: Home run crown, first big league action mark milestone season". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 7, 2012.

[10] "Catch Adam as Musical Advisor to Adam Levine". adamblackstone.com. Adam Blackstone. May 20, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.

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Albuquerque Isotopes

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Name origins[edit]

Roster[edit]

Awards[edit]

Cultural references[edit]

References[edit]

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