Double-A affiliate blasting off during home run celebrations
Trash Pandas, go for launch!
One of the more popular Minor League monikers, Double-A Rocket City combined a pair of nicknames during its relocation from Mobile to Huntsville, Ala., following the 2019 season.
While the pandemic kept the Angels affiliate off the field until 2021, its popularity soared with the local nickname for raccoons as well as a term used to describe the city of Huntsville, the longtime historical home of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Now the Trash Pandas are using their ties to the final frontier in their home run celebrations, which actually began in 2023. When one of the Angels' prospects goes deep, he's adorned with an astronaut helmet, presented to the club last season by visiting representatives from NASA and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
On Wednesday night, backstop Caleb Hamilton got to suit up for blastoff. The 29-year-old launched a game-tying homer in the second inning of Rocket City's rain-shortened 5-2 win over visiting Birmingham at Toyota Field. Just like last year, the home run hitter weaves his way through the dugout, receiving high-fives while appearing to head toward a launching pad.
For the Trash Pandas and their fans, it's a fun and unique way to celebrate the club's ties to space exploration, as astronauts are probably on par with athletes among the world's most fascinating and popular fantasies.