¡Celebración Cielo Azul! Returns to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in 2019

After a top-five finish for the Copa de la Diversión™ (“Fun Cup™”) trophy in its 2018 inaugural season, Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City returns in 2019. Photo courtesy of the OKC Dodgers.

What is “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan®?”

• The goals of Minor League Baseball’s® fan engagement initiative “Es Divertido Ser Un Fun®” (“It’s Fun to Be a Fan®”) include celebrating each participating community’s Hispanic and Latino fans and creating a culturally relevant gameday experience through music, concessions and promotions.
• Participating teams develop and don culturally relative alternative team identities for select games throughout the season.

MiLB’s “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan®” fan engagement initiative is in its third season.

• The MiLB initiative began in 2017 and is now in its third season.

What is Copa de la Diversión™ about?

• The Copa de la Diversión™ or Fun Cup™ began in 2018 with 33 participating MiLB teams during the second season of “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan.”
• The Copa de la Diversión trophy is awarded to the participating MiLB club that most successfully builds and expands connections within its local Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the season.
• Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City was one of five finalists for the inaugural Copa de la Diversión last season and the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico won the award in 2018.

How has “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” evolved?

• 2017: MiLB launched the “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” initiative with four participating teams: Las Vegas, Charlotte, Kane County and Visalia.

Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City is one of 72 MiLB clubs competing for the Copa de la Diversión trophy in 2019.

• 2018: The program expanded to 33 MiLB teams, with nine Pacific Coast League teams participating, including the OKC Dodgers. MiLB also began the Copa de la Diversion™ (“Fun Cup™).
• 2019: The initiative expanded to 72 MiLB teams for its third season — more than doubling the number of participating teams from the previous year.

About Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City

The name Cielo Azul — translated to “Blue Sky” — was derived from three key factors:

• Incorporating the color blue, which is an integral part of the Dodgers organization.
• The vibrancy of Oklahoma’s blue skies and the breadth of the diversity of Hispanic/Latino culture that resides under those skies.
• A tribute to Los Angeles Dodgers legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who looked up at the sky during his windup.
• MiLB initially targeted Oklahoma City as a participant in “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” in 2018 because Oklahoma’s capital city has one of the fastest growing Hispanic and Latino populations in the country, as about 17 percent of Oklahoma City’s population identified as Hispanic.
• In its inaugural season, Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City was one of five finalists for the inaugural Copa de la Diversión — won by the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico.

OKC Dodgers infielder Edwin Rios taking a swing during ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! in 2018. Photo courtesy of OKC Dodgers.

How can fans participate?

• Fans can join the “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” conversation, share their experiences and exchange stories using the hashtags #MiLBEsDivertido and #MiLBIsFun.
• ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! tickets are available through the OKC Dodgers ticket office located on South Mickey Mantle Drive, by phone at (405) 218–2182, or by visiting cieloazulokc.com.
• Live radio coverage of each game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 “The Game,” 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.

2019 ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! details:

• ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! will take place during the following two home series: June 20–23 vs. Memphis Música (Memphis Redbirds) and July 19–21 vs. Flying Chanclas de San Antonio (San Antonio Missions). Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City will also play a handful of road games this season.

Fans can expect more celebration of Hispanic/Latino culture during ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! in 2019. Photo courtesy of OKC Dodgers.

• In addition to unique jerseys and hats, Cielo Azul players and coaches will don specialty batting helmets. Members of the Blue Crüe and mascots Brooklyn and Brix will wear Cielo Azul attire on the field, while staff working throughout Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark will also wear special Cielo Azul attire.

Folkloric dancers are just one type of performance to see at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark during ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! Photo courtesy of OKC Dodgers.

• The gameday environment during ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! will include Latin music, colorful and festive decorations, a Spanish-speaking public address announcer, bilingual staff and bilingual game programs.

• 2019 ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! kicks off with $2 Thursday on June 20 featuring $2 select beer, Pepsi products, and bottled water.

• On Friday, June 21, the first 1,000 fans to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark will receive a Dodgers fanny pack. Gates open at 6 p.m. and a fireworks show is scheduled to follow the game.
• Mariachi Orgullo de América, a mariachi band based in the Oklahoma City area, is scheduled to play music Friday night, while Midwest City’s Yumare Mexican Folkloric Dancers Inc. are scheduled to perform Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Loop Rawlins will perform his “One Man Wild West Show,” Saturday, June 22, including trick roping, whip cracking and gun spinning. Fireworks are scheduled to follow the game.
• Chaparral Energy Family Sunday wraps up the first Cielo Azul series with family friendly activities, such as pregame player autographs and postgame kids run the bases, Sunday, June 23.
• Special Cielo Azul merchandise, including T-shirts and hats, is available in the OKC Dodgers Team Store located along the ballpark concourse behind third base, as well as online at shopokcdodgers.com.

Players will wear special Cielo Azul themed uniforms during ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! Photo courtesy of the OKC Dodgers.

Specialty food available at ¡Celebración Cielo Azul!:

• Burgertopia: Chorizo Burger — a fresh burger made of a balanced blend of ground chorizo and ground beef, topped with pepper jack cheese, sautéed onions and chipotle ranch.
• Franx: Cuban Sandwich — OKC’s take on the classic sandwich, starting with a hoagie roll loaded with layers of ham and house-smoked pulled pork, topped with swiss cheese, pickles and mustard and pressed on a hot griddle.
• Smokies: Chorizo Sausage — a spicy chorizo link topped with sautéed peppers and onions.
• Salsa — Carnitas Tacos — house-made pork carnitas nestled into flour tortillas and loaded with your choice of toppings, such as our house specialty salsa roja or salsa verde.
• Sweet: Crème-Filled Churros.
• Upcoming specialty food for July’s ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! series includes the Nacho Burger, Elotes (roasted corn dish) and Beef Tamales.

Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City is one of 15 Pacific Coast League teams to participate in Copa de la Diversión in 2019, up from nine PCL teams last season.

By the Numbers:

• 24.4 — Percent larger crowds MiLB teams drew during Copa de la Diversión games than non-Copa games during the 2018 season, according to MiLB.
• 18.2 million — Number of U.S. Hispanic/Latino individuals who identify themselves as MiLB fans, according to an ESPN Sports Poll completed prior to the start of the “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” initiative.
• 29 — Number of states Copa de la Diversión teams will represent in 2019.
• 15 — Number of Pacific Coast League teams participating in Copa de la Diversión this season.
• 397 — Number of MiLB games featuring Copa de la Diversion teams this season.
• 3 — Number of Hispanic and Latino countries/territories represented on the OKC Dodgers/Cielo Azul team roster as of early June.
• $5,500+ — Amount of money the OKC Dodgers Baseball Foundation and the team raised through ticket sales and a jersey auction in 2018 to benefit the Latino Community Development Agency.
• 34 — Uniform number of Los Angeles Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela, whose baseball career and pitching style helped inspire the Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City brand.
• March 20, 2018 — Date Cielo Azul was originally unveiled to the public.
• 4 — Number of home wins Cielo Azul earned during its inaugural season at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in 2018.