Maddie is on her way to being a star.
The 12-year-old at the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy has her own YouTube channel where she signs — yes, signs — the lyrics to her favorite songs, often while dancing around.
She also has enough personality, and heart, to fill a baseball stadium.
“Am I dreaming?!” she asked a reporter last week while at Isotopes Park working with Isotopes players.
Maddie and her classmates from the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy — the fightin’ Honey Badgers, of course — spent last Friday helping the Albuquerque Isotopes get things right for the upcoming Sept. 4 American Sign Language Night game at Rio Grande Credit Union Field.
“I met two famous baseball players, and I helped them learn how to finger spell their names,” Maddie said, interpreted through one of her teachers — the verbalized translation understandably falling a tad short of the unmatched enthusiasm in Maddie’s voice and emphatic signing of what she was communicating to a reporter.
“And then we talked about some different things too. I really like dogs, and I like pets, and they like dogs, too. … So, hopefully for the game, I can sit next to Andrew (Baker, a 26-year-old relief pitcher for the Isotopes who just learned from the young girl how spell his own name).
“Now I’m famous like he is. I hope we can sit together.”
Last week’s assignment for the kids of ASLA was a trip to Isotopes Park to teach professional baseball players how to sign their names, which the players then went on to do on video to be used as part of their player introductions on the video board at Isotopes Park during the game — a game that will also include informational booths on the concourse, a completely silent inning and special shirts and memorabilia sold in the team’s pro shop, all while the players wear special jerseys reading I-S-O-T-O-P-E-S with a hand signing each letter in American Sign Language, players and students signing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and the Honey Badgers performing the National Anthem before the game.
ASLA is a nationally-recognized, certified dual language ASL-English tuition-free public charter school in Albuquerque. It is not affiliated with Albuquerque Public Schools or the New Mexico School for the Deaf.
“The kids that we serve are traditionally the type of kids in the old public school system that were pushed to the edge of the campus — to the furthest barracks from the main part of campus. They take their lunch by themselves when the other kids are still in class, and things like that,” said Raphael “Rafe” Martinez, Executive Director of ASLA.
“This is a way that our kids are integrating into community purposefully, but also so that they understand that the world is like part of their playground.”
Their model is flourishing. While other public schools are struggling with enrollment, ASLA has a waiting list of kids trying to get in.
As for the second-year partnership with the Isotopes, well, that was a no-brainer for the school and the team.
“It’s our second year doing it. We saw the impact that took place during our inaugural season, and it was just so important for us to run it back,” said Dylan Storm, Isotopes Marketing and Promotions Manager. “You can tell just by seeing the smiles on these kids’ faces just how impactful this is for them, and the community, too.”
Added Martinez of his students: “They’ve been getting excited about this for weeks.”
HERE’S YOUR SIGN: Ahead of last year’s first go ‘round with ASLA being involved in the game promotion, one of the Academy’s students, Felipe, actually invented the sign for Isotopes so the kids didn’t have to spell it out each time.
His sign? One hand holding two fingers down, similar to the “A” in the Isotopes logo, and the other hand with index finger extended circling the “A”, again like the design of that Isotopes logo.
Trivia time!
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QUESTION: The Isotopes play this week in Round Rock, Texas. Why is the Round Rock baseball team named the Express?
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ANSWER: See below…
Know the foe
The Isotopes hit the road this week for a six-game Pacific Coast League series against Round Rock at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.
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Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, 62-64 overall (5th), 23-28 2nd half (8th)
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Round Rock Express, Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, 61-65 overall (6th), 30-21 2nd half (2nd)
The countdown
The Isotopes have 24 games remaining in the 2026 season — 12 at home, 12 on the road.
The Isotopes must go 14-10 to finish above .500 for the first time since 2013.
Three up, three down
Some things that have been looking good lately for the ’Topes, some not so good.
Looking good:
1.
C Jose Cordova has played 28 games this season and has hit two home runs. Both were in the two games he played against Las Vegas over the past week in Albuquerque — solo shots, one Sunday and one last Thursday.
2.
Fellow Isotopes C Bryant Betancourt, who has played 25 games since being called up from Double-A Hartford in late June, went 8-for-17 (.471) at the plate in four games against Las Vegas in the past week with three doubles and six RBIs.
3.
OF Sterlin Thompson has three 3-hit games in his past eight games.
Look away:
1.
With a 1-5 homestand against Las Vegas this past week, the Aviators have gone 15-5 at Isotopes Park over the past 20 games against Albuquerque dating back to 2023.
2.
1B/OF Charlie Condon is hitting 5-of-37 (.135) over his last 10 games with zero home runs and two RBIs.
3.
The Isotopes walked nine batters on Sunday vs. Las Vegas, the 11th time this season they’ve walked nine in a game and the second consecutive Sunday they’ve done it.
Fast food
Salsa Jar and Red Chile are going down to the wire. Taco seems to have missed the memo that the season is almost over.
2026 Season Standings (62 races):
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20 wins — Salsa Jar
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20 wins — Red Chile
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13 wins — Green Chile
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9 wins — Taco
What are they doing?
Here’s a look in at some of the promotions the other guys — this week the Round Rock Express — are doing while the Isotopes are in town:
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Wednesday: $1 hot dogs!
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Friday: Superhero Night with superheros around the ballpark for fans to meet. Plus, postgame fireworks.
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Saturday: Vince Young Bobblehead giveaway to the first 2,000 fans (Former Texas Longhorns QB Vince Young in a white uniform similar to that of the nearby university, but with “Express” written across his chest in burnt orange).
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Sunday: Kids day with all sorts of mascots joining “Spike”, the team mascot.
Trivia answer
Round Rock’s Triple-A baseball team is owned by a group that includes MLB Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team’s “Express” moniker is paying homage to him and his famous nickname as a player, the “Ryan Express.” As a bonus, the Dell Diamond, the team’s stadium, is near an active railroad track.
Geoff Grammer is the Sports Editor of the Journal and covers UNM Lobos basketball and the Isotopes, among other things. Reach him at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.
