Diamondbacks Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Day with a Big Bash

Some teams simply party early and party often. The Arizona Diamondbacks began their Hispanic Heritage Month festivities last Saturday with a special night at Chase Field, and La Vida Baseball got in on the fun.

Los D-Backs went all out, starting with a pregame street festival featuring music from La Máxima Sonora, a Phoenix-based band that plays a fusion of Sonoran and Colombian cumbia with salsa, merengue and bachata. Inside Chase Field, Mexican mariachis serenaded fans, local vendors served Sonoran hot dogs and carne asada quesadillas, fans mingled in La Terraza, and kids hit piñatas.

Inside the ballpark, fans took in more music and ballet folklórico before the Diamondbacks, in their Los D-Backs jerseys, lost to the visiting San Diego Padres, 8-7.

Prior to the game, in a moment of international bonding, a select group of Diamondbacks players were presented with jerseys from members of the Mexican Pacific Baseball League.

Los D-Backs — who have seven players on the current roster born in Latin America and another half-dozen of Hispanic descent — take their Latino players and fans very seriously. So seriously that in 2015, they became the first team to feature accents in the names of players on their jerseys.

“Teams weren’t doing this,” said Jerry Romo, the Diamondbacks’ Senior Manager of Hispanic marketing. “The accent is much more than a mark over your jersey — it’s part of our culture, it talks about who we are and where we come from.”

And Romo couldn’t be prouder of Arizona for starting the campaign — last year, Major League Baseball picked up on the trend with its #PonleAcento initiative.

“Just knowing that the initiative started here in Phoenix, Arizona, with the youngest team in MLB, is incredible,” Romo says.

As another way to recognize their Latino players, the Diamondbacks included flags from Latin American countries inside the lettering of every player’s jersey.

“These countries represented were teams that played in the World Baseball Classic,” Romo said. “The back of the jersey actually shows the flags. It’s something a little extra to show how proud we are of our culture.”

It seems the crowds at Chase Field agree.

Romo recognizes the diverse fan base of the Diamondbacks and why those fans are so important.

“Forty percent of the market in the Phoenix area is Latino, so for us it’s important to establish that connection with our people, our culture and our Latino players that see the Latino fan base come out,” Romo said. “Players even speak to them in Spanish.”

La Terraza, or the terrace, was home to piñata parties and long lines for micheladas. The spot is open every weekend during home games and features an array of Latino offerings with a mural by local Phoenix artist Lalo Cota as a backdrop.

As a Mexican-American who loves my culture and baseball, I have to tip my hat and applaud to the Arizona Diamondbacks for working so hard to show the appreciation of their Latino fans and players.

It was a great weekend and I can’t wait to go back next year.

Featured Image: Henry Pacheco / La Vida Baseball

Inset Images: Henry Pacheco / La Vida Baseball