Padres Agree to Deal with Amarillo as New Double-A Affiliate
Credit: MiLB
The wait is over, as the San Diego Padres have agreed to a contract with Amarillo to be the team’s Double-A affiliate in the Texas League. The Padres will start their relationship with the city next year in what should be a successful marriage.
The Padres have been looking for a new Double-A affiliate since the news came out that the San Antonio Missions were moving up to Triple-A and will be affiliated with the Brewers.
They had been the Padres’ club since 2007.
On Monday, news broke that the Padres’ new Double-A team will be in Amarillo, Texas, still part of the Texas League.
The nickname is still up for debate as a contest is deciding the team name. It has been narrowed down to “Boot Scooters,” “Bronc Busters,” “Jerky,” “Long Haulers,” and “Sod Poodles.”
Those are certainly, some unique, minor league-appropriate names, being in a league with teams like the Hooks, Drillers, and RoughRiders.
My vote would be for the “Boot Scooters” because ever since reading that name, I cannot get the song “Boot-Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks & Dunn out of my head.
🚨BREAKING 🚨
We are excited and proud to partner with the San Diego @Padres and officially bring professional, affiliated baseball back to the Texas Panhandle for the first time in 37 years!
RELEASE: https://t.co/lhzcqKGPeG pic.twitter.com/ujC63I4why— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) October 1, 2018
The Padres had their Double-A team in Amarillo from 1976 to 1982. The team will play in a brand new stadium downtown.
The Missions were part of the original teams in the Texas League when it all started way back in 1888. They won 13 Texas League titles, with the most recent one in 2013.
In the last season of the Missions being in Double-A for the Padres, they finished 71-67 and made it to the Texas League finals, where they were swept by Tulsa in three games.
The future team name of the Padres Double-A affiliate, moving to Amarillo, TX has come down to these finalist names.
I vote Sod Poodles. 😂
What's your pick?Another choice was "Long Haulers."
— KalynMcMackin (@KalynMcMackin) October 2, 2018
The 2019 Amarillo team will likely feature players such as Hudson Potts, Edward Olivares, and Pedro Avila. It is unlikely that the top players from the 2018 San Antonio team, Fernando Tatis Jr., Austin Allen, or Chris Paddack, will be back with the team as they all looked to have earned a promotion to Triple-A at least.
It’s no secret that the Padres have the most stacked farm system in all of baseball. Some of those players will be on display in Amarillo.
The team colors are also up for debate. Might I suggest brown and yellow? Since “Amarillo” means “yellow” in Spanish?
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.
Sod Poodles won the Vote by the way… Here in Amarillo at least.
Long Haulers!
Does that refer to truckers?