MAYOS ELIMINATED, LMP PLAYOFF TEAMS DETERMINED

Hermosillo LHP Juan Pablo Oramas

    When Navojoa dropped a 3-2 decision to Obregon on Tuesday, the Mayos were mathematically eliminated from the Mexican Pacific League playoff picture for next month, ensuring that Caribbean Series host Mazatlan has secured a post season berth. With Los Mochis already long out of the picture, that left eight teams to open the LMP Quarterfinals on Saturday, January 2.

    After games on Monday, December 28, the Hermosillo Naranjeros were in line for the top overall seed with a two-half total of 19 playoff points with two games remaining in the regular season, followed by Obregon (17 points), Guasave (14) and Monterrey (also 14). Those would be the four teams with home-field advantage during the first round. The next four seeds are projected to be Mexicali (13.5 points), Jalisco (11), defending champion Culiacan (11) and Mazatlan (10).

    Things are close enough in the second-half standings that seeding placements could change after the regular season closes Wednesday, but both Navojoa (8.5) and Los Mochis (7.0) will be done no matter what happens, although players like infielders Esteban “El Pony” Quiroz and Isaac Rodriguez are almost certain to be added as reinforcements for teams moving on to the postseason

    Hermosillo (17-11) has benefited from the strong pitching of veteran Juan Pablo Oramas all season and last Sunday was no exception. Oramas won his eighth game of the year by taking a 5-3 triumph over Guasave. Oramas tossed six innings and allowed three runs (all in the top of the first) while scattering nine hits and striking out four before leaving the contest with a two-run lead. Reliever Raul Barron hurled scoreless ball over the final three frames to save the win for the Naranjeros. Oramas is now tied the Mex Pac lead in wins with Guasave's Fernando Miranda. Both have identical 8-2 records, although Oramas' 2.80 ERA is a full run lower than Miranda's 3.86.

    The Orangemen got some bad news when they learned that first baseman Roberto Ramos won't be joining them for the playoffs after all. The team had been anxiously awaiting the hometown slugger to report after his strong 2020 debut in the Korea Baseball Organization, but Ramos celebrated his 27^th birthday Monday after re-signing with the LG Twins for $800,000 plus incentives that could bring his income up to $1 million in 2021. Ramos received a reported $500,000 this year after swatting 38 homers for the Twins and received interest from other KBO teams before agreeing to return to Busan for a second year.

    Mexicali (16-11) was a half-game behind Hermosillo in second place and Guasave continued their strong second LMP season one game out of the lead at 16-12. It's been quite a busy week for the Algodoneros, who said goodbye to shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena on what a team press release (which repeatedly misspelled his last name as Arruebarruena) was “common agreement between both parties.” The Cottoneers cited both a shin injury suffered in a recent game with Mexicali and Arruebarrena's ongoing bout with diabetes for his declining on-field performance (.333 average with 10 homers in 29 games), although they did thank the Cuban for his “dedication and professionalism, blah blah blah.”

C.J. Retherford is now with Guasave

    Guasave also placed starting pitcher Thomas Dorminy (3-4, 3.44) on the disabled list with back pain. In turn, the Algodoneros picked up Cuban pitcher Yoenni Yeri and veteran third baseman C.J. “Rabbit” Retherford to join Cuban oufielder Yadier Drake as the team's three foreigners allowed on the active roster. Sports manager Alejandro Ahumada said, “We need to strengthen the middle part of the batting order and we believe Retherford is the man for that task.” Retherford broke into pro ball in 2007 in the White Sox system and has gone on to play several years in both the LMP and Mexican League, representing Mexicali in the 2017 Caribbean Series.

    First half champion Obregon (15-13) has rebounded from a slow second-half start to pull into a fourth-place tie with Monterrey (15-13). Jalisco (14-14) and Mazatlan (13-15) are sixth and seventh, respectively, while Culiacan and Navojoa are knotted in a tie for eighth at 12-16 each. While the champion Tomateros have had a hangover season following their LMP title last winter, a couple of their pitchers recently overcame their team's lukewarm 2020-21 performance. Edgar Arredondo has signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2021 season. The 23-year-old spent seven season in the Texas system, reaching AA Frisco in 2019 and winning seven games, but the Rangers let him go earlier this year and he didn't pitch last summer. Arredondo, who was 15 when he debuted with the Quintana Roo Tigres by tossing two scoreless innings in a 2013 game, is 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA in seven starts for the Tomateros this winter.

    Another Culiacan hurler, J.C. Ramirez, has reached an agreement to pitch next year in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League. The 32-year-old Nicaraguan, who pitched in eight MLB seasons (most recently with the Angels in 2019), will join Mexican Manny Banuelos on the Fubon Guardians staff in 2021. He has a 4-2 record for the Tomateros with a 1.74 ERA in six starts this season. It's unknown whether he'll stay with Culiacan for the playoffs.

CAPACITY SET AT 45 PERCENT FOR CARIBBEAN SERIES

The Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation, the Mexican Pacific League and the host Mazatlán Venados have confirmed details of the 2021 Caribbean Series to be played from January 31 to February 6, 2021 at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in the port city.

    CBPC commissioner Juan Francisco Puello Herrera, Mazatlán mayor Guillermo Benítez, LMP president Omar Canizales Soto and Serie del Caribe Organizing Committee president Ismael Barros all confirmed plans for the 63rd edition of the Crown Jewel of Latin Baseball.

    "We are supervising with the Mexican Pacific League so that the conditions of the Caribbean Series in terms of players are the best in terms of health," said Herrera, who also presented the trophies for the upcoming CS champion plus Dream Team members.

    “Mazatlán is a safe destination in terms of the virus,” commented mayor Benitez, inviting everyone to attend the Caribbean Series. “We are in the third consecutive day in which there is no active case. That gives us great confidence that we have all the tools to control the pandemic. That is why Mazatlán is the first tourist destination in the country to get out of the pandemic and we will continue to strictly comply with the protocols.

    “We are a bio-safe city.”

Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mazatlan

    In addition, in the virtual conference that brought together media of different nationalities, it was confirmed that between the governments of the state of Sinaloa and the municipality of Mazatlán, the host ballpark will have all the security measures and protocols to hold up to 45 percent of Estadio Teodoro Mariscal's 16,000-seat capacity (or 7,200 spectators). According to an LMP press release, “this will allow baseball to continue as a recreational tool for Mazatlan fans, as it has done in the 2020-2021 Season of the ARCO Mexican Pacific League, with an excellent management supported by the modernity of the stadium.”

    The Caribbean Series is scheduled to bring together the winterball champions of Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as full CBPC members of the Confederation, as well as Colombia and Panama and as guest countries for the second and third times, respectively. Cuba will not be represented in Mazatlan after pulling out of last winter's Serie del Caribe in San Juan Puerto Rico on short notice, citing visa concerns.

    Herrera also gave thanks for all the support the CBPC, the Organizing Committee, the LMP and state government authorities have received from Sinaloa governor Quirino Ordaz.

FANS CAN CHOOSE MEX PAC AWARD WINNERS

Monterrey manager Gerardo Alvarez

    The Mexican Pacific League has announced on its Twitter account how fans can choose the loop's Most Valuable Players in separate offensive, defensive and pitching categories for the 2020-2021 campaign. This is the first time in which the LMP has involved fans in such selections while “not leaving this to a certain sector of the press,” a league office press release states.

    On its Twitter account, the Mex Pac invites fans to sign up and, with two simple steps, vote for their favorite players in the different departments. Fans must register with personal data before the can begin voting on candidates in five separate categories:

Obregon pitcher Dallas Martinez

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Baldomero “Melo” Almada Trophy
Jonathan Aranda, Obregon
Faustino Carrera, Obregon
Luis Miranda, Guasave
Missael Rivera, Jalisco
Oscar Rojas, Guasave

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Benjamin “Cananea” Reyes Trophy
Gerardo Alvarez, Monterrey
Sergio Gastelum, Obregon
Juan Navarrete, Hermosillo
Bronswell Patrick, Mexicali
Oscar Robles, Guasave
Roberto Vizacarra, Jalisco

Mazatlan infielder Isaac Paredes

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Vicente “Huevo" Romo Trophy
Dallas Martinez, Obregon
Luis Miranda, Guasave
Luis Ivan Rodriguez, Jalisco
Juan Pablo Oramas, Hermosillo
Miguel Pena, Mexicali
Javier Solano, Mexicali

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR*
Alberto Baldonado, Culiacan
Roberto Espinosa, Mazatlan
Jesus Pirela, Mazatlan
Fernando Salas, Hermosillo

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER*
Dariel Alvarez, Jalisco
Japhet Amador, Jalisco
Sebastian Elizalde, Culiacan
Isaac Paredes, Mazatlan

*Partial list of candidates available at post time.

HERMOSILLO, GUASAVE GET HOT; CANEROS FEEL HEAT

Mexicali OF Tristen Carranza's walkoff single 

    Any baseball player, manager or owner can tell you that life is different at opposite ends of the standings. The same holds true on both sides of the borders, as both the Hermosillo Naranjeros and Guasave Algodoneros have caught fire while the Los Mochis Caneros have taken heat from their own fans.

    Both the Orangemen and Cottoneers have passed Mexicali in the Mexican Pacific League standings as all three teams entered this week only a game-and-a-half apart from each other in a battle for the LMP second half title (and the 10 playoff points that go with it). Meanwhile, the Caneros appear to be on their way to finishing in last place for a second time and (to their credit) the front office held a meeting with their frustrated fans.

    Hermosillo held on to first place with a 13-7 record despite a heartbreaking 2-1 road loss to Mexicali Saturday night at El Nido as the Aguilas scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to take the win. Victor Ruiz scored from third on an errant throw by Naranjeros reliever Fernando Salas to tie the game and pinch-hitter Tristen Carranza's first career LMP hit plated Bernardo Heras with the walkoff game-winner.

    The 24-year-old Carranza is a native of El Centro, California who hit .327 over four seasons at New Mexico State University before batting .268 with the Diamondbacks' Missoula affiliate in 2019, when he played in the Pioneer League All-Star Game. The outfielder was released during the purge of minor leaguers last May, making the son of former Rockies farmhand Pedro Carranza a free agent.

    Guasave (12-8) dropped out of the Mex Pac lead by losing to Obregon, 10-3, at home on Saturday night. Algodoneros catcher Jose Felix drove in a pair of runs while centerfielder Samar Leyva scored twice, but Yaquis DH Jesus “Cacao” Valdez produced all the runs manager Sergio Gastelum's team would need with a three-run double and RBI single.

    Guasave has been one of the surprises of the Mex Pac this season after going 26-37 in their first year in the league last winter. The Algodoneros were a middling 14-13 in the first half but had gone on a run to take the second-half lead with a 12-5 record before losing their last three straight. Guasave leads the LMP in batting with a .296 average while their pitching staff has a second-best 3.44 ERA under manager Oscar Robles.

    On the other hands, Los Mochis' woes continued Saturday night when the Caneros were blanked by visiting Monterrey, 8-0, as Sultanes starter Romario Gil and four relievers combined on a four-hitter. The loss buried Los Mochis (5-14) deeper in the LMP cellar, two-and-a-half games behind Monterrey (8-12). The Caneros finished last in the first half with a 9-20 record and have been hearing it from their fans. According to Jose Alfredo Otero of El Fildeo, team management held a meeting on Saturday afternoon with their followers who, Otero says, are not demanding heads but want to see better results, a plan that lifts the Caneros from also-rans to contenders and “pitching, pitching and more pitching.” To that latter point, Los Mochis is last in the LMP with a 5.44 team ERA while giving up 5.3 walks per nine innings, by far the most in the circuit.

    Interestingly, the Caneros have loaned two foreign position players (including one of the LMP's leading home run hitters) to other clubs for the rest of the season, which concludes December 30. Outfielder Leandro Castro, whose .213 batting average included 10 roundtrippers and 21 RBIs was sent to Obregon while first baseman Josuan Hernandez (.254) was shipped to Navojoa. Los Mochis is said to be seeking a foreign pitcher and a hitter, but it's hard to envision much improvement over the next ten days.

Brothers Dustin and D.J. Peterson

    With the arrival of Castro in Obregon, the Yaquis sent Cuban outfielder Felix Perez back to Monterrey, who'd loaned him to the first half champs after failing to comes to terms for the current season. Perez, who hit .200 with eight homers for Obregon, was then promptly loaned by the Sultanes to Mexicali. The Aguilas have needed offensive help all season and last week let hitting coach Eddy Castro go (with the usual “thanks for his dedication and professionalism, etcetera”) and replaced him with former batting star Luis Alfonso Garcia, who also happens to be the team's sports manager.

    Finally, a member of the Monterrey Sultanes has parlayed a good winterball season into a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for 2021. First baseman Dustin Peterson was eighth in the LMP with a .316 average to go with a league-leading 11 homers (tied with Culiacan's Sebastian Elizalde) while his 29 RBIs were eighth in the circuit. The 26-year-old Peterson, whose brother D.J. is hitting .242 for Navojoa, was a second-round draft pick by San Diego pick in 2013 and while he went on to be a Top 30 prospect for both the Padres and Braves organizations. Peterson eventually played in MLB for Atlanta and Detroit (hitting .217 in 19 games), but never quite fulfilled the hopes his teams had for him. He'll get another shot at Milwaukee's minor league camp in the spring. 

    To replace Peterson, Monterrey signed outfielder Courtney Hawkins, a White Sox first rounder in 2012. The 6'3” Texan never rose higher than Class AA in seven years in the Chisox system before later spending time in both the Reds and Giants organizations. Hawkins played for Sugar Land in the independent Constellation Energy League this summer, batting .247 with six homers in 26 games.

    Mex Pac teams have nine games remaining in the regular season, which concludes December 30 (with playoffs beginning January 2). Eight teams will reach the postseason. If the schedule were to end today, Hermosillo would be the top seed at 19.0 total playoff points, Obregon would be second with 16.0 while both Navojoa (8.5) and Los Mochis (7.0) would be eliminated.

LMP SECOND HALF STANDINGS (as of 21 December 2020)
Hermosillo 13-7, Guasave 12-8, Mexicali 11-8, Jalisco 11-9, Culiacan 10-10, Mazatlan 10-10, Obregon 10-10, Navojoa 9-11, Monterrey 9-12, Los Mochis 5-14

AMLO PLANS MULTI-SPORT COMPLEX AT FORMER AIRPORT SITE

AMLO taking his cuts in batting cage

   While presiding over a press conference earlier this month, during which Mexican League expansion teams were being awarded to Veracruz and Guadalajara, Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced an ambitious plan regarding the development of a 250-acre sports complex 25 miles from Mexico City.

    Lopez Obrador said at the National Palace that the proposed Ciudad Deportes (“Sports City”) would be built on the site of an abandoned international airport project in Texcoco, a city of 259,000 northeast of the nation's capital, and include 50 soccer fields, 20 baseball diamonds and another 20 basketball courts. “When I go to the towns and colonies,” he was quoted as saying in Proceso, “I was recently in Chimaluacan. It caught my attention that hundreds of families one Sunday were at the fields there, in this case, soccer. But I see the same when I go on tour.

    “I've just been in Sinaloa and I was in Concordia, where they like baseball a lot, and Rosario, San Ignacio, Mazatlan... I was at a youth game on Sunday and was about to go out and grab the bat and try my hand because, as you can see, I'm hitting above .300.”

    Although AMLO's often-direct involvement in Mexico's professional game may at times appear questionable, his love of baseball is not. During his 2018 presidential campaign, Lopez Obrador often spoke of his devotion to the sport and desire to see it grow and since he was inaugurated, he's been as good as his word.

    First he formed the Office of the President for the Promotion and Development of Baseball (or ProBeis) and named former MLB and NPB infielder Edgar Gonzalez to head the new agency, which seeks to build baseball at a grass-roots level while developing players from an early age. ProBeis has experienced financial difficulties in part because federal money earmarked for the program has slowly made its way through several layers of bureaucracy, but the effort has continued.

    Next, Lopez Obrador announced plans to create a number of government-run baseball academies at which talent located throughout Mexico's 32 states can train, with a goal of 6,500 total prospects. Former Mexican League ballparks in Hermosillo and Obregon have been purchased for that purpose but the first baseball school slated to open, perhaps ironically, is in Texcoco.

ProBeis' first baseball school in Texcoco

    A 70 million peso (US$3.5 million) investment from the local government led to a facility that will house up to 60 male and female students between the ages of 6 and 21 in a fully-equipped dormitory with bedrooms, a kitchen and gymnasium. There will be one professional-sized baseball field, two semi-pro diamonds and one for children at the school, located in the Xocotlan community.

    The longterm goal of Probeis is to develop players who will form the backbone of Mexican baseball, with many moving on to either sign with Mexican League and MLB organizations or receive scholarships to colleges and universities north of the border.

    According to an official ProBeis statement, "The regional baseball schools seek to position baseball as one of the recreational and professional options for Mexican children, adolescents and youth. It seeks to offer them training that contributes to their personal and professional development, which trains them as citizens capable of helping build a more just and peaceful society."

RAMOS YET TO REPORT TO NARANJEROS, KBO RETURN NOT CERTAIN

Roberto Ramos goes deep for Hermosillo

    Slugging first baseman Roberto Ramos has not reported to his hometown Hermosillo Naranjeros as planned, and it's believed that ongoing contract negotiations with his team in the Korea Baseball Organization are consuming his attention these days. While Ramos might wish to play another season with the Busan-based LG Twins, the two sides have yet to come to terms and the 6'3” 220-pounder may opt to explore his options in Japan.

    Although he was born in Hermosillo, Ramos attended high school in San Fernando, California and was drafted by Colorado on the 16^th round of the 2014 MLB draft out of nearby College of the Canyons after batting .317 with seven homers for the Cougars over 37 games as a freshman. Although he struggled that summer, hitting a combined .213 with three homers for Rockies farm teams in Grand Junction (Rookie) and Tri-City (Short-Season A), Ramos spent the next five years working his way through the Colorado farm system. Along the way, he showed extra-base power and became more selective at the plate as both his home run and bases-on-balls totals gradually increased.

    After hitting 32 homers and driving in 77 runs in 2018 while splitting time between High A Lancaster and AA Hartford (with an overall .269 average), Ramos put it all together for a strong first year in AAA ball at Albuquerque in 2019. The Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitter's circuit, and the mile-high New Mexico city did nothing to dispel the PCL's reputation as Ramos crashed 32 homers, collected 105 RBIs and hit .309 for the Isotopes to finish tied for sixth in roundtrippers and tied for second in ribbies. Although he led the loop with 141 strikeouts he also waited out a career-high 61 walks to tie for seventh.

    Even though the parent club might have found a reason to invite Ramos (who turns 27 next Monday) to spring training and contest for the first base job held in 2019 by 34-year-old Daniel Murphy, the Rockies instead chose to sell his contract to the KBO Twins. As Murphy struggled through the abbreviated 2020 MLB season (.236/3/16 in 40 games), Ramos made the most of his debut in Asian ball and recorded a huge year for the Twins, hitting .278 with 38 homers and 86 RBIs in 117 games. At first glance, it would seem a given that Ramos could return to South Korea next season if he wished, but that's where things get complicated.

    While he received a huge raise from his minor league salary by going overseas, with a one-year contract calling for a signing bonus of $50,000 and a base salary of $350,000 (with incentives making it as high as $500,000), Ramos was the second-lowest paid import in the KBO last season, with only Kiwoom's Taylor Motter earning less among 30 such players via a package topping out at $350,000. The two other imports on Ramos' Twins, pitchers Tyler Wilson and Casey Kelly, were paid up to a combined $3.1 million in 2020.

    Ramos' performance this year suggests a 2021 salary well north of $1 million with the Twins, but the question is how far north. A pair of Korean media outlets, Star News and Sankei Sports, reports that the Twins have shown interest in former MLB first baseman Justin Bour in case they can't reach an agreement with Ramos. “There are many stories that come and go with Ramos,” says LG general manager Cha Myung-Seok. “At this time I can't speak in detail, but I don't know if his renewal will be achieved so we're looking for another alternative.” Bour, who played in the Majors between 2014 and 2019, batted .243 in 99 games for the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League while hitting 17 homers and driving in 45 runs.

    It's safe to assume that if Ramos can't come to terms with the Twins, other teams in the Far East will try to make it worth listening to what they have to offer.

LIGA ADDS 2 TEAMS, TO PLAY 66-GAME SEASON IN '21

Veracruz, Guadalajara to join LMB in 2021

   At a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City last week, the Mexican League announced the expected addition of two teams for the 2021 season while unveiling plans for a reduced schedule next year with a May 20 opening date. Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led the event, in which it was announced that both Veracruz and Guadalajara will be returning to give the circuit a total of 18 teams.

    The Veracruz Aguilas ownership group is headed by Bernardo Pasquel, grand-nephew of controversial LMB strongman Jorge Pasquel (whose story has been touched upon here and elsewhere). One of the younger Pasquel's investors is former MLB All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, who is expected to be active in bringing ballplayers to the Gulf Coast team, while the sports manager will be Jesus “Chino” Valdez, who has filled that role with the Mazatlan Venados for several years. Veracruz' 7,782-seat Estadio Universitario Beto Avila, which opened in 1992 and underwent renovations in 2006, will receive modifications in anticipation of the LMB's return.

