For two weekend series during the 2020 season, the Columbia Fireflies will play as Los Chicharrones de Columbia as part of the Copa de la Diversion initiative from Minor League Baseball.
This is the third year Minor League Baseball is reaching out to the nation’s Latino community with Copa de la Diversion and the second season in which the Fireflies, the Class A affiliate of the New York Mets, are participating.
Chicharrones are a popular Latin American pork dish made with either pork belly or pork rinds.
The first series Los Chicharrones de Columbia play will be May 8-10 against South Atlantic League foe Charleston Riverdogs, who will play as Los Perros Santos. The second series takes place July 31-Aug. 2, when the Chicharrones will play Las Leyendas, or the Lexington Legends.
”Segra Park is a venue that was built both by the people of Columbia and the Midlands and for the people of Columbia and the Midlands,” Fireflies team President John Katz said in a news release. “We embrace the opportunities we have in our community to continue to celebrate our region’s diversity, culture and history.”
According to 2017 U.S. census data, 5.8% of Columbia’s city-area population is made up of people of Hispanic or Latin origin.
The Chicharrones will also celebrate Latin culture with music, specialty food items and dancing. Chicharrones will be sold at Segra Park concession stands throughout the 2020 season, and Chicharrones team merchandise will be available during the year.
“We’re excited to see the Columbia Fireflies continue its commitment to engaging with the Hispanic/Latino community,” Delores Dacosta, S.C. Commission for Minority Affairs executive director, said. “This is a great opportunity for everyone to embrace the Hispanic/Latino culture and recognize their significant contributions to South Carolina.”
