Laguna OF Chapman penning diary for Christian sports mag

Vaqueros outfielder Ethan Chapman with wife Kylie

Ethan Chapman is hardly the first North American to spend a season playing pro baseball in Mexico.  However, he may be the first to write a weekly diary about his experience for a national sports magazine.

An outfielder for the Union Laguna Vaqueros, the outfielder has certainly had a front-row seat to some interesting times in Torreon.  Even before the season starter, owners Juan Jose and Erick Arellano (who also co-own the Yucatan leones) had their assets frozen as part of a government investigation into possible money-laundering involving two Mazatlan-born brothers.   Then, the Vaqueros were battling for third place in the Mexican League’s North Division when All-Star first baseman Ricky Alvarez, who was the LMB leader in RBIs and a potential MVP candidate, was sent to Yucatan in a one-sided trade clearly swung to benefit the LMB South-leading Leones.  The resulting fallout among fans has resulted in a drop in attendance at Vaqueros home games at Estadio Revolucion (which turns 85 in September).
The Cal State-San Bernardino product, who was drafted by Kansas City in 2012 and spent four years in the Royals and Phillies systems.  Chapman spent last summer with Sioux Falls of the American Association before signing with the Vaqueros last November.  Thus far in 2017, he’s batting .281 (with a .342 on-base percentage), has five homers and 42 runs scored in 87 games for Laguna.  His 18 steals leads Union Laguna, one more than fellow outfielder Welington Dotel.
The 27-year-old Californian has taken the high road while writing weekly dispatches for Sports Spectrum, a Christian sports magazine and website founded in 1985 which also features a website and podcasts.  Instead, Chapman’s contributions concentrate more on how his faith has been a factor during his first Mexican League campaign, which he hopes will lead him back to an MLB organization.  The following is his twelfth diary submission to Sports Spectrum this year, posted on July 26:

This week we played a three game series in Cancun. I thought it would be a good idea to have some family come out to enjoy the beach and watch some baseball.

My wife, dad, sister, mother in-law and friends all took time off from work and paid for flights and hotel rooms. We were all set to go and excited to have them here, until we found out that the team schedule was wrong and we would be playing Cancun three days earlier than expected!! Apparently, this was something that the entire team wasn’t even aware of. We were all thrown off by the wrong schedule so we had to cancel our original flights. Instead we had to drive 5 hours from Torreon to Monterrey, then fly from Monterrey to Mexico City and then another flight from Mexico City to Cancun. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I invited my family to come out to watch me play.  Instead of them watching 3 games and spending all day with me by the beach. They had to rush to the field to catch our last game in Cancun and we were only able to get dinner with them afterward before we took off for the next city. Sometimes our plans and what actually happens don’t align. My plan as a kid and still currently is to play in the Big Leagues. I never would have imagined the route that I would take to get me where I am today. But I know I am right where I am supposed to be right now. Being drafted, released twice, playing independent baseball, barely making any money, long terrible bus rides, early flights, away from my family and friends, good seasons, bad seasons, renting out my house, my wife quitting her job to join me in Mexico, all of it is part of His perfect plan. The sacrifices that so many people especially my wife have made so that I can play baseball professionally have been amazing. Every success would be so much less if it wasn’t for all the roadblocks. I don’t know when my career is going to end but the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve built through this great game will never be replaced.

Monclova's Borbon has six hits in 21-9 win over Campeche

Monclova outfielder Julio Borbon

Former major league outfielder Julio Borbon tied a Mexican League record Friday night by stroking six hits during the Monclova Acereros' 21-9 drubbing of the Campeche Piratas in front of 5,860 fans at Estadio Monclova.  The record of six hits in a nine-inning game was set in 1937 by Veracruz Rojos Aguilas Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo and had been tied 41 times before Borbon's outburst.  Saltillo's Bernardo Lopez and Cuban star Alfredo Despaigne of Campeche each had six-hit games in 2013, the last season the record was matched.

The 31-year-old Borbon had five singles and a double to key Monclova's 25-hit attack as the Acereros scored at least one run in each of the eight innings they sent batters to the plate.  Campeche actually led 7-4 until the bottom of the third, when the Steelers pushed five runs across the plate (with Borbon singling, but being called out at home after trying to score from first on Jose Felix' bases-loaded single).  Borbon, who also drove in five runs in the rout, saw his batting average jump from .324 to .345 in his fiftieth game of the campaign.  The former Rangers starter had plenty of help, as Amadeo Zazueta had four hits (including a two-run homer) and Matt Clark belted his 15th homer and singled twice as every Acereros batter except leadoff batter Willy Taveras had at least one hit and one run each.

Campeche didn't fare poorly at the plate themselves, gathering 15 hits on the night (three apiece for Yosmany Guerra, Oscar Williams and Engel Beltre), but Piratas starting pitcher Jorge Castillo coughed up seven runs on seven hits (including three homers) before being yanked with one out in the third and things didn't get much better for relievers.  The marathon lasted 4 hours, 31 minutes as the 7:30PM contest didn't conclude until a minute past midnight.  One night later, venerable hurler Francisco Campos recorded his first win of 2017 as Campeche defeated Monclova, 4-3.  Campos, who started the All-Star Game for the LMB South, gave the Pirates six strong innings by allowing one run and striking out four Acereros batsmen to go to 1-3 on the season and 192-138 for his 23-year Liga career.  His ERA is a solid 3.19 over seven starts bracketed around an injury that kept him off the mound from April 8 to May 24.

