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By Karen Boehler
Pecos League writer
TRINIDAD, Colo. — One thing lower level baseball teams may have that beat their major league brothers is unique and interesting names, and the Pecos League is no exception.
From the Roswell Invaders — which tell the story of the community in a name — to the White Sands Pupfish — named for an endangered species that lives in the harsh desert environment near Alamogordo — the names conjure up unique visions of the towns their teams reside in.
And while the name Triggers may not seem as exciting, the Trinidad team name draws equally on the town’s heritage.
In the early days of the team joining the league, Pecos League commissioner Andrew Dunn held community meetings, and at one of those sessions he opened up the naming process to the public, inviting them to submit suggestions.
Paula Manini, director of the Trinidad History Museum, was at one of those meetings.
“I just started thinking, and along the way, said to myself, ‘We need a name that triggers as much excitement as baseball will here,’” she said. “And it just dawned on me, Triggers. Which seemed appropriate for Trinidad for many reasons.”
One reason was the town’s history as a frontier settlement, complete with sheriff’s, outlaws and gunfights in the streets. Another was the Trinidad State Junior College gunsmithing program, a program that dates back to 1947 and is designed to train individuals on the basic concepts and skills needed by the professional gunsmith.
“That seemed to fit, too,” Manini said. “And then I realized you could use the word to say things like, triggers excitement.”
And, once Dunn picked the name, Manini said that’s exactly what it did, both in the town and among visitors to the tourist community.
“Everybody was so excited,” she said.
And she expects that enthusiasm to continue during the Trigger’s second season, especially with a cross-border rivalry with the new Raton Osos adding to the excitement.
“I think that’s going to be really fun,” Manini said. “The high schools are rivals. So it just builds up. Whenever there’s a rivalry it just builds excitement. There’ll be a lot of back and forth, when the two teams play. The people traveling to each others’ communities to see their teams play.”
The teams open the season with four rivalry games in Raton beginning May 15.
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