    The Veracruz entry can trace their roots to 1903, when the original Aguilas played their first game, and lay claim to being an ancestor of Mexico's first formal team. Although Veracruz has long been fertile ground for baseball players and the Aguilas have won six Mexican League pennants over the years (most recently in 2012), that hasn't translated to fans in the stands. LMB teams have come and gone over the decades, most recently after the 2017 season when Veracruz' last team moved to Nuevo Laredo and was rechristened the Tecolotes. While the Aguilas can proudly point to their city's history, they'll still have to convince people to buy tickets in 2021.

    Guadalajara hosted three Mexican League franchises between 1949 and 1995, all known as the Jalisco Charros. The second incarnation won pennants in 1967 and 1971 but the city's LMB teams had to play at the substandard Estadio Tecnologico while losing the battle for fans to soccer's Chivas team, arguably the most popular sports team in the country. The Charros were revived in 2014, but this time it was for the Mexican Pacific League, where the team has become popular among locals while winning the 2018-19 LMP pennant and hosting a number of important baseball events in the six years since. 

Mariachis (the other kind) at Estadio Charros

   However, the Mariachis are already encountering difficulties. The team's investors are led by Carlos "Calo" Valenzuela, a contractor whose Dynamica company has built ballparks in Mexico City, Obregon and Hermosillo while refurbishing existing facilities in Mazatlan and Los Mochis. There appear to be no formal ties with their winterball counterparts, although Valenzuela has been a director with the Charros. The Mariachis recently received word that the mayor of Zapopan (where Estadio Charros sits) is not yet willing to allow them to play at the 16,500-seat facility. Pablo Lemus Navarro told the Mural newspaper of Zapopan that he has issues over the Mariachis being named for Guadalajara and not Jalisco or Zapopan while the team gave his government no formal notice until after the presidential announcement. Lemus says the new club will have to go through both City and State governments to modify an agreement that currently allows the Charros (who own the stadium) to host a maximum of 90 games over five months at the formerly state-owned facility. Ironically, it was Valenzuela's own firm that renovated Estadio Charros into a ballpark prior to that team's 2014 move from Guasave.

    Meanwhile, at the same press conference, it was announced that the Mexican League will delay its 2021 season opener to Thursday, May 20 while shortening its regular season schedule to 66 games due to the pandemic before launching into a twelve-team postseason after the season finale on Thursday, August 5. Playoffs will consist of four stages in 2021: a First Round, Division Semifinals, Division Championships and the Serie del Rey. It's assumed the First Round will involve the third through sixth place teams in each division, with the top two teams given a bye to the Division Semis. The Liga will sport two nine-team divisions next year, with Guadalajara entering the North Division and Veracruz joining the LMB South.

VILLANUEVA HEATS UP AS CHARROS CLIMB LMP STANDINGS

Christian Villanueva jogs out a homer

    When Christian Villanueva returned home to Guadalajara last month after a second difficult season, he was hoping to regain his batting eye and batting stroke while playing winterball for the Jalisco Charros. Two recent games for the former Mexican Pacific League MVP indicate that the 29-year-old third baseman is getting his groove back.

    Villanueva went 4-for-9 with a homer in his first two games of December before a dry spell that saw him collect two hits over his next five game as he watched his batting average fall to .233 after nine games. Then Los Mochis arrived at Estadio Charros for a three-game series last Friday and the former Padres starter feasted on the struggling Caneros over the next two nights, going 4-for-6 with three homers to score six runs and drive in nine as his batting average rose 53 points to .286.

    Villanueva's recent resurgence coincided with the activation of relief pitcher Sergio Romo, a three-time World Series winner with San Francisco who is a free agent after pitching for Minnesota this year. Romo made his season debut for the Charros last Thursday, tossing a scoreless tenth inning of a wild 9-8 win at Obregon in which the score was tied at 3-3 heading into the eleventh. Both teams scored four runs that frame, then Jalisco scored twice in the top of the twelfth and held on for the win.

    One night later, Jalisco second baseman Manny Rodriguez homered and doubled twice in a 12-3 thrashing of Los Mochis. Rodriguez moved into third place on the Mex Pac's all-time doubles list with 215 while his 118th career roundtripper places him twelfth in that category. After finishing the first half in sixth place with a desultory 15-14 record, manager Roberto Vizcarra needs top performances from Villanueva, Romo and Rodriguez in the second half to move up in the standings and earn more playoff points.

Mexicali C Xorge Carrillo is hitting .312

    Right now, Jalisco is tied with surprising Guasave for second place with 9-5 records, a game-and-a-half behind 10-3 Mexicali. While Aguilas catcher Xorge Carrillo is their only batter raking among the LMP's Top 20 (he's 19th at .312), Mexicali's pitching has been rock-solid and currently is second to Hermosillo's 3.47 team ERA with a 3.51 mark. Eduardo Vera and Miguel Pena have led manager Bronswell Patrick's mound staff with identical 3-0 records and 2.11 ERAs while vet Javier Solano is also 3-0 record with a 2.53 ERA in nine starts.

