2021 Trinidad Triggers Season Recap - Professional Baseball Returns to Central Park After a Year Away
The 2021 Trinidad Triggers season represented much more than another year in the standings. After the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Pecos League from operating its traditional travel schedule in 2020, professional baseball finally returned to Trinidad Central Park in the summer of 2021. For the Triggers, it was a return to the ballpark and community that had defined the franchise since its inaugural season in 2012.
The return wasn't easy.
Trinidad finished the 2021 season with a 19-31 record, the second consecutive traditional season in which the Triggers finished below .500. The team showed flashes of the high-powered offensive identity that had defined many earlier Trinidad clubs, scoring 19, 20 and 22 runs in several games and producing one of its strongest stretches during June. At one point, the Triggers had recovered from an 0-4 beginning to reach 10-7 and appeared capable of becoming a factor in the Mountain Division race.
The second half of the season went in a different direction.
Losses accumulated, the Triggers had difficulty preventing runs and managerial instability developed late in the summer. Yale Hughes, who had served as Trinidad's manager, was removed from the managerial position with approximately two weeks remaining in the season. Hughes remained with the Triggers as a player, and the Pecos League did not bring in another manager to finish the year.
The final 19-31 record made 2021 a difficult season by Trinidad standards, but the year carried historical importance because the Triggers had returned home. After an unprecedented interruption, professional baseball was once again being played at Central Park.
A Missing Summer in Trinidad
The Triggers had completed their eighth traditional Pecos League season in 2019, finishing 25-31 after years in which Trinidad had regularly been one of the league's strongest franchises.
Then everything changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted baseball throughout the country in 2020, and the Pecos League was unable to conduct its traditional season with teams traveling between their regular home markets. Instead, the league operated a special non-travel setup in Houston.
For Trinidad, that meant no normal Triggers season at Central Park in 2020.
It was the first summer since the franchise began in 2012 that Trinidad didn't experience a traditional Pecos League season at home. That interruption made the opening of the 2021 season particularly significant.
Players were again wearing Triggers uniforms. Teams were again traveling to Southern Colorado. Fans could again come to Central Park and watch professional baseball.
Even before considering the standings, simply getting the Triggers back onto their home field represented an accomplishment.
The Pecos League Looks Different in 2021
The league Trinidad returned to was also different from the one that had completed the 2019 season.
The Mountain Division included the Roswell Invaders, Alpine Cowboys, Tucson Saguaros, Santa Fe Fuego, Garden City Wind, Colorado Springs Snow Sox, Salina Stockade and Trinidad Triggers.
The addition of Colorado Springs gave Trinidad another Colorado opponent and created a natural regional matchup between the Triggers and Snow Sox.
Garden City remained one of Trinidad's familiar rivals, while longtime Pecos League opponents such as Roswell, Alpine, Tucson and Santa Fe continued to make the Mountain Division one of the league's most difficult groups.
After an entire year without the traditional Pecos League travel schedule, Trinidad was immediately thrown back into a demanding summer of games throughout Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona and the surrounding region.
An 0-4 Start
The return to baseball didn't begin the way Trinidad wanted.
The Triggers opened the season at Central Park on June 2 with a 9-5 loss. Colorado Springs defeated Trinidad 7-5 the following night before the Triggers hit the road and suffered two more difficult defeats, 15-14 and 21-10.
Four games into the season, Trinidad was 0-4.
The 15-14 loss was particularly frustrating because it showed that the Triggers could score enough runs to win but were having difficulty keeping opponents from doing the same.
That issue would remain one of the defining characteristics of the 2021 season.
Trinidad's offense was capable of producing runs in bunches. The challenge was finding enough pitching to turn those runs into victories.
Zach May Leads the Early Recovery
The Triggers finally broke through on June 6.
Trinidad defeated Colorado Springs 13-11 at Central Park for its first victory of the season. Zach May immediately established himself as one of the central figures in the Trinidad lineup, collecting two hits and hitting two home runs in the victory.
It was the beginning of an extraordinary offensive stretch for May and the Triggers.
The next night against Salina, Trinidad scored 19 runs in a 19-9 victory. May went 4-for-5 and again hit two home runs.
On June 8, Trinidad defeated Salina 18-7, with May homering once more.
Three consecutive victories had suddenly changed the feel of the season.
The team that had begun 0-4 was now 3-4 and producing the kind of enormous offensive numbers that had long been associated with Trinidad Triggers baseball.
The Offense Comes Alive
Trinidad continued producing runs throughout the middle of June.
The Triggers scored 22 runs in a 22-10 victory on June 9. After consecutive losses, Trinidad returned home and defeated its opponent 19-10 on June 12.
That began another four-game winning streak.
Trinidad won 12-8 on June 13, 14-8 on June 14 and 18-11 on June 15.
During those four games, the Triggers scored 63 runs.
It was a reminder of the offensive tradition that had developed at Central Park over the previous decade. Even though many of the players from Trinidad's earlier powerhouse teams were gone, the new group was still capable of turning games into offensive showcases.
The June 14 victory was another showcase for Zach May. He went 4-for-6 and hit two home runs as Trinidad improved to 7-6.
For a team that had started the season by losing its first four games, Trinidad had completely reversed its early momentum.
Trinidad Climbs Above .500
The Triggers continued their strong run on June 17 when they traveled to Garden City and defeated the Wind 16-10.
Aidan Ward earned the victory for Trinidad, while Gabriel Disla collected three hits.
The next night, Trinidad defeated Garden City again, this time 9-7 at Central Park. Anthony Lee earned the win in relief, and the victory moved Trinidad to 10-7.
It represented the high point of the season.
Only eleven days earlier, the Triggers had been 1-4.
Now they were three games above .500.
For a brief period, it appeared that the Triggers might have rediscovered the form that had made Trinidad one of the Pecos League's most consistent winners during much of the previous decade.
The offense was scoring runs, the club was winning both at home and on the road and Central Park once again had a competitive professional baseball team.
The momentum didn't last.
The Season Begins to Turn
Trinidad's 10-7 start was followed by a difficult stretch.
Garden City defeated the Triggers 14-8 on June 19. Trinidad then lost 4-1 before traveling to Colorado Springs and dropping games 10-8 and 10-6.
A 15-9 loss followed.
Suddenly, a team that had won nine of eleven games had lost five consecutive decisions.
The Triggers stopped the streak with a convincing 14-3 victory over Garden City on June 26, but another one-run loss followed the next day.
On June 28, Trinidad defeated Alpine 7-6 to move to 12-13.
It was another example of how close the Triggers were to remaining in the race. Trinidad could beat good teams and could produce enough offense to survive tight games, but consistency was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
Close Losses Become a Problem
One of the most frustrating elements of the 2021 season was the number of games Trinidad lost by narrow margins.
The Triggers lost 15-14 on June 4. They later lost 7-6 on June 27. July included losses of 5-4, 6-5, 8-7, 14-13 and 12-11.
Those games added up quickly.
A team finishing 19-31 doesn't need many results to change before the season looks dramatically different. Several of Trinidad's losses were games in which one pitch, one defensive play or one additional hit could have changed the outcome.
But close losses count exactly the same as blowouts in the standings.
As the season continued, Trinidad found itself falling further behind the Mountain Division leaders.
July Begins With More Adversity
The month of July opened with an encouraging 11-4 victory, but the Triggers then lost four consecutive games.
They fell 12-6, 22-7, 5-4 and 10-3.
The 5-4 loss was another game that slipped away by the narrowest possible margin.
Trinidad responded on July 8 with one of its biggest offensive performances of the second half, winning 20-13.
But the pattern had become familiar.
One big victory was followed by additional losses.
The Triggers dropped games 7-3 and 19-8 before returning home looking for something that could change the direction of the season.
Chip White Delivers One of the Best Pitching Performances of the Season
On July 12, Trinidad received exactly the type of starting pitching performance it had needed throughout the summer.
Chip White dominated Garden City in a 10-2 Triggers victory.
White worked eight innings, allowed only one earned run and struck out 10 hitters. Zach May added another home run as Trinidad earned one of its most complete victories of the season.
The pitching performance was notable because so many Trinidad games had developed into high-scoring contests.
This time the Triggers didn't need to score 18 or 20 runs.
White controlled the game and gave the offense enough room to work.
Trinidad followed that win with a 17-10 victory on July 13, with Chris Jordan earning the win on the mound.
For a moment, the Triggers appeared ready to make another run.
Instead, another one-run loss followed.
Five Triggers Earn All-Star Recognition
Despite the team's struggles in the standings, several Trinidad players received recognition for their individual performances.
Aaron Stubblefield, pitcher Duff Steve, Matt Harrison, Vaughn Parker and Zach May were selected to represent the Triggers in the 2021 Pecos League All-Star Game in Santa Fe.
