NARANJEROS HOLD FIRST, YAQUS MOVE UP

Hermosillo RHP Wilmer Rios

    It seems like the Hermosillo Naranjeros have led the Mexican Pacific League standings most weeks in both halves of the current season and this week is no exception, but the Obregon Yaquis have started to move up in the second-half tables and now trail the Orangemen with just two weeks left in the regular season.

    Despite losing a 3-2 decision at Guasave Sunday after shutting out the Algodoneros twice in a Saturday doubleheader, Hermosillo has a one-game lead over Obregon with a 13-5 mark while the Yaquis are right behind at 12-6. Saturday was a pitcher's dream for the Naranjeros as Wilmer Rios went all seven innings in a 5-0 win, scattering six hits anstriking out six Cottoneers batters as Luis Alfonso Cruz went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI to pace the offense. Then it was Jose Samayoa and two relievers who allowed just two singles in a seven-inning 2-0 whitewash for the nightcap with Isaac Paredes socking a solo homer in the sixth for the winners.

    Guasave avoided the sweep Sunday thanks to a Ramon Ramirez walkoff single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth off reliever Cesar Vargas that scored pinch-runner Ciro Norazgary from with the game-winning run. Although he didn't the the win, it was Algodoneros starter Gino Encina's turn to shine on the hill with seven scoreless innings on two hits and seven strikeouts.

    Meanwhile over the weekend, Obregon swept three games in Navojoa and likewise shut out the Mayos in the first two games. Friday's result was an 8-0 blanking with starter Dallas Martinez and four relievers combining on an 8-hitter. Yordanys Linares doubled twice and tripled to score two runs and drive in two more for the Yaquis. Saturday was more of the same with Obregon taking a shutout with as Arturo Lopez tossed a two-hitter over five innings and Carlos Sepulveda was 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.

    The Yaquis broke out the brooms in Sunday's 3-2 win but they had to wait until the top of the ninth to start sweeping after Victor Mendoza and Jose Carlos Urena led off the frame with back-to-back homers, erasing a 2-1 deficit. Samuel Zazueta then retired the Navojoa side to nail down the win. Fans had lots of room to take in the action as fewer than 10,000 watched the three contests at Estadio Francisco Carranza Limon, with two games attracting fewer than 3,000 spectators.

    In all, it was a pitcher's showcase in games on Friday and Saturday nights, with with eight of the ten games played ending in shutouts, unusual even for the Mex Pac. The bats woke up Sunday with nobody being kept off the scoreboard as 36 runs were scored over the five games. Not exactly Murderer's Row stuff, but not exactly Hitless Wonders material either.

    Los Mochis finished the weekend in third place with an 11-7 second-half record after dropping two of three to Culiacan, one game ahead of 10-8 Mexicali, who took two of three over defending champion Jalisco (who scored four runs in the series). It then becomes a logjam for the final six slots on the table, as 8-10 Mazatlan and Culiacan are just a game ahead of four teams with identical 7-11 records: Guasave, Jalisco, Monterrey and Navojoa.

    All four clubs tied for seventh finished at the bottom of the standings in the first half and need to start making a move to avoid missing the eight-team playoffs next month. Defending champ Jalisco and Culiacan, who've won four titles in six years under skipper Benji Gil, are tied for the worst overall record in the circuit at 22-31 each.

    Monterrey's Roberto Valenzuela still leads the batting race with a .350 average but things are tightening up as Los Mochis' Justin Dean is now only ten points back at .340 while his Caneros teammate Yosmany Tomas is third with a .325 mark. No real changes in the home run derby as Jesse Castillo (Guasave) and Anthony Giansanti (Mexicali) are tied at the top with 10 dingers each while Sebastian Valle (Obregon) ad Niko Vasquez (Mexicali) are tied for third at eight apiece. Victor Mendoza (Obregon) leads in RBIs with 43, ahead of Los Mochis' Tomas' 41 and Yadir Drake of Obregon with 39. Randy Romero of Mazatlan has reached 20 stolen bases for the season, Hermosillo's Jose Cardona is second with 17 swipes and three other players are tied for third with 14 each.

    With his shutout win Saturday over Guasave (assuming the LMP awards him a shutout by holding the Algodoneros scoreless over the league-allotted seven innings, unlike MLB refusing to recognize its own rules in denying Madison Bumgarner a no-hitter in 2020 because he didn't pitch an extra two innings that Rob Manfred ruled weren't required), Wilmer Rios of Hermosillo became the Mex Pac's first seven-game winner this winter. Mexicali's David Reyes and Juan Tellez of Mazatlan are tied for second with six win apiece. Los Mochis' Luis Miranda allowed six earned runs over his last two starts after letting in one over his first eight outings but still has a 1.15 ERA for the season, well below the 1.89 of Juan Pablo Oramas (Hermosillo) and 1.90 of Manny Barreda (Culiacan).

    Barreda's 60 strikeouts lead the lead, with Luis Payan's 55 for Navojoa and Matt Pobereyko's 53 for Guasave the next-highest totals. Mazatlan closer Elkin Alcala's string of consecutive saves ended at five after he didn't get the save Sunday against Monterrey, but the Colombian's 15 salvados still lead the loop. Brandon Koch of Guasave is second with 13 saves while Josh Lueke is tied for third at 12 saves with Mexicali closer Jake Sanchez, who got his 84th career LMP save Saturdfay against Jalisco to tie another former Aguila, David Cardenas, for second on the all-time list. Well ahead in first on the list is Salon de la Fama member Isidro Marquez with 134.

     Among the five upcoming midweek series beginning Tuesday, the most notable will involve third-place Los Mochis at second-place Obregon for three games. Next weekend, a couple of proud franchises will meet in a must-win series as Culiacan visits Guadalajara to take on the Jalisco Charros.

    Also, Justine Siegal is in the middle of her annual peripatetic tour of Mex Pac cities during which she spends a couple days coaching for the local LMP teams and holding clinics for young female players. Siegal has already done short stints in Hermosillo, Jalisco and Guasave and is currently spending a couple days in Mexicali.


PUEBLA SWEEPS MONCLOVA IN LIM'S SERIE DEL PRINCIPE

Puebla celebrates LIM pennant

    After winning the first two games of the Mexican Winter League's Prince Series, including one marathon match that lasted into a second day, the Puebla Pericos returned home to complete their sweep over defending champion Monclova with a 14-6 win Wednesday against the Acereros at Estadio Hermanos Serdan. Monclova had defeated the Parakeets in last year's Serie del Principe, the first since the Mexican League resuscitated its Liga Invernal Mexicana for prospects and some veterans after shutting it down following the 2017 campaign.
 
    The Pericos clinched the LIM pennant last Wednesday night by breaking open a 5-5 game with four-run outbursts in both the fifth and sixth innings. Raudel Meraz' two-run homer in the bottom of the fith gave Puebla a 9-5 lead while Luis Cossio's two-run single and a homer by Victor Landeta made it a 13-5 contest in favor of the hosts. Meraz and Rogelio Cobos both had two hits and a homer while Cossio finished with a pair of hits and two ribbies. Aldo Nunez scored on Dominic Bethancourt's two-run singleton in the top of the first to give Monclova a quick 2-0 and later belted a solo homer for the Acereros.

    The opening game of the series on Saturday, December 3 saw Puebla outlast the Acereros, 2-1, in a pitcher's duel at Estadio Monclova. Hector Sepulveda pitched five shutout innings for the Pericos, allowing just two hits for the win. Monclova starter Isaac Esqueda took the loss despite a great outing of his own over five frames, letting in one run on a Herman Alvarado RBI single in the second while scattering six hits. Puebla reliever Jose Hernandez sparkled by striking out all five Steelers batsmen he faced.

    Game Two was no less thrilling, although the 11-8 Puebla win took considerably longer to finish. While pitchers took center stage in the opener, this one featured batters and Mother Nature in a late Sunday night appearance delayed the contest until Monday night. Monclova raced off to a 7-0 lead that featured a nightmarish first inning for Parakeet pitchers, who gave up seven walks in the entrada, five with the bases loaded. 

