FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – For four games a season, the Fort Wayne TinCaps become the Manzanas Luchadores de Fort Wayne, which translates to the Fighting Apples in Spanish.

The initiative from Minor League Baseball was first announced in 2020, but didn’t fully come to fruition until the 2022 season because of the pandemic pause.

In 2022, a four-game homestand transformed to the team’s Latino alter ego. In the 2023 season, the four nights for Manzanas games were spread out over four months to make it easier for more people to attend.

The jerseys are a play off the TinCaps usual colors and the Mexican flag. The mask the “fighting apple” wears is to represent Lucha Libre, a form of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico.

During Manzanas nights, Latin music will play, some PA announcements will be done in Spanish and there are special performances by Hispanic dance groups. The team also partners with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to help highlight Hispanic-owned businesses.

Many TinCaps players are from Spanish-speaking countries and they will run out on the field with the flag of their home country.

The 2024 baseball season will once again have four Manzanas Luchadores game scheduled.