The selections demonstrated that Trinidad still had significant individual talent even during a losing season.
Stubblefield provided production in the infield. Harrison contributed both offensively and on the mound. Duff Steve became an important member of the pitching staff. Parker earned recognition at third base, while May had established himself as the most visible power threat in the Trinidad lineup.
For May in particular, the All-Star selection reflected an outstanding first half that included multiple multi-home-run games and repeated appearances as Trinidad's leading offensive performer.
Zach May Becomes the Face of the 2021 Offense
Throughout the first half of the season, one name repeatedly appeared in Trinidad's biggest victories.
Zach May.
He hit two home runs when the Triggers earned their first victory on June 6. He hit two more the following night in the 19-9 win over Salina. He homered again in the 18-7 victory on June 8.
On June 14, May went 4-for-6 with another pair of home runs as Trinidad defeated Salina 14-8.
He homered again during Chip White's dominant July 12 pitching performance against Garden City.
May's power gave the 2021 Triggers a recognizable offensive centerpiece and provided some of the season's most memorable moments at Central Park.
He wasn't alone.
Aaron Stubblefield, Ozzie Millet, Matt Harrison, Gabriel Disla, Jordan Gonzalez and others contributed throughout the summer, giving Trinidad an offense capable of producing large totals even when the team's overall record was slipping.
The Triggers Continue Fighting Through July
The second half of July became a grind.
Trinidad won 10-8 on July 17 but then dropped a pair of one-run games on July 18, losing 6-5 and 8-7.
A 14-13 loss followed on July 20.
The next two games were also losses, 12-9 and 15-10.
The Triggers were still scoring.
That wasn't the problem.
Trinidad scored 13 runs in one loss, nine in another and ten in another. But opponents were consistently producing even more.
The difficulty that had appeared early in the season had now become the dominant storyline. The Triggers could hit well enough to stay in games, but preventing runs over nine innings became increasingly difficult.
A 22-Run Victory Provides Another Highlight
Trinidad finally ended that losing stretch on July 23 with one of the wildest wins of the summer.
The Triggers defeated their opponent 22-16.
Thirty-eight runs crossed the plate.
It was Pecos League baseball at its most extreme and another reminder that the Triggers remained capable of enormous offensive performances even during a difficult season.
The victory didn't start a sustained winning streak, however.
Trinidad lost 21-15 the following day.
The combined score of those two games was 43-37.
For two days, Central Park became an offensive free-for-all.
It was entertaining baseball, but it also illustrated the problem that had prevented Trinidad from contending. The Triggers were scoring enough runs to win many games. Too often, their opponents were doing even more damage.
A Difficult Final Stretch
Trinidad entered the final portion of July trying to finish the year with momentum.
A 9-5 loss was followed by a wild 15-14 victory at Garden City on July 27. Zach May went 3-for-4 and homered, while Duff Steve earned the victory in relief.
The win moved Trinidad to 19-29.
It would prove to be the Triggers' final victory of the recorded regular season.
Trinidad returned home and lost 12-4 to Salina on July 29, falling to 19-30. The Triggers then suffered a heartbreaking 12-11 loss the following night and finished 19-31.
The official Pecos League historical record confirms the final 19-31 mark.
It was far removed from the 40-win Trinidad teams of earlier years, but it accurately reflected the inconsistency that had defined the summer.
Managerial Change Ends the Yale Hughes Era
The final weeks of 2021 also included an unusual managerial situation.
Yale Hughes had served as the Triggers' manager while also appearing as a player during the season.
With approximately two weeks remaining, the Pecos League removed Hughes from his managerial position.
Hughes wasn't released from the team. He remained on the Trinidad roster as a player.
No new manager was brought in to replace him for the remainder of the season.
That unusual situation reflected the instability surrounding a difficult second half. The Triggers were attempting to complete the season while changing leadership at the same time.
For a franchise that had enjoyed successful managerial eras under J.D. Droddy and Royce Holder earlier in its history, the 2021 ending was dramatically different.
Pitching Determines the Direction of the Season
Looking back at the schedule, the biggest difference between Trinidad's successful stretches and unsuccessful stretches was clear.
The Triggers could hit.
They scored 13, 19, 18 and 22 runs during their first major winning streak. They later scored 19, 12, 14 and 18 during another run of victories.
Trinidad also produced victories with 16, 20, 17 and 22 runs during other parts of the summer.
But the losses included opponents scoring 21, 17, 14, 15, 20, 22, 19, 14, 15 and 21 runs.
