Isotopes will have final home game of the season Monday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Monday is the Albuquerque Isotopes’ last home game at The Lab until next season.

This pandemic seemed to prove baseball, even for those less than enthusiastic sports fans, truly is America’s pastime.

"Over the last 18 months we’ve realized how much the community is in love with the isotopes and how much the isotopes appreciate our community," said John Traub, Isotopes’ general manager.

Losing the ‘Topes entire 2020 season to COVID-19 was worse than going 0-3 in a series with Sugarland.

"People come to baseball games as an escape, they want to get away from all the stuff that we deal with in our day-to-day lives and we do provide that in a 9 inning vacation, if you will. And so when people come out to the ballpark this year, the transition has been seamless, it’s been terrific from a customer service standpoint, and that’s what we strive for, not just this year but every year," said Traub.

The team expects to welcome it’s 10 millionth fan at the lab, it’s reassuring to know – even if 2022 throws a curveball – the topes will be there to help hit it out of the park.

Fans spoke on how baseball impacts communities and beyond.

"Baseball has always been part of the healing, baseball has been there to provide something that is so important and is so integral to communities," said Traub. "We knew the Isotopes would be able to provide part of that healing to this community to this city to this state, and baseball as a whole has done that across the country."