CULIACAN WINS GAME 7, SECOND STRAIGHT LMP TITLE

LMP Finals MVP Jesse Castillo

    It took them a tenth-inning win in Game Seven to do it, but the Culiacan Tomateros were able to overcome their sixth-seed postseason berth to complete their second consecutive Mexican Pacific League championship season. Manager Benji Gil's squad was able to defeat Hermosillo, 7-6, on Saturday to take the series, 4 games to 3, and seal the pennant for the Tomateros. The team then took a charter flight from Hermosillo to Mazatlan after the game to represent Mexico at the Caribbean Series.

    Hermosillo opened the title series on January 22 by beating Culiacan, 2-1, at home as Ryan Verdugo allowed just five hits over seven scoreless innings to take the win. Yadier Hernandez doubled in one Naranjeros run off Tomateros starter J.C. Ramirez and scored their second in the bottom of the first to give Verdugo and his relievers all the support they'd need.

    Culiacan came back one night later for a 6-1 win as Efren Navarro, Sebastian Elizalde and Yoelkis Guibert all homered while Anthony Vasquez allowed the lone Orangemen run on six hits over six innings, striking out seven without walking a single batsman.

    The series shifted to Culiacan for the next three games, beginning last Monday with Hermosillo's 5-4 comeback win. The Tomateros had taken a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Navarro plated Elizalde and Joey Meneses with a single and later scored on a Guibert safety. Julian Leon became the hero for the Naranjeros after belting a two-run homer off Sasagi Sanchez with Niko Vazquez on base in the top of the eighth.

    Hermosillo then brought themselves to within one game of winning their first Mex Pac pennant since 2014 last Tuesday with a 1-0 whitewash of the home team. This time it was Jose Samayoa tossing magic from the mound, mesmerising the Tomateros over seven shutout innings by allowing two hits, striking out six and walking none. Manny Barreda pitched a complete game for Culiacan, but gave up the tilt's only run in the seventh when Isaac Paredes doubled home Jose Cardona with what was the eventual game-winner as the Orangemen took a 3-games-to-1 advantage.

    The Tomateros fought back Wednesday with a 4-3 comeback victory after trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning. Jesus Fabela opened the bottom of the entrada with a single and later scored on Ramiro Pena's double to make it a one-run game. Fabela tied the game in the seventh by whacking a leadoff double, chasing Hermosillo starter Verdugo, and later coming in on a two-out Elizalde single to right off reliever Marcelo Martinez in a remarkable duel that lasted 15 pitches. Elizalde, the league MVP, stroked a one-out single off Wilmer Rios in the bottom of the ninth, then stole second, moved to third on a Rios wild pitch and ended the game by scoring on Michael Wing's walkoff single to bring Culiacan to within a game of Hermosillo.

Jose Samayoa pitched strong Game Four

    After Thursday's travel day, the series resumed with Game Six at Estadio Sonora, a 6-2 Culiacan win Friday as Navarro went 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and two RBIs while Meneses and Jesse Castillo each had two hits and a ribbie. It was a 1-1 game until the top of the sixth, when the Tomateros scored four times and sent LMP Pitcher of the Year Juan Pablo Oramas to the showers. Vasquez turned in his second strong outing of the finals by going six innings and letting in one run while scattering seven hits and striking out five as the title set went to Saturday's seventh and deciding game.

    In Game Seven, Hermosillo took a 1-0 lead in the first inning but the Tomateros scored four times in the top of the second (driving out Orangemen starter Cesar Valdez), with Guibert's two-run single highlighting the outburst, and eventually built a 6-2 lead in the top of the fifth. The Naranjeros fought back with a run in the bottom of the fifth and then tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh when Paredes poleaxed a three-run homer off reliever Carlos Torres. The score held firm until the top of the tenth when vet slugger Jesse Castillo hit his second solo homer of the night (this one off LMP Reliever of the Year Fernando Salas) to give the Tomateros a 7-6 lead, then closer Alberto Baldonado set down the Orangemen 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth to seal the win and title, Culiacan's 13^th overall and fourth under manager Gil.

    Castillo, whose career was placed on hold for over a year after the two-time Mexican League MVP suffered a leg injury during the 2018 Serie del Rey, was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player after batting 8-for-20 with two homers and four RBIs. He finished the LMP postseason with a .410 average with a league-leading five homers and 15 RBIs. The MVP award could have gone to Anthony Vasquez just as easily. The Tomateros left-hander won both his starts, allowing two runs and striking out 12 batters with two walks in 12 innings.

SERIE DEL CARIBE OPENS WITH TRIPLEHEADER IN MAZATLAN

Anzoategui's Herlis Rodriguez

   It was out of the frying pan, into the fire for the Culiacan Tomateros, who eschewed a long postgame celebration of their Mexican Pacific League pennant Saturday night to catch a late charter flight to Mazatlan, where they played their first Caribbean Series less than 24 hours later in a tripleheader nightcap against the Barranquilla Caimanes, champions of Colombia's Professional Baseball League (LBP).

    After winning the LMP title, it was announced the Tomateros are adding no fewer than seven reinforcements to their active roster: Pitchers Fernando Salas (Hermosillo) and Edgar Gonzalez (Monterrey) and catcher Julian Leon, infielders Isaac Paredes, Juan Carlos Gamboa and Victor Mendoza plus outfielder Jose Cardona (all from Hermosillo). Culiacan is also activating reliever Derrick Loop from their reserve list.

    The 2021 Serie del Caribe opened play Sunday when the Panama Selects, a handpicked All-Star team representing a league that didn't bother with a regular season or playoffs this winter, defeated Venezuelan champions Anzoategui, 6-3. The Caribes qualified for the CS by posting a 24-16 record during the season, then playing another 35 games in the playoffs, capping things off by sweeping the Lara Cardenales in four games for the LVBP title.

    Herlis Rodriguez homered and doubled in the loss while Danry Vasquez, Luis Sardinas and Jesus Sucre each collected a pair of hits for the Caribes, with Sucre swatting a solo homer. First baseman Balbino Fuenmayor, who spent part of his winterball season with Mexicali, went 0-for-4. David Martinez (5 IP, 2 R) had a decent start for Anzoategui but Mayckol Guaipe, who pitched parts of two seasons in Seattle and was 4-5 with five saves over two years with Durango in the Mexican League, gave up three runs in the sixth and was tagged with the loss.

    In Sunday's second game, Dominican title-winners Cibaenas overcame an early 1-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth, then cruised to a 5-1 triumph over Puerto Rican pennant-winners Caguas. The winning Aguilas, whose 16-14 regular season gave them a tie for first with Este and Cibao in the LiDom before winning two playoff series that went the full seven games, topped Caguas behind the bat of centerfielder Juan Lagares, who belted a three-run homer and hit a two-run single to account for all five Cibaenas runs. Robinson Cano added a pair of singles for the Aguilas and Melky Cabrera singled twice and scored a run. Aguilas starter Carlos Martinez got the win, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing one run on three hits. Luis Castillo, Wirfin Obispo and Fernando Abad combined to allow one hit after Martinez was pulled in the sixth.

    Caguas won all four games over Mayaguez in the Roberto Clemente League championship series to qualify for the Caribbean Series after going 14-4 in the four-team loop's abbreviated regular season. The Criollos' lone run against Cibaenas came in the top of the the first, when leadoff hitter Jarren Duran singled and eventually scored on a Jose Miranda base hit. Caguas would only pick up two more hits the rest of the way, a Yadier Molina double and a single from Jeremy Rivera. Starter Luis Medina lasted two outs into the fourth inning before being replaced by Jason Garcia after giving up all five Dominican runs (two unearned) on seven hits. Garcia combined with three other relievers to hold the Aguilas hitless the rest of the game, but the Puerto Rican champions' offense never woke up to close the gap.

Culiacan 3B Joey Meneses

    Culiacan then wrapped up Day One by making short work of Barranquilla, 10-2. Jesse Castillo's hot bat carried over from the Mex Pac championship series as the 37-year-old went 2-for-3 on the night, including a three-run homer off Caimanes reliever Jalen Miller in the top of the ninth inning. Joey Meneses singled and doubled, scoring twice and driving in two more runs while Jose Cadona singled twice and added two more RBIs. Starting pitcher Manny Barreda allowed one earned run and six hits over five innings, striking out five and walking one en route to the victory.

    Barranquilla gathered five hits in the game, one of them a Dilson Herrera single up the middle off Barrera that scored Evan Mendoza to tie the contest, 1-1, in the bottom of the first. The Colombian champions actually took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Herrera scored from third on a Carlos Martinez sacrifice fly, but the Tomateros put the game in their hip pocket by scoring six runs in the top of the fifth. Meneses' two-run double was a key hit, as was a Cardona single that brought in two more. Oakland prospect Jordan Diaz had two of the Caribes' seven hits.

    The Caribbean Series this year will involve a first round of tripleheaders between Sunday through Thursday, followed by a Friday semifinal involving the top four finishers in round-robin play and a champioinship game on Saturday. All games are being played at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, scene of the 2005 Serie del Caribe.

CUALICAN TOMATEROS
2021 Serie del Caribe schedule
FIRST ROUND
SUN, Jan. 31 Culiacan 10, Barranquilla Caimanes (Colombia) 2
MON, Feb. 1 vs. Cibaenas Aguilas (Dominican Republic)
TUE, Feb. 2 vs. Caguas Criollos (Puerto Rico)
WED, Feb. 3 at Panama Selects
THU, Feb. 4 vs. Anzoategui Caribes (Venezuela)
FRI, Feb. 5 SEMIFINALS
SAT, Feb. 6 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
All Tomateros games scheduled for 9PM local time

DIABLOS FIRE GASTELUM BEFORE FIRST GAME

Sergio Gastelum out in Mexico City

    Readers familiar with the “Mexican Managerial Merry-Go-Round,” the never-ending coming and going of managers in Mexican baseball, shouldn't be surprised that another helmsman south of the border has been given the pink slip. However, even in an environment in which managers get the axe within two weeks of their first game, this firing is unusual.

    According to columnist David Braverman, one of the country's most respected baseball scribes, the Mexico City Diablos Rojos have let go skipper Sergio Gastelum before he managed a single game for the Red Devils after coming to the club from their de facto farm team in Oaxaca after the 2019 season.

Gastelum was Manager of the Year in Oaxaca

    A popular second baseman who spent four seasons with the Diablos at the end of his 22-year Mexican League playing career before retiring at the end of the 2017 season with nearly 2,000 hits and over 1,000 runs scored, Gastelum was named Oaxaca manager prior to the 2018 two-season schedule. During the Fall 2018 season, he led the Guerreros to the LMB South title and an appearance in the Serie del Rey before losing to Monterrey, earning Manager of the Year honors. Gastelum returned for another year with Oaxaca in 2019 and brought the team to an overall 68-51 record (second-best in the LMB South) and a second straight playoff appearance.

    That was enough for the Diablos Rojos to pluck Gastelum from their little sisters and name him as manager in Mexico City for 2020, replacing Victor Bojorquez (who'd brought the Diablos to a 67-49 ledger and a berth in the LMB South championship series). Although Gastelum ran the team during training camp last year, the season was postponed and then ultimately canceled due to the pandemic before ever managing the Red Devils in a game that counted in the standings. And now he's been let go less than four months before the LMB season is slated to open in May.

    Puro Beisbol editor Fernando Ballesteros attributes Gastelum's surprising ouster to a battle for power within the Diablos Rojos' front office, saying sports manager Francisco Minjarez left the team weeks ago while a “massive dismissal of scouts” has also taken place. Ballesteros speculates that team president Dr. Othon Diaz (who has apparently won the power struggle) wants ex-MLB catcher Miguel Ojeda to return to the dugout, where he managed Mexico City to the 2014 pennant. However, it remains to be seen whether Ojeda wants to leave his current position of Diablos' vice president.

    Gastelum recently concluded his third season managing Obregon in the Mexican Pacific League, taking the Yaquis to an LMP-best 37-22 regular season record, a first-half title and a first-round playoff win over Jalisco. He was named the Mex Pac Manager of the Year for 2019-20.

TIGRES FOR SALE? PEREYRA SAYS YES, TEAM SAYS NO

Tigres owner Fernando Valenzuela

    A Twitter entry by Proceso writer Beatriz Pereyra regarding rumors that former Cy Young Award winner Fernando Valenzuela and his wife Linda Burgos are trying to sell the Quintana Roo Tigres has raised several eyebrows across the country, with the team office denying Pereyra's claim a day after it was first posted.

    Pereyra's translated comment on Twitter last Wednesday was that "the Tigres for sale. There are several interested, mainly in northern states of the country. The team will inevitably change owners. The Valenzuela family will say goodbye to the project.”

    A translated tweet from the Tigres team office in Cancun on Thursday read in part, “The Tigres de Quintana Roo organization categorically denies the rumors that occurred in the last hours about its sale. The team remains under the leadership of the Valenzuela Burgos family based in Cancun, Quintana Roo. We appreciate the support and endorsement of the fans to our team during all these years.”

    Still, Pereya doubled down on her claim following the Tigres' tweet. "I maintain that the team is for sale," she said. "Time will tell who is right. Fact: Do you remember when Mr. Murra denied that he was not the owner of the Union Laguna Algodoneros? It is something similar.” Pereya's reference is to Union Laguna's current president Guillermo Murra Marroquin, who denied his family was buying the Cottoneers from the Arellano brothers (also co-owners of the Yucatan Leones) in January 2019, a month before the Murras were announced as the franchise's new owners.

    Longtime Mexican baseball coach, scout and administrator Carlos Fragoso of Mexico City says simply, “Fernando Valenzuela declared that the Tigres are not for sale, so as of now they will continue being part of LMB.”

    Valenzuela had fronted a group of investors to buy the Mexican League heritage franchise from Carlos Peralta (son of team founder Alejo Peralta) for an undisclosed amount in February 2017. Almost immediately, the former Dodgers All-Star and his wife were confronted by challenges when their partners reportedly bailed out on the investment, leaving them sole owners of the 12-time LMB champions. Then it was discovered that a number of prospects who'd been on a list of protected players given to the Valenzuelas prior to the sale had been surreptitiously transferred to the Mexico City Diablos Rojos, touching off the Rookiegate scandal that rocked the LMB for months.

    The common denominator in Rookiegate appears to be Francisco "Pollo" Minjarez, who worked in the Tigres' front office prior to the sale before taking the Diablos' general manager's job shortly afterward and was thus the recipient of the six prospects, two of whom were subsequently sold to the Texas Rangers for more than two million dollars combined. Former LMB president Javier Salinas eventually ruled that the rights to the prospects be returned to the Tigres along with the money received from the player sales but at last report, the Diablos have honored neither order.

Cancun's Estadio Beto Avila

    Minjarez was also placed on suspension by the Liga office, but reportedly never gave up his duties in the Red Devils' front office. He'd previously been suspended indefinitely by the Mexican League in 2013 after allegedly violating internal agreements and using inappropriate behavior as general manager of the Obregon Yaquis and has not worked in the Mex Pac since.

    Although Cancun has grown to over 700,000 residents and has a 9,500-seat ballpark (Estadio Beto Avila), the city has never greatly supported baseball. An earlier LMB team, the Langosteros, played in Cancun from 1996 through 2005, when Hurricane Wilma devastated the ballpark and forced the team to move to Poza Rica after ten seasons of tepid response from the local audience. The Tigres moved to the tourist mecca in 2007 and despite four division titles and three pennants since, the club is usually in the middle of Liga attendance tables. In 2019, they finished eighth with 226,525 fans over 59 home dates for an average of 3,839 per opening. The Tigres have never drawn 4,000 a night.

    If the Valenzuelas do sell the Tigres, it would mark the end of a 43-month era in Cancun that began with great fanfare accompanying the purchase of one of Mexico's most-storied baseball teams by perhaps its most popular Major League star. Instead, the Tigres have since seen middling success on the field accompanied by a rising tide of red ink in the franchise's coffers.

    There have been calls over the years for the team to move back to its original home of Mexico City but given their enmity towards the Diablos, Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is more likely to renounce baseball for cricket than the Valenzuelas sharing the capital city with the Red Devils.

    Nobody from the "northern cities" Pereyra mentioned in her initial tweet has been identified, but Septima Entrada's Jose Alfredo Ortiz reported earlier this month that the Aguascalientes Rieleros are rumored to be moving to Veracruz for 2021. Otero mentioned nobody in his story either, but it's been said that sisters Regina and Fabiola Vasquez Saut (who operated the now-defunct Veracruz Winter League in 2018-19 and owned the rights to the Acayucan Tobis franchise) are interested in bringing an LMB team back to Veracruz.

FOUR SINALOAN LMP TEAMS ALLOWED 40% CAPACITY AT GAMES

Gov. Ordaz at bat in Ahome ballpark

   With the opening of the 2020-21 season less than a month away, there was concern among the ten Mexican Pacific League teams that they may all have to play games with no fans in the stands due to health concerns over the Wuhan virus. Some welcome news arrived last week when the governor of Sinaloa said in an interview that the four LMP teams within the state will be allowed to play before live audiences comprising up to 40 percent of each ballpark's capacity, depending on each facility's regular season and layout.

    According to Puro Beisbol, Sinaloa governor Quirino Ordaz Coppel told the Linea Directa website that protocols required by the Ministry of Health will be carried out so fans in Culiacan, Guasave, Los Mochis and Mazatlan can attend games this season. A Mex Pac press release says the the league will work "hand in hand with government and health authorities" to ensure that people can see games in person.

    Culiacan will be able to sell 8,000 tickets at 20,000-seat Estadio Tomateros while the Mazatlan Venados can play with 6,400 aficionados at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal (capacity 16,000). In Los Mochis, 4,800 seats at Estadio Emilio Ibarra Almada (12,000) can be filled for Caneros home games while in Guasave, the Algodoneros may play for up to 4,200 fans at 10,000-seat Estadio Francisco Carranza Limon. The regular season is due to open Thursday, October 15 with games in Culiacan, Los Mochis and Mazatlan among the five scheduled for that night.

Guasave's Estadio Francisco Carranza Limon

    According to the press release from the Mex Pac's Guadalajara office, "Each of the 35 games that these organizations have on their calendar for the regular season, plus the eventual playoffs, will have the proper controls and limitations, for all areas such as locker rooms, entrances, corridors, toilets and restaurants with the sale of drinks and food, respecting the protocols of their sectors at all times."

    Masks will be required (and make for great fashion statements) at all times while spaces designated for handwashing with antibacterial gel will be installed at each ballpark. Fans failing to comply with the rules will be forced to leave the ballpark.

RAMOS, PAREDES SEEK MEX PAC RETURN THIS WINTER

Naranjeros first baseman Roberto Ramos

    A pair of Hermosillo products, one who's become one of the top sluggers in Korean baseball and a highly-touted infield prospect who made his MLB debut last month, want to play in Mexico this winter once their current seasons end. Puro Beisbol editor Francisco Ballesteros reports that LG Twins first baseman Roberto Ramos is hoping to suit up for his hometown Naranjeros while Detroit Tigers third sacker Isaac Paredes seeks to perform in Mazatlan after being traded by Obregon to the Venados for veteran catcher Sebastian Valle in the offseason.

    The 25-year-old Ramos was an obscure power-hitting minor leaguer in the Colorado Rockies minor league system for six years before his contract was sold to the Korea Baseball Organization's Busan-based Twins in January, with whom he reportedly signed a one-year, U$500,000 contract. His batting average has cooled down after a sizzling start to his first year in the KBO (although he's brought it back up to .285 in recent games), but Ramos recently belted his 33rd homer of 2020 to extend his single-season record of most homers for a Mexican-born player in South Korea after breaking Karim Garcia's old standard of 30 earlier this month.

    Ramos has spent parts of the past five winters as an unheralded member of the Orangemen, hitting .220 with 14 homers in 145 games, but his newfound celebrity status in Korea will likely carry home with him. Naranjeros GM Juan Aguirre says that with the Twins expected to reach the KBO playoffs, they don't expect Ramos in Estadio Sonora until the second half of the Mex Pac season. "We have spoken with Roberto and we are aware that the first round would be lost," said Aguirre. "In fact, we will give him enough space to see if we can count on him as of December." With the Twins likely interested in signing Ramos for 2021, they'd need to sign off on him playing winterball back home.

Isaac Paredes hitting for Obregon

   The 21-year-old Paredes, who signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and came to the Detroit organization a year later as part of a five-player trade, was a midseason All-Star with Class A Lakeland in 2018 and Class AA Erie last year. He spent this season practicing and playing intrasquad games at the Tigers' alternate training site in Toledo before being called up August 17. Paredes went 1-for-4 that night with a two-run single during a 7-2 loss to the White Sox in Chicago and was batting .318 after one week (belting a grand slam in 10-5 win at Cleveland on August 21). He was still hitting .258 at the end of August before going into a September slump that saw him go 4-for-36 to start the month as his averaged plummeted to .176.

    His plate woes haven't affected his work at the hot corner, as Paredes committed just one error over his first 23 games and took part in seven double plays for a .981 fielding percentage. While the Tigers are concerned over his tendency to take first-pitch strikes, they love his ability to play three infield positions (Paredes appears best-suited for second base despite his 5'11” 210-pound frame) and think his patience at the plate will be a virtue.

    Paredes has spent the past three winters with Obregon, batting a cumulative .283 with seven homers over 104 games with the Yaquis. Mazatlan GM Jesus “Chino” Valdez says Paredes should be with the Yaquis along with Houston pitcher Jose Urquidy this season. “In the talks I've had with Issac, he plans to report,” says Valdez. “The same thing will happen with Urquidy because he thinks he'll need innings this winter because of the lack of activity he's had this year in the majors.”

Dodgers-Padres series in Monterrey sells out in two hours

Fans waiting to buy Dodgers-Padres tickets in Monterrey

If any question remained as to whether the May series in Monterrey between the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers and their NL rivals from San Diego is a big deal, those doubts should be dispelled by the fact that only two hours were required to sell out 22,000-seat Estadio Monterrey for all three games. 

According to Puro Beisbol's Hector Bencomo in his Imparable column on Saturday, ducats went on sale Friday via Ticketmaster and were quickly snapped up, with a few seats to be offered to Padres VIPs reportedly the only tickets remaining.  Although ticketbuyers were required to purchase a three-game package, there's no doubt that a large number of single-game tickets will be made available through secondary sellers like StubHub (at a premium, of course).  Bencomo says that while ticket sales at the offices of the host Monterrey Sultanes was fully staffed, only about 800 walk-up fans were able to buy tickets before the series was sold out, with another frustrated 700 would-be ticketbuyers still standing in a line that stretched through the parking lot.

The so-called Mexico Series will mark the first regular season appearance of Major League Baseball teams south of the border in 19 years, when the Padres and Colorado Rockies opened the 1999 campaign with a single game in Monterrey on April 4.  Three years earlier, San Diego and the New York Mets competed in the first-ever MLB series in Mexico, also at Estadio Monterrey in August 1996.  The ballpark, which opened in July 1990, is currently undergoing a retrofit that will lower the capacity from 27,000 to 22,000 seats but make the facility (Mexico's largest baseball stadium) more user-friendly.

The series will feature a number of marquee names among the playing ranks, mostly among the Dodgers, who'll bring Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Chase Utley and Yasiel Puig.  San Diego will have notable performers Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe, Clayton Richard and likely Christian Villanueva, a third baseman from Guadalajara who impressed the Padres during a September callup last year by batting .344 with four homers in 32 at-bats over 12 games.


Heras fails to reach terms on loan to Monclova, returns to Yucatan

Yucatan (for now) outfielder Leo Heras

Close observers of Mexican baseball have no doubt noticed the practice of teams "loaning" players to each other.  It's a decades-old system in which one franchise facing a surplus of players at one position will loan a player to another league club with a need at that position for the season, with the loaning team holding the player's rights while the receiving team often picks up the salary of the player being transferred. 

Sometimes such deals can reach ridiculous proportions when the two teams involved are under the same ownership, creating a situation where clubs like Union Laguna and Puebla serve roles with Yucatan and Monclova (respectively) similar to how the old Kansas City Athletics were considered a de facto "farm team" for the New York Yankees in the late 1950's.  Players usually have no recourse, but there are exceptions to the rule and outfielder Leo Heras is the latest to buck the system.

Heras is a 27-year-old Tijuana native who will be entering his twelfth year of pro ball after debuting with his hometown Tijuana Potros in 2007 at age 16.  The 5'9" lefty hitter has built a reputation as a reliable batsman with gap power, some speed and good enough with a glove to be able to play all three outfield slots and fill in at second in a pinch.  He's a career .313 batter over eleven Liga seasons and collecting 67 homers and 115 stolen bases in 741 LMB games, appearing on four All-Star Games along the way. 

Last summer, the one-time Astros farmhand hit .293 with three homers in 95 games for Yucatan after a March trade from Mexico City to the Merida club before turning in a .253/0/19 winterball campaign for Obregon.  While he was toiling for the Yaquis last December, the Leones shipped him on loan to Monclova and the status quo appeared to be undisturbed (with Heras even appearing at an Acereros press conference announcing his arrival) until Heras did the unusual: He balked at the deal.

The issue appears to be money, as Heras and the Steelers were unable to reach an agreement as to how much the outfielder would earn for the 2018 season.  Puro Beisbol's Hector Bencomo weighed in on the subject, speculating that Heras considered the move from Yucatan to Monclova a sale and not a loan, and that the veteran flychaser wanted a percentage of the sale price.  The reason for the fallout and Heras' subsequent return to Merida has never been broached by either side, but the issue of a player seeking compensation when he's sold dates back to the days of legendary slugger Hector Espino. 

Espino's disputes over salaries and sales, mostly with the Monterrey Sultanes, are legendary among Mexican baseball cognoscenti.  A very quiet man by nature, Espino was also every bit as proud and aware of his value as both a player and a man and not afraid to dig in his heels against ownership.  That's something almost unheard of among ballplayers south of the border even today, so Heras' stance ensured his return to Yucatan last week and has likely punched his ticket to another LMB franchise who'll be willing to meet his price.


Diablos GM Minjarez suspended for role in "Rookiegate"

Francisco Minjarez (while a Tigres employee)

Several months after Quintana Roo Tigres owners Fernando and Linda Valenzuela lodged a complaint with the Mexican League over the suspicious transfer of five Tigres prospects to the Mexico City Diablos Rojos while the Valenzuelas were purchasing the Cancun franchise, there has been a response from the LMB office.  Diablos general manager Francisco "Pollo" Minjarez has been suspended indefinitely by the Liga office after having been employed in the Tigres front office prior to last February's sale before moving to Mexico City to serve as the Red Devils GM, and is believed to have played a pivotal role at both ends in the prospect transfer.

Minjarez was working in the Cancun front office under longtime Tigres GM Chito Rodriguez while owner Carlos Peralta was in the process of selling the franchise to the Valenzuelas in a deal finalized a year ago.  Shortly after the Tigres changed hands, Rodriguez retired and Minjares took the GM job in Mexico City under Diablos team president Roberto Mansur, who retired after last season, stating health concerns.  During this timeframe, five Tigres prospects on a master player roster the Valenzuelas claim they had in January 2017 became property of the Diablos in February in what Minjarez told Proceso reporter Beatriz Pereyra was a "gentleman's agreement" between the two sides.  He did not specify whether the agreement was between Peralta and Red Devils owner Alfredo Harp Helu or between Rodriguez and Mansur, two decades-long powers within the LMB, or any combination thereof.

That deal exploded in importance last June when the Diablos sold two of the five former Tigres prospects, 15-year-old infielder Fernando Villalobos and 16-year-old pitcher Damien Mendoza, for US$1.5 million and US$1.2 million, respectively.  The bone of contention with the Tigres and the Valenzuelas is that since they were not informed of the transaction, the rights to the five prospects (including Villalobos and Mendoza) still belonged to them and that they should receive proceeds from the two sales.  For his part, Minjarez told Pereyra that the transfer of the prospects is common among some LMB teams and that the deal had already consummated before the sale of the Tigres was finalized.

There's speculation that Minjarez may return to his former GM position in Obregon, now that a five-year suspension he received from the LMP in 2013 after not paying players promised bonuses after winning their third straight pennant has ended.  The Diablos are not taking this quietly, however, as new team president Othon Diaz wrote a letter to Mexican League president Javier Salinas protesting Minjarez' suspension and a formal protest is not being ruled out.  That would put Salinas in the difficult position of a first-year league president going head-to-head with his league's richest owner and be a real test of his leadership and power.

As for the Valenzuelas, they're still waiting to hear how much of that US$2.7 million they'll be getting.  While Fernando may be a better known figure in Mexico and the USA than Harp (he's no doubt more popular), baseball has always been a tough sell in Cancun, the once-proud franchise may face some difficult times ahead.

MexPac begins 2017-18 season; 116,306 attend eight openers

Celebration after Culiacan's Josh Fuentes' 14th inning HR

It took a walkoff homer in the bottom of the fourteenth inning, but the Culiacan Tomateros were able to remain one of two Mexican Pacific League teams with perfect 5-and-0 records after nipping Los Mochis, 1-0, Sunday night at Estadio Tomateros.  By the time Josh Fuentes lofted Caneros’ reliever Fabian Cota’s first pitch of the bottom of the 14th over the wall in left-center to end it, the marathon had lasted a total of 395 pitches from 13 pitchers on both teams over 4 hours, 48 minutes.  Fuentes, who hit .307 with 15 homers for the Rockies’ AA Hartford affiliate over the summer, had gone hitless and left seven baserunners stranded in five previous trips to the plate.

Jalisco is the LMP’s other unbeaten team after swamping Obregon, 7-1, in Guadalajara Sunday.  Charros second baseman Manny Rodriguez raised his batting average to .571 after going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs while scoring twice to support Jalisco starter Tyler Alexander, who spun six innings of three-hit shutout ball for his first win of the winter.

While Culiacan and Jalisco are riding high, Los Mochis and Obregon are at the other end of the spectrum with 0-and-5 records with Navojoa showing just one win thus far.  Obviously no team will never win nor lose all their games, but the Caneros and Yaquis are already five games out of first after the first weekend of the season.  Even if Jalisco sweeps their upcoming midweek series at Los Mochis and Culiacan does the same on the road against defending champion Mexicali, someone’s perfect record would end Friday when the Charros visit the Tomateros in the Sinaloa state capital next weekend.

Attendance was solid throughout the MexPac for the home-and-away openers, as no team drew fewer than 11,000 fans for their respective inaugurals.  Culiacan’s lidlifter against Navojoa on Wednesday attracted 19,912 onlookers to Estadio Tomateros.  Los Mochis’ Thursday opener against Mexicali pulled in the “smallest” crowd at 11,200 but when you consider that Estadio Emilio Almada Ibarra seats 11,000 spectators, it adds a little perspective.  Here are the attendance figures for all eight season openers (an asterisk denotes a sellout):

Tuesday, October 10

Los Mochis at MEXICALI 17,000

Wednesday, October 11

Navojoa at CULIACAN 19,912

Obregon at HERMOSILLO 16,396

Jalisco at MAZATLAN 11,245

Thursday, October 12

Hermosillo at OBREGON 16,500

Mazatlan at JALISCO 12,553

Culiacan at NAVOJOA 11,500

Mexicali at LOS MOCHIS 11,200

TOTAL           116,306

AVERAGE 14,538

As shown, five of the eight openers were sold out, Culiacan came within 100 of reaching Estadio Tomateros’ listed capacity of 20,000 and Jalisco was less than a half-thousand seats shy of a full house.  Mazatlan, which finished last in attendance in 2016-17, came up nearly 3,500 tickets short of a sellout at 15,000-seat Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, which will be getting a major makeover over the coming year.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Standings

Culiacan 5-0, Jalisco 5-0, Hermosillo 4-1, Mazatlan 3-2, Mexicali 2-3, Navojoa 1-4, Los Mochis 0-5, Obregon 0-5

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Batting Leaders

Batting-Alejandro Flores (HMO) .722, Runs-Manny Rodriguez (JAL) 8, Homers-Eight players tied with 2 each, RBIs-Manny Rodriguez (JAL) 9, Stolen Bases-Billy Burns (JAL) 4

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Pitching Leaders

Wins-Manuel Flores (JAL) and Gerardo Sanchez (CUL) 2, ERA-Six pitchers tied at 0.00 each, Strikeouts-Casey Coleman (HMO) 9, Saves-Four pitchers tied at 2 each, WHIP-Arturo Lopez (OBR) 0.35

QUESTIONABLE TIGRES-DIABLOS PROSPECTS TRANSFER UNDER SCRUTINY

As if the Mexican League hasn’t already endured more than its share of controversy over the past year, the LMB is now dealing with an apparently surreptitious transfer of five Quintana Roo Tigres prospects to the Mexico City Diablos Rojos last winter one week prior to the sale of the Tigres to ex-Cy Young Award winner Fernando Valenzuela and his wife Linda Burgos.  Two of those players were subsequently sold to the Texas Rangers for a total of $2.7 million over the summer, but the question of whether the Diablos or Tigres should receive the money has arisen in light of concerns over whether rights to the prospects were traded to the Diablos for nothing in return or whether the Tigres “loaned” the players to Mexico City, a common practice south of the border.

According to a story in Proceso by Beatriz Pereyra, the common denominator is Francisco Minjarez, who processed the paperwork as an assistant general manager with the Tigres at the time.  Minjarez left the Tigres after the February sale and landed in the Diablos’ front office in late March, weeks before 16-year-old pitcher Damien Mendoza and 15-year-old infielder Fernando Villalobos were sold to the Rangers for $1.2 million and $1.5 million, respectively in July.

The Proceso story says the players appeared on a Tigres reserve list in January before reappearing on the Diablos’ reserve list one month later.  The Valenzuelas were never formally informed of either the prospect transfers or the sales to Texas, and the cash-strapped Cancun team has received none of the Texas sale proceeds.  Minjarez told Pereyra in a subsequent interview that the initial transfer was a “gentleman’s agreement” between then-Tigres president Cuauhtemoc Rodriguez (who departed shortly after Carlos Peralta sold the team) and recently-retired Diablos team president Roberto Mansur.

Whether anything comes of the LMB’s investigation depends on new league president Javier Salinas, who was not an insider when he was chosen to replace Plinio Escalante after the 2017 season.  Salinas’ handling of the matter will be closely watched.

MEXICAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES INDIVIDUAL AWARDS FOR 2017

The Mexican League has announced the names of players selected to receive individual awards for the 2017 season.  

Third baseman Jesse Castillo of Aguascalientes heads the list as Most Valuable Player after batting .342 with 20 homers and 82 RBIs, ranking in the top ten for each offensive category.

Veracruz starter Nestor Molina was picked as Pitcher of the Year after leading the Rojos del Aguila to a playoff berth with a 12-3 record and Liga-leading 1.89 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.

Monclova closer Chad Gaudin was chosen as Reliever of the Year.  The former A’s starter led the loop with 29 saves to augment his 2.93 ERA and 2-3 record for the Acereros.

Rookie of the Year honors went to 24-year-old Puebla first baseman Ricky Rodriguez, a Los Angeles native who hit .304, socked 11 homers and drove in 72 runs for the Pericos.

Puebla second baseman Jesus Arredondo was tabbed as Comeback Player of the Year with a .332/15/87 statline in 2017 after going .259/5/38 a year ago.

And Aguascalientes helmsman Homar Rojas received acclamation as Manager of the Year for leading the bargain-basement Railroaders roster to a 64-46 record and a playoff berth.

We’ve already gone over what a tough year it was to pick an MVP but if there’s a clear dispute over who earned which award, it may be Gaudin’s selection as Reliever of the Year. While he did standout work with Monclova in 2017, Tijuana’s Jason Urquidez was a perfect 5-0 with 28 saves and a microscopic 0.98 ERA while striking out 56 batters and walking only seven over 46 innings for the pennant-winning Toros.

Note: Baseball Mexico will now be posted on Mondays with three stories per entry.