    Hermosillo's Yadiel Hernandez continues to lead the league with a .353 batting average. Guasave's Erusbel Arruebarrena is tied with Leandro Castro of Los Mochis and Monterrey's Dustin Peterson with 10 homers apiece. Dariel Alvarez of Jalisco is tops with 36 RBIs and Obregon's Alonzo Harris continues to lead baserunners with 20 steals despite not playing for the Yaquis in nearly three weeks. Harris has been listed on the Obregon roster again, but still nothing about his status on the LMP website.

    Among pitchers, Mexicali's aforementioned Vera and Solano are 1-2 in the LMP with ERAs of 2.11 and 2.53, respectively. Luis Ivan Rodriguez remained at 6-0 after not pitching for Jalisco last week, but Hermosillo's Juan Pablo Oramas moved into a tie for the wins lead by beating Culiacan last week to go to 6-2. The Tomateros' Manny Barreda leads with 46 strikeouts but was placed on the Reserve List last Thursday. In a battle for the saves lead, Fernando Salas of Hermosillo and Guasave's Geno Encino are tied with 12 apiece, one more than Alberto Baldonando of Culiacan.

PITCHING, MACIEL HOMER GIVE BARRERAS COPA JUNTOS TITLE

Action in Copa Juntos title game

    The 2021 Copa Juntos por Mexico tournament is in the books, with fans watching an exciting championship game online as Team Nelson Barrera held off Team Alfredo Ortiz, 3-2, last Saturday behind closed doors at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City. The Ortiz squad had finished first in the four-team first round with a 16-9 record, three games ahead of the 13-12 Barreras, to earn an automatic berth in the title game. On the other hand, the Barreras had to win a 9-3 semifinal contest Friday against third-place Team Daniel Fernandez to advance to Saturday's final tilt.

    The Barreras took a 1-0 lead in the championship game on Jose Maciel's run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning, but the Ortizes came back with a pair of counters via three doubles off Barrera starter Oscar Valenzuela in the bottom of the third to go up by a 2-1 count. At the top of the next frame, Jose Macias hit a one-out single off Ortiz starter Esteban Bloch, who then allowed a two-run homer by Maciel that barely cleared the left-field wall to put the Barreras back on top, 3-2. From that point, Valenzuela and relievers Ariel Gracia and Jesus Navarro combine to shut down Ortizistas over the final six innings to seal the win and the Copa Juntos title.

    Valenzuela earned the win after allowing two runs and striking out six batters over five innings while Navarro was awarded the save with a hitless ninth, but the real winners may have been the Oaxaca Guerreros. The tournament was a showcase for prospects from the Guerreros and Mexico City who'd trained at the Alfredo Harp Helu Academy in Oaxaca, but it was the two teams representing the Warriors, who usually play second fiddle to the Diablos (both LMB franchises are owned by billionaire Harp), playing in the championship game.

Team Nelson Barrera celebrates Cup win

    In the event's third-place game, Team Daniel Fernandez topped Team Jose Luis Sandoval, 5-4, as both teams were managed by their Salon de la Fama namesakes. Team Nelson Barrera was managed by Jose “El Toro” Macias, a former MLB infielder whose son Jose Jr. played on his team, while Team Alfrdo Ortiz was led by current Guerreros skipper Erick Rodriguez. The Barreras lost six games in a row and were in last place before a late surge vaulted them into second heading into the semifinal.

    The best all-round batter in the tournament was arguably Omar Zeleny of Team Ortiz, who finished third in batting with a .432 average while leading all hitters with 32 hits, 25 runs scored and nine stolen bases. Team Barrera's Mikell Granberry hit .365 with 31 hits, including 15 doubles and three homers, while driving in 21 runs. Barrera's Gracia had the best ERA at 0.64 while leading in strikeouts with 35 over 28 innings. Bloch of Team Ortiz won three games, finished second with a 1.45 ERA and 31 strikeouts, and was tops in WHIP at 0.84.

CARRILLO, CASTILLA AMONG 7 NEW SALON MEMBERS

Even at 45, Matias Carrillo could still hit

    The Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2020 was announced last Thursday at a virtual ceremony centered at the Salon de la Fama in Monterrey and led by Salon director Francisco Padilla Davila. Seven new inductees were introduced to the public, including former Major Leaguers Matias Carrillo and Vinny Castilla plus one-time Negro League player Bonnie Serrell.

    Matias Carrillo led all vote-getters among 28 nominees in the Players category with 52 votes on 55 electoral committee ballots. Carrillo played 107 MLB games between 1991 and 1994, batting .251 for Milwaukee and Florida, but the Sinaloan outfielder was a major star south of the border. In 22 Mexican League seasons, mostly with the Tigres, he was considered by many to be Mexico's most complete ballplayer. He was the LMB Rookie of the Year in 1982 and eventually led the Liga in all three Triple Crown categories. Carrillo compiled a career LMB average of .336 with 330 homers, 1,554 RBIs and 276 stolen bases, raking among all-time leaders in all four categories. In 27 winterball seasons in the Mexican Pacific League, “El Coyote” hit .286 with 260 steals (the LMP career record) and 159 homers (third all-time) in 1,524 games and was MVP in 1992-93. He's also managed pennant-winners in both leagues.

    An Obregon-born third baseman, Vinny Castilla played in the Mexican League with Saltillo and Monclova but made his mark in MLB. In 16 seasons with six teams (most notably the Rockies) between 1991 and 2006, he leads all Mexican-born players with 320 homers and 1,105 RBIs during a career that saw him top 40 homers for the Rockies three consecutive years (1996-98), lead the National League with 131 in 2004 and play in two All-Star Games while winning three Silver Slugger awards. Castilla also spent 21 seasons playing in the Mex Pac and whacked 80 homers with 298 ribbies, including a rookie record seven runs driven in one game for Obregon against Mexicali in 1988. He managed the Hermosillo Naranjeros last winter.

