MEXICO CLINCHES SUPER ROUND AT U-23 WORLD CUP

Mexico pitcher Alemao Hernandez

    The World Baseball Softball Confederation's U-23 Baseball World Cup started last Thursday in Mexico. Twelve national teams comprised of players aged 24 or under (special dispensation for players who were 23 when last year's BWC was postponed) are taking part in tripleheaders at Hermosillo's Estadio Sonora and Estadio Yaquis in Obregon. The two six-team groups are competing in seven-inning, round-robin first stage games through Monday night, plus last Thursday's rained-out group A contest between Cuba and the Dominican Republic rescheduled for this Tuesday. Host Mexico won three consecutive games after dropping their opener to clinch a berth in the Super Round.

    Mexico got off to a bad Group A start with a 5-1 upset loss to the Czech Republic last Thursday in Obregon despite holding the Czechs to two hits. One of those was a bases-loaded double by Marek Chlup off Mexican starter Saul Castellanos in the top of the third that drove in three runs. Fabricio Macias singled and later scored from third on a Brandon Valenzuela groundout in the sixth for the lone Mexican score with 2,233 watching at Estadio Yaquis.

    Mexico came back Friday night with a 5-0 shutout over Cuba as 1,651 looked on in Obregon. Alemao Hernandez picked up the win by tossing 5.1 innings of two-hit ball with four strikeouts during the combined whitewash. It was a 2-0 until Macias belted the first pitch in the top of the seventh for a homer while Reivaj Garcia's two-run single capped the scoring for the night. Cuba starter Bryan Chi was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs in 5.2 innings.

    The Mexicans won Saturday's game against the Dominican Republic, 8-2, thanks to a six-run sixth inning that broke open a 2-2 contest. Kevin Zamudio sliced a two-run double while Valenzuela chipped in with a two-run single in breaking the game open. A gathering a 2,714 watched as Keven Lamas hit an early homer in support of starter Alejandro Chavez, who tossed five innings of two-hit, two run ball against the Dominicans.

Mexico outfielder Fabricio Macias

    Mexico then punched its ticket to the Super Round with a 3-0 win over Taiwan on Sunday. Javier Salazar scored from third on a first-inning wild pitch after singling earlier in the frame. Macias made it a 2-0 lead in the fourth by doubling to deep left, to bring in Lamas from second and Valenzuela completed the scoring in the fifth by singling and then motoring around to score on an Agustin Ruiz double to left center. Juan Tellez scattered three hits over four innings for the win as 2,177 took in the contest at Estadio Yaquis.

    The top three finishers in each group will advance to the Super Round in Hermosillo while the bottom three converge in Obregon for the Consolation Round starting on Wednesday. Each team will carry their first-round record into the next stage, where they'll play games against the three teams arriving from the opposite group. The tournament concludes on Saturday in Hermosillo when the third and fourth place Super Round finishers meet in the Bronze Medal game at 1:00PM local time, followed by a Gold Medal game between the top two Super Round finishers at 7:30PM.

WBSC U-23 BASEBALL WORLD CUP SCHEDULE/RESULTS

Thursday, September 23
Taiwan 7, Germany 0 (Zhuang-Chen Zhong-Ao 5 innings pitched, 6 hits, 9 strikeouts)
Colombia 7, Panama 1 (Elkin Alcala allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 7-inning complete game)
Cuba vs. Dominican Republic in Obregon rained out, rescheduled for September 28
Nicaragua 6, South Korea 4 (Luis Montealto doubled, homered and had 5 RBIs)
Czech Republic 5, Mexico 1 (Marek Chlup had 2 hits, including 3-run 2B in top of 3rd)
Venezuela 9, Netherlands 4 (Roberto Perez belted a 3-run homer in win)

Friday, September 24
Dominican Republic 8, Germany 4 (Francis Florentino, Fabian Sandro both hit 2-run Hrs)
Panama 13, Nicaragua 6 (Panama 7 runs in top of 8th, Abraham Rodriguez 2-run HR)
Taiwan 4, Czech Republic 1 (Chen Sheng-Ping's 2-run double keyed 4-run top of 1st)
South Korea 8, Netherlands 7 (Jung Min-Kyu walkoff run from 3rd on error in bottom of 8^th)
Mexico 5, Cuba 0 (Alemao Hernandez 5.1 shutout innings on 2 hits with 4 strikeouts)
Venezuela 3, Colombia 2 (Roberto Perez singled, doubled and scored 2 runs)

Saturday, September 25
Germany 6, Czech Republic 4 (David Grimes had two-run double in top of 3^rd)
Panama 5, South Korea 2 (Adrian Montero went 3-for-4, scored 2 runs and had an RBI)
Cuba 2, Taiwan 1 (Yuddiel Gonzalez' 2-run homer in bottom of 7th was enough for win)
Colombia 10, Netherlands 0 (Luis Moreno allowed 3 hits, had 7 K's in 6-inning shutout)
Mexico 8, Dominican Republic 2 (Kevin Zamudio's 2-run double aided 6-run 6th)
Venezuela 6, Nicaragua 3 (Juan Fernandez' 2-run HR keyed 3-run top of 3^rd)

Sunday, September 26
Cuba 10, Germany 3 (Marlon Vega allowed 1 run on 1 hit in 5 innings pitched, struck out 8)
Netherlands 4, Panama 1 (Tyriq Kemp hit 2-run homer during 4-run 4th for Dutchmen)
Dominican Republic 2, Czech Republic 0 (Jordan Sandoval hit 2-run HR in mercy rule win)
Colombia 10, Nicaragua 0 (Jordan Diaz socked 2-run HR, added RBI double in shutout)
Mexico 3, Taiwan 0 (Juan Tellez and two relievers combined on a three-hit shutout)
Venezuela 3, South Korea 0 (Roberto Perez' 2-run double aided 4 pitchers in 2-hit shutout)

Monday, September 27
Game 25: Cuba vs. Czech Republic (Group A) in Obregon
Game 26: Nicaragua vs. Netherlands (Group B) in Hermosillo
Game 27: Dominican Republic vs. Taiwan (Group A) in Obregon
Game 28: Panama vs. Venezuela (Group B) in Hermosillo
Game 29: Germany vs. Mexico (Group A) in Obregon
Game 30: Colombia vs. South Korea (Group B) in Hermosillo

Tuesday, September 28
Game 3: Cuba vs. Dominican Republic (rescheduled group A) in Obregon

STANDINGS (through Sunday, September 26)
GROUP A: Mexico 3-1, Cuba 2-1, Dominican Republic 2-1, Taiwan 2-2, Czech Republic 1-3, Germany 1-3.
GROUP B: Venezuela 4-0, Colombia 3-1, Panama 2-2, South Korea 1-3, Nicaragua 1-3, Netherlands 1-3.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE ROAD TRIP: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

    For the next ten weeks, BASEBALL MEXICO will be taking an updated virtual road trip to all ten Mexican Pacific League cities. We'll start in Monterrey, then cut across to Mexicali and head south through Mazatlan before wrapping up our online journey in Guadalajara.
    The Mexican Baseball Road Trip (which touched down in all 24 cities in both the LMP and Mexican League) was first carried in the old VIVA BEISBOL column and repeated during BBM's first year in 2009. Each stop on our Mex Pac tour will include some revised text:

Downtown Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

    Our Mex Pac Road Trip begins in Monterrey, home of the Sultanes (who also field a summer team in the Mexican League), capital of the state of Nuevo Leon, the leading city in northern Mexico and the industrial center of the nation. Monterrey sits in the Sierra Madre Oriental foothills and was founded in 1596 by Diego de Montemayor, but it wasn’t until after the War of Independence in the 1820’s that it started blossoming as an important business center.

    Present-day Monterrey is home to over five million metropolitan residents and is Mexico’s second-largest city behind Mexico City. Although daytime high temperatures regularly hit the 90's during summer, winters are actually quite pleasant, with daytime highs usually in the low 70's between November and February.

    Visitors will not be impressed by the factories, traffic and smog they’ll encounter here, but Monterrey’s city center is actually quite pleasant, with a combination of colonial elegance and modern architecture and statues. The heart of Monterrey, many say, lies in the Plaza Zaragosa (also known as the “Macroplaza”), which was created by the demolition of six complete city blocks in downtown Monterrey. The crown jewel of the Macroplaza is the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, or MARCO, a museum that is considered a “don’t-miss” experience for art lovers visiting Monterrey. While not as beautiful on an overall basis as some of the more colonial cities in Mexico’s south, Monterrey has much to offer those willing to look past the industrial congestion that creates the city’s wealth.

    Home to three past Little League World Series champions, Monterrey is also in some aspects the center of Mexican baseball. It is home of the Salon de la Fama, the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame, which was originally opened in 1971 at the Cuauhtemoc Brewery grounds. After its 2012 closure at the behest of the brewery, Mexico City billionaire Alfredo Harp Helu provided over US$18 million in funding for a beautiful new facility that opened in 2019. Over 200 immortals from Mexican baseball are enshrined there.

Estadio Monterrey, home of the Sultanes

    In nearby El Carmen sits the Mexican Baseball Academy, where all 16 LMB teams share funding for the 100 young domestic athletes hoping to develop into pro ballplayers. The complex consists of 56 dormitory rooms, four baseball fields, four batting cages, a computer room, weight room, cafeteria, infirmary and a plaza where players can congregate. In the past, the Academia has operated an eight-team rookie league during the winter.

    The Monterrey Sultanes are one of the Mexican League’s flagship franchises and have won ten LMB championships since their founding in 1939. The Sultanes added a Mexican Pacific League team in the 2019 expansion, which has yet to reach the playoffs in two seasons. Both teams play home games in Mexico’s largest ballpark, the 22,000-seat Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey. It was the first venue in the country to have hosted Major League Baseball regular season games in 1996.

MAESTROS OF MEXICO: Ramon Arano, Pitcher

Ramon Arano at his peak with Diablos

    Ramon Arano is one of only two men to have pitched in six different decades in professional baseball history (the other is Hub Kittle), and is the only man to have won 300 or more games in one minor league. While Arano never reached 20 wins in a season, the workhorse hurler won 10+ games 18 times and holds LMB career record with 334 wins, 57 shutouts, 297 complete games and 4,773 innings pitched.

    The diminutive Arano made his Liga debut for Poza Rica in 1959, going 8-9 with the Petroleros with a 4.47 ERA. He spent the next three seasons with Veracruz, including a disastrous 1960 campaign in which he was mainly used out of the bullpen and lost all five of his decisions with a sky-high 6.53 ERA. Arano turned things around in 1961, turning in an 11-3 record to lead the LMB in winning percentage for the pennant-winning Aguilas. He then reeled off 46 wins over the next three campaigns and made his only journey to play pro ball north of the border at the end of the 1962 campaign with Oklahoma City of the American Association, going 1-1 with a 9.82 ERA in three appearances.

    Following a mediocre 9-8 season with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos in 1965, Arano went on another three-year skein of effective pitching between 1966 and 1968, showing a 48-32 record with 400 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA each season. An injury-shortened 1969 saw him go 5-7 before yet another three-year run of double-digit victories despite pitching for three teams (the Diablos, Saltillo and Cordoba) in that span. After another shortened year with the Cafeteros in 1973, Arano went on an eight-year tear of solid pitching.

    Between 1974 and 1981, Arano won between 12 and 19 games every season while consistently registering sub-3.00 ERAs, winning 19 games in both 1978 and 1979. He spent the strike-split 1980 season with Reynosa and won 14 games for the Broncos and turned in a 14-5 mark for the Diablos Rojos in 1981.

Pitching for Veracruz at age 62

   Arano bounced around a bit after that, although he did go 11-9 for Veracruz as a 44-year-old in 1984. He retired in 1986 before coming back in 1995 with the Aguilas, throwing one game in 1998 with Cordoba, and finally made one three-inning appearance in 2001 as a 62-year-old pitching coach for Veracruz.

    In all, Arano played in a total of 32 seasons (a Mexican League record) with eight teams. He also played winterball in the Mexican Pacific League for 15 seasons, compiling a decent 89-84 record with a solid 2.81 ERA and a no-hitter. Among his career highlights, Arano shut out Cleveland 4-0 in a 1967 exhibition game, but he saved the best for the following year. In a game in Mexico City, Arano beat Jim Bouton and the New York Yankees, 5-3, striking out Mickey Mantle twice.

    Arano, a Veracruz native who passed away in 2012 at age 72, was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. His nickname as a player was "Don Pantalones" (loosely translated, "The Man Who Wears the Big Pants"), a good name for the winningest pitcher in Mexican baseball history.

MEXICO WINS FIRST TWO PREMIER12 GAMES

Ali Solis in his Monterrey uniform

A two-run single by Efren Navarro and a three-run homer by Ali Solis in the eighth inning broke open a one-run game as Mexico went on to defeat the United States, 8-2, Sunday night in WBSC Premier12 play at Guadalajara's Estadio Charros.  The win gives Mexico a 2-0 record in Group A play with one game left to play against The Netherlands (0-2) Tuesday night at 7PM Central time.  Regardless of Tuesday's outcome, Mexico (who has outscored their opponents 14-3 over their first two games) will advance to the second round of the Premier12 in Chiba, Japan because they've defeated both the USA and the Dominican Republic, who'll take 1-1 records into their game Monday night.

The Verdes Grande, who were Sunday's visiting team, opened the scoring early when Christian Villanueva singled off American starter Tanner Houck to plate in Jonathan Jones and Juan Perez in the top of the first inning to go up 2-0.  The United States chipped away at their deficit via the longball, as Eric Kratz belted a solo homer off Mexican starter Horacio Ramirez in the top of the third and Bobby Dalback followed suit with a bases-empty blast off Ramirez one inning later to knot the score at 2-2.

Mexico went back ahead for good in the top of the fifth when Noah Perio hit a leadoff single, moved to third on a Javier Salazar safety and then scored the go-ahead run with two out when reliever Daniel Tillo's pitch to Esteban Quiroz got away from catcher Kratz.  From that point on, Felipe Gonzalez, Jesus Cruz, Brennan Bernardino and Carlos Bustamante held the Americans scoreless the rest of the way as Navarro and Solis put on their eighth frame fireworks show to cinch the win for the Mexicans.

Gonzalez earned the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless pitching for Mexico while Houck took the loss for the USA.  The Grandes Verde collected 10 hits to 6 for the Americans as Perez, Solis and Perio each had a pair of hits.  A crowd of 10,123 witnessed the contest at Estadio Charros, the largest gathering over the first two days of Group A action.  Going into the Premier12, the USA (managed by ex-Yankees infielder Scott Brosius) was ranked second in the world while Mexico was sixth.

Esteban Quiroz hit grand slam vs. Dominicans

Quiroz belted a fourth-inning grand slam homer to break open Mexico's Premier12 opening game against the Dominican Republic Saturday in Guadalajara as the hosts went on to top the Dominicans by a 6-1 score.  The contest was halted by rain after six innings, sending the reported 8,000 fans at Estadio Charros home or to their hotel rooms early.

The Dominicans took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when leadoff batter Geraldo Perdomo singled off Mexico starter Eduardo Vera, advanced to second base on an Otto Lopez groundout and later scored on a two-out single up the middle by former Mariners outfielder Carlos Peguero.  Peguero played three seasons with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan before batting .286 with 9 homers and 44 RBIs in 52 games this summer for the Korea Baseball Organization's LG Twins (after spending a month with Tijuana in the Mexican League, hitting .259 with 5 homers in 22 contests).

The score held until the bottom of the third frame, when Salazar and Jones led off with singles and Christian Villanueva drew a one-out walk before Quiroz launched his bases-loaded blast over the center field wall off an Enny Romero delivery to give the Mexicans a 4-1 lead.  Two innings later, Navarro and Matt Clark hit back-to-back homers to right off reliever Luis Perez to make it a 6-1 contest.  Solis then struck out and Salazar grounded out to first before the game was called because of rain.  Reliever Humberto Castellanos got the win for Mexico after tossing two perfect innings while Romero absorbed the loss.

The Dominicans bounced back Sunday to even their Group A record at 1-1 with a 14-4 win over The Netherlands as Peguero, Charlie Valerio and Jeison Guzman each bopped solo homers after Holland had taken a 3-0 lead in the first.  The United States had swamped the Dutchmen, 9-0, in the Group A opener Saturday afternoon behind a two-hit shoutout from winner Cody Ponce (5 IP) and four relievers who were backed up by four homers, including a grand slam from Red Sox prospect Bobby Dalbac.  Venerable Rob Cordemans took the loss for The Netherlands.  Cordemans, who turned 45 on Halloween, has pitched internationally for Holland since 1995, including appearances in the World Baseball Classic, Olympic Games, Baseball World Cup and Intercontinental Cup (winning the 2011 Gold medal) while anchoring eight European Baseball Championship title teams.


LIFETIME SEATHOLDERS THREATEN SULTANES WITH LEGAL ACTION

Estadio Monterrey, Mexico's largest ballpark

Weeks into their inaugural Mexican Pacific League season, the Monterrey Sultanes are finding life a little tougher on the playing field as well as in the luxury suites and box seats.  The Sultanes are a perennial powerhouse during the spring and summer during the Mexican League season, but they currently have a 7-12 LMP record to tie fellow expansionists Guasave for sixth place, four games behind the 11-8 Obregon Yaquis.

Monterrey's winterball team is operated separately from their Liga brethren, with largely different players and coaches.  Former White Sox outfielder Alejandro de Aza leads the Sultanes with a .394 batting average while outfielders Michael Choice and Felix Perez have combined for four homers and 23 RBIs (although Perez is hitting just .209 thus far after batting .308 with 30 homers for Monterrey over the summer).  Sultanes manager Homar Rojas' pitching staff has struggled at times, although starting pitcher Edgar Gonzalez has pitched better than his 1-2 record indicates, with a 2.01 ERA and 19 strikeouts and just 2 walks over 22.1 innings.

Even though the team is not performing up to the usual Monterrey standards, they ARE a new LMP entry and there are still nearly two months to turn things around in the won-lost column.  The front office may be wishing their team's on-field performance was their biggest concern, but that distinction may belong to the some of the Sultanes' most well-heeled fans.

According to Puro Beisbol, lifetime holders of seats and luxury boxes at Estadio Monterrey have sent a letter to the Sultanes threatening legal action after the team allegedly failed to honor terms of the agreement between the two sides dating back 30 years.  At that time, several prominent baseball fans in Monterrey made significant monetary contributions toward the construction of Estadio Monterrey, which opened July 12, 1990, when the city hosted the World Youth Baseball Champions for players 16 and under.  The Sultanes' first LMB home game there was played against Nuevo Laredo one week later.  The agreement between the franchise and benefactor fans was that in exchange for their contributions toward building Mexico's largest ballpark at present (capacity 21,906), the fans would receive "lifetime" access to their designated boxes and seats for up to 50 years, or until the year 2040.

