Albuquerque Isotopes
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Albuquerque Isotopes Founded in 2003 Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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| Class-level | |||||
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| Current | Triple-A (2003–present) | ||||
| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| League | Pacific Coast League | ||||
| Conference | Pacific Conference | ||||
| Division | Southern Division | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Current | Colorado Rockies (2015–present) | ||||
| Previous |
Los Angeles Dodgers (2009–2014) Florida Marlins (2003–2008) |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| Division titles (3) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Nickname | Albuquerque Isotopes (2003–present) | ||||
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Previous names
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Calgary Cannons (1985–2002) Salt Lake City Gulls (1971–1984) |
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| Colors | Black, red, white |
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| Mascot | Orbit | ||||
| Ballpark | Isotopes Park (2003–present) | ||||
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Owner(s)/
Operator(s) |
Albuquerque Baseball Club, LLC | ||||
| Manager | Glenallen Hill | ||||
| 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 Colorado Rockies. The team was affiliated with the Florida Marlins from 2003–2008 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2009–2014. Albuquerque was 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 2016, Forbes listed the Isotopes as the 14th-most valuable Minor League Baseball team with a value of $34 million.
The Isotopes' mascot is Orbit, a yellow, orange, and red alien. Home games are played at Isotopes Park.
The team's name recalls the fictional Springfield Isotopes from the long running TV series The Simpsons. In the episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer", which first aired on March 4, 2001, main character Homer Simpson attempts to thwart the team's plan to move to Albuquerque by going on a hunger strike. Subsequently, when the Albuquerque Tribune asked its online readers to help choose a new name for the Cannons, "Isotopes" received 67% of the 120,000 votes cast.
Though team president Ken Young admitted that the name came from the series, 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." The "Isotopes" name was deemed appropriate, since New Mexico has a number of well-known scientific and 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 the site of the Trinity test.
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