ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES
Topes Notes: Lorenzo Bundy, Branch Rickey III headline 2026 sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Pro Baseball Hall of Fame
Two figures instrumental in bringing and sustaining professional baseball in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will be inducted June 27 at Isotopes Park.
Published
One is one of the most successful managers in franchise history. Without the other, the franchise might not even be here.
On June 27 at Isotopes Park, former Isotopes manager Lorenzo Bundy and former Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey III will headline this year's class being inducted into the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bundy racked up 226 wins as the Isotopes manager from 2011-2013 and was the 2012 PCL Manager of the Year. His .523 win percentage is second only to Tim Wallach's .530 from 2009-10. Bundy's 2012 Isotopes squad tied a franchise record with 80 wins and marked the last time the team made the playoffs.
Rickey, the grandson of Wesley Branch Rickey, who helped integrate Major League Baseball in 1947, was PCL president from 1998-2020 and was a key part of the relocation of the Calgary Cannons to sa国际传媒官网网页入口, where the Isotopes played their first season in 2003 following the Dukes' decision to leave town after the 2000 season.
During his tenure, Rickey oversaw the construction of 10 new ballparks, including Isotopes Park, and also helped secure sa国际传媒官网网页入口's hosting of the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game and the 2011 Triple-A Championship Game.
The pair will be part of a pregame induction ceremony on June 27 at Isotopes Park at 6:10 p.m. The first pitch for that night's game, the annual Dukes Retro Night game with a postgame drone show sponsored by the sa国际传媒官网网页入口, is set for 6:35 p.m.
The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Professional Baseball Hall of Fame is an endeavor started by John Traub and the Isotopes to honor the city's rich professional baseball history, primarily featuring sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Dukes and Isotopes stars of the past, as well as others who have had a significant impact on the professional game.
Trivia time!
Question: RHP Elberson Castellano was named on Monday the PCL Pitcher of the Week after tossing six scoreless innings against Salt Lake on Saturday in his Triple-A debut, striking out seven and allowing just one hit. Who and when was the last sa国际传媒官网网页入口 hurler to be recognized as PCL Pitcher of the Week?
Answer: See below...
Know the foe
The Isotopes remain on the road for a six-game set at The Ballpark Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington for a PCL series against the Rainiers, Tuesday through Sunday.
Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, 34-29 overall, 4th place PCL (4.0 games behind 1st place Sacramento)
Tacoma Rainiers, Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, 25-38 overall, 10th place PCL (13.0 games back)
Matchup note: While the Isotopes are still clinging to a hoped-for push over the next 12 games to clinch the first-half first-place title (the PCL's playoffs pit the first-half winner vs. the second-half winner, and the first half ends June 21), Tacoma is just hoping to get right for the second half. Despite being in dead last, Tacoma has a plus-1 run differential (288-287) while the still-hopeful Topes have been outscored by five runs (445-440).
Familiar face
Seattle Mariners power-hitting All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh is on an injury rehab assignment this week with the Rainiers and will face the Isotopes.
The big-league club placed him on the 10-day injured list on May 14 with a right oblique strain.
He played five games against sa国际传媒官网网页入口 in 2021, going 4-for-22 (.182) with no homers and four RBIs. In 51 games with the Rainiers on his way up to the majors, Raleigh hit .319 with 10 home runs, 23 doubles and 40 RBIs.
Adaptive clinic
On Saturday, the Isotopes' front office staff held a free adaptive clinic as part of Minor League Baseball's Play Ball Weekend. The adaptive clinic at Roadrunner Little League was provided for people of all ages with physical or intellectual challenges and featured modified pitching, hitting, throwing and baserunning stations.
Three up, three down
Some things that have been looking good lately for the 'Topes, some not so good.
Looking good:
OF Zac Veen has been on a tear. His home run Sunday in Salt Lake extended his hitting streak to 11 games 鈥� a streak that has seen him hit .469 (22-of-49) with four home runs, five doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs.
sa国际传媒官网网页入口's 19 road wins are the most in the PCL (Las Vegas and Oklahoma City are both on the Topes' heels with 17).
LHP Sean Sullivan became the first Isotope to hit double-digit strikeouts this season when he fanned 10 in a loss Sunday at Salt Lake. The last Isotopes pitcher to do so was Tanner Gordon on July 10 last season at Round Rock.
Look away:
In the series loss at Salt Lake this past week (four games to two), sa国际传媒官网网页入口 allowed 12 home runs, tied for the most the team has allowed in a series this season (El Paso also hit 12 in May).
The Isotopes' 15-3 loss at Salt Lake last Thursday was the largest margin of defeat (12 runs) in Utah in franchise history. The previous worst in Salt Lake was a 17-6 loss on July 23, 2019.
sa国际传媒官网网页入口 has lost seven games this season when leading by three or more runs, all on the road.
Fast food
The standings here remain the same after a road trip. Another week on the road means plenty of rest for Taco in preparation for a big summer comeback!
2026 Season Standings (29 races):
13 wins 鈥� Salsa Jar
8 wins 鈥� Red Chile
5 wins 鈥� Green Chile
3 wins 鈥� Taco
What are they doing?
Minor League Baseball promotions are fun. Let's check in on some of the promotions the Rainiers are having this week.
Tuesday: Day baseball! The rare series-starting day game for the the Isotopes, who are coming off a rare Sunday night game at Salt Lake. (Most PCL Sunday games are day games while most Tuesday games in the league are at night. sa国际传媒官网网页入口 gets several hours cut off of both ends of their travel "day" between the road games).
Wednesday: Copa de la Diversi贸n day in Tacoma with the home team taking on their alternate identity. La Familia de Tacoma. A special ticket package includes a hat, hot dog and chips with $5 of the purchase going to a local nonprofit.
Thursday: Thirsty Thursday drink specials.
Friday: Every Friday in Tacoma has a postgame fireworks show.
Trivia answer
The last time an Isotopes hurler was named the league's top pitcher for a week was Phillips Valdez on July 3, 2023, a few weeks shy of three full years ago.
As a side note, the last person to throw six or more scoreless innings in his Isotopes debut was Jeff Hoffman on April 9, 2016, at Tacoma.
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .
