Benavides Represents MiLB At SBJ Awards
After bringing plenty of hardware home to PK Park over the past year, Emeralds GM Allan Benavides spent Wednesday night helping Minor League Baseball try to do the same. The Emeralds GM was part of a small group of select representatives at the 12th annual Sports Business Journal Awards where
After bringing plenty of hardware home to PK Park over the past year, Emeralds GM Allan Benavides spent Wednesday night helping Minor League Baseball try to do the same. The Emeralds GM was part of a small group of select representatives at the 12th annual Sports Business Journal Awards where MiLB was nominated for its Copa de la Diversión.
Launched in 2008, the Sports Business Awards were established by Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily to celebrate and recognize the leaders, visionaries and day-to-day practitioners who personify excellence in the business of sports.
The 2019 nominees and winners were recognized for excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period from March 1, 2018 - February 28, 2019.
Minor League Baseball was one of four nominees for Sports Breakthrough of the Year. The full nominees were as follows:
- - Body Armor
- - Los Angeles Football Club
- - MGM Resorts
- - Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión
Ultimately, MGM ended up taking home the award for its efforts in advancing sports betting over the past year, but that didn't take away from what was a special night for MiLB and Benavides.
"Being in this room with the top sports business professionals for the [Sports Business Journal Awards] is quite humbling," said Benavides on Twitter. "Just having [Minor League Baseball] nominated is an incredible honor. Huge shoutout to the leaders in St. Petersburg for the vision and courage to activate Copa de la Diversión."
Last season, MiLB unveiled it's Copa de la Diversión initiative aimed at authentically connecting MiLB teams with their diverse communities, embracing the culture and values that resonate most with Hispanics/Latinx nationwide. Copa de la Diversión is a key component of MiLB's Es Divertido Ser Un Fan ('It's fun to be a fan') Latino fan initiative.
Now heading into its second season, the number of MiLB teams participating in Copa de la Diversión has more than doubled (2018: 33 | 2019: 72), and Benavides has helped other teams develop their own unique Copa identities as well, most notably the Northwest League's Tri-City Dust Devils whose Copa identity will be Los Viñeros de Tri-City.
As part of Copa de la Diversión, the Emeralds developed their own alternative identity, Los Monarcas. The focus of the new brand resolves around the multi-national ethnicities that make up Eugene/Springfield's Latino community. The Monarch butterfly, the symbol of Los Monarcas, performs one of nature's most spectacular journeys an has become a beautiful symbol for the migrant community.
The 2019 Emeralds baseball season begins on June 14 at PK Park. Tickets are on sale now at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.
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