    The Pericos fought back and even took an 8-7 lead in the top of the sixth on Giancarlo Servin's two-run homer off Acereros reliever Jonathan Lopez. Monclova tied it up in the bottom of the sixth on a solo blast by pinch-hitter Edgar Salazar off Hernandez. The score stood at 8-8 until fog stopped play in the top of the eleventh at 11:11PM. After the game resumed Monday, Armando Aguilar's three-run roundtripper in the top of the twelfth gave Puebla an 8-7 that held through the end of the game, after which the two teams disembarked for the third (and final) game in Angelopolis.


MEX PAC, LiDOM CALL FOR CHANGES TO CARBBEAN SERIES

   We've called the annual Caribbean Series the “Crown Jewel of Latin Baseball” for years here on BBM and while some of its luster has diminished in recent winters due to fewer major league players and smaller attendance, the Serie del Caribe remains the most important baseball tournament among most countries involved, with national pride remaining a common denominator among fans.There is still no other event like it in the sport.

    In recent seasons, Mexico and the Dominican Republic have staged the best-attended Caribbean Series and now leagues from both nations have come together to create a protocol called the Miami Agreements in which they seek improvements to the event, which is scheduled to resume in Venezuela in February.. What follows is a translated story from ESPN Deportes by writer Juan Arturo Recio, who concludes that while the LiDOM and Mex Pac state a shared desire for changes to the CS, those changes weren't spelled out while the scarcity of financial details makes it impossible to determine what their points of contention are:

    A recent agreement between the Dominican and Mexican winter leagues indicates that both circuits want improvements in terms of the economic aspect of the international event.

    On Tuesday, November 29, the Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic (LiDOM) and the Mexican Pacífic League (LMP) announced the signing of a "collaboration protocol" which they called "The Miami Agreements." The press release through which the announcement was made does not go into much detail about what is being sought, but it does give hints regarding aspects of cooperation between the Latin American winterball circuits.

    The joint statement published by the leagues talks about fostering ties to work together for the benefit of baseball in the region, but the most interesting point is that they will seek to promote joint initiatives within the Caribbean Baseball Confederation. Among several aspects mentioned in the press release, it talks about the economic aspects of the tournament.

    The agreement states that the two leagues want to "promote the definition of a business model that allows the Caribbean Confederation and its main product, the Caribbean Series, to be placed commercially at its fair value and at efficient levels of profitability."

    Said wording brings up the question of how profitable it is to hold a Caribbean Series and if the event creates a profit for all involved.

    Based on the words used by the leagues in their own statement, it can be inferred that the current business model is one that they consider deficient. Unfortunately, the little access there is to the monetary information of the event makes it extremely difficult to access the data in this regard. However, for the year 2020, according to MB Sport president Antonio Muñoz Grajales, whose company is in charge of assembling the event in Puerto Rico, its economic impact would be closely related to the creation of two thousand jobs and a hotel occupancy of five thousand rooms.

    Muñoz himself indicated during an interview in 2015, when the event was held on the Caribbean island, that the profits generated were about four or five million dollars but with indirect jobs, the sum could quadruple.

    Without more information in this regard, doubts remain as to whether the member countries of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation see a real benefit in staging and holding the event. For several years, Mexico has been the nation with the most venues since, at least in terms of ticket sales, it surpasses other countries while the Dominican Republic is coming off what is considered its best Caribbean Series in decades. However, it is clear that both leagues see room to grow, at least financially.

    We will only have to wait to see what will be the best joint ventures that will be proposed in the future by Mexico and the Dominican Republic in search of a "better" Caribbean Series.

ROMERO OUT AS YAQUIS HELMSMAN AFTER 14 GAMES

Romero (r), Vasquez (c) out in Obregon

    Seventeen days into the 2022-23 Mexican Pacific League season, the Obregon Yaquis board of directors fired manager Willie Romero last Friday. Bench coach Russel Vasquez was also sent packing after the Yaquis had posted a 5-9 record and were one game ahead of last-place Jalisco when the axe fell a little over two weeks into the schedule.

    The Mexican managerial merry-go-round (and the accompanying lack of job security running a baseball team south of the border) has been chronicled here for years, but few helmsmen have been given the pink slip as soon into their first season as Romero. The 48-year-old Venezuelan was spirited away by Obregon last spring from the Magallanes Navegantes, who he'd led to the Venezuelan League title last winter, to replace Sergio Gastelum, the 2020-21 LMP manager of the year.

    Replacing Romero at the helm of the Yaquis will be Luis Carlos Rivera, a former Atlanta and Baltimore pitcher who had been serving as Mazatlan's pitching coach after ironically coaching Romero's mound staff in Magallanes last season. The 44-year-old Rivera has managed Yucatan, Leon and Aguascalientes in the Mexican League but this will be the first time he's run a team in the Mex Pac. If history is any indication, it won't be the last.

    The Hermosillo Naranjeros have lifted their record to 12-5 and opened a three-game lead over six teams tied for second place with identical 9-8 records: Culiacan, Guasave, Los Mochis, Mazatlan, Mexicali and Navojoa. Monterrey and Obregon are tied for eighth at 7-10 while defending champion Jalisco brings up the rear at 5-12.

    One of players Rivera inherited from Romero in Obregon, outfielder Yadir Drake, leads the LMP in batting with a .365 average, ahead of Culiacan's Ramiro Pena (.359) and Leo Heras of Mexicali (.351). Monterrey slugger Fernando Perez, who's batting .323 for the Sultanes is the co-leader with four homers (matched in roundtrippers by Niko Vasquez of Mexicali, Hermosillo's Nick Torres and Sebastian Valle of Obregon). Perez also leads the Mex Pac with 18 RBIs, two ahead of Jalisco's Christian Villanueva. Hermosillo outfielder Jose Cardona has eight steals, topping Randy Romero of Mazatlan by one on the swipes chart.

    Three pitchers are tied at the top of the wins list with three victories apiece: Jalisco's Tyler Alexander, Juan Paul Oramas of Hermosillo and Mexicali's Davis Reyes. The veteran Oramas is third in ERA at 1.10, trailing only Los Mochis' Luis Miranda's 0.00 and Nico Tellache's 1.07 ERA for Guasave. The 2-0 Miranda, a former Atlanta farmhand who was 1-8 with a 9.64 ERA for Guadalajara last summer in the Mexican League, has allowed just seven hits over 13 scoreless innings in three starts for the Caneros. Guasave's Jeff Kinley and Javier Solano of Jalisco are tied for the lead in strikeouts with 21 apiece while Elkin Alcala of Mazatlan and Guasave's Brandon Koch each have eight saves to split the lead in that category.


CARIBBEAN SERIES SCHEDULE RELEASED; CUBA RETURNS

   In conjunction with the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation, the Caribbean Series organizing committee has released the nine-day schedule for the 2023 version of the Crown Jewel of Latin Baseball, to be held between Thursday, February 2 through Friday, February 10 in Caracas, Venezuela.

    The 65th Serie del Caribe will feature eight national champions for the first time as Cuba returns following a two-year absence while Curacao makes its initial entry into the competition. Longtime combatants Puerto Rico, Mexico, host Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have taken part almost every winter since the Caribbean Series was revived in 1970 after an 11-year layoff while Panama and Colombia have joined the fray on a conditional basis in recent years.

    Panama hosted the event in an emergency capacity in 2019 after political and economic turmoil forced Venezuela to back out of hosting the tournament weeks before it took place, with the Panamanians surprising the baseball world by winning the CS. Colombia joined the roster of nations in 2020 and after going winless their first two years, they won the championship last February in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

    With eight teams competing in Gran Caracas 2023, four games will be played daily over the first seven dates of round-robin competition. The newer Estadio Rinaconda will host three games per day while venerable Estadio La Guaira will feature one game. On the Thursday, February 2 Opening Day, Cuba and Curaçao will meet at Rinconada Stadium at 10:30 AM. Colombia and Puerto Rico will do battle at La Guaira Stadium at 2:00PM. The final two contests of the day will take place at Estadio Rinconada as Mexico and the Dominican Republic will face each other at 3:00PM and in the official opening match after opening ceremonies, Panama and Venezuela will square off at 8:15PM.