When Trinidad received quality pitching, the results changed dramatically.
Chip White's eight-inning, one-earned-run performance on July 12 produced a comfortable 10-2 victory. Trinidad also won 14-3 on June 26 and recorded several other games where the staff provided enough stability for the offense to take control.
There simply weren't enough of those performances over the full season.
Central Park Baseball Returns
The final record shouldn't overshadow the most historically important part of the 2021 season.
The Triggers were back in Trinidad.
Professional baseball had been absent from Central Park during the traditional 2020 season because of circumstances completely outside the control of the franchise, the players or the community.
When the 2021 schedule began, that absence ended.
Central Park again hosted night games. Players again made the long Pecos League bus trips into Trinidad. Garden City, Colorado Springs, Salina, Alpine and other opponents again came through town.
For a franchise that had become closely connected with its ballpark, returning home mattered.
The 2021 Triggers may not have produced one of the greatest records in franchise history, but they restored something that had been missing for a year.
Summer professional baseball was back in Trinidad.
A Season of Two Very Different Halves
The story of 2021 can largely be divided into two sections.
The first was a remarkable recovery.
Trinidad lost its first four games, then won ten of its next thirteen to reach 10-7. Zach May was hitting home runs, the offense was producing enormous totals and the Triggers appeared capable of becoming one of the better clubs in the Mountain Division.
The second section was much more difficult.
From that 10-7 high point, Trinidad went 9-24 the rest of the way.
There were still memorable victories and outstanding individual performances, but the Triggers never regained the consistency they had demonstrated in the middle of June.
Close losses accumulated. Pitching became increasingly difficult. The managerial change late in the season added another challenge.
The result was a 19-31 finish.
The All-Stars Represent the Bright Side of the Season
Even in a difficult year, Trinidad continued providing opportunities for players to establish themselves in professional baseball.
Five Triggers were selected for the Pecos League All-Star Game: Aaron Stubblefield, Duff Steve, Matt Harrison, Vaughn Parker and Zach May.
Their selection showed that the 19-31 record didn't tell the entire story of the roster.
There were legitimate professional players producing strong individual seasons in Trinidad.
May's power was one of the defining features of the offense. Stubblefield provided a strong presence in the infield. Harrison contributed as a two-way player. Parker was recognized at third base, while Steve represented the pitching staff.
For those players, Trinidad continued serving the same purpose it had since 2012: an opportunity to play professional baseball, accumulate at-bats and innings and attempt to advance their careers.
The First Step Back Toward Normal
The 2021 Trinidad Triggers season wasn't a championship season.
It wasn't a playoff run.
It wasn't one of the 40-win summers that had established the Triggers as an early Pecos League powerhouse.
But it was important.
For the first time since 2019, Trinidad Central Park hosted a traditional summer of Pecos League baseball.
The Triggers started terribly, recovered impressively, reached 10-7 and then endured a long and difficult second half. Zach May provided some of the year's biggest offensive moments. Five Trinidad players earned All-Star recognition. Chip White delivered one of the team's best starts with ten strikeouts against Garden City. The offense produced several games with 18, 19, 20 or 22 runs.
There was also adversity.
Too many leads and high-scoring performances ended in losses. The pitching staff couldn't consistently contain opponents. The Triggers finished 19-31, and Yale Hughes was removed as manager late in the season while remaining with the club as a player.
It was an imperfect return to normal.
But after everything that had happened during the previous year, there was value simply in having a season to remember.
The Trinidad Triggers were back at Central Park.
And with that, another chapter of professional baseball in Trinidad had begun.
2021 Trinidad Triggers
Regular Season Record: 19-31
Home Field: Trinidad Central Park
Manager: Yale Hughes - removed as manager with approximately two weeks remaining; remained as a player
Replacement Manager: None
Best Early Record: 10-7
Record After Reaching 10-7: 9-24
Largest Recorded Offensive Output: 22 Runs
Notable Victories: 22-10, 22-16, 20-13, 19-9, 19-10, 18-7 and 18-11
Notable Pitching Performance: Chip White - 8 IP, 1 ER, 10 SO in a 10-2 victory over Garden City
2021 Pecos League All-Stars: Aaron Stubblefield, Duff Steve, Matt Harrison, Vaughn Parker and Zach May
Major Offensive Story: Zach May's repeated multi-home-run performances during the first half
Historical Significance: First traditional Trinidad Triggers season at Central Park following the disruption of the 2020 season