    Isidro Marquez was a Navojoa-born reliever whose underarm pitching allowed him to spent 22 seasons in the Mexican League, primarily with Campeche, where he posted a career record of 97-78 with an ERA of 3.44 and an LMB record 301 saves. “Chilo” pitched 21 seasons of winterball, 16 with Mexicali, between 1985-86 and 2008-09, turned in a 2.88 ERA with 134 saves with a 44-48 record and is the all-time leader in saves in the LMP as well, leading the league in saves a record five times and earning two saves in one day three times during the 2001-02 season. Spent part of the 1995 season with the Chicago White Sox, going 0-1. Marquez is now the bullpen coach in Navojoa, where son, Isidro Junior, is a reliever.

    Jose Luis Sandoval was a standout shortstop with the Mexico City Diablos from 1990 through 2012, minus a short 1993 stint with the Pirates' AAA Buffalo affiliate and the 1997 season in Saltillo. A Los Mochis native, like Carrillo, “El Borrego” sparkled defensively for the Diablos and is the Mexican League's all-time leader with 2,219 game at shortstop, turning a record 1,731 double plays. A solid hitter as well, Sandoval stroked 2,263 safeties over 23 seasons, including 435 doubles and 253 homers, and is second all-time with 1,646 runs scored. He also played 21 winters in the LMP (20 with Hermosillo) and clobbered 98 homers over 1,137 games. Played with five Liga champions and six more in the Mex Pac.

Vinny Castilla playing in the WBC

    Burly Eduardo Jimenez was born in Tijuana and terrorized Mexican pitchers for two decades between 1986 and 2007. The lefthanded outfielder spent 21 years in the Mexican League, including seven seasons in Saltillo (leading the LMB with 45 homers in 2000) before playing his last two years with the hometown Potros before retiring at 42. Jimenez had a career .301 average in the Liga and is fifth with 351 homers. He also played 20 seasons in the LMP with six teams and crushed 199 homers, including six games in a row for Mexicali in 1990, and drove in a record nine runs hitting for the cycle in 1994.

    Second baseman Bonnie “Barney” Serrell, who was voted into the Salon as a Veteran, spent five years in the Negro American League (mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs) before emigrating in 1945 to Mexico, where he spent ten years and registered a career .311 Mexican League average on 1,099 hits while scoring 560 runs playing for five teams. Serrell was nicknamed “The Vacuum Cleaner” for his defensive work at second base and led the LMB in hits and triples for 1953 with Nuevo Laredo, then topped the loop in hits, doubles and triples in 1954 for the Tecolotes.

    Jorge Menendez Torre was elected as a journalist. A native of Merida, Yucatan, Menendez wrote under the pseudonym “George Squeeze-Play” for both the Diario de Yucatan and the now-defunct Novedades for over 30 years, serving as the sports editor for the latter. Beginning in 1960, he also published several books on baseball, won four Salon de la Fama journalism contests and in 2000 was awarded the Fray Nano National Sports Journalism Award. Menendez also served as a vice president with the LMB Yucatan Lions prior to passing away in 2013 at age 74.

   

MEXICALI WINS 7 OF 8 TO BEGIN MEX PAC SECOND HALF

Sergio Romo is back with Jalisco

    The Mexicali Aguilas stumbled out the gate at the outset of the current Mexican Pacific League season, losing their first eight games and costing manager Pedro Mere his job. Things have gone a trifle better for the Eagles under new manager Bronswell Patrick for the beginning of the LMP's second half, with the team winning seven of their first eight games to take a one-game lead over defending champion Jalisco in the standings.

    One prime reason for the border team's resurgence, during which Mexicali has gone 19-7 since Patrick took over, has been the mound work of starting pitcher Miguel Pena. The former Red Sox minor leaguer from Mission, Texas has a 1.72 ERA in six appearances (including five starts) and is a perfect 3-0 as the Aguilas lead the LMP with a team ERA of 3.55. Twenty-year-old setup man Fernando Lozano, a Phillies farmhand out of nearly Ensenada, has a 3-0 record and 1.84 in nine appearances. The Mexicali offense has struggled a bit with a collective .241 average, but veteran batsman Luis Juarez (.278 with 4 homers and 19 RBIs in 32 games) has kept rallies alive and baserunners moving while outfielder Michael Choice, a former Top 100 prospect with Oakland and Texas, is making the most of his .226 average with six homers, 18 RBIs, 20 runs scored and six steals.

    Jalisco dropped out of a first-place tie with the Aguilas following a 5-2 loss in Mazatlan Sunday to fall to 7-2 in the second half. The Charros are battering Mex Pac pitchers to the tune of a league-best .308 average while scoring 5.61 runs per game as seven Jalisco regulars are hitting .300 or better (Japhet Amador is at .341 with 7 homers and 32 RBIs in 33 games). However, manager Roberto Vizcarra's pitching staff has been generally awful this winter, with an LMP-worst 5.49 ERA, a number that would be far worse if not for starter Luis Ivan Rodriguez.

