Lowrider Night draws 10,000 fans to Isotopes Park. Take a look.

Lowriders parade around the field before the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico game against the Tacoma Rainiers at Isotopes Park on Saturday.

People wait in line before the start of the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico game at Isotopes Park on Saturday. The first 3,000 fans received a lowrider bobblehead. Fans began arrived shortly after 5 a.m. to wait in line.

Greg Jones is safe after stealing second base during a Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico game against Tacoma at Isotopes Park last July. The Isotopes will play six games as the Mariachis de Nuevo México in 2025.

Beverly Perez kisses her 2-year-old daughter Annalise as they wait in line for gates to open during the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico game at Isotopes Park on Saturday. The first 3,000 fans received a lowrider bobblehead.

Austin Curtis Austin Curtis Austin Curtis Journal Staff Writer

Published July 13, 2024 - 10:13 p.m. Modified August 18, 2025 - 2:00 a.m.

The Albuquerque Isotopes have had their ups and downs this season, much like the vehicles on display in their outfield on Saturday.

Before the Isotopes took the field as their alter ego, the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico, the team paid tribute to a New Mexican cultural icon — the lowrider.

The first 3,000 fans got a lowrider bobblehead and those who arrived early got to browse a display of lowriders on the field. The Lowrider Night promotion is one of the most popular of the year for the Colorado Rockies’ Triple-A franchise.

More than 10,000 arrived to watch the game — a 13-5 Isotopes loss to La Familia, the alter ego of the Tacoma Rainiers.

Here are some more numbers that defined the night:

38: Number of lowriders displayed on the Rio Grande Credit Union field before the game. The lowriders, of all colors, sizes and models from the 1940s to the 2000s, employed hydraulics to “jump” up and down while parading around the diamond about a half-hour before first pitch.

1948: Year of the Chevrolet Fleetline that was the model for the lowrider bobblehead given out to fans. Rob Vanderslice and Joseph “Blast” Leyba designed both last year’s lowrider bobblehead (1959 Impala) and this year’s. “We needed to top last year’s,” Vanderslice said. “You don’t want to go downhill. The ‘59 would be like the grandpa and then you have the great-grandpa which would be the ‘48, it would be like a little more seniority.”

5:10 a.m.: The time when the first fan arrived Saturday to stand in line outside Isotopes Park to ensure they’d be one of the first 3,000 to get the bobblehead. That fan declined to be interviewed by the Journal. Andrew Montaño arrived to the stadium at 9 a.m. and waited in line until gates opened around 5 p.m. “I love it just because it’s our culture, lowriders, we are big on the lowrider mariachi stuff,” he said. “You got to bring your water, you got to bring your umbrellas, you got to bring your sunscreen, the sun is gonna get you. (You got to) bring your own food. We brought burritos. We made burritos last night to prepare for today.”

10,591: Number of people who entered the stadium. It’s the fourth highest attended game of the year for the Isotopes, who have the third largest attendance total (322,548) in all of Minor League Baseball and the highest average attendance (6,583 per game) in the Pacific Coast League. Stuart Fein, a season-ticket holder, has missed only one game this year. “I take pictures during the games, I print the ones I like, players sign them, and I make an album for the season,” he said. “Each album is in six-inch binders, then I make extra copies, walk around the stadium and pass them out to little kids.”

21-11: The Isotopes’ overall record when they play as Mariachis de Nuevo México, which they do six times a season. The Isotopes have a 1-3 record when playing as the Mariachis this year.

9-8: The Isotopes’ record in the second-half of the season. After a disastrous first half of the season (26-49), Albuquerque’s found a bit of magic — winning by walk off Thursday and Friday — in July. If the team can win the second half, it automatically advances to the postseason.

11: Jimmy Herron’s current hitting streak, including the Isotopes’ first grand slam of the season in the third inning Saturday. During his hitting stretch, he’s raised his batting average 37 points, from .267 to .304, and is tied for the second longest active streak in the PCL. Herron, an outfielder and designated hitter, has connected in 18 of his last 19 games.