In a bid to celebrate diversity and cultural ties in minor league baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ single-A affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, found themselves embroiled in a linguistic controversy.
As a part of the Fun Cup initiative, described on the MiLB website as a series of events celebrating the culture and values cherished by Hispanic communities in areas with minor league teams, each club undergoes a name transformation for the festivities. Previously, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes participated in the series as the Temblores, a moniker translating to “earthquakes.”
Unfortunately for fans of the Quakes, the team’s newly selected name for the upcoming Fun Cup carries unexpected connotations. Announced on social media in March, the Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate revealed their rebranding as the Chaquetas for the Fun Cup. “Chaquetas” translates to “jackets” in Spanish and serves as a tribute to Southern California’s mariachi band culture, aiming to resonate with a broad audience while honoring the genre’s cultural heritage.
“So, when baseball-favorite and Rancho Cucamonga resident Joe Kelly put on that Mariachi jacket and later wore it to the White House, he wasn’t just making an exceptional style choice,” the team shared on X, formerly Twitter. “Rather, the pitcher was honoring the music’s most esteemed qualities, many of which it shares with baseball, [including] artistry, dedication, teamwork and ‘the privilege to put on such historically significant uniforms.'”
However, while “Chaquetas” does indeed translate to “jackets” in English, the word carries a secondary—and less fitting—meaning for some Spanish speakers.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times and entries in the Urban Dictionary, the word “chaqueta” can also serve as slang for masturbation.
As the Times noted, the name Mariachi had already been claimed by another team. In light of this, team officials began exploring alternative ideas and eventually settled on Chaquetas. Grant Riddle, the executive vice president and general manager of the Quakes, informed the L.A. Times that the name underwent thorough evaluation, including input from Major League Baseball and local Hispanic community leaders.
“We mailed a mariachi group…our staff [and] families have lots of cultural involvement,” Riddle told the Times. “And everybody was like ‘This is [going to] be incredible!”
Despite the name being reviewed by multiple groups, including MLB and local Hispanic community leaders, the team was unaware of the slang definition of “chaquetas,” according to Riddle. However, several fans were quick to bring attention to the oversight.
“We were immediately concerned… have we made an irreversible mistake here?” Riddle expressed. “And so we immediately…reengaged those groups and determined rather quickly that none of them were aware of it either.”
Relevant articles:
– Dodgers’ minor league team’s new name is a naughty Spanish slang word
– Dodgers’ minor league team unwittingly rebrands with a NSFW name, Los Angeles Times, Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:11:00 GMT
– Dodgers’ Minor League Team Has NSFW Rebranding SNAFU, Patch, Sat, 16 Mar 2024 05:41:00 GMT
– Harrison: Just relax, enjoy Astros-Braves World Series, AOL, Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:28:32 GMT