Minor League Baseball has always provided the benefit of developing future stars of the game. But fans have long loved the unorthodox team names and logos that have graced those teams in the process.
The Los Angeles Angels are home to one of the most famous Minor League teams, the Rocket City Trash Pandas of Double-A. Since the team announced this name in 2018, the partnership between them and the Angels have led to over $4 million in merchandise sales.
Now, their new stadium — Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama — has been a springboard for even greater success. The Trash Pandas bring in just over 6,000 fans per game, which is the best among all Double-A affiliates.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian discussed the relationship between his team and the Trash Pandas as they progress through their 10-year contract, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“Rocket City has been great. As an affiliate, they’re really impressive,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “From an environment standpoint, the stadium is outstanding and the facilities are great. The clubhouse is great. And then from a fan standpoint, having the experience of playing in front of those kinds of crowds with that kind of energy, day in and day out, has been a great experience for our guys.”
“Everybody who has been there has nothing but rave reviews about not only the facility, but how they treat our players,” Minasian said. “It’s an outstanding ownership group and staff there. We’re in a really good spot.”
Having such a strong partnership between the Angels and the Trash Pandas is certainly a positive thing. It’s even better in the wake of accusations of poor treatment by Minor League players in the Angels system that surfaced earlier this season.
Minasian responded to these accusations at the time, saying that what he was reading and hearing was unacceptable. However, this new stadium appears to be the first thing that has provided good press for the Angels in this realm.
Hopefully, the success of the Trash Pandas can be utilized for good, taking some of that extra profit and using it to boost the necessities provided to players at all levels in the Angels organization.
Sam Bachman placed on Top 100 list
Despite only being drafted earlier this season, Angels first-round pick Sam Bachman is already storming up the MLB ranks. He debuted on the Top 100 Prospects list after just four Minor League appearances, coming in at No. 94 overall.
This also makes him the third-best prospect in the Angels system, behind Reid Detmers and Brandon Marsh.