    Game times and venues will remain the same throughout seven days of first-round action, with Venezuela playing in each nightcap as the host team. One semifinal on Thursday, February 9 will be played at Estadio La Guaira while the other semi is slated for Estadio Rinaconda. The following day, both games will take place at Rinaconda with the third-place game scheduled for 2:30PM and the title contest set for 7:30PM

    The calendar proposed by the Organizing Committee was approved by the CBPC Assembly and endorsed by the Confederation of Professional Players of the Caribbean (CONPEPROCA). CBPC commissioner Juan Francisco Puello Herrera said, "We want to congratulate the members of the Organizing Committee and the Venezuelan Baseball League for the tremendous work they have been doing to set up a great Caribbean Series in February 2023."

    The Organizing Committee is also preparing the start of ticket sales for the first days of November.


MLBers LINING UP TO PLAY FOR MEXICO IN WBC NEXT YEAR

 

Julio Urias to pitch for Mexico in 2023 WBC

   The countdown to the 2023 World Baseball Classic has already begun and with it, the assembling of the 20 teams that will play the tournament next March also began. Mexico has not been left behind and some of the names that will see action on the field of play during the international event are already known. Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urías, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Randy Arozarena and Houston Astros hurler Jose Urquidy were all confirmed earlier in October.

    Urías is coming off a historic season in the Major Leagues with the Dodgers, finishing as the National League's ERA leader with a 2.16 mark (becoming the first player born in Mexico to do so) while finishing with a record of 17-7 and an 0.96 WHIP in 175 innings pitched and recording 166 strikeouts in 31 starts.

    Arozarena played 153 games with Tampa Bay, posting a .263 batting average with 20 home runs, 72 runs scored, and 89 RBIs. In April of this year, the man born in Havana, Cuba but now a resident of Merida, Yucatan in the off-season received his Mexican citizenship and reiterated his desire to represent the Verdes Grande in the World Baseball Classic.

    Urquidy was announced as the third member of Mexico's WBC team. The 27-year-old Mazatlan product is currently pithing for Houston in the World Series after going 13-8 wth a 3.94 ERA over 28 starts for the Astros in 2022. Urquidy, who has yet to pitch in the current postseason, won both his starts against Atlanta in last year's World Series.

    Three more major league players join the list of players who have confirmed their interest in participating with Mexico: Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo, New York Mets starter Taijuan Walker and St. Louis Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos, reported the Mexican National Team Commission.

    Verdugo has six seasons of experience in the Major Leagues and is currently with the Red Sox. For his career, he boasts a .286 batting average, 44 home runs and 210 RBIs. He began his big league career as a Dodgers outfielder.

    Walker is a starter for the New York Mets and has 10 years of experience in the Major Leagues, where he has an overall record of 54-50 with a 3.89 ERA and 806 strikeouts. In 2021 he was chosen to participate in the All Star Game as a Mets representative.

    Gallegos has built a six-year MLB career in which he's also worn a Yankees jersey. The 31-year-old Obregon native had 57 appearances in 2022 for the Cards, registering an ERA of 3.05 with 73 strikeouts, a 1.02 WHIP and 14 saves in 20 opportunities.

    Mexico is part of Group C of the World Baseball Classic alongside the United States, Colombia, Canada and Great Britain. The Mexican squad will begin play on Sunday, March 11 against the Colombians at noon local time, followed by games against the USA on March 12, Great Britain on March 14 and Canada on March 15.

    All Group C contests will take place in Phoenix at the Arizona Diamondbacks home ballpark. The top two teams from each of four groups will advance to the quarterfinals in Miami on March 17 and 18 while the final four will continue play at Marlins Park for the semifinals and championship game March 19-21.

MEXICO KO’D IN SEMIS, FINISH 3-3 AT CARIBBEAN SERIES

  After dropping their first two games at the Caribbean Series, Mexico bounced back with consecutive shutout wins over Colombia, Puerto Rico and Panama to qualify for the semifinals. However the magic ended last Wednesday in Santo Domingo as the host Dominican Republic eliminated the Mexicans, 2-1,at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal to advance to Thursday’s title game against surprising Colombia, who’d lost all their games in two prior Serie del Caribe appearances before going 3-2 in this year’s first round and crushing Venezuela, 8-1, in the first semi game.

Following their 1-0 victory over Colombia last Sunday for their first win of the 2022 Serie del Caribe, last Monday featured a 5-0 triumph over Puerto Rico that evened Mexico’s first-round record at 2-2 while eliminating the Boricuans from final four contention. Nick Struck whitewashed the Puerto Ricans over 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out two. Struck and four relievers got all the support they’d need when Esteban Quiroz belted a two-run homer off Oscar de la Cruz in the first inning after Jose Cardona led off the game with a single. Mexico scored twice more in the third when Victor Mendoza doubled Cardona home and then came in on a Japhet Amador single. Felix Perez scored the final run of the game in the sixth when he touched home plate on an Agustin Murillo single.

Mexico then set a Caribbean Series record with their third straight shutout last Tuesday when they blanked Panama, 1-0, punching their ticket to the knockout stage in the process. This time it was longtime veteran righty Javier Solano who got the start (and win) with six solid frames, allowing just two hits and two walks as Mexico ran their consecutive scoreless innings total to 29, another Serie del Caribe record. After Jose Cardona hit a two-out single and stole second in the bottom of the fifth, Quiroz stroked a single to left off reliever Luis Ramos that saw the speedy Cardona motor in with what would be the winning run. Roberto Osuna struck out Rodrigo Orozco to end the game and earn the save, his second of the tournament.

Mexico then faced the host Dominicans in the Final Four Wednesday night. Although Brennan Bernardino had a good outing, scattering seven hits and allowing one run in 5.2 innings, the game belonged to Dominican starter Tyler Alexander. The Detroit Tigers swingman carried a perfect game into the ninth inning and threw 71 strikes among 88 pitches before being pulled after allowing a leadoff double to Isaac Rodriguez. Last year’s LMP batting champion eventually scored on a Cardona groundout but reliever Juan Minaya retired Quiroz on a 4-3 grounder to end the game. DR rightfielder Moises Sierra singled in Henry Urrutia in the bottom of the second inning for the first run of the game (breaking Mexico’s record string of scoreless at 30) and a Sierra sacrifice fly in the eighth brought Robinson Cano from third to make it a 2-0 contest. Urrutia and Cano combined for five hits, four of them doubles.

The Dominicans then fell in the Serie del Caribe title game, a surprising 4-1 loss to Colombia, a country which had failed to win a single game in their two previous appearances at the tournament. Perhaps in anticipation of a Dominican championship, journalists named six players from the host country as part of a 12-man Dream Team before the final game while including just two Colombians. One Mexico player, leftfielder Felix Perez, was named to the team. Perez hit .263 with one homer and one RBI over six games. 

CARIBBEAN SERIES FIRST ROUND STANDINGS:Dominican Republic 4-1, Colombia 3-2, Venezuela 3-2, MEXICO 3-2, Puerto Rico 1-4, Panama 1-4.
SEMIFINALS: Colombia 8, Venezuela 1; Dominican Republic 2, MEXICO 1.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Colombia 4, Dominican Republic 1

FOUR MEXICAN LEAGUE TEAMS NAME MANAGERS

With the 2022 Caribbean Series in the history books, attention south of the border has shifted to the Mexican League’s upcoming season, which will get underway on April 22 this year. The later start means later openings of spring training for the LMB’s 18 teams but most have been busy signing players and, in the case of four franchises, naming new managers. Quintana Roo, Guadalajara, Veracruz and Monclova have all announced new skippers since the first of the year.

In Cancun, the Quintana Roo Tigres are bringing in Luis Antonio “Tony” Rodriguez as dugout boss, replacing Oscar Robles (who took over when Adan Munoz was fired early during the 2021 campaign despite a winning record. A 51-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Rodriguez was signed by the Red Sox as an infielder in 1991 and played 27 games for Boston in 1996, batting .239 with one homer. He ended up playing seven years in the Bosox system and one as a Mariners minor leaguer before spending eight years with Nashua and Bridgeport in the independent Atlantic League, plus short stints in Taiwan and Puerto Rico.

After retiring as a player in 2005, Rodriguez has been an assistant GM with Puerto Rico’s Santurce Cangrejeros as well as a third base coach in Nicaragua for the Chinandega Tigres over the past three winters. Remarks made during his introductory press conference suggest that fans in Cancun might see their share of smallball this summer. “I am a person who likes to play the game as it should be,” he said. “I was a baseball player and I played the basic game: touch, sacrifice, move the runners, move the base and that is what will be seen in the team this year.” Rodriguez, who has never managed a professional team, will wear number 13 this season.

Meanwhile, the Guadalajara Mariachis have hired a familiar face to replace Benji Gil, who resigned as manager to take a coaching job with the Los Angeles Angels. Sergio Gastelum, a former All-Star second baseman over a 22-year playing career who has had success as a manager, will take over the second-year team. Gastelum was a .316 batter and won multiple pennants as a player over 1,675 games before retiring. His first job as a manager was with Oaxaca in 2018, when he took the chronic underdog Guerreros to the Serie del Rey in the Fall season before losing to Monterrey. After another winning season in Oaxaca in 2019, team owner Alfredo Harp Helu hired him to manage the Mexico City Diablos Rojos (who Harp also owns). That’s when things got weird.

     Gastelum led the Diablos in their 2020 training camp until the Mexican League canceled the season in reaction to the Wuhan virus. Then the Diablos did some shuffling that resulted in Miguel Ojeda being bumped from the front office to manager and Gastelum being bumped from the ranks of the employed without ever managing a regular season game in Mexico City. He did manage in Monterrey in 2021 after Homar Rojas was fired 15 games into the season. The Sultanes had a 26-25 record and made the playoffs but Gastelum was sent packing after Roberto Kelly (who’d managed the Fall 2018 champs) agreed to return to Monterrey. Gastelum also managed Obregon in the Mexican Pacific League and won Manager of the Year twice, but was let go after the Yaquis lost their opening round playoff series last month. 

Another second-year Liga team, the Veracruz Aguilas, have picked Emmanuel Valdez as their new helmsman, replacing Leo Rodriguez III. A 43-year-old Tijuana native nicknamed “El Peque” (“The Little One”), the 6’3” 230-pound Valdez spent 19 LMB seasons as a catcher-first baseman for five teams. He was a steady hitter in the .280 range who hit 224 homers, including a career-high 25 longballs for Saltillo in 2013. Valdez also played eight winters in the Mexican Pacific League between 2005 and 2013, batting .241 with 43 homers in 302 regular season games for Mexicali and Culiacan.

Like Rodriguez in Quintana Roo, Valdez has never managed a team but he brings impressive credentials as a former player to Jalisco. He was a regular on LMB pennant-winning teams for both the Tigres and Campeche and was a silver medalist for Mexico at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico. Valdez was part of a select group of Mexicans certified by MLB to train coaches around the world, he’s been an instructor in the national ProBeis program and most recently served as a catching coach with Guasave in the MexPac.

Finally, Mickey Callaway has been elevated to manager of the Monclova Acereros’ Mexican League squad after leading the Steelers to the Mexican Winter League championship last year. Callaway was a 1996 Tampa Bay draft pick out of the University of Mississippi and made his MLB debut with the Rays three years later. He eventually spent all or part of five seasons pitching in the Majors, three years in South Korea and one year in Taiwan, where he was a member of the 2009 Taiwan Series champion Uni-President Lions.

After retiring following the Taiwan Series, Callaway became a pitching coach in the Indians system and served manager Terry Francona in that role for Cleveland between 2013 and 2017, including the Tribe’s American League title season of 2016. Callaway then managed the New York Mets in 2018-19 (leading them to a 163-161 record over two years) and was hired to be the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach for 2020 before an investigation into sexual harassment allegations led to his suspension by MLB through the upcoming seasons and his firing by the Angels.

MITRE FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING 1-YEAR-OLD GIRL

(Warning: This is not a story for the faint of heart)

Sergio Mitre, who pitched in parts of eight major league seasons and won a World Series ring with the 2009 New York Yankees, likely will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s infant daughter.

Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reports that Mitre was convicted in Saltillo (where he last pitched for the Mexican League Saraperos in 2019) and sentenced to 50 years in prison for the July 2020 sexual assault and killing. An autopsy showed the 22-month-old, who is identified only as Ines by authorities, had been sexually assaulted before her death, according to the report, as the result of hypovolemic shock, in which severe blood loss prevents the heart from pumping enough blood through the body. 

Prosecutors said Mitre punched Ines in her lower back after an argument between him and the girl’s mother. The girl’s mother rushed her to Saltillo Children’s Hospital after she began vomiting and fainting, and she was later declared dead.

Mitre was born in Los Angeles and raised in Tijuana. He was drafted in 2001 out of San Diego City College and debuted with the Cubs in 2003. He had stints with the Marlins, Brewers and Yankees, with whom he pitched from July through September of their title-winning 2009 club. The now 40-year-old posted a 6.79 ERA in 51 ⅔ innings that season and was left off the postseason roster.

Mitre last pitched in MLB with the Yankees in 2011 after compiling a career 13-30 record with a 5.21 ERA over 143 games, 64 of them starts, between 2003 and 2011. He then pitched for teams south of the border, including stints with Leon, Tijuana, Dos Laredos and Saltillo in the Mexican League (going 17-8 with a 5.10 ERA in three seasons) as well as Mexicali in the Mexican Pacific League, where he went 9-10 and 3.38 over three winters. 

The 6’3” right-hander, who had a 12-5 record in 2019 for the Tecos and Saraperos, was on the Saltillo roster during the suspended 2020 LMB campaign at the time charges were filed and he was taken to jail. Mitre had been arrested the previous season on domestic violence charges at a Quality Inn in Saltillo and while he was suspended “indefinitely,” the team quietly reinstated him prior to the 2020 season and even included him in promotions for the campaign, which was eventually canceled.

     Mitre, who earned an estimated $5.2 million as a Major League pitcher according to Spotrac, was ordered by the Saltillo court to pay $66,429 in restitution damages related to the sexual assault and murder case. He is far from the first recent Mexican League player or manager to have run afoul of the law on domestic violence or sexual assault charges, as we will learn next week in a translated column by Beatriz Pereyra for Mexico City’s Proceso magazine.

MEXICO BLANKS COLOMBIA, 1-0 FOR FIRST CS WIN

  A standout start by Wilmer Rios and a solo homer from Felix Perez formed the keynotes in Mexico’s 1-0 shutout victory over Colombia Sunday in the 2022 Caribbean Series in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The win was Mexico’s first after suffering losses in the first two days playing in the Crown Jewel of Latin Baseball at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal.

Rios tossed 6.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out five batsmen. He was followed on the mound by relievers Enrique Burgos (1.1 IP) and Roberto Osuna (1 IP) as the latter recorded the save with a one-hit ninth, striking out Mauricio Ramirez swinging to end a contest that took just two hours, 37 minutes to play.

The lone run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the second inning when Perez lined a 2-2 Porifirio Lopez pitch to right, as the ball cleared the fence by inches over the head of Colombian rightfielder Harold Ramirez. Neither team bothered the scorekeeper much as a combined nine hits were recorded. Besides Perez’ longball, Mexico received a pair of singles from leadoff batter Jose Juan Aguilar and one-baggers from Esteban Quiroz and Dario Alvarez. Quiroz and Alvarez also stole bases but Perez was the only Mexican batter to go beyond second base. Rios earned the win while Lopez was tagged with the loss for Colombia, who had won their first two games in their third appearance in the Serie del Caribe going into Sunday’s tilt.

Mexico’s opener was a 3-2 tripleheader nightcap loss against the hosts last Friday. The Dominicans were designated the “away” team and opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Hanser Alberto stroked a triple and later came in on a Robinson Cano groundout. The Mexicans evened the score in the bottom of the first after Japhet Amador lined a two-out single to left and plated Joey Meneses. A sharply hit single by Meneses brought in Quiroz to give Mexico a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third, but that would be the last run they’d record off starter Tyler Alexander and seven relievers. The Dominicans regained the advantage for good in the top of the seventh when Alberto’s Texas Leaguer to center field off reliever Tyler Wilson scored Moises Sierra and a Cano singleoff Samuel Zazueta brought Jose Siri in with the go-ahead run. Quiroz and Amador each singled and doubled for manager Roberto Vizcarra’s side but Mexico left nine runners on base as Brennan Bernardino’s good start (5.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 4K) went for naught.

Mexico dropped to 0-2 in the Caribbean Series on Saturday after a 5-0 shutout loss to Venezuela. Starter Manny Barreda gave up three runs in the third as Danry Vasquez doubled in Cade Gotta and Niuman Romero followed by an RBI single from Balbino Fuenmayor scored Vasquez. Barreda was replaced by Alemao Hernandez, who promptly plunked Pablo Sandoval but got the last two outs to end the frame. Venezuela scored once in the fifth when Sandoval scored on a Gabriel Noriega single and got a final run in the sixth when Sandoval homered down the right field line on a full-count pitch from David Gutierrez. Barreda took the loss for Mexico, who had just four hits, including a Fernando Perez double, and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Yohander Mendez tossed five innings of one-hit ball (a first-inning single by Meneses) to earn the win for the Venezuelans.

With two days of first-round tripleheaders left, the unbeaten Dominicans have clinched a berth in Wednesday’s semifinals while winless Puerto Rico will need to win their final two games to even have a shot at the Final Four. Mexico’s 1-2 record has them tied for fourth with Panama going into games against Puerto Rico on Monday and Panama on Tuesday.

CARIBBEAN SERIES FIRST ROUND STANDINGS

Dominican Republic 3-0, Colombia 2-1, Venezuela 2-1, MEXICO 1-2, Panama 1-2, Puerto Rico 0-3.
REMAINING SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES LOCAL)

MONDAY, Jan. 31: Venezuela at Panama (10:30AM), Mexico at Puerto Rico (3:00PM), Dominican Republic at Colombia (8:00PM).

TUESDAY, Feb. 1: Colombia at Puerto Rico (10:30AM), Panama at Mexico (3:00PM), Venezuela at Dominican Republic (8:00PM)

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2: Semifinal A - 3rd place at 2nd place (3:30PM), Semifinal B - 4th place at 1st place (8:00PM).

THURSDAY, Feb. 3: Winner Semifinal A vs. Winner Semifinal B (7:00PM).

JUAN CASTRO TO MANAGE DIABLOS ROJOS IN 2022

The Mexico CIty Red Devils of Mexico have named Juan Gabriel Castro as manager for the upcoming Mexican League season.

In seeking their 17th title in team history, the Diablos are handing the reins to Castro, who appeared in 17 seasons as a player in the Major Leagues during a 21-year career as an infielder and later managed in both the LMB and the Mexican Pacific League He also led the Mexican National Team to a Premier12 tournament qualification for last summer’s Olympic Games before being unceremoniously dumped in favor of Benji Gil weeks before the team was due to fly to Tokyo after criticizing Mexico’s CONADE national sports commission and head Ana Guevara (a political ally of president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador) for lack of financial or logistical support. Mexico was winless in four games under Gil.

“I am grateful for coming to this organization,” Castro said at a press conference at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu. “Yes, there were several proposals (from other teams) and in the end I came here to the Devils because it is a serious organization and has very good prestige and great principles, which are also in accordance with my principles. I really want to work, we come to add and we will do everything possible to bring the title to Mexico City.”

Castro comes from the Philadelphia Phillies organization, with whom he spent three years under manager Joe Girardi until his contract expired last October. The49-year-old Los Mochis native has been a coach in MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers for skipper Dave Roberts before leaving that post for an ill-fated front office stint with the Tijuana Toros de Tijuana in 2018, where he was never given a clearly defined role (and was even going to manage the team at one point) before he parted company with the Uribe family and their team on less than amicable terms. He’s also managed winterball teams in Obregon, Mexicali and Hermosillo.

“The main message is 'we want to be champions,” added Castro. “The important thing is that we all work as a team to be able to achieve the goal we want, which is the title. One way of working with the players is to try to make everyone happy, but something that has worked for me and that I have done with the boys is respect: respect towards themselves, towards their teammates, towards baseball.”

With this appointment, work will begin on the construction of the Diablos coaching staff, where candidates will be interviewed while some current coaches will be kept on the staff. Similarly, it was confirmed that Miguel Ojeda, who managed the Diablos to first place in the South Division with a 41-23 record before losing to Yucatan in five games for the LMB South championship series, remains in the organization. 

Ojeda was named manager of the team after a front-office purge last year, replacing Sergio Gastelum (who was brought in from Oaxaca to run the team for the canceled 2020 season and let go last spring before ever managing a game in Mexico City). Gastelum was replacing Victor Bojorquez, who managed the Diablos to a 69-49 record and first place in the LMB South in 2019 before losing to Yucatan in four straight in the division finals. The more things change…

MAESTROS OF MEXICO: Houston Jimenez, SS (1974-2000)

Houston Jimenez was a top-notch shortstop in both the Mexican and Mexican Pacific Leagues who spent all or part of four seasons playing major league ball with three teams during a 25-year playing career before embarking on a managerial career that saw him manage seven clubs in twelve seasons.

Alfonso “Houston” Jimenez was born October 30, 1957 in Navojoa, Sonora.  Nicknamed as a child after a TV Western character, Jimenez broke into the Mexican League with the Puebla Angeles in 1974, batting .212 in 20 games as a 16-year-old. Despite his low average, he did well enough to be signed by the Chicago Cubs, who assigned the 5’8” 144-pounder to their Class A Key West affiliate in the Florida State League. After hitting just .212 for Key West, Jimenez returned to Puebla in 1976 and went on to play five seasons with the Angeles, topping the .300 mark in 1977 (.303) and 1979 (.305). He signed with Minnesota in 1981 and went on to play in the United States for the next twelve seasons.

Jimenez made his big league debut on June 13, 1983 with the Twins and ended that campaign with a .174 average in 36 games. In 1984, he had his best shot as a major leaguer, batting a career-high .201 in 108 games for the Twins. Jimenez later had cups of coffee with Pittsburgh and Cleveland and posted a career .185 average in 158 MLB games.

Jimenez returned to the Mexican League in 1993 with Campeche and also played for Saltillo, Mexico City and Quintana Roo over seven seasons.  He was a much better hitter south of the border, topping .300 two more times in the Nineties (with a career-best .337 for the Saraperos in 1995).  In all, Houston had a lifetime average of .282 over 13 Liga seasons, including four .300+ campaigns. Never a power hitter, the 6’1” 185-pounder hit 41 career homers.

Jimenez was an effective hitter over 25 winters in the Mexican Pacific League between 1975 and 2000.  He batted .259 with 73 homers, and is third on the MexPac’s all-time list in both runs scored (754) and hits (1339).  He is second to Hector Espino with 230 career doubles, and his 209 stolen bases trail only Matias Carrillo.

During the 1999 Liga season, his last full year as a player, Jimenez was manager-shortstop for Saltillo. He hit .299 as the Seraperos finished first in the Northern Division with a 74-45 record before reaching the playoff semifinals. Jimenez has gone on to manage seven teams for all or part of 12 seasons, leading Puebla to the Serie del Rey in 2010 and 2014. His teams posted an aggregate 735-584 mark through his last year as a dugout boss in 2018 with Tabasco.

Houston Jimenez, who turned 74 last October 30, was elected to Mexico’s Salon de la Fama in 2007 and the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.

CANIZALES TOUTS MONTERREY AS POTENTIAL CS SITE

    Although the next edition of the Caribbean Series is slated to take place next February in the relatively stable Dominican Republic, Septima Entrada writer Tomas Lopez says Mexican Pacific League president Omar Canizales is touting a Mexican city that has never hosted the event as a possible future site: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.

    "It shouldn't be long before Monterrey can have a Serie del Caribe,” Canizales is quoted as saying. “Indeed, there's an agreement between the owners of the teams where there's a rotation to host this tournament.” Canizales added that Monterrey could be an ideal fill-in in case another scheduled country declines to host the event for some reason because the hometown Sultanes are co-owned by the Multimedios media company that can effectively get the word out on short notice. The Sultanes' 21,906-seat Estadio Monterrey is the largest ballpark in Mexico and third-largest in Latin America.

    Canizales alluded to past Caribbean Series that have had to move weeks before the tournament to alternate sites like Panama City and Guadalajara because of politicial and economic miseries occurring in Venezuela, the planned host site. “Let's remember that eventually eventually, our Caribbean brothers in some countries may have some instability and I think Monterrey can be a good 'pinch-hitter' for this event...I believe Monterrey and Multimedios can be tremendous hosts.”

    Mexico is one of four nations included in the CS rotation along with Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Venezuela is scheduled to host the Serie del Caribe in 2023 while Mexico, which held the event in Mazatlan last winter, is not slated to come up in the rotation until 2025. Mexicali is seen as the front-runner to serve as host that year.

    Meanwhile, on the playing field, only two games separate the top five teams in the Mex Pac standings after last weekend's games. When the dust settled Sunday night, Navojoa had sole possession of first place with a 15-8 record after the Mayos slipped past Obregon, 3-2, in ten innings. Maikel Serrano's bases-loaded walkoff single to left off reliever Alberto Leyva plated Jorge Sesma with the winning run as Obregon fell to a three-way tie for third with Jalisco and defending champion Culiacan.

    Guasave kept pace with Navojoa and remains a half-game out of first after clobbering Mexicali, 11-2, Sunday at Estadio Aguilas. Yadir Drake crushed a three-run homer for the Algodoneros while Jhoan Urena went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs to support starter Jordan Kipper's five shutout inings.

    Jalisco dropped a 5-4 decision Sunday to Los Mochis at home to remain in third a 13-10. Caneros' leadoff hitter Justin Dean and second batter Issac Rodriguez combined for five hits, three RBIs and two runs scored for the winners. Likewise, Culiacan remain tied for third Sunday after losing to Mazatlan, 3-2, at home. The Venados' Ramon Rios stroked a leadoff single, moved to second on a bunt, took third on a Derrick Loop wild pitch and scored the winning run on a Ricky Alvarez sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth.

    Navojoa outfielder Tirso Ornelas is the LMP's only .400 hitter and leads the loop with a .417 average, ahead of Jalisco's Christian Villanueva (.394) and Nick Torres of Hermosillo (.370). Torres' six homers are tops, followed by the five apiece from Monterrey's Danny Ortiz and Kyle Martin of Navojoa (who's hit his longballs over just ten games). Guasave's Jesse Castillo leads Maikel Serrano of Navojoa in the RBI race, 21 to 20. Culiacan's Dairon Blanco heads the list in stolen bases with eight, one more than three other baserunners: Jose Cardona (Hermosillo), Sebastian Elizalde (Culiacan) and Roel Santos (Navojoa).

    On the mound, 2018-19 LMP Pitcher of the Year Elian Leyva is making the decision of the Jalisco Charros to release him last winter appear ill-considered. Now pitching for Hermosillo, the Cuban-born righty gave up one single over seven innings in Monterrey Saturday to run his string of shutout entradas at the start of the season to 32. Needless to say, Leyva's 0.00 ERA is best in the Mex Pac (Jalisco's Orlando Lara has allowed one earned run over 27 frames), his 4-0 record matches Navojoa's Carlos de Leon for most wins and his 0.63 WHIP is also first in the LMP. Leyva's 25 strikeouts are third on that list behind two Obregon hurlers, Luis Escobar (30) and Hector Velazquez (27). Jake Sanchez' strong work for Mexicali continues, with the Californian's seven saves leading Navojoa's Carlos Bustamante's five while striking out 17 batters in just ten innings to augment his 0.90 ERA.

    Looking forward, a pair of midweek series loom large when Jalisco visits Obregon and Navojoa opens a three-game series in Hermosillo on Tuesday. Next weekend, Navojoa will host Guasave while Hermosillo will be in Guadalajara for a trio of games against the Charros as all five teams seek to break up the relative logjam at the top.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE STANDINGS: Navojoa 15-8, Guasave 14-8, Culiacan 13-10, Jalisco 13-10, Obregon 13-10, Hermosillo 12-11, Mexicali 10-13, Mazatlan 9-14, Monterrey 9-14, Los Mochis 6-16.

LMB PLANS APRIL 2022 OPENER, NINETY-GAME SEASON

    The Mexican League has announced that its Assembly of Presidents recently approved a 90-game regular season for 2022 running from late April until early August, followed by an extended postseason in which 12 of the Liga's 18 teams will qualify for playoff berths.

    The anouncement came from the LMB office in Mexico City, in which league president Horacio de la Vega stated, “I appreciate the encouragement and collaboration of all the presidents to define the key dates for the 2022 season in order to have adequate planning that will benefit us all: fans, television stations and sponsors.”

    The Mexican League regular season is slated to open Thursday, April 21, at Estadio Nacional, home of the defending champion Tijuana Toros. The Bulls' opponent was not mentioned. The rest of the LMB will swing into action one night later on Friday, April 22. The regular season, which will consist of a total of 810 games, will conclude on Sunday, August 7, with the playoffs to commence shortly thereafter. The Liga's All-Star Weekend will take place between June 17 through 19 in Monclova. There was no All-Star Game last summer.

    The playoffs will be similar to this year's format, in which the top six teams from each division will advance to the first round, with the three series winners moving on to the Division Semifinals along with a fourth “wild card” club that fared the best among the three opening round losers. The LMB will use a single-season format and discard the two-half look it's had in past seasons and that the Mexican Pacific League still employs during the winter.

    While the 90-game slate represents a 36 percent increase over this year's pandemic-shortened, 66-game schedule, it also marks a 25 percent reduction from 2019's 120-calendar and will be the circuit's shortest regular season since before it was officially brought into the National Association (now Minor League Baseball) as a Class AA league in 1955. The shaving of 30 games off the last full season is partly meant to limit financial losses for the vast majority of LMB teams who lose money every time they throw the gates open. The Liga will now play only 22 more regular games than the Mex Pac.

    The Mexican League is a member of Minor League Baseball but operates as an independent league devoid of any formal affiliations with Major League organizations. The Liga's classification was raised from AA to AAA in 1967 but the loop received no classification for 2021.

    There was also a 3-for-1 trade in the Mexican League last month that saw Monclova send infielder Jose Vargas plus pitchers Ryan Verdugo and reliever Andrew Morales to Saltillo for outfielder Juan Perez in what appears to be an Acereros payroll deduction. Vargas hit .302 with 8 homers and 28 RBIs in 46 games for Monclova last summer, Verdugo was 1-0 with a 14.49 ERA in 11 appearances (including two starts) while Morales went 1-2 and 4.81 in 23 relief outings. Perez hit .233 for the Saraperos in 2021, adding 10 homers and 26 ribbies in 65 games.

MEX PAC ROAD TRIP (Stop #5): Navojoa, Sonora

    From Obregon, we’ll continue our virtual Mexican Pacific League road trip with a short 43-mile hop south on Highway 15 to the fifth of ten stops: Navojoa, Sonora, home of the Mayos and one of the LMP's smaller markets with a 2020 population of 164,387.

    The word “navojoa” comes from the Mayo Indian dialect root “navo” (or “prickly pear cactus”) and “jova” (or “house”), therefore meaning “the house of prickly pear cactus.” Even before the Spaniards arrived, the Mayo tribe had possession of the land including the Rio Mayo and the Mayo Valley. Although Spanish explorer Diego de Guzman arrived in the area in 1536 and Jesuit missionaries began settling locally in the 17th Century, Navojoa dates back to 1825, when it was part of the old State of the West formed after the Mexican Independence War starting in 1810.

    Due to its geographical location, Navojoa has been considered from the start as the center of productivity of this region, combining with Ciudad Obregon to form the Mayo Valley, one of Mexico’s most productive agricultural regions. The most important businesses are concentrated in Navojoa, with the main northbound and southbound state highways and railroads coming through the city as well as highways going to Alamos and Yavaros.

    Known as “The Pearl of the Mayo”, Navojoa is a city of contrasts. In spite of its modern features, the city has preserved an array of important historical monuments in the area well worth visiting, among them the Municipal Palace, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, sculpted monuments such as one erected in memory of General Alvaro Obregon, a plaza with obelisks in honor of the Talamante brothers.

    The Navojoa Mayos started in the Mexican Pacific League in the 1959-60 season and (after a two-year absence between 1960 and 1962) are playing their 60th consecutive season of winterball. After winning three titles in the old Pacific Coast League, the Mayos copped their first Mex Pac pennant in 1978-79 under manager Chuck Goggin and won their second (and last) flag in 1999-20 for skipper Lorenzo Bundy. They are now managed by Salon de la Fama member Matias Carrillo, who led Navojoa to the LMP finals against Hermosillo in 2013-14, one of ten times the Mayos have played the postseason bridesmaids. The team has retired two numbers: the 12 of Jose “Chico” Bojorquez and the 25 worn by Hector Heredia and

    “The Tribe” plays their home games at Estadio Manuel “Ciclon” Echevarria, an 11,500-seat ballpark named after a locally-born Salon de la Fama pitcher. The ballpark opened in time for the 1970-71 season and is owned by the Sonora state government. Navojoa is the only LMP city that hasn't built a new stadium or performed major renovations to its existing facility over the past decade.

DOMINICANS COP CS CROWN, MEXICO REACHES SEMIS

Mexicans celebrate win over Venezuela

    The Dominican Republic scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning against Puerto Rico and went on to post a 4-1 win in last Saturday's championship game of the 2021 Caribbean Series at Mazatlan. The Dominicans (represented by LiDom champion Cibaenas Aguilas) won all seven games they played to win their second consecutive Serie del Caribe and 21st title in 63 tournaments since it debuted in 1949.

    Hector Hernandez of Puerto Rico and Dominican opener Cesar Valdez, the 2019 Mexican League Pitcher of the Year, carried a scoreless tie through four innings until the Puerto Ricans plated the first run in the top of the fifth when Juan Centeno scored from second on Jarren Duran's single. The Dominicans tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on Johan Tamargo's home run to left off Hernandez, then took the lead for good one inning later when Juan Lagares drove in Ramon Torres from first with a double before scoring himself on Ronald Guzman's single to right. Guzman added an insurance homer in the eighth off reliever Fernando Cruz and it was left to 315-pound closer Jumbo Diaz to close out the tournament and winterball season with a 1-2-3 ninth.

    Mexico, represented by Mexican Pacific League champion Culiacan and a large contingent of reinforcement players, rebounded from a 1-2 first round start to win their final two games in the opening stage to reach the semifinals. Jesus Fabela led batters in the first stage with a .364 average over four games, followed by both Jose Cardona and Julian Leon at .333 in four games. Leon swatted a grand slam against Panama to match Jesse Castillo (whose three-run bomb capped a 10-2 opening night win over Colombia) in homers. Leon and Castillo each had a team-high five RBIs over the first five games.

    Pitchers Anthony Vasquez and Manny Barreda, who pitched for Culiacan during the regular season and playoffs, turned in the best starts over Mexico's three win. Vasquez allowed one earned run over seven innings in Wednesday's important 6-3 win against Panama and Barreda likewise let in one earned tally in six frames, striking out five during Mexico's win over Colombia on January 31. Hector Velazquez pitched credibly one night later (one earned run in 4.2 entradas) against the Dominican Republic but took the 4-2 loss as all three hurlers turned in sub-2.00 ERA for manager Benji Gil's squad.

    During the tournament, the host Mexicans offered help to Panama's handpicked all-star team of domestic and foreign talent when the latter found themselves down two pitchers who were sidelined by positive tests for the Wuhan virus. Veteran hurlers Jose Samayoa and Walter Silva were loaned to the Panamanians with one caveat: Neither could pitch against Mexico in Wednesday's game between the two nations.

    That condition was eventually relaxed and the 44-year-old Silva came out from the bullpen against his countrymen, giving up Leon's fourth-inning grand slam that put Mexico ahead in Panama's 6-3 loss Wednesday. He then tossed three innings of relief in Friday's semifinal game against the Dominican Republic, doing well until he allowed Carlos Paulino's two-run walkoff single with two out in the ninth to give the Dominicans a 3-2 victory, sending them to Saturday's title game. Samayoa did not pitch for his adoptive team.

    Slugger Jesse Castillo was the only member of the Mexican team to be named to the Caribbean Series All-Star Team for 2021. The 37-year-old Castillo, who hit .293 with a homer and five RBIs to tie Julian Leon for the team leadership in the latter two categories, was selected by media as the designated hitter. 

    The All-Star Team was dominated by the Dominican Republic, who took up six of the eleven player slots while Felix Fermin was chosen as manager. Two Dominicans, second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Melky Cabrera, are past Major League all-stars with 31 years of MLB experience between them while Puerto Rican catcher Yadier Molina has been a nine-time all-star during his 17 big league seasons with St. Louis. Another Dominican, outfielder Juan Lagares, was named the CS Most Valuable Player after batting .316 with two homers and eight RBIs.

    Organizers held their collective breaths regarding attendance, with the pandemic still gripping all participating countries and the host Mazatlan Venados only allowed to fill 45 percent of Estadio Teodoro Mariscal's 16,000 seats for social distancing purposes, reducing capacity to 7,000 per game. Given the conditions, turnout was probably better than some observers expected, as 54,854 fans attended 17 games over the seven-day event, an average of 3,227 per game. A total of 40,465 fans attended 14 first round games between Sunday and Thursday (attendance at Wednesday's tripleheader opener between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic was not available) for an average of 2,840 per opening. Another 10,385 clicked the turnstiles for Friday's semifinal twinbill and Saturday's final between the Dominicans and Puerto Rico brought in another 4,003 aficionados.

Mexico's 2021 Caribbean Series team

    As expected, host Mexico's games (all nightcaps) drew the biggest crowds, as 32,714 attended five first round games plus one Final Four contest involving Mexico for an average of 5,452. The semi contest against Puerto Rico drew 6,509 fans, the most for a single game while attendance at two of the available morning tripleheader openers was 400 and 403. Crowds grew as the days went on during the opening round: Four recorded morning games averaged 555 spectators, followed by 2,407 at five afternoon games and 5,241 for a quintet of evening games.

    Finally, the Dominican Republic has been awarded the 2022 Caribbean Series. The last time the Dominicans hosted the Serie del Caribe was in 2016, when Mexico's Mazatlan Venados won the seven-day tournament held at Santo Domingo's Estadio Quisiqueya. Dominican League president Vitelio Mejia Ortiz said, “It will be a pleasure to host all of you and we assure you of our best effort so that the Caribbean Series event maintains all its splendor in our hands. We hope that with God's grace we will have a less complicated scenario in relation to the limitations of Covid-19.”

    Venezuela is scheduled to host the 2023 Serie del Caribe, Puerto Rico will be the site of the 2024 event and the Caribbean Series will return to Mexico in 2025.

CARIBBEAN SERIES GAME RESULTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
DAY 1: Sunday, 31 January 2021 (First Round)
Panama 6, Venezuela 3 (Mayckol Guaipe allowed 3 runs in 6th to take loss in relief)
Dominican Republic 5, Puerto Rico 1 (Juan Lageres' 3-run HR, 2-run single led Dominicans)
MEXICO 10, Colombia 2 (Jesse Castillo 3-run homer capped dominant Mexico win)
DAY 2: Monday, 1 February 2021 (First Round)
Panama 9, Colombia 5 (Jordan Diaz went 3-4 with 2B and 2 RBIs in loss for Colombia)
Puerto Rico 3, Venezuela 0 (Hector Hernandez and four relievers combined on 2-hitter)
Dominican Republic 4, MEXICO 2 (DR's Juan Lagares hit second HR in two games)
DAY 3: Tuesday, 2 February 2021 (First Round)
Venezuela 1, Colombia 0 (Herlis Rodriguez' game-winning RBI 2B was Venezuelans' lone hit)
Dominican Republic 11, Panama 6 (Melky Cabrera hit 1B and 2B for 3 RBIs for Dominicans)
Puerto Rico 6, MEXICO 4 (Puerto Rico's Edwin Diaz socked 2-run HR, scored 3 runs)
DAY 4: Wednesday, 3 February 2021 (First Round)
Dominican Republic 2, Venezuela 0 (Robel Garcia's 2-run 1B in B7 broke scoreless tie)
Puerto Rico 2, Colombia 1 (Bases-loaded walk in B9 scored Johneswhy Fargas with winner)
MEXICO 6, Panama 3 (Julian Leon's grand slam in T4 put Mexicans ahead for good)
DAY 5: Thursday, 4 February 2021 (First Round)
Puerto Rico 9, Panama 8 (Jarren Duran hit solo HR, 2B, scored 3 runs for Puerto Ricans)
Dominican Republic 3, Colombia 2 (Rangel Ravelo's walkoff 1B plated Ramon Torres)
MEXICO 4, Venezuela 3 [10] (Juan Carlos Gamboa's bases-loaded 1B gave Mexico victory)

FIRST ROUND STANDINGS
Dominican Republic 5-0, Puerto Rico 4-1, MEXICO 3-2, Panama 2-3, Colombia 0-6

DAY 6: Friday, 5 February 2021 (Semifinals)
Dominican Republic 3, Panama 2 (Carlos Paulino hit 2-out, walkoff 2-run single in B10)
Puerto Rico 2, MEXICO 1 (Rey Fuentes' 2-run HR in B4 held up to give PR finals berth)

DAY 7: Saturday, 6 February 2021 (Championship Game)
Dominican Republic 4, Puerto Rico 1 (Juan Legares 2B drove in game-winner in B6)

2021 CARIBBEAN SERIES ALL-STAR TEAM
C-Yadier Molina (PR), 1B-Ronald Guzman (DR), 2B-Robinson Cano (DR), 3B-Jordan Diaz (COL), SS-Jonathan Arauz (PAN), OF-Juan Lagares (DR), Melky Cabrera (DR) and Jarren Duran (PR), DH-Jesse Castillo (MX), SP-Carlos Martinez (DR), RP-Jumbo Diaz (DR), MGR-Felix Fermin (DR).

OJEDA BACK FOR THIRD STINT AS DIABLOS MANAGER

Miguel Ojeda: Back in the saddle again

    The Mexico City Diablos Rojos have officially announced the return of Miguel Ojeda as their manager for the 2021 season. This will be the former MLB catcher's third stint as the Red Devils' helmsman. Ojeda will replace Sergio Gastelum, who was dismissed last month after never managing a Mexican League game for the 16-time champions.

    In a virtual press conference held at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, team executive president Dr. Othón Díaz expressed confidence in the new appointment: “He has the instinctive values and principles of the Red Devils organization,” said Diaz. He also has the experience and knowledge to show the face of the 2014 champion team. For all that, we see him as a natural option.”

    Ojeda carries a 258-184 record from his two previous terms as Mexico City's manager, including their most recent LMB title in 2014, into his third time around. “Being on the field and sharing with the players the joys that Diablos Rojos del México offers is a facet that I missed a lot,” he said during he press conference. “I'm anxious for the season to start at once.” His last time managing the team was in 2017, a year before becoming a part-owner and front office executive in Durango before rejoining the Diablos as a vice president.

Adrian Gonzalez and Ojeda at past WBC

    As a player, Ojeda played for the Diablos Rojos during the 1990's, belting four homers in one game at the old Parque Social Seguro as well as playing all nine positions in another game at Foro Sol. He became the first player from his native Guaymas to reach the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres, also catching for Seattle, Colorado and Texas in addition to suiting up for the Mexican National Team. He hit .224 in 212 MLB games over four seasons, contributing 15 homers and 72 RBIs in 553 plate appearances, and played for Mexico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics.

    In addition to Ojeda's appointment of the new helmsman, Jorge del Valle was named Sports Manager of the Diablos, replacing the departed Francisco Minjarez (who has joined the new Guadalajara Mariachis in a similar capacity). Del Valle has held the position of Director of Harp's baseball academy in Oaxaca since 2017. Del Valle was also in charge of two champions in the disbanded Mexican Winter League (LIM) and two more titles in the Class A Northern Mexico League with the Ensenada Marineros. He was also in charge of the entire Diablos Rojos scouting team, many of whom were let go during a front office purge earlier this winter.

    “I know that I'm at home and I will take care of it as such,” said Del Valle. “I'm very grateful for the opportunity that the Harp family gives me and we are going to work hand in hand with Miguel Ojeda to bring the championship home.”

SULTANES SEND FELIX PEREZ TO JALISCO IN SIX-PLAYER DEAL

Felix Perez as an NPB player

    There's an adage in sports, at least among some of the more proactive teams, that “next season begins the day after this season ends." That certainly seems to apply to a pair of Mexican Pacific League teams who didn't wait until the conclusion of the Caribbean Series in Mazatlan to swing a blockbuster six-player trade in which two outfielders (one a former NPB performer out of Cuba) and a veteran pitcher were swapped for a trio of similar players.

    Monterrey Sultanes sports manager Jesus Valdez Jr. sent recalcitrant outfielder/first baseman Felix Perez, speedy outfielder Jose Juan Aguilar and longtime reliever Fredy Quintero to Jalisco for outfielders Carlos Figueroa and Henry Urrutia plus reliever Linder Castro in a deal announced by Charros GM Rey Padilla and managing partner Armando Navarro, who is embroiled in a battle with former team president Salvador Quirarte that will likely end up in the courts (more on that next week).

    A 36-year-old Cuban, Perez played three winters for his hometown Isla de Juventud Toronjeros between 2005 and 2008 before defecting and eventually signing with Cincinnati. He spent five years in the Reds system, including three at AAA Louisville, and later played with Monterrey and Aguascalientes in the Mexican League and in NPB with the Rakuten Eagles. Perez has also played winterball in Venezuela and Mexico and was Monterrey's top hitter (.270) during the Sultanes' first season in the Mexican Pacific League. 

    However, the 6'2” lefty swinger failed to come to terms with Monterrey this winter and threatened to go home to play for Isla de Juventud. Instead, the Sultanes loaned him to Obregon and later Mexicali, for whom he hit a combined .219 with 12 homers over 41 games. He'll likely play first base next winter for Jalisco.

    Also moving to Guadalajara is Aguilar, who hit .322 and scored 26 runs in 35 games for the Sultanes this winter, his eighth in the LMP. Career-wise, the 30-year-old has hit .297 over 368 games in the Mex Pac. A member of Mexico's Premier12 team last winter, Aguilar has spent ten years with Reynosa and Yucatan in the Mexican League, where he's hit .307 in 803 games. Aguilar is a leadoff type batter who can get on base, steal a base, is more likely to hit a double than a homer and can also play all three outfield positions.

    Quintero will likely fill a middleman role for Jalisco manager Roberto Vizcarra. He made 29 appearances from the bullpen for the Sultanes and went 3-1 with a 5.61 ERA. After spending two years in the Dodgers organization, the 33-year-old Los Mochis product made his Mexican League debut with Aguascalientes in 2012 and has pitched south of the border ever since. Quintero has worked mostly out of the bullpen in both the LMB and LMP with negligible results: He's a career 26-37 with a 5.95 ERA in the Liga while going 7-10 and 5.21 in the MexPac. He has a 93 MPH fastball, but throwing it for strikes is a sometime thing.

Carlos Figueroa traded to Jalisco

    In return, the Sultanes picked up Figueroa, a 5'8” centerfielder who's one of the fastest players in Mexico. A 28-year-old from Hermosillo, Figueroa offers no power (he has yet to homer in seven LMP seasons) but, like Aguilar, he's a top-of-the-order hitter who can get on base, drive pitchers batty and score runs for his team. He hit .316 with Monterrey this winter and led the Mex Pac with 72 hits and 43 runs scored over 57 games. Figueroa has done even better in the summer, batting .320 over all or parts of eight seasons in Mexico City and topping 20 steals five times. Figueroa started as a middle infield but strictly plays centerfield now.

    Urrutia will give Monterrey manager Gerardo Alvarez a steady bat with extra-base power and the ability to play first base as well as both corner outfield positions. A Cuban who spent time in MLB with Baltimore in 2013 and 2015, Urrutia starred with Las Tunas in the Cuban National Series for five winters before (like Perez) defecting after the 2009-10 season. He played five years in the Orioles system, was traded to the Red Sox during the 2017 season and made his Mexican debut with the Diablos Rojos one year later. He played for four LMB teams in two years, ending up with Saltillo in 2019, but has hit well above .300 both years. Likewise, he's hit .323 and .303 with a combined 14 homers in 118 games for Jalisco the last two seasons.

    Rounding out the trade for Monterrey is Castro, a middleman from Merida who has struggled during the summer but done well in winterball. Castro, 29, is 32-42 with a 5.47 ERA after nine seasons in the Mexican League, where he was a back-of-the rotation starter until Aguascalientes manager Homar Rojas made him a reliever in 2017. The 5'10 righty has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen over five winters and 114 appearances in the LMP, going 4-7 with five saves and a 3.38 ERA. Castro pitched sparingly for the Charros last season (9 games, no decisions, 3.68 ERA), but should get more work with the Sultanes in 2021-22.