Sultanes co-owner Jose "Pepe" Maiz

Now, those fans are claiming that Sultanes co-owners Grupo Multimedios, who bought half the team in 2017, have reneged on the agreement cobbled together by co-owner and team president Jose "Pepe" Maiz three decades ago.  "As many know," the letter states, "a new administration led by Multimedios entered two years ago and arbitrarily decided this year not to invalidate those rights granted to us nearly 30 years ago."

Making things more complicated for the Sultanes is another claim made in the letter: That the team cannot use Estadio Monterrey for Mex Pac games because the contract (presumably the one between the team and lifetime seatholders) needs to first be modified by the Nuevo Leon state government and has been suspended by order of a federal judge.  "We want to see the Pacific League and encourage teams in our state," the letter concludes, "But we will not let a company (Multimedios) make fun of us and our rights."

Back between the LMP foul lines, a first-half dogfight has developed at the top of the standings between Culican and Hermosillo.  The Tomateros have a 14-5 record to clutch a narrow half-game lead over the 13-5 Naranjeros.  Los Mochis and defending champion Jalisco are two games out of first with identical 12-7 records, one game ahead of Obregon.

Noel Cuevas of Los Mochis leads in batting with a .395 average while Culiacan's Sebastian Elizalde is second at 387.  Obregon outfielder Paulo Orlando is tops with 6 homers and tied with teammate Art Charles for third with 17 RBIs, one behind co-leaders Henry Urrutia of Jalisco and another Yaquis player, Jesus "Cacao" Valdez, who have 18 ribbies each.  Culiacan's Rico Noel is first in stolen bases with 9. 

Six pitchers have three wins apiece, one of them being Jalisco reliever Linder Castro.  A 28-year-old righty who represented Aguascalientes in the 2018 Mexican League All-Star Game, Castro is 3-0 with a save and has yet to be scored upon in eight appearances out of the bullpen, striking out 10 batsmen and walking one in 10.2 innings.  Among LMP starters, Los Mochis' Luke Heimlich has the lowest ERA at 0.77 after four starts, Arturo Lopez (Obregon) and Greg Mahle (Mexicali) are tied with 23 strikeouts and Hermosillo's Trey McNutt leads with 8 saves.


VERACRUZ WRITER: LIV OWNERS TO ASK AMLO FOR 2019-20 FUNDING

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador touted how much a baseball fan he is during his 2018 campaign, and has proven as good as his word since the 65-year-old Tabasco native took office for his 6-year term last December.  Lopez Obrador has ordered the Mexican League to reinstate four financially-troubled teams scheduled for a one-year hiatus in 2019 as well as demanding the Mexican Pacific League expand from eight to ten teams this winter to fulfill a campaign promise to voters in Guasave to bring the Mex Pac back to the agricultural city. AMLO has also taken an active role in building the sport by appointing ex-MLB infielder Edgar Gonzalez as head of the newly-created President's Office for Promotion and Development of Baseball in Mexico while envisioning a series of federally-funded baseball academies at school campuses across the country.  Whatever one thinks of his ideas, nobody can deny that Lopez Obrador has been very proactive on behalf of his favorite sport.

AMLO's love of baseball has led the summer Northern Mexico League to hold talks with Gonzalez seeking government subsidies to help the LNM operate last season and now, the Veracruz Winter League is apparently following suit.  Diario de Acayucan writer Enrique Reyes Grajales recently reported that several teams are interested in playing in the LIV this winter, but most lack the money to meet player payroll without government subsidies.  Reyes Grajales says sisters Regina and Fabiola Vasquez Saut, co-owners of the Acayucan Tobis who rebooted the LIV last year, are hoping for an audience with Lopez Obrador to ask for federal assistance to keep their league afloat for another season.

Taxpayer support used to not be a problem when the state of Veracruz was led by then-governor Javier Duarte, who was generous with both the LIV (formed in 2005) and the Mexican League Veracruz Rojos del Aguila.  However, state subsidies dried up after Duarte left office amid a corruption scandal that eventually led to his extradition from Guatemala and subsequent imprisonment, causing owner Jose Antonio Mansur to move his LMB franchise to Nuevo Laredo a year after the original LIV had shut down altogether in 2016.  Former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Narciso Elvira led a replacement circuit named the Veracruz State Baseball League for two winters, but the four-team loop relied on untested rookies playing a short weekend-only schedule and the LVEB never really caught on before folding after the 2017-18 season.

Acayucan Tobis celebrate 2018-19 LIV title

The second LIV featured six teams playing weekend series in the regular season and playoffs. The Vasquez Saut sisters' Acayucan team won the pennant for their second straight berth in the Latin American Series, where the Tobis reached the title game in Veracruz' Estadio Universitario Beto Avila, losing to Nicaragua's Leon Leones, 4-3, on February 1.

Since then, the LIV website has shut down and no posts have been made on their Facebook page since July 29 with a plug for a local restaurant and an appearance by Salon de la Fama pitcher Angel Moreno. the Mexican League's career wins leader among left-handers with a 263-171 record.  Only time will tell if Reyes Grajales was correct and whether the Vasquez Saut sisters were able to get AMLO to give federal help in keeping the LIV alive but now that November is underway, that time is running out.

ASTROS SWEEP ANGELS IN MONTERREY

Astros' Alex Bregman hit 3 HRs in Monterrey

The Houston Astros won twice over the Los Angeles Angels in Monterrey last weekend in the third installment of Major League Baseball's Mexico Series for 2019.  The defending American League champion Astros blasted the Angels, 14-2, Saturday night, then came back a day later for a 10-4 bopping of the Halos Sunday.

In Friday's opener, Alex Bregman launched a pair of homers and contributed four RBIs while Michael Brantley smacked a longball and doubled to push four more runs across the plate as Houston built a 6-0 lead before the Angels woke the scorer in the bottom of the fourth when Kole Calhoun singled off Astros starter Wade Miley to bring in Brian Goodwin.  There was little else the Angels could do against Miley and nothing the Los Angeles pitching staff could do to stem the onslaught as Houston racked up 14 runs on as many hits (ten for extra bases, including five homers).  Albert Pujols cracked a solo homer in the fifth but that would be the final blemish on the ledger for Miley, who got the win with six innings of work, allowing two runs on six hits.  A crowd of 18,177 looked on at Estadio Monterrey.

LA Angels' Albert Pujols went deep, too

Justin Verlander was the recipient of the Astros' continued offensive fireworks Sunday afternoon, this time to the tune of 13 Houston safeties including homers by Bregman, Brantley and Carlos Correa.  Bregman's blow was a grand slam in the top of the fifth that erased an Angels 3-2 advantage and the Astros never looked back.  Verlander got the win to go to 5-1 on the season but he was not at his best.  The seven-time All-Star allowed four runs on five hits in 6.1 innings, including two homers to Jonathan Lucroy and a solo shot by David Fletcher, but Bregman's four-run bomb gave the 2011 AL Cy Young winner all the cushion he'd need.

A total of 35,791 fans attended the two-game series, with 18,177 at Saturday night's contest while another 17,614 clicked the turnstiles Sunday.  The set marked the third time in 2019 that MLB teams have played a pair of games in Monterrey.  The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies split a pair of Cactus League exhibition games March 9-10 while the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals each copped a win in a National League twofer April 13-14.  Last weekend's set brought out the most people to watch games at the 22,061-seat ballpark. 


MONCLOVA WINS 8 STRAIGHT, OVERTAKES TJ FOR 1ST IN LMB NORTH

Monclova Acereros' OF Francisco Peguero

Although the Tijuana Toros led the Mexican League North Division for most of the first month of the 2019 season, they were expected to be challenged by defending champion Monterrey and perennial bridesmaid Monclova for LMB North supremacy before the season was over.  It was Monclova to first rise to the challenge of overtaking the Toros for first as the Acereros swept a pair of home series over Tabasco and Campeche last week to move past Tijuana into first place.

Monclova's 7-6 win over the Piratas Sunday was their eight in a row as the Acereros moved to 20-7 on the season, good enough for a one-game lead over 19-8 Tijuana.  Sunday's victory for the Steelers came in dramatic fashion.  Chris Carter's solo homer in the bottom of the ninth (his second of the night and 15th of the season) pulled Monclova into a 6-6 tie and Francisco Peguero's walkoff circuit clout off Francisco Haro in the eleventh sent most of the 6,548 fans at Estadio Monclova home happy.

Things weren't as rosy for the Toros at home in Tijuana as visiting Union Laguna pounded their way to a 12-6 triumph Sunday in front of 11,956 onlookers at Estadio Chevron.  Dustin Geiger went deep on a Jesus Pirela pitch with the bases loaded for a sixth-inning grand slam to give the 11-16 Algodoneros a comfortable 8-3 lead. Last place Laguna won two of their three games in the border city to cop the series as the host Toros dropped into second, three games ahead of Monterrey and Dos Laredos (both at 16-11).

In the LMB South, Oaxaca has cooled down a little but even so, six wins in their last ten games was still enough to keep the 17-10 Guerreros in the division lead, one game up on Mexico City and Pueblo (both of whom are 16-11 and also 6-4 over their last ten outings).   Oaxaca dropped a 9-7 decision to Quintana Roo Sunday at home as 2,979 watchers sprinkled the Parque Eduardo Vasconcelos stands.  First baseman Eric Meza went 3-for-5 with two runs for the hosts but a Brian Hernandez two-run homer in the fifth pulled the Tigres into a 7-7 tie and a bases-loaded wild pitch to Frank Diaz by reliever Juan Carlos Medina in the sixth brought in Ruben Sosa with the go-ahead run and a subsequent sacrifice fly by Diaz plated Justin Greene with an insurance run.  

Mexico City closed the gap on Oaxaca by outlasting Yucatan, 8-6, in ten innings Sunday on Jorge Cantu's walkoff two-run homer off Norman Elenes; Puebla held off Aguascalientes, 6-4, at home Sunday as Pericos DH Antonio Lamas was 3-for-5 with five RBIs, thanks in part to a three-run homer in the first off Rieleros starter Ariel Pena.

P Yasutomo Kubo has made a difference in Leon

Leon first baseman Carlos Lopez has taken the lead in the LMB batting race with a .433 average, ahead of Aguascalientes' Jose Vargas at .426 and Monclova's Carter at .422.  Carter's home run Sunday gives him one more than Vargas' Rieleros teammate Michael Wing, 15 to 14.  Wing does lead the league in RBIs with 37, two more than Carter and Felix Pie of Leon.  Dos Laredos' Johnny Davis has a comfortable lead in stolen bases with 16, five more than Alonzo Harris of Oaxaca.

Monclova's Josh Lowey was touched by Tabasco for four runs on five hits and three walks in 6.2 innings last Wednesday, but he left the game with a 6-5 lead as the Acereros went on to a 7-5 win, giving Lowey an LMB-best 5-0 record, one win more than four other pitchers (including 4-0 Edgar Gonzalez of Monterrey).  Lowey is tied for fifth with 33 strikeouts, well behind the 49 of Leon's Yasutomo Kubo, a former Pacific League Rookie of the Year in Japan's NPB.  Yucatan's Joe Samayoa has pitched far better than his 1-1 record would infer, with a Liga-topping 0.66 ERA after five starts and 27.1 innings.  Monclova's Carlos Bustamante and Rafael Martin of Saltillo are tied for the lead with nine saves apiece while Tijuana's Jesus Pirela (who ran into hard luck Sunday) is tops with eight holds.

CUARTO BAT WRITER'S TOP 6 MEXICAN BALLPARKS (PART 1)

A writer for Mexican baseball website Cuarto Bat, Yasser Trujillo, posted a column in April about his picks for the top six ballparks in the Mexican and Mexican Pacific leagues.  Here is the second part of a series in which we bring you a translated version. Although it was reported last week in BBM that Cuarto Bat's site had since apparently been suspended, according to a Google search, we're glad to report that it is back online at CuartoBat.com and that you can download a free copy of their February magazine. While there appears to have only been one story posted since early April, we're hoping they get things back up and running again with new content.

5. Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, Mazatlan

Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, Mazatlan

It's difficult to rank and evaluate an enclosure when it is not yet completely finished. However, Teodoro Mariscal de Mazatlán already offers full-time services.

Despite that, although tentative images and final models look spectacular, you can never give a well-founded opinion until you visit the property. It is essential to live the experience and enjoy it in its entirety.
It is a park with 75 percent progress, but it has already spent its first full season hosting the fans. It has a splendid interior, but an exterior undergoing work. It was still full of beams, earth, pipes and machines.

However, despite everything, there is already an aura of modernity. It offers a first level experience desired by many places that are finished in their entirety.
It has the largest screen in Latin America in 4K resolution. It also has a wide inner corridor of 360 degrees where one walks without limitations and can surround the property at will without even taking his eyes off the field. It has a food area of ​​about 35 stores with a wide offer for all visitors. In addition, bars and a la carte restaurants with a diamond view.
For access, it has automated turnstiles to enter through either with your physical ticket or on your cell phone. It has televisions in each aisle, family activities in the main lobby, a huge shop with a baseball concept and even a barber shop overlooking third base.
It is expected that by October 2019 it will be completely finished. By then it will be complete with its colorful external mesh, its esplanade with dancing fountains. Also be ready will be its huge sign that is shaping to be iconic, with everything including an external screen.
It is a property endorsed by the Major Leagues and that is also a few steps from the beach, the Malecon and the Zona Dorada. It has the best location, above any other ball park in this country. In conclusion, a stadium that surely 100 percent will rise considerably in this ranking.

TIJUANA, OAXACA CONTINUE TO LEAD LIGA DIVISIONS

Three weeks into the 2019 Mexican League season, both Tijuana and Oaxaca have led their respective divisions most of the way in the early going and while perennial power Yucatan is still dead last in the LMB South, the Leones are beginning to stir to life.

Tijuana's Ricky Alvarez looking to crush one

The Toros swept a three-game weekend series against Union Laguna in Torreon to run their record to 16-5, giving the border team a one-game lead over second-place Monterrey.  Tijuana was held scoreless for four innings Sunday by Algodoneros starter Frank Garces before Logan Watkins cracked a solo homer in the top of the fifth to give the visitors a 1-0 lead they built to 5-0 in the seventh before Laguna scored three times in the bottom of the frame to make it a two-run game.  Ricky Alvarez hit his second homer of the game in the top of the eighth to give TJ a little breathing room and another solo blast by Xorge Carrillo two batters later added to the cushion as the Toros went on to a 12-3 victory.

Tijuana starter James Russell was sharp, shutting out the Cottoneers on four hits and a walk over the first six innings to go to 2-1 for the year.  Alvarez finished the contest with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with two homers and a double, driving in five runs and scoring three times. Niuman Romero had three of Laguna's nine hits but the Algodoneros were unable to hold back Tijuana's potent offense after Watkins went deep.

Monterrey kept pace by scoring four late runs to pull away from Saltillo, 10-6, Sunday at home as 16,408 looked on at Estadio Monterrey.  The game was knotted up at 6-6 before Ramiro Pena swatted a three-run homer off reliever Jorge Ibarra in the bottom of the seventh to break the contest open.  Felipe Gonzalez was credited with the win for the Sultanes and closer Wirfin Obispo pitched a scoreless ninth as the defending champions wrapped up their fifth consecutive win to bring their ledger to 15-6 for 2019.  Monclova also won Sunday, 10-4, at Durango to raise their mark to 14-7 and maintain a solid early hold on third place in the LMB North.

Oaxaca lefty Alex Delgado shuts down Tabasco

Meanwhile, Oaxaca parlayed a good pitching performance from Alex Delgado into a 6-3 road triumph over Tabasco in Villahermosa Sunday.  Delgado took a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning en route to his first win of the year in five starts. The lefty from Mexicali finished the game with three runs allowed in 7.1 innings of work, scattering seven hits and a walk along the way.  Omar Meza, who took over second base for the Guerreros after Jaime Brena retired earlier in the month, singled twice and walked to drive in three runs from his ninth position in the batting order, helping Oaxaca lift their record to 14-7, two games up on Mexico City and Puebla, who are both 12-9 in the LMB South.

At the other end of the South standings, Yucatan is uncustomarily in last place at 7-14 after dropping a 6-2 decision to Puebla Sunday in Merida at Parque Kukulcan.  Pericos starter Mauricio Lara picked up his first win against three losses by tossing six innings of one-hit, one-run ball. Luis Juarez' solo homer in the fifth was the only blemish on the scoreboard for the Hermosillo product, who celebrated his 40th birthday in early April.  Antonio Lamas had three singles for Puebla, scoring one run and driving in another.

It's hard to put a finger on Yucatan's slow start.  Their pitching has been less than its usual strong self with a team ERA of 5.02, but that figure ranks fifth in the Liga (which has been more hitter-friendly than usual with the new Franklin ball being used this year).  The Leones rank 12th in the LMB with a .292 team batting average and their 19 homers are 14th in the 16-team circuit. It's hard to imagine Yucatan remaining in the cellar, but the nature of Mexican baseball is such that improvement will need to come soon or new manager Luis Rivera may become an ex-manager.

ACEREROS' LOWEY, SULTANES' GONZALEZ BOTH GO TO 4-0

Josh Lowey of Monclova and Edgar Gonzalez of Monterrey are considered two of the top pitchers in the Mexican League, so it should come as little surprise that both hurlers have won their fourth game of the young season to tie for the LMB lead in that category.

Monclova's dominant righty Josh Lowey

In particular, Lowey has been arguably the best pitcher in Mexico over the past four summers.  After a decent 2014 debut with the Acereros in which he went 7-5 with a 4.11 ERA in 19 starts, the right-handed Floridian has gone 52-19 since 2015 while winning Pitcher of the Year honors in 2015 and 2018 while being selected to three All-Star Games; it likely would've been four had he not left Monclova for Korea just prior to the 2016 showcase event.  He was 13-3 at the time and still won the league strikeout title.

Now 34, Lowey has been getting plenty of rest between starts, all four of which have been wins including an 11-8 triumph at Aguascalientes last Thursday.  Despite the high score, Lowey pitched reasonably well in allowing three runs on eight hits in five innings while striking out eight Rieleros. Against an Aguascalientes team that has batted well so far this year, that's not a bad outing and it was good enough for Lowey to go to 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA (also not a bad number given the rapacious hitting LMB pitchers have faced this season).  His next start will likely be this Wednesday at home against Tabasco.

Edgar Gonzalez' 2003 rookie card

Monclova's (and Lowey's) top rival the last few years has perhaps been Monterrey, where last year the Sultanes won a Liga pennant that has thus far eluded the Acereros in their 44-year history, a fact that grates Steelers' owner Gerardo Benavides.  Monterrey is off to another good start in 2019 and pitcher Edgar Gonzalez has been both a reason and beneficiary for that 15-6 record. A righty, like Lowey, the 36-year-old Gonzalez is in his fifth year pitching for his hometown team after spending all or part of ten seasons in MLB between 2003 and 2012, going 17-27 with a 5.92 ERA in 121 appearances (including 47 starts).

After a rocky 2015 campaign for Monterrey, with just a 4-12 and 4.90 ERA, Gonzalez has gone 29-8 for the Sultanes, including his 4-0 mark thus far in 2019.  His most recent start came last Friday at home against Saltillo, when he beat the Saraperos by a 9-1 count while tossing six innings of four-hit ball for manager Roberto Kelly and lowering his ERA to 3.74 (.01 better than Lowey's).  Gonzalez' next start is likely to come this Thursday in Torreon against Union Laguna.

CUARTO BAT WRITER'S TOP 6 MEXICAN BALLPARKS (PART 1)

A writer for Mexican baseball website Cuarto Bat, Yasser Trujillo, wrote earlier this month about his picks for the top six ballparks in the Mexican and Mexican Pacific leagues.  Here is the first part of a series we'll use to bring you a loosely translated version. Sadly, the CuartoBat.com site has apparently been suspended, according to a Google search, but the hope here is that it resurfaces soon.  Similar in format to Puro Beisbol and Hitazo, Cuarto Bat had quickly become a favorite site here at BBM.

After almost half a year of waiting, the 2019 season of the Mexican Baseball League has begun. And with it, a new tenant has arrived: the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, the brand new new home of the Red Devils of Mexico. After its inauguration, the AHH has unleashed many conflicting opinions. But it has also awakened the eternal debate about which is the best stadium in Mexican baseball.

It should be noted that I have not visited all the Mexican baseball properties (they are so many that I think it would never end). However, I have been in all new and modern. Based on this experience as an fan, I have put together a short list in this category to find the best Mexican baseball stadium.

I have looked for the balance between facilities, environment, food offer, amenities, comfort, technology. But also a very important point that is rarely taken into account: the treatment of the visitor.

It should be noted that although several of these parks are approved by Major League Baseball in the initial MLB contract to bring official games to our country, only cities with airport, hotel, tourist and infrastructure capacity were considered to host a huge amount of visitors. So, for the time being, and in the first years of this contract, only Monterrey, Mexico City and maybe Guadalajara are candidates. A pity, because we have awesome scenarios!

So, without further ado, let's start looking for the best Mexican baseball stadium.

6. Estadio Monterrey (Sultan Palace)

The honorable mention of the ranking is for the largest baseball stadium in Mexico, the Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey. It is also the protagonist of one of the most spectacular and ambitious renovations in the sports venues of this country. Built at the end of the 80s, this building is the only stadium in Mexican territory that has hosted official major league series.

Despite the remodeling, the Sultans of Monterrey have an old stadium in their fortress. Its old structure can no longer compete with new places. And it lacks external design; it's just a large mass of concrete. There is no internal corridor, since you must leave the stands to go to the food or bathroom area. And also the tour is not free.

However, despite the above, its spectacular giant screens, the new seats that were placed in its entirety and its outfield area make it look better than ever. It is an iconic enclosure, a classic park which for the next generations could be a simile in Mexico of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park for its mysticism and classic design. Ahead of its time, for a couple of decades, the Sultan Palace was the best stadium in Mexican baseball.

MEXICO SPLITS WITH TOP-RANKED JAPAN IN OSAKA

The Mexican National Baseball Team currently sits sixth in the World Baseball Softball Confederation's latest rankings, but they entered the lion's den last weekend when they traveled to Osaka for a two-game series against the number one team in the world, Japan, in the Samurai Series.  The set served as a warmup of sorts for both teams months ahead of November's Premier12 tournament, which will be a qualifier for next year's Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

As host team, Japan will have a berth in the 2020 Games regardless of how they do next winter, but the series was a crucible for the Mexicans and new manager Dan Firova, who replaced Enrique "Che" Reyes at the helm after the Puebla Pericos would not allow their new skipper to make the trip to the Far East.  When the dust settled, Mexico had won one of the two tilts along with an added measure of respect from baseball observers around the globe.

Mexico won Saturday's opener, 4-2, in come-from-behind fashion.  Japan took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Masataka Yoshida singled in Seiji Uebayashi and added another run in the fourth when Takuya Kai pushed Yoshida across with a singleton.  The Verdes Grande put their first score on the board in the top of the sixth after Victor Mendoza crossed home plate on a Luis Juarez single to make it a 2-1 contest but the game really took a turn in the Mexicans' favor one inning later.

An Ali Solis double in the top of the seventh brought in Jose Juan Aguilar to knot the score at 2-2.  Solis then scored Mexico's go-ahead run on a single by Chris Roberson, a naturalized Mexican citizen who was not on manager Dan Firova's original roster.  The Mexicans plated an insurance run in the eighth on a Luis "Cochito" Cruz single that drove home Joey Meneses, who'll be playing his first season in Japan this year with the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka after winning MVP honors in the AAA International League last summer.  Reliever Javier Cota earned the win for Mexico while Jake Sanchez held the hosts scoreless to pick up the save.

Japan turned things around Sunday with a 6-0 shutout over Mexico to earn the series split.  The key blow for the home team came early when Yoshida belted a first-inning grand slam off Verdes Grande starter Manny Barreda as Japan staked opener Juri Hara a 5-0 lead heading into the second frame.  Hara, who got the win, combined with six relievers on the six-hit whitewash and Barreda absorbed the defeat.  Mexico got two-hit nights from Mendoza and Juarez while Roberto Lopez and Xorge Carrillo each contributed one hit apiece.

The Samurai Series was well-attended, with good crowds both nights at the 36,000-seat domed stadium.  Saturday's contest brought in 28,933 spectators while another 28,622 fans clicked the turnstiles Sunday night, very respectable numbers for an exhibition series a month ahead of the regular season.  

According to Puro Beisbol writer Bambino Sedano, one of the off-field highlights for the visitors came when a Japanese fan, 24-year-old Ryu Ishibashi, traveled about 500 miles from Sendai to Osaka to meet Juarez, his Mexican baseball idol who had three hits in the series.  Juarez invited Ishibashi (who hopes his favorite someday plays for his Rakuten Golden Eagles) to have dinner with him and teammates Mendoza and Aguilar. In return, Juarez received a shirt featuring a drawing Ishibashi made of the Yucatan slugger.

EX-NCAA PITCHER OF YEAR HEIMLICH SIGNS WITH TECOS

The NCAA's 2018 Pitcher of the Year, Luke Heimlich, has signed a free agent contract with the Mexican League's Dos Laredos Tecolotes.  While the presence of a left-handed hurler with such bonafides represents a baseball coup of sorts for the Tecos, the Oregon State University product also brings no small amount of controversy to the border team.

On the field, there's little question that Heimlich has the chance to be a Mexican League standout.  After turning in an 11-0 record with a 0.66 ERA as a senior at Puyallup (WA) High School, he was named Washington's 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year.  Playing collegiately for west coast powerhouse Oregon State, Heimlich was selected the Pac 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2017 as a Junior after leading the nation with an 0.81 ERA, and he followed that up with a standout Senior campaign last year in which he was named NCAA Pitcher of the Year on the heels of a 16-3 record with a 2.42 ERA (also winning his second consecutive Pac 12 POY award).

However, Heimlich is bringing considerable baggage to Nuevo Laredo with him.  During the 2017 season, it was discovered that he had pled guilty as a 15-year-old to sexually molesting his six-year-old niece.  The revelation created a firestorm that resulted in Heimlich being left behind in Corvallis when the Beavers travelled to the College World Series in Omaha, where Oregon State was eliminated by Louisiana State in the semifinals.  He did make the trip to the CWS last June, when the Beavers won their third NCAA title, but lost both his decisions to North Carolina and Arkansas, the latter in Game One of the title series (which would prove to be the final competitive game he's pitched to date).

After slipping through the MLB amateur draft in both 2017 and 2018, Heimlich began looking for work as a free agent.  The Kansas City Royals considered signing him last year, but backed off after protests were raised. He did eventually sign a contract with the Latigo Monkeys of Taiwan last August, but the Chinese Professional Baseball League voided the deal due to his criminal record and may be facing the same outcome with the Mexican League office.

LMB president Javier Salinas told the New York Times, "He's not registered in the league.  We have to analyze his case." Salinas added, "It's very difficult to see him registered in the Mexican League."  Tecos owner Jose Antonio Mansur says the Liga took the unusual step of requiring Heimlich to sign a letter vowing good behavior.  "I'm not a judge," Mansur told the Times. "I'm just a businessman and I'll give him an opportunity.  If he was guilty, he's already been judged. I'm just looking from here on forward."

For his part, Heimlich (who has since said he was innocent but pled guilty to spare his family from a drawn-out public legal process) had one of two charges dropped, was placed on two years' probation, took court-ordered classes, wrote a letter apologizing to his niece (now 14) and had to register for five years as a Level I sex offender, in which he is considered a low risk to the community and unlikely to become a repeat offender.

ROCKIES, D-BACKS PLAY TWO EXHIBITION GAMES IN MONTERREY

The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks were south of the border over the weekend for a pair of Major League Baseball exhibition games at Estadio Monterrey, home of the Mexican League Sultanes.

In Saturday's opener, Mike Tauchman went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and a run and Roberto Ramos hit a run-scoring double and a solo homer to lead Colorado to an easy 5-1 win.  Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter as reliever Jeff Hoffman tossed four scoreless innings to earn the victory, allowing just two hits and striking out five Arizona batsmen.  Diamondbacks starter Taylor Clarke was tagged with the loss after giving up a pair of runs on five hits over 3.1 frames. The game was far from a sellout, as 9,372 fans were in the stands of the 22,061-seat ballpark.

Arizona came back Sunday with a 5-2 triumph.  This time, it was the Snakes' pitchers who shone on the mound as the Rockies were limited to three hits.  D-backs starter Matt Koch allowed one run on one hit in four innings, striking out three with no walks. Nick Green came on for three more strong entradas, giving up one run on two hits while Braden Shipley pitched two perfect innings and struck out four for the save.  The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third when Arizona's Eduardo Escobar lashed a double to right that brought in Tim Locastro with the go-ahead run.  The Diamondbacks picked up a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on Idelmaro Vargas' two-run homer off Rockies reliever Ben Bowden. Koch took the win for Arizona while Colorado starter Tyler Anderson was tagged for the loss.  Attendance was a little better Sunday as 10,746 watched the action.

A pair of Mexican-born former MLB performers served as "ambassadors" for the two teams. Oaxaca native Vinny Castilla, who is currently a special assistant to Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich after a successful playing career as a third baseman and will manage Hermosillo in the Mexican Pacific League next winter, was on hand as the Rockies ambassador.  Erubiel Durazo, born in Hermosillo and a one-time Sultanes first baseman who hit .364 in the 2001 World Series for Arizona's only championship team, represented the Diamondbacks. He was joined by another D-Backs '01 hero, Luis "Gonzo" Gonzalez, a Tampa product who hit .325 with 57 homers and 142 RBIs that year.

The visit of two Major League teams to Monterrey was not all sunshine and lollipops, however.  The Hitazo website (edited by respected Mexican baseball writer Hector Bencomo) says the occasion also served as a platform for about 50 fans who appear to have purchased lifetime passes to events in Estadio Monterrey when the facility was completed in 1990.  Through legal representative Oscar Martinez, the group claims that the contracts they signed 29 years ago gives them free entry to any event held at the ballpark for fifty years, including the Colorado-Arizona series. Instead, they say, the Sultanes, who hosted last weekend's two-game set, are charging them 9,900 pesos (about US$500) for two annual box tickets and another 5,000 pesos (US$250) for parking in 2019.  According to Hitazo, Sultanes co-owner Jose Maiz has refused to comment on the impasse.