What Does The Zorro Say
Bridgewater, New Jersey – The Somerset Patriots debuted as the Zorros de Somerset during the 2022 season as part of Minor League Baseball’s “Copa de la Diversion” program. “Copa de la Diversion” or “Fun Cup” is a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate
Bridgewater, New Jersey – The Somerset Patriots debuted as the Zorros de Somerset during the 2022 season as part of Minor League Baseball’s “Copa de la Diversion” program.
“Copa de la Diversion” or “Fun Cup” is a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with MiLB teams' local U.S. Hispanic communities.
From the unveiling of the team’s Copa identity on March 31, through the five games played as the Zorros, fans embraced the fun and excitement of the alternate identity all season long.
Introducing the Zorros de Somerset! #VamosZorros #CopaDeLaDiversión pic.twitter.com/3BDnBRxM05
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) March 31, 2022
Zorros de Somerset, Spanish for Somerset Foxes, is a nod to a fox that frequently visited TD Bank Ballpark throughout 2020. The elusive animal was only seen on security camera footage and pictures from afar until it made a grand entrance right before the start of the Patriots press conference announcing the partnership with the New York Yankees.
The primary logo, created by award-winning designer Ryan Foose, featured orange and bright blue variations of the Patriots usual maroon and navy. The use of the vibrant colors are aimed at representing Latin culture.
The bright blue hat features the Zorro head logo and an orange bill. The jersey is orange with pattern sleeves and Zorros de Somerset across the chest in blue lettering outlined in white. Each sleeve has a special Copa patch honoring the program. The numbers on the back are navy blue.
Once in uniform, the Zorros put on a show. The opening game on April 30 featured a walk-off win when the Dominican Republic’s Saul Torres was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. The 3-2 victory also included a two-run home run by Venezuela’s Andres Chaparro.
Our first Zorros game was en fuego🔥 pic.twitter.com/yF93vzZyTX
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) May 1, 2022
Two Dominican Republic natives starred in the second game on May 20. The Zorros won 6-2 behind starter Randy Vasquez’s five strikeout performance in 5.1 innings and catcher Rodolfo Duran’s two-run blast.
On June 26, the final day of the first half, Somerset clinched its first ever playoff berth as the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate with a 6-5 extra innings victory. The game was won by way of a walk-off, two-run homer by Yankees top prospect Anthony Volpe (whose last name is the Italian translation for “fox”).
The Zorros claimed their fourth victory in a 5-0 shutout on July 7. Venezuela’s Jesus Bastidas and the Dominican Republic’s Duran and Michael Beltre provided the offense for Somerset in the game.
August 26 was the Zorros’ only loss of the season, to finish 4-1. Vasquez made his second start in a Zorros uniform and struck out nine batters, while Volpe launched his 18th and final home run at the Double-A level.
For every Copa game, TD Bank Ballpark was adorned with festive decorations and featured food, music, performances and more to highlight the Hispanic community.
Pre-game performances included Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre of New Brunswick and live Flamenco guitar by Ivan Max from Montclair.
Fans enjoyed Latin food options from local restaurants including Brisas Restaurant of North Plainfield (Colombian), Division Café of Somerville (Costa Rican), Mozzarella Cucina of New Brunswick (Mexican & Italian) and Rancho Mateo of Bound Brook (Colombian)
One of the most popular activities included the decoration of “Spanish Tiles” by children throughout the games that were later displayed as a mosaic at the end of the season.
The Zorros de Somerset had a memorable first season as part of the Copa de la Diversion program. The Patriots look to expand on the success of the 2022 campaign to help grow the excitement for the Hispanic community and fans across the board.
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