SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 422
WHEREAS, Amarillo residents are celebrating the return of
affiliated minor league baseball to the city after a 37-year absence
as the Sod Poodles ball club makes its debut in April 2019; and
WHEREAS, The new Double-A affiliate of the San Diego
Padres, the Sod Poodles are the first Texas League team to call
the city home since 1982, when the Amarillo Gold Sox completed a
seven-year run, also as part of the Padres organization; and
WHEREAS, After launching their 2019 season at Corpus
Christi on April 4, the Sod Poodles will christen their home
ballpark, Hodgetown, during their April 8 home opener against the
Midland RockHounds; located in downtown Amarillo, Hodgetown is a
state-of-the-art baseball facility named for Jerry Hodge, who
has played a leading role in getting the team established in the
city; and
WHEREAS, The Sod Poodles take their name from the term that
Panhandle pioneers gave to prairie dogs, and the mascot was
selected from more than 3,000 proposals in the franchise's "Name
the Team" contest; the quick-draw and cowboy-hat-tipping Sod
Poodles depicted on two of the official team logos illustrate
Amarillo's can-do spirit and hospitality; moreover, the club's
colors of Amarillo Yellow, Texas Red and Blue, and Route 66 Retro
Blue symbolize the proud history of the region and the Lone Star
State; the team is already generating such excitement among local
residents that there has been a call to make the Sod Poodle the
state's unofficial Herbivorous Burrowing Rodent; and
WHEREAS, The return of affiliated minor league baseball to
Amarillo marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the
community, and it is indeed a pleasure to join all those
associated with the Amarillo Sod Poodles in commemorating this
momentous occasion; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby congratulate the Amarillo Sod Poodles on
their inaugural 2019 season and extend to the team's players,
coaches, and staff sincere best wishes for success this year and
in seasons to come; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
the team as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
Seliger
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on April 3, 2019.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate