ORANGEMEN UP 2 GAMES WITH 5 GAMES LEFT

Mazatlan RHP Juan Pablo Tellez

    With only five games left over the final four days of the Mexican Pacific League season (including a slate full of Monday night doubleheaders), the Hermosillo Naranjeros continue to lead the second-half standings with a 19-8 record. Even if the Orangemen lose all five of their games against Los Mochis and Mexicali, they would finish no worse than tied for fourth place and have assured themselves a berth in next month's eight-team playoffs thanks in part to their ten first-half playoff points.

    Right behind Hermosillo are another three teams who are near-locks for postseason action. Los Mochis (17-10), Obregon (15-12) and Guasave (14-13, tied for fourth with Mexicali) would've finished with 16 points apiece if the season had ended Christmas night while the Aguilas would've completed the regular season with 11 points. The rest of the table gets very interesting at that point as Mexicali would nudge out Navojoa (12-15) for fifth seed by a half-point while both Monterrey (12-15) and Mazatlan (11-6) would take the final two playoff berths with 10.0 points each over two halves.

    That would leave a pair of surprises with their noses pressed against the glass while watching the other kids play inside. Defending champion Jalisco (11-16) is tied with Mazatlan and projects to a season total of 8.5 playoff points and a ninth-place seed. Culiacan (10-17) is last in both the second-half standings and in playoff points with just 7.0 overall. The Tomateros will almost have to sweep all five of their remaining games to have a shot at avoiding postseason contention as both teams from last winter's LMP Championship Series may end up missing the first round altogether, something almost unheard of even in the wild world of Mexican baseball.

    In Monday's twinbills, Jalisco is at home in Guadalajara to play a pair against Mazatlan while Culiacan will welcome Obregon at Estadio Tomateros for a crucial doubleheader. Then the midweek series will put the Charros on the road in Obregon and the Tomateros occupying the visitors' dugout in Monterrey. The Yaquis, holders of a season record of 35-28 (third overall) are in the position to play kingbreakers in their five games against two teams desperate for wins.

    In the battle for individual glory, Monterrey's Roberto Valenzuela (.358) is on his way to a first batting title with an 18-point lead over Fernando Villegas of Los Mochis (.340) while Los Mochis's Justin Dean (.335) is in third. Heading into the final week of the schedule, there's a three-way tie for the home tun crown as Jesse Castillo (Guasave), Anthony Giansanti (Mexicali) and Yasmany Tomas (Los Mochis) each have ten roundtrippers. 

    Tomas has dropped out of contention for a rare triple crown but his 54 RBIs put him in the drive-in seat (pun intended) to win at least one title as Obregon teammates Victor Mendoza (48) and Yadir Drake (42) may be too far back to catch up. Hermosillo's Jose Cardona literally ran wild in Sunday night's 3-2 loss at Los Mochis by stealing four bases in four attempts against Caneros catcher Juan Uriarte to raise his season total to 25, three more than Randy Romero's 22 for Mazatlan. Dean (Los Mochis) and Nick Torres (Hermosillo) are tied for third with 15 swipes each.

    Among pitchers, Luis Miranda's 1.07 ERA for Los Mochis make him a shoo-in to finish with the lowest number in that category, although Mazatlan's Braulio Torres-Perez' 1.49 gives him a puncher's chance if Miranda gets blown apart in his final start at Guasave later this week. Wilmer Rios of Hermosillo is third at 1.98. Rios leads the Mex Pac with eight wins, one more than teammate Elian Leyva and Mazatlan's Juan Tellez. The latter is a Rookie of the Year candidate despite pitching 14 games (including six starts) last winter for the Venados.

    Manny Barreda of Culiacan struck out nine Obregon batters in six innings on Christmas night to take over the LMP lead in K's with 71, ahead of Guasave's Matt Pobereyko (67) and Javier Solano's 60 for Jalisco. Elkin Alcala (Mazatlan) and Brandon Koch (Guasave) are tied at the top of the table with 18 saves apiece, ahead of the 13 of Joe Riley (Monterrey) and Jake Sanchez (Mexicali).

    After the regular season ends on Thursday night, all four first round playoff series will get underway next Sunday. All best-of-seven postseason series will use the classic 2-3-2 format with travel days following Games Two and Five (if needed)


FANS TO HELP PICK MEX PAC AWARD WINNERS

Los Mochis RHP Luis Miranda

    The Mexican Pacific League is going to allow fans to cast online ballots and help determine five postseason award winners for the 2022-23 season. The special ballots will augment selections made by members of the press covering the LMP's ten teams.

    Each category will have an average of 5 participants to win their respective prize and online voting is open until Friday, December 30. The following nominees include player statistics through December 22:

MANAGER OF THE YEAR (BENJAMÍN "CANANEA" REYES TROPHY)
José Moreno, Los Mochis: 36 wins, 26 losses
Juan Gabriel Castro, Hermosillo: 40 wins, 22 losses
Luis Carlos Rivera, Obregon: 28 wins, 17 losses (Rivera took over on October 30)
Oscar Robles, Guasave: 34 wins, 28 losses

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (BALDOMERO "MELO" ALMADA TROPHY)
Fernando Villegas, Jalisco: .342 AVG./ 5 HR/ 30 RBI/ .931 OPS (Hitting .420 with RISP).
Luis Márquez, Hermosillo: 31 G/33.0 IP/1-1 W-L/0.82 ERA/39 K/0.76 WHIP/16 HLD.
Faustino Carrera, Obregon: 12 G/59.1 IP/6-5 W-L/3.75 ERA/39 K/1.23 WHIP.
José Carlos Medina, Obregon: 23 G/ 31.2 IP/3-0 W-L/1.99 ERA/18 K/1.20 WHIP/1 HLD.
Juan Pablo Tellez, Mazatlan: 12 G/57.2 IP/7-4 W-L/2.81 ERA/39 K/1.21 WHIP.

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR (ISIDRO MÁRQUEZ TROPHY)
Elkin Alcalá, Mazatlan: 31 G/31.0 IP/1-1 W-L/1.45 ERA/29 K/1.06 WHIP/18-20 SV-SVO.
Luis Márquez, Hermosllo: 31 G/33.0 IP/1-1 W-L/0.82 ERA/39 K/0.76 WHIP/16 HLD.
Jake Sánchez, Mexicali: 19 G/18.2 IP/0-0 W-L/1.45 ERA/26 K/0.75 WHIP/13-14 SV-SVO.
Brandon Koch, Guasave: 35 G/32.2 IP/4-2 W-L/1.72 ERA/39 K/1.17 WHIP/17-19 SV-SVO.
Samuel Zazueta, Obregon: 30 G/35.1 IP/3-2 W-L/2.04 ERA/35 K/0.99 WHIP/11-12 SV-SVO.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR (VICENTE ROMO TROPHY)
Luis Miranda, Los Mochis: 11 G/61.2 IP/5-1 W-L/1.02 ERA/54 K/0.84 WHIP.
Matt Pobereyko, Guasave: 12 G/65.1 IP/6-2 W-L/2.07 ERA/67 K/1.03 WHIP.
Wilmer Ríos, Hermosillo: 12 G/77.1 IP/8-2 W-L/1.98 ERA/44 K/0.93 WHIP.
Geno Encina, Guasave: 12 G/72.1 IP/3-4 W-L/2.61 ERA/56 K/1.01 WHIP.
Eduardo Vera, Mexicali: 12 G/61.1 IP/4-2 W-L/2.20 ERA/38 K/0.93 WHIP.
Braulio Torres-Pérez, Mazatlan: 11 G/47.1 IP/3-1 W-L/1.33 ERA/41 K/ 0.99 WHIP.
Elián Leyva, Hermosillo: 9 G/47.2 IP/7-2 W-L/1.70 ERA/52 K/1.24 WHIP.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (HÉCTOR ESPINO TROPHY)
Yasmany Tomás Los Mochis: .325 AVG./10 HR/53 RBI/.888 OPS.
Roberto Valenzuela, Monterrey: .355 AVG./6 HR/27 RBI/.988 OPS.
Justin Dean, Los Mochis: .335 AVG./2 HR/31 RBI/.883 OPS.
Victor Mendoza, Obregon: .282 AVG./7 HR/48 RBI/.808 OPS.
Luis Miranda, Los Mochis: 61.2 IP/5-1 W-L/1.02 ERA/54 K/0.84 WHIP (36.1 shutout innings to start season).
Wilmer Ríos, Hermosillo: 77.1 IP/8-2 W-L/1.98 ERA/44 K/0.93 WHIP.

    To cast a ballot for awards, go to https://votaciones.lmp.mx/los-mas-valiosos/aficion


DURANGO PICKS ROBLES AS MANAGER IN 2023

New Durango manager Oscar Robles

    The Durango Generales have tabbed former major league infielder Oscar Robles as their manager for the 2023 Mexican League season. The Generales named Robles to replace Alvaro Espinoza at the helm after Durango finished eighth in the nine-team North Division last season with a 37-53 record while coming in dead last in the LMB attendance derby, as just 70,771 fans clicked the turnstiles for an average of 1,573 per opening.

    A 46-year-old Tijuana native, Robles broke into baseball in 2004 after signing a free agent contract with Houston. He spent five years in the Astros' system, peaking in 1997 with Class AAA New Orleans of the American Association, where he batted 1-for-3 in two games, but spent the vast majority of his time at the Class A level. Robles then played for the LMB Mexico City Diablos Rojos between 2000 and 2005 and topped the .300 mark five times in six seasons before the team sold him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

    He spent the majority of the 2005 season as a starter in LA, batting .272 in 110 games splitting time between shortstop and third base. He bounced between the minors and the Dodgers and later San Diego the next three years before returning to Mexico for good in 2009 and playing in both the Liga and Mexican Pacific Leagues until his retirement as a player in 2017 as a member of Tijuana's pennant-winning team. In 15 truncated seasons in the LMB, mostly with the Diablos, Robles batted .332 with 238 doubles and 64 homers over 1,180 games. His 12-year winterball totals (primarily with Mexicali) show a .284 average with 50 homers in 709 games as he appeared in six Caribbean Series between 2009 and 2015.

    Robles' managerial career has had its ups and downs, hardly uncommon in Mexico. He did well in Tijuana between 2018 and 2019, going 110-66 and finishing second twice in the LMB North, but a division championship playoff series loss in seven games to eventual champion Monclova sealed his fate with the demanding Uribe family which owns the Toros.

    Robles later managed Quintana Roo in 2021 (32-33 and a wild card playoff series loss to the rival Diablos Rojos) and began last season managing in Union Laguna, where a 9-20 start was enough for the Algodoneros front office to make a change at the helm, accompanied by the usual platitudes on his way out. Five days later he was hired to manage Oaxaca for the rest of the season but was not invited back. Now it's on to Durango, one of the perennial LMB have-nots where Robles will have his work cut out for him at Estadio Francisco Villa.

    The Generales had no problem hitting the ball in 2022, turning in a scorching .341 team average to lead the Liga (including a pair of .400 hitters in Alberth Martinez' .416 mark and Alfredo Lopez at .404 mark), but Durango's pitching was awful at best as the mound staff combined for a 7.83 ERA as only Nico Tellache (6-3/5.65 in 15 starts) earned more than four wins for the season. Only Leon at 8.62 allowed more runs in 2022. When your team averages 6.8 runs per game and still finishes 25 games out of first in a 90-game schedule, your problems are not at the plate. Durango also finished next-to-last in the 18-team circuit in fielding percentage while their collective 95 errors were the second-most in the loop (Leon committed 109 on-field gaffes).

    Currently, Robles is managing the Guasave Algodoneros in the Mexican Pacific League, where he has the team at 34-28 overall and in a solid position for a postseason berth when the LMP playoffs begin in January.

Monterrey races to 8-1 start, leads LMB North by three games

Monterrey first baseman Ricky Alvarez

New manager Roberto Kelly's offseason overhaul of the Monterrey Sultanes roster appears to be panning out, if the first ten days of the Mexican League's 2018 Spring season are any indication.  Not that things were all that dire with one of the LMB's flagship franchises, as the Sultanes copped the LMB North regular season title before falling to Tijuana over six games in the division finals last summer, but the Panamanian ex-Yankee outfielder has been very direct since he was hired to replace Felix Fermin at the helm of the Sultanes that he wants a team that emphasizes speed and baserunning and went about finding players who fit that image.

So far, so good.  The Sultanes roared out the gate by winning their first six games before being mauled by Monclova, 16-3, at home Friday night as Ruben Rivera's fifth-inning grand slam off Edgar Torres highlighted an 18-hit Acereros assault on seven Monterrey hurlers.  The Sultanes then won the next two games to cop the series and raise their record to 8-1.  First baseman Ricky Alvarez, who returned to Monterrey in a December trade with Yucatan that also netted the Sultanes outfielder Francisco Lugo in exchange for DH Luis Juarez and shortstop Walter Ibarra, ranks fourth in batting in the LMB with a .432 average and is tied with five others for the lead in homers with three longballs.  Perhaps more telling, the 5'11" 220-pound Alvarez, rarely mistaken for a gazelle, has stolen two bases in two tries over his first nine games to tie rightfielder Leo German and third baseman Agustin Murillo for the club lead.  It would be wonderful to give you some team totals for an overall view of how much has changed with the Sultanes, but Minor League Baseball appears to have decided that baseball is really an individual sport and are not posting team figures this spring so your guess is as good as mine.

Lefty Marco Tovar, who only pitched in five games in 2017 and went 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA for Monterrey, has won his first two starts and is tied for second with Union Laguna's Emil Sepulveda among LMB starters with an 0.82 ERA.  Another veteran moundman, Javier Solano, is also 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA.  Surprisingly, Kelly has not gotten much support from his bullpen as closer Wirfin Obispo (who converted 28 saves in 36 opportunities last year and went 7-5 with a 2.12 ERA) has a blown save in three opportunities thus far with a 5.06 ERA.  Obispo has earned 50 saves the past two years in Monterrey with 170 strikeouts in 126.2 innings, however, so the 33-year-old Dominican has plenty of time to regain his mojo.

The Sultanes' early success on the field has also been reflected at the gate, where Monterrey leads the LMB in attendance with 141,451 fans clicking the turnstiles at renovated Estadio Monterrey for an average of 15,717.  The Sultanes will hit the road for a pair of series this week, playing three games in Tabasco Tuesday through Thursday before opening a three-game set in Campeche Friday.


Generales' Drake picks up where he left off, leads Liga in batting

Durango Generales outfielder Yadir Drake

When Cuban outfielder Yadir Drake left the Durango Generales last summer to play in Japan, he was leading the Mexican League with a .385 batting average over 71 games before heading across the Pacific to Hokkaido and the Nippon Ham Fighters.  After a slow start with the Fighters, Drake raised his Pacific League average to .232 with one homers and three RBIs in 32 games at season's end and was not brought back to the Far East for 2018.  As a result, the 27-year-old right-handed batter is back in Durango, for whom he signed as an unheralded free agent in January 2017 after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers following two seasons in their system (topping out at AA Tulsa, where he hit .269 in 106 contests for 2015).

Drake made his LMB debut during the Generales' turbulent first season, playing on the road for the first month and waiting for his paycheck on more than one occasion as the league covered payroll for the underfunded franchise.  Despite all the on- and off-field distractions, Drake (who also swatted 14 homers and drove in 61 runs) was awarded the Liga batting title when his 300 plate appearances barely qualified him for the crown while he also performed in the All-Star Game.

There have been a number of changes in Durango since the end of the 2017 season, including new ownership, a new team president in former MLB catcher and Mexico City manager Miguel Ojeda and a new manager in Matias Carrillo.  One thing that hasn't changed is Drake's production at the plate, where he leads the LMB tables with a .515 average (17-of-33) and is tied for the top of the list with three homers while driving in 10 runs over his first nine games.  His on-base percentage of .600 is also tied for the Liga lead with Puebla first baseman Daric Barton.  There IS one change that affects Drake, however:  He married a Mexican woman during the offseason and is applying for Mexican citizenship.  It's expected that once Drake's nationalization is completed, the Generales will activate pitcher Francisley Bueno to fill one of the squad's eight slots for import players.  Bueno, another Cuba native and a former Kansas City Royals reliever, was 3-2/4.47 in eleven starts for Durango in 2017.

The Generales, who spent the entire month of April on the road last year while their ballpark was being fixed up for Durango's return to the LMB, have played all nine of their games on the road so far in 2018 (winning five of them to tie with Aguascalientes and Dos Laredos for second in the LMB North, three games behind Monterrey).  They'll open their home schedule Tuesday night when they host Yucatan for a midweek series.

Other LMB batting leaders one day into April include Durango's new first baseman Dustin Geiger (a former Cubs farmhand) with 14 RBIs, Dos Laredos centerfielder Jeremias Pineda with 12 runs scored and Tijuana centerfielder Justin Greene with seven stolen bases, setting up a dandy battle with Pineda (five swipes) for the steals title in Spring 2018.

Among pitchers, Tijuana reliever Jesus Barraza, an eighth-year LMB middleman, is 3-0 for the Toros to lead the loop in wins.  Barraza teammate Kyle Lobstein is 1-0 in two starts and has yet to give up an earned run in 9.1 frames to lead the Liga in that category, Monclova's Josh Lowey in in his accustomed position as strikeouts leader with 15 K's over 14 innings and four pitchers are tied with three saves apiece (Yucatan closer Ronald Belisario has tossed the most innings of the foursome with 6.1 entradas and has six whiffs with one walk).


Velazquez earns first win of 2018 for Bosox; 10 Mexicans in MLB

Boston Red Sox pitcher Hector Velazquez

Mexican pitcher Hector Velazquez has picked up his first win of the season by going 5.2 innings for the Boston Red Sox in a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The 29-year-old righty from Obregon scattered five hits, struck out five Rays batters and walked just one in front of 14,256 onlookers at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay's lone run came via a leadoff solo homer to deep right field by first baseman Brad Miller on the first pitch of the second inning.  Velazquez struggled a bit in the second, allowing two more hits before retiring Mallex Smith on a fly out to left and inducing Adeiny Hechavarria to hit a force-out grounder to second to end the threat.  Velazquez eventually made it seven consecutive outs by Rays batters before allowing a two-out single to Joey Wendle and a walk to Wilson Ramos, then closing out the frame by dishing up a long fly by Smith that was hauled in by Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley.  He retired the side in the fifth and set down the first two Tampa Bay batters in the sixth prior to a Matt Duffy single up the middle, bringing Boston manager Alex Cora out of the dugout to wave Marcus Walden in from the bullpen and a trip to the showers for Velazquez, who had to enjoy what late pitching coach great Johnny Sain used to call "the cool of the evening," Sain's way to describe a pitcher's state of mind after turning in a strong effort on the mound.

Velazquez spent seven years pitching in Mexico prior to signing with the Bosox early last year.  He was the Mexican League's Rookie of the Year in 2010 after turning in a 6-4 record and a 2.63 ERA for the Campeche Piratas, including a complete-game shutout among 14 starts in 29 appearances.  He spent six summers in the Walled City before a trade sent him to Monclova in 2016.  Velazquez' seven-year LMB career record is 51-33 with a 3.56 ERA in 155 outings.  His winterball record wasn't quite as sparkling over eight Mexican Pacific League campaigns, going 27-22 and registering a 4.00 ERA.  However, two of those seasons (the last six with Navojoa) resulted in Pitcher of the Year awards.  He was 8-1 and 2.17 in 2013-14 but it was Velazquez' 2016-17 showing that caught the eye of Red Sox scouts when he finished 9-3 and had a 2.32 ERA, good enough for a minor league contract with Boston.

Velazquez spent most of 2017 with AAA Pawtucket, where he was one of the International League's top twirlers by going 8-4 with a 2.21 ERA in 19 starts.  He made his Major League debut for Boston on May 18 in a start at Oakland, giving up three homers in five innings to lose an 8-3 contest before being shipped back to Rhode Island.  He was brought back a month later, securing his first win on June 14 at Philadelphia, 7-3, in an interleague contest.  Velazquez won two more games for the Red Sox to finish the regular season with a 3-1 record, posting a solid 2.92 ERA.  He pitched briefly for Navojoa last winter before Boston shut him down until training camp opened in February.

The right-hander is one of 10 current Mexican-born players on MLB rosters, joined by Philadelphia pitcher Victor Arano (Cosamaloapan), Toronto pitchers Jaime Garcia (Reynosa), Roberto Osuna (Juan Jose Rios) and Marco Estrada (Sonora), Arizona pitchers Jorge de la Rosa (Guadalajara) and Fernando Salas (Huatabampo), Cincinnati pitcher Yovani Gallardo (Penjamillo), White Sox pitcher Joakim Soria (Monclova) and San Diego third baseman Christian Villanueva (Guadalajara).

Culiacan sweeps Mexicali to reach MexPac title series

Culiacan DH Joey Meneses

Although it took the “lucky loser” rule for the Culiacan Tomateros to avert elimination from the Mexican Pacific League playoffs, luck had nothing to do with the Culichis’ sweep of defending champion Mexicali in the semifinals to punch their ticket to the LMP championship series.

The Tomateros began last week with a 7-4 Game Seven loss at home to Jalisco as Agustin Murillo had three hits (including a two-run homer) and three RBIs to give the Charros the deciding victory in their first round set.  However, Culiacan’s three wins in the series was enough to give them a berth in the second stage due to Mazatlan winning two games in their loss to Mexicali and Hermosillo earning just one triumph in their defeat to Navojoa.

Given that reprieve via LMP rules, the Tomateros then took on a Mexicali team that ran away with the second-half title and dismantled them easily, starting with a 6-2 win in the border city last Wednesday behind starter Edgar Gonzalez’ six innings of two-run pitching and Rico Noel’s single and double with two RBIs and one run scored.  Manager Benji Gil’s squad then took Thursday’s Game Two in Estadio B’Air, 5-4, with Joey Meneses’ ninth-inning single driving in LMP batting champ Sebastian Elizalde with what proved to be the game-winning run as Culiacan closer Chad Gaudin came turned in a 1-2-3 inning for the save.

After a travel day, the series shifted to Estadio Tomateros for Game Three on Saturday, with the hosts shutting out the Aguilas, 6-0, as Anthony Vazquez went all the way with a four-hitter for Culiacan, aided and abetted by Ali Solis’ three-run homer in the seventh.   The Tomateros put a wrap on the series and Mexicali’s season with a 6-4 win Sunday, with Issmael Salas’ sixth-inning bunt single driving in Ronnier Mustelier from third to break a 4-all tie.  The Tomateros picked up 38 hits over the four games while Mexicali’s defense broke down with ten errors, four of them coming in Sunday’s series-ending contest.

While the Aguilas will call it a winter, with players and manager Pedro Mere left to wonder how they so grandly missed a second trip to the Caribbean Series, the Tomateros will await the outcome of the Navojoa-Jalisco series to learn who they’ll face next in their attempt to bring an eleventh MexPac pennant to Culiacan.

Mayos one win away from LMP championship series berth

Navojoa (and Boston) RHP Hector Velazquez

The Navojoa Mayos are poised to move into the Mexican Pacific League championship series in their quest for the team’s first pennant since 2002-03 after taking a 3-games-to-1 lead over Jalisco in their LMP semifinal series.  Navojoa is not one of the LMP’s traditional powers, with just three titles in their 63-year franchise history, and the team is seeking its second trip to the finals since 1997-98.

The Mayos topped the Charros, 9-4, Sunday night in Guadalajara after jumping on Jalisco starter David Reyes for four runs on four hits, including a two-out single up the middle by Fernando Flores that scored Jesse Castillo and Jovan Rosa.  Willie Romero’s charges went on to take a 7-1 lead into the sixth inning and cruised to the win.  Designated hitter Max Ramirez had a big night for the visitors, belting two homers and driving in three runs while leadoff hitter Angel Gonzalez contributed three singles and a double, scoring once.  Eddie Gamboa earned the win after allowing two runs in five frames for his third postseason victory.  Reyes was tagged with the loss.

Navojoa opened the series at home last Wednesday and beat the Charros, 4-1, behind a decent five-inning outing from starting pitcher Hector Velazquez.  The Red Sox hurler allowed eight hits but only let in one run as Cardinals farmhand Randy Arozarena socked a solo homer in the bottom of the first to give Velazquez and the Mayos a lead they’d build on and hold the entire game.  Game Two on Thursday ended with Jalisco prevailing 4-3 in their lone win of the series thus far.  The Charros opened with two runs in the top of the first inning, including a game-opening homer from Yordanys Linares, and added two more in the second on a Linares triple.  Starter Tyler Alexander carried a shutout into the fifth and pitched through the sixth for the win, giving up five hits and two walks, striking out six Mayos batters as Jalisco erased Navojoa’s home-field advantage.

The series shifting to Guadalajara, however, has done the Charros no favors.  The Mayos won both weekend encounters, including a 6-3 Saturday tilt in which both Ramirez and Gonzalez lofted two-run homers in support of opener Barry Enright.  The former Diamondbacks starter went 7.1 strong innings for the win, scattering five hits and two runs while whiffing four.  Sunday’s win put the Charros in must-win mode for Monday’s Game Five at home.  Velazquez will seek his third playoff win for the Mayos while Jalisco skipper Roberto Vizcarra will send out Octavio Acosta, who’s followed up a standout summer with Mexico City (14-1, 2.99) with a solid winter for the Charros (7-3, 3.94).  Acosta has been rocked for an 8.59 ERA and a loss in two postseason starts, however.

Four LMB teams still without managers as training camps approach

Houston Jimenez with Tabasco in 2015

With training camp for the Mexican League’s two 2018 seasons about a month away, four LMB franchises are still shopping for a manager.  The Tabasco Olmecas are searching for a new leader to replace Vicente Palacios, the Saltillo Saraperos still have a vacancy after Marco Antonio Romero was not rehired and the Monterrey Sultanes have gone back to the drawing board after Miguel Ojeda spurned an offer to take a similar job in Durango (although the Generales’ unsettled ownership situation makes that a tentative commitment).

While the term “managerial job security” is an oxymoron in Mexican baseball, Tabasco may stand out even by the status quo south of the border.  The franchise as run by the Dagdug brothers is a perpetual also-ran on the field (one pennant in 53 years) and a fiasco off of it, with ongoing electrical problems at 53-year-old Parque Centenario 27 de Febrero serving as a symbol of sorts for the poorly-supported Olmecas, who averaged an LMB-worst 1,437 fans per game last summer.  While Villahermosa is not a preferred destination for men on the Mexican managerial merry-go-round, rumor has Alfonso “Houston” Jimenez returning for his second tour of duty with the Olmecas, including a 2015 season during which the ex-Twins shortstop marked his 800th career win as a Mexican League helmsman.  Jimenez was fired during the 2017 season as skipper from his tenth managerial job last summer in Oaxaca.  

Then you have the once-proud Saltillo Saraperos, who less than a decade ago won two consecutive Mexican League pennants and led all of Minor League Baseball in attendance under the ownership of deep-pocketed Juan Manuel Ley, whose family continues to own the Culiacan Tomateros in the wake of his death.  However, the Saraperos have fallen upon hard times since the Leys sold the franchise in 2013 after fourteen seasons in the Coahuila city, missing the playoffs in 2017 under managers Orlando Sanchez (fired after failing to recapture the glory days of 2008-10 under his watch) and Romero, once one of Mexico’s top sluggers.  With Romero gone, some observers expected Lino Rivera to be named Saltillo’s new skipper until the team board of directors publicly ruled that out, shifting attention to Panamanian Lenin Picota as a potential dugout boss.

Next we come to the Monterrey Sultanes, who’ve had an interesting year after owner Jose “Pepe” Maiz sold half the team to Grupo Multimedios last February.  While the Sultanes, under new general manager Guillermo “Willie” Gonzalez (who replaced fixture Roberto Magdaleno in the front office after the sale) were able to induce enough people out to Estadio Monterrey to lead MiLB with an average attendance of 11,575 per game, the team fell to Tijuana in the LMB North championship series for the second year in a row, leading to the decision to not bring back Felix Fermin as skipper (although Fermin remains on the roster as a third-base coach).  A deal between the Sultanes and Ojeda, who led Mexico City to the Liga pennant in 2014, was believed to have been worked out until the former big league catcher backed out to manage in Durango instead.  Since then, nobody’s name has surfaced as front-runner in Monterrey.

Finally, let’s talk about Durango.  The Generales’ difficulties in their first year have been exhausted here (you can check the archives in BBM’s right-hand column to review the carnage), but the underfinanced team drew well in the state capital even after their season went south following a surprisingly respectable showing during a month-long road trip to open 2017 as renovations to Estadio Francisco Villa were hurriedly being done.  Cuban skipper Joe Alvarez went from too-early “Manager of the Year” talk to unemployed after embattled owner Virgilio Ruiz fired Alvarez after the season.  While Ojeda has been named as the new skipper in Durango, Ruiz is said to be trying to sell his virtually-insolvent franchise that the league had to take over down the stretch and any new owners would not necessarily be obliged to honor a deal that Ruiz made with Ojeda.

MexPac playoff field determined, regular season winds down

Mexicali's MexPac ERA leader Rolando Valdez

Although the pairings for the opening round of the upcoming Mexican Pacific League playoffs have yet to be set, the six teams advancing to the postseason have been determined with four games remaining on the regular season schedule.

The defending champion Mexicali Aguilas have run away with the LMP second half, sporting a 23-6 record to lead 17-12 Navojoa and Culiacan by six games to lock up the eight points accompanying a first-place finish.  The Aguilas collected four points after a 16-19 first half finish landed the borderites in sixth place and led to the replacement of manager Roberto Vizcarra with Pedro Mere.  Under Mere, who won the Mexican League pennant with Tijuana in September, the Aguilas' 12.0 combined points assures them of a playoff berth and home-field advantage at least through the first round.

Things have not gone as well for first-half champion Hermosillo.  Skipper Lorenzo Bundy's Naranjeros have struggled to an 11-17 record in the second half and currently sit seventh on the table, a half-game game behind 12-17 Obregon and three games back from fifth-place Jalisco at 14-14.  The Orangemen will reach the playoffs no matter what because even if they finish with only 3.5 points in the half, the 11.5 total points will be enough to play into January.   Culiacan projects to be the top playoff seed.  The Tomateros picked up 7.0 first-half points after finishing tied with Mazatlan for second at 20-15 while their 17-12 second half mark would give them third place behind Navojoa, good enough for 6.0 points for the half and a combined 13.0 points overall.  Mazatlan and Navojoa will join Mexicali, Hermosillo, Culiacan and Jalisco in the postseason.  The 14-14 Charros sit in sixth, where the 4.5 points attached to a finish in that slot would be added to the 5.0 first-half points garnered by the Guadalajara squad for a 9.5-point overall total and a sixth (and final) seed.

On the outside looking in after this week will be Obregon and Los Mochis.  The 12-17 Yaquis are currently in sixth, two-and-a-half games behind Jalisco, but the most overall points they can mathematically qualify for are 8.0, well behind the Charros' projected 9.5.  The Yaquis canned manager Miguel Ojeda earlier this month and brought in Juan Navarrete, but problem with the Obregon organization run beyond the playing field and any manager would've struggled there this winter.  The 6-23 Caneros have suffered through a total collapse under manager Ramon Orantes, who replaced Luis Sojo at the helm on November 16 after Mochis finished seventh with a 14-21 record in the first half for 3.5 points.  The Caneros will finish with 6.5 overall points no matter what happens this week.

Three ongoing series will conclude Monday night with Obregon at Mexicali, Culiacan visiting Mazatlan and Jalisco hosting Navojoa while Tuesday night will see the Hermosillo at Los Mochis series end.  Starting Wednesday, Hermosillo will host Mexicali, Obregon will welcome Mazatlan, Los Mochis will be in Navojoa and Culiacan will entertain Jalisco in openers of season-ending three-game sets.  

The six playoff teams will choose reinforcements from Obregon and Los Mochis in a two-round draft next weekend prior to next week's first-round openers.  Among the nuggets to be mined from Obregon will be centerfielder Justin Greene, rightfielder Dustin Martin and closer Manny Acosta, the LMP's saves leader with 16.  Los Mochis has infielder Ramon Urias, outfielder Olmo Rosario and veteran first baseman/DH Saul Soto, still a dangerous hitter at age 39.

LMP SECOND HALF STANDINGS (through Sunday, December 24)

Mexicali (4.0) 23-6, Navojoa (4.5) 17-12, Culiacan (7.0) 17-12, Mazatlan (6.0) 15-14, Jalisco (5.0) 14-14, Obregon (3.0) 12-17, Hermosillo (8.0) 11-17, Los Mochis (3.5) 6-23

First half point totals per team are in parentheses

LMP BATTING LEADERS

AVG-Sebastian Elizalde (CUL) .379, H-Sebastian Elizalde (CUL) 92,  R-Randy Arozarena (NAV) 48, HR-Randy Arozarena (NAV) 14, RBI-Manny Rodriguez (JAL) 56, SB-Jeremias Pineda (MAZ) 31.

LMP PITCHING LEADERS

W-Mitch Lively (MAZ) 9, ERA-Rolando Valdez (MXI) 1.87, SO-Tyler Alexander (JAL) 65, SV-Manny Acosta (OBR) 16, HLD-Edgar Gomez (MXI) 17, WHIP-Mitch Lively (MAZ) 0.96.

Ojeda to manage in Durango, not Monterrey, in 2018

Durango's Miguel Ojeda as an MLBer

In what has to be one of the more surprising managerial moves of the Mexican League offseason, former MLB catcher Miguel Ojeda went from being considered a shoo-in as the new manager in Monterrey to signing a contract to lead Durango in 2018 instead.  The deal was announced Sunday by Aguascalientes' El Heraldo, citing "sources close to the negotiations."  

Ojeda will replace Joe Alvarez as Generales skipper after the latter took the team to a 43-66 record for a last-place finish in the LMB North this summer, Durango's first in the Liga in 38 years after owner Virgilio Ruiz moved his franchise there from Carmen.  The Generales spent the first month of the season on the road while ballpark preparations at home were ongoing, winning 11 of their first 21 games before embarking on a crushing 14-game losing streak (six in a row at home) from which they never recovered.  Money problems plagued the team Ojeda is inheriting, with late paychecks and league support to keep the club alive through season's end.  The league wants to replace the underfinanced Ruiz with new ownership, but nothing has been announced on that front.  Durango gave the club remarkably good support given the situation, with the Generales finishing seventh in attendance with a 4,094 average per opening, but Ojeda (who hit .224 with 15 homers in 212 games for San Diego and three other MLB teams between 2003 and 2006) is stepping into a volatile situation.

Meanwhile, back in Monterrey, the Sultanes are back to the drawing board.  Details have not been found as to why things didn't work out between the team and Ojeda.  One omen came during the recent Winter Meetings in Orlando, a  potential "big splash" publicity moment for the Sultanes by introducing a former big league catcher and manager of the 2014 LMB champion Mexico City Diablos Rojos as their new manager.  Instead, he did not appear to even be mentioned by the team during the four-day event.  Ojeda's pending hiring in Monterrey was widely reported in mid-November.

One hiring that did come off was in Monclova, where the Acereros named another ex-MLB catcher as their new helmsman.  Dan Firova, 61, is a bilingual Texan who had three cups of coffee with Seattle and Cleveland in the 1980's and also played all or part of seven seasons in Mexico between 1981 and 1993, mostly for Nuevo Laredo, and hit .264 with 13 homers in 419 games as a defense-oriented backstop.  Firova then spent over two decades managing in the Mexican League winning three pennants with the Mexico City Tigres (1997, 2001, 2001) in his seven-year stint before going on to manage six other LMB teams between 2002 and 2013, reaching the postseason twice in Monterrey and once in Campeche.  He was a coach for the Washington Nationals the past two seasons under Dusty Baker.  

Firova will take over a loaded team that was expected to contend for the pennant last season but instead was knocked out in the first round.  Ex-Mets infielder Wally Backman was hired to manage the Acereros last winter, but his inability to speak or understand Spanish plagued him all the way up to Backman's midseason firing in Monclova, something that won't be a problem for Firova.  Backman, by the way, finished the year as a coach in Puebla and will manage the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League in 2018.

Diablos win Mexican Winter League for third straight year

2017 LIM champions Mexico City Diablos Rojos

It's been a tough baseball year for Alfredo Harp Helu.  The billionaire owner of the Mexico City Diablos Rojos, has seen his Mexican League team miss the playoffs for a second straight year with attendance of only 2,503 per game was 14th in the LMB; his new 13,000-seat ballpark (named after himself) has been plagued by construction problems and delays resulting in the move of an anticipated MLB series next season to Monterrey and the possible loss of the 2018 LMB All-Star Game as well; and his franchise is embroiled in a controversy involving the allegedly corrupt transfer of five prospect to the Diablos and an opposing team owner who may arguably be the most popular Mexican ballplayer ever on either side of the border and is also threatening to take the matter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.  That bad run of luck for Harp extended to his own farm system, as his combined team with the Oaxaca Guerreros (which he also owns) was unable to win their third consecutive Academy Rookie League title, finishing fourth among six teams.

So forgive us for showing a little espíritu navideño when we say we're glad to see Harp's Mexican Winter League team save his year (a little) by winning the pennant, making it three titles in as many seasons for the Little Red Devils.  They copped the regular season crown by going 29-16 in the six-team circuit, which serves as the LMB's sanctioned winter league and includes Liga veterans and prospects alike.  First baseman Yousamot Cota led the league with a .392 average but it was left fielder Daniel Jimenez who swung the big stick by topping the LIM in hits, runs scored and runs batted in.  Jimenez, a 21-year-old Caracas native who played four year of rookieball in the Reds system at home in Venezuela and Arizona, is currently listed on Oaxaca's LMB roster but we've seen how that goes.  Starting pitcher Luis Miranda won five games with a 2.01 ERA to rank first in both categories.

The playoffs followed, with Mexico City being stretched to five games before knocking out Salamanca in a first round series mostly noted for Petroleros player Andres Martin Garcia attacking home plate umpire Carlos Leon, resulting in Martin's suspension from all LMB-related leagues throughout 2018.  The championship series was a trifle quieter, as the Diablos beat Oaxaca, 4 games to 1.  The Guerreros, who had finished in third at 22-23 in the regular season, shocked second-place Moroleon by sweeping the Toros Bravos in three straight games in their semi series.  Mexico City was stretched in Game Five, requiring 13 innings to extinguish the Warriors, 7-5, and claim the flag.

The finals featured two teams owned by the same man, making Harp a winner no matter what happened, and managed by the men who'll lead their respective "big teams" next season: Victor Bojorquez in Mexico City and Jose Luis Sandoval in Oaxaca.  Both are former longtime Diablos stars.  Bojorquez takes the reins of the Red Devils from Miguel Ojeda, who may be having as bad a year as Harp (who still has his billions), while Sandoval succeeds Houston Jimenez with the Guerreros.

Culiacan beats Obregon in 19, tops LMP standings

The Culiacan Tomateros put four runs on the scoreboard in the top of the 19th inning and held host Obregon scoreless in the bottom of the frame to come away with a marathon 7-3 win over the Yaquis Sunday night.  The triumph bumped Culiacan’s Mexican Pacific League record to 14-9, good enough for a one-game lead over 13-10 Jalisco in the LMP first-half standings.  Obregon dropped deeper into last place by falling to 8-15, two games in back of seventh-place Navojoa.

Sunday night’s contest began at 5:13PM local time when Obregon starter David Reyes pitched a high ball to Tomateros leadoff man D’Arby Myers for ball one.  The two teams played scoreless ball until the bottom of the third, when the Yaquis’ Niko Vazquez rapped a bases-loaded double off Culiacan opener Edgar Gonzalez to give Obregon a 3-0 cushion.  The Tomateros chipped away and tied the game by plating single runs in the fourth, fifth and ninth innings (the latter on an Andy Wilkins sacrifice fly to left that scored Sebastian Elizalde from third to even the score at 3-3).

The two teams went on to play the equivalent of a full second game, going another nine innings without bothering the scorer before bringing their deadlock into the top of the 19th entrada.  Jose Orozco and Josh Fuentes both singled to lead off against Obregon reliever Carlos de Leon, who was then replaced by Martin Sotelo.  Marco Guzman Jr.’s sacrifice bunt moved Orozco and Fuentes up to leave first base open, leading Sotelo to intentionally walk Alfredo Amezaga, loading the bases with Maxwell Leon due up.  Whatever strategy was behind the move was rendered moot when Leon smoked his fourth double of the season to bring in Orozco and Fuentes in with the go-ahead runs.  Sotelo then intentionally walked Myers to pitch to Alexis Wilson, whose liner up the middle scored both Amezaga and Leon to give the Tomateros a 7-3 advantage.

It was then left to David Gutierrez, Culiacan’s eighth pitcher (the Yaquis used nine), to close out the contest.  When Gutierrez induced Sergio Contreras to fly out to Elizalde in right, ending the game, the clock read nine minutes to midnight, or 6 hours, 38 minutes after Reyes’ opening pitch.  Myers and Elizalde each had three hits between 18 combined plate appearances.  Leo Heras and Alex Liddi had three singles apiece for Obregon.  Francisco Rios got the win for the Tomateros, tossing shutout ball for the 17th and 18th innings, while De Leon was the Yaquis hard-luck loser after pitching six scoreless stanzas before allowing those two leadoff singles in the 19th.  A crowd of 9,111 was on hand at Estadio Nuevo Yaquis at game time, but it can be safely assumed that the vast majority were long-gone by game’s end.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Standings (as of November 6, 2017)

Culiacan 14-9, Jalisco 13-10, Hermosillo 12-11, Mazatlan 12-11, Mexicali 12-11, Los Mochis 11-12, Navojoa 10-13, Obregon 8-15.  

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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Batting Leaders

Batting-Jeremias Pineda (MAZ) .394, Runs-Many Rodriguez (JAL) 18, Homers-Bryce Brentz (HMO) 6, RBIs-Manny Rodriguez (JAL) 24, Stolen Bases-Jeremias Pineda (MAZ) 13.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Pitching Leaders

Wins-Danny Rodriguez (CUL), Tyler Kane (NAV) and Mitch Lively (MAZ) 3, ERA-Danny Rodriguez (CUL) 0.98, Strikeouts-Cesar Vargas (HMO) 27, Saves-Ryan Kussmaul (MXI) 10, WHIP-Danny Rodriguez (CUL) 0.65.

Saltalamacchia signs with Jalisco, Japhet Amador arrives

The Jalisco Charros have signed MLB veteran catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a contract. The 32-year-old Saltalamacchia made his big league debut with Atlanta in 2007, hitting .284 over 47 games for the Braves before being part of a seven-man trade in which Atlanta also sent shortstop Elvis Andrus and pitcher Neftali Perez to Texas for first baseman Mark Teixeira and pitcher Ron Mahay.  

While Saltalamacchia never became an All-Star like Andrus and Perez subsequently did for the Rangers, the 2003 first round draft pick (for the Braves) did go on to be a useful player for eleven years, a passable defensive catcher and a guy who didn’t hit for a high average but reached double figures in homers six times and 10+ doubles eight times.  The 6’4” Floridian socked 55 longballs between 2011-13 for Boston, where he was the starting catcher for the 2013 world champion Red Sox.  In all, Saltalamacchia has a .233 career batting average in the majors with 110 homers and 381 RBIs over 890 career games.

Saltalamacchia spent part of the 2017 season in the Blue Jays organization, hitting .040 in Toronto and .162 with AAA Buffalo before he was released in late June.  He played his first two games for the Charros in a weekend home series with Navojoa, going 2-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs.  

Jalisco was not exactly suffering behind the plate, with All-Star Carlos Rodriguez and defensive standout Gabriel Gutierrez already on the roster, but February’s Caribbean Series will be held in Guadalajara and Charros owner Armando Navarro (who normally operates in hyperdrive anyway) really wants his team in it as the Mex Pac champion.

In addition to Saltalamacchia, slugger Japhet Amador returned from his second season with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles.  The Mulege Giant made his 2017-18 debut Saturday against Navojoa, socking a homer and double in four at-bats before singling and scoring twice against the Mayos Sunday.

LMB Presidents meeting in Leon; is Durango on agenda?

The Mexican League’s Assembly of Presidents has scheduled their monthly get-together in Leon, Guanajuato this week.  While discussions regarding the proposed move to two 66-game schedules plus playoffs in 2018 will take center stage and may become protracted, it’ll be hard for Liga majordomos to ignore the latest activity going on in Durango.

If you’ve been following that story, you’re already aware of how the Generales (along with the Leon Bravos) entered the LMB last year as replacements for the Carmen Delfines and Reynosa Broncos, respectively, and immediately ran into problems.  Both teams had to play as road warriors for the first month of the season while their ballparks were undergoing late-starting renovations.  The difficulties didn’t end after the two clubs began playing at home.  In Durango, the local fans actually supported the team reasonably well as the Generales finished in the middle of the LMB pack in average attendance despite a last-place finish in the LMB North, but cash flow was a season-long problem as players went unpaid more than once over the course of the schedule.  Several key players were sold off and the 2017 season was by and large a disaster.

As a result, new league president Javier Salinas (along with the Assembly) in late September ordered the Generales to take 2018 off so they could get their financial house in order for another try in 2019.  That move was met by defiance from Durango state governor Jose Rosas Aizpuro Torres, who said in effect that the Generales ain’t goin’ nowhere and that funding would be secured for next year, with new investors to replace overmatched team owner Virgilio Ruiz at the top of the pyramid.  

On top of that, the team swung an October 25 trade with the Tabasco Olmecas in which pitcher Adrian Garza and first baseman Jesus Rivera went to Villahermosa in exchange for outfielder Rogelio Noris and pitcher Hubbie Pellegaud.  October trades do happen but at least scribe at the Puro Beisbol site asked logically what a team that’s been shut down for a year is doing making trades?

It promises to be an interesting three days in Leon this week.

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LMB: Durango out for '18, Rojos del Aguila to Nuevo Laredo

At the Mexican League's Assembly of Presidents meeting last Wednesday in Monterrey, decisions were made regarding two of the LMB's 16 franchises for the 2018 season.  The presidents decided to shut down the Durango Generales for the 2018 season to allow the franchise to find more solid financing while the long-rumored move of the Veracruz Rojos del Aguila to Nuevo Laredo was approved.

The Generales went through a trying first year in Durango after the Reynosa Broncos landed there following a disastrous 2016 in the city on the Texas border.  Renovations to Durango's 9,000-seat Estadio Francisco Villa went a month into the 2017 schedule, causing the Generales to play their first 27 games on the road before they finally played a May 2 home opener against Union Laguna, losing 9-1 to the Vaqueros.  That defeat extended a Generales losing streak that eventually reached 14 games after a surprisingly competitive start that briefly captured the hearts of Mexican baseball fans.

The team struggled the rest of the season, with players having to wait weeks for paychecks at times, LMB batting champion Yadir Drake leaving for Japan and infielder Daniel Mayora, whose 35-game hitting streak came within one game of matching the LMB single-season record, being sent to Monterrey for some badly-needed cash.  The Generales finished the campaign with a 43-66 record to come in last in the Liga's North Division.  Durango fans gave the beleaguered club unexpectedly decent support with an average attendance of 4,094 over 44 home games, good for seventh in the loop.  Even so, the league's presidents decided that the franchise should take next year off to allow undercapitalized owner Virgilio Ruiz to find investors.

That decision leaves the LMB at 15 teams for 2018, which creates a problem with scheduling as there would always be at least one team not playing at any given time.  There has been talk that another team would be taking next year off, with Union Laguna receiving much mention as the prime candidate.  The Vaqueros are owned by the Arellano brothers, who also operate the Yucatan Leones, but the team is now up for sale after a rocky 2016 during which RBI champion Ricky Alvarez was traded to Yucatan while the Vaqueros were fighting for a playoff berth.  The deal enraged fans in Torreon and Gomez Palacio and attendance dropped to 4,396 per opening after the Vaqueros had been drawing over 5,000 a night.  However, as Puro Beisbol columnist Hector Bencomo reports,  Durango governor Jose Rosas Aispuro is not accepting the LMB's decision, stating that the Liga's problems with the Generales lie with Virgilio Ruiz and not the state government, and that "we will look for someone who can sponsor and lead the project, but the professional team will stay in Durango...there is no doubt about it."

Then there are the Rojos del Aguila of Veracruz.  The port city has seen several teams come and go over the past century since the Aguila oil company formed its first team in 1903.  While Veracruz has been home to six Mexican League pennant-winners since 1937 (most recently in 2012, when current Tijuana skipper Pedro Mere was at the helm), attendance at Rojos del Aguila games has been up and down over the years and the team averaged just 2,661 fans per game at Estadio Universitario Beto Avila in 2017, 13th in the league.  In addition, the state government subsidies the team had been receiving for years dried up after Javier Duarte was driven out of the governor's office for alleged corruption and subsequently jailed after being captured in Guatemala earlier this year.  Veracruz hosted Leon in a one-game playoff qualifier on August 11, drawing 4,279 in what has turned out to be the last MLB contest played in the city.  For now.

The team, owned by Jose Antonio Mansur (although some have challenged that status), will play next year in the 12,000-seat Estadio Nuevo Laredo, which was completed in 2008 to make it one of the LMB's newer ballparks.  The old Tecolotes were one of the Liga's strongest teams in the 1980's and 1990's, winning the 1989 pennant amid a run in which the Tecos appeared in five Serie del Rey between 1985 and 1993.  A number of Mexican League legends like Nelson Barrera, Alejandro Ortiz, Carlos Soto and minor league baseball's all-time home run leader, Andres Mora.  However, that incarnation of the team sat out the 2011 season before being moved to Carmen the following year.  Ironically, the Carmen team lasted five years before the Delfines were shifted to Durango last winer (see above for how that went).

The Tecos were the first professional baseball franchise to split its home games between cities in two different countries between 1985 and 2003, going back and forth between Nuevo Laredo's Parque La Junta and West Martin Field in Laredo, Texas.  A very good book by Alan Klein on that experiment, "Baseball on the Border," was published in 1997.  Although the "new" Dos Laredos Tecos will play at Estadio Nuevo Laredo, a facility that has received criticism because it sits miles west of the city, the team hopes to play at least a few games across the Rio Grande in Laredo's 6,000-seat Uni-Trade Stadium, which was completed in 2012.  A team called the Laredo Lemurs of the independent American Association played there for five seasons, drawing just over 3,800 fans per game in 2012 but experiencing declining attendance annually until fewer than a thousand attendees pero opening showed up in 2016.  The Lemurs shut down this past May after an acrimonious split among their three owners.