    A 5'9” lefty from Guadalajara , Rodriguez has been average at best since his 2013 debut with Laguna in the Mexican League but has become an LMP Pitcher of the Year candidate thus far after turning in a 6-0 record with a 2.83 ERA over seven starts for the Charros. While the team waits as usual for reliever Roberto Osuna to take the mound (both of Osuna's 17-year-old twin brothers have played this winter), MLB veteran Sergio Romo has arrived in Guadalajara and is preparing to pitch for the Charros this month. The 37-year-old “El Mechon” was 1-4 with five saves and a 4.05 ERA in 24 appearances for the Minnesota Twins this year, but is now a free agent. His arrival will be welcomed by both Vizcarra and his teammates.

Paul Leon, Jay Austin with Campeche

    Navojoa is in the middle of the pack at 4-4 and tied with Culiacan for fifth place, one game behind Hermosillo and surprising Guasave. The Mayos made a move to bolster their lineup last week by signing reigning Venezuelan League batting champion Jay Austin. A 30-year-old Atlanta native, the lefty-batting Austin led the LVPB with a .392 average for the Aragua Tigres last winter. After playing five summers in the Astros system between 2008 and 2012, Austin spent most of the next five years in independent leagues before debuting in the Mexican League with Oaxaca and Quintana Roo during the Fall 2018 season, batting .304. The speedy outfielder then hit .329 for Campeche in 2019 with a career-high 15 homers while stealing 31 bases for the Piratas.

    Los Mochis continues to stagger after finishing last with a 9-20 mark in the first half. The Caneros fired manager Victor Bojorquez between halves and veteran Saul Soto, who has stepped into such situations before, filled in for the first three games in the second half (all losses) until the front office named Robinson Cancel as the team's new manager. The former big league catcher has previously managed Culiacan in 2018-19 and took the Tomateros to the playoffs, but was not brought back for last season. the Caneros had dropped 19 of their previous 20 games before Cancel led them to a 2-3 record last week, bringing Los Mochis' second-half record to 2-6, one game behind Mazatlan and Obregon (both 3-5) and one game ahead of cellar-dwelling Monterrey (1-7). The Caneros also signed Panamanian catcher Ivan Herrera, a 20-year-old Cardinals prospect eyed by some as a potential successor to Yadir Molina in St. Louis but who went just 2-for-15 in his first five games with Los Mochis last week.

    

HERMOSILLO'S HERNANDEZ LEADS MEX PAC BAT RACE

LMP batting leader Yadiel Hernandez

   Although two Guasave players (including a potential MVP candidate) have higher batting averages over fewer plate appearances, Hermosillo outfielder Yadiel Hernandez is tops among qualifying batters in the Mexican Pacific League batting race with a .350 figure, one point ahead of Navojoa catcher Omar Renteria's .349. A 33-year-old who spent six winters in the Cuban National Series with Matanzas before defecting in 2015, Hernandez hit .336 for the Naranjeros last season before making his MLB debut this summer and batting .192 with one homer for Washington in 12 games. He has three homers and three steals for the Orangemen and has scored 21 runs thus far.

    Another Cuban product who, like Hernandez, played six seasons in the CNS (with Cienfuegos) before defecting is Guasave shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena. Unlike Hernandez, Arruebarrena spent four years in the Dodgers system before going BACK to his homeland last winter and ironically playing for Matanzas, hitting .322 with 19 homers as the Cocodrilos won their first-ever CNS title. Making his debut in Mexican ball this winter, the 30-year-old Arruebarrena is batting .390 with nine homers in 21 games for Guasave after joining the Algodoneros during the first half. Teammate Jose Felix is hitting .376 while fellow Cuban Yadir Drake has .336/6/25 numbers but it's been Arruebarrena who has set the Cottoners batting order on fire.

    In other offensive categories, outfielder Leandro Castro has been one of the precious few bright spots in Los Mochis this season and leads the LMP with 10 homers, one more than Arruebarrena, Dustin Peterson of Monterrey and Culiacan's Sebastian Elizalde. Although Castro is hitting just .233, 13 of his 28 hits have been for extra bases. Japhet Amador of Jalisco has 33 RBIs to lead the loop, one more than teammate Dariel Alvarez and Elizalde, who is out of the Tomateros lineup for up to two weeks after suffering an ankle injury during a play against the Charros on November 30. Obregon's Alonzo Harris continues to lead the Mex Pac with 20 steals in 22 attempts but has not played for the Yaquis since going 2-for 4 against Los Mochis on November 26 to raise his batting average to .337. Harris has been taken off the roster on the Yaquis website but does not appear on the list of LMP transactions since his final appearance.

Charros' Luis Ivan Hernandez is 6-0 so far

    Luis Ivan Rodriguez of Jalisco's beleaguered staff has been the surprise among Mex Pac pitchers this year, leading the loop with six wins and a 2.83 ERA. Hermosillo's Juan Pablo Oramas is just behind at 5-2. Navojoa's now-departed Felix Dubrount, who went home to pitch in his native Venezuela, leads pitchers who've tossed more than 35 innings with a 2.15 ERA while Mexicali's Eduardo Vera is second among starters at 2.45. Manny Barreda of Culiacan is tops in strikeouts with 37 in 42 innings, one more than Oramas' 36. Hermosillo closer Fernando Salas' nine saves are best in the LMP and his 1.38 ERA is a big reason. Jalisco's Brennan Bernardino, who was brought in after the Charros released former Pitching Triple Crown winner Elian Leyva last month, is second with six saves.