The Acereros dropped Sunday's game as well to fall to 41-30 in the LMB North Standings.  Monclova is in third place, looking up at 47-23 Monterrey and 46-25 Tijuana and casting a wary eye on the Aguascalientes Rieleros, sitting a game-and-a-half back in fourth at 40-32.  Union Laguna (38-34) had a tough week, losing home series to both defending champ Puebla and LMB South cellar-dwelling Leon.  Vaqueros fans appear to be reacting to the team's virtual giveaway of MVP candidate Ricky Alvarez to Yucatan by staying away from Estadio Revolucion.  Laguna had been averaging over 5,000 per opening prior to last week's player swap orchestrated by brothers Erick and Juan Jose Arellano (who own both clubs), but attendance totalled 13,660 over their six-game homestand for an average of 2,277.  Perhaps fans in Torreon and Gomez Palacio don't think much of their playoff-contending team being used as a feeder for the LMB South-leading Leones?

Yucatan was doing pretty well before Alvarez arrived, thank you, and their three-game weekend home sweep over Saltillo pushed their record to 44-24, opening their division lead to ten-and-a-half games over 35-36 Puebla.  The Leones have won seven of their past ten games, the only team in the South with a winning record over that same timespan.  Alvarez has been slow to adjust to his new surroundings, going just 5-for-23 (.217) with one RBI for his first six games in Lions' togs.  Quintana Roo (32-33) and Veracruz (31-39) currently hold the final two playoff positions ahead of Oaxaca (30-39) and Campeche (29-40).  The rules state that four LMB South teams will play in the postseason, but that doesn't mean they'll all deserve it.

Yadier Drake of Durango didn't have the most memorable week, going 4-for-16 in four games and seeing his average fall ten points to .385, but he's still the leader in the LMB batting derby ahead of Monterrey's Chris Roberson (.383).  The latter had a three-hit game Saturday against Tabasco en route to a 6-for-24 week over six games after the All-Star Break.  Jesus "Cacao" Valdez of Yucatan is third with a .375 mark.  Tijuana's Corey Brown cracked a two-run homer at Oaxaca last Tuesday to bring his season total to an Liga-leading 18, two more than teammate Alex Liddi's 16.  Monclova's Clark is tied for third with Jesse Castillo of Aguascalientes and Saltillo's Rainel Rosario with 15 apiece.  A ten-year minor league vet (mostly in the Cardinals and Red Sox systems), Rosario has already set a career record for homers and has 60 RBIs in 69 games for the last-place Saraperos.  Alvarez' 76 RBIs are still enough for the lead in that category, with Brown and Monclova's Manny Rodriguez tied for second at 65 apiece.  Saltillo gardener Justin Greene has gone two weeks without a stolen base, but Greene's 34 swipes are comfortably ahead of the 23 of Mexico City's Carlos Figueroa.  At 5'8" and 220 pounds, Figueroa doesn't conjure the classic image of a speedster, but some cronistas in Mexico consider him the LMB's fastest baserunner.

Veracruz starter Nestor Molina's dream season continues after the vet righty beat both Mexico City and Tijuana last week, allowing one run over 16 innings to raise his record to 9-1 (tied with  ) while lowering his ERA to a Liga-best 1.57.  Molina gave up one earned run in Sunday's win over the Toros, the first time he'd allowed one since May 28.  Oaxaca pitcher Irwin Delgado (9-2) is tied with Molina for wins and is second with a 2.16 ERA.  Delgado had won five straight starts before a no-decision against Tijuana last Wednesday, and his 83 strikeouts are second in the league only to Monclova's Josh Lowey's 93 K's.  Lowey has struck out 36 batters in 25 innings over his last four starts, going 2-1 in the process.  With a 3.83 ERA, the former Mercer University hurler hasn't been as dominant as he was in 2016 before going to South Korea, but three of those four outings would be considered quality starts as he appears to be regaining his past form.  Durango's Tiago da Silva continues to lead the LMB with 20 saves to augment his 1.84 ERA, but the Generales were dealt a blow when the Brazilian went down with a shoulder injury after appearing in a June 11 game against Tijuana.  A post last Thursday on the Generales' Facebook page says da Silva (who'd converted 20 of 21 save opportunities) will likely be out a couple more weeks.

Looking ahead to the coming week, there are no compelling midweek series on the Mexican League schedule but there are a couple weekend sets that have possibilities.  Tijuana will be in Aguascalientes, where they'll take on a competitive Rieleros team that shouldn't be overlooked.  The Toros had a six-game win streak (five on the road) snapped in Veracruz Sunday.  In the LMB South, Yucatan will visit Puebla for three games hoping to extend their lead over the Pericos in the standings.

Alvarez shipped to Yucatan; Vaqueros fans talking boycott

LMB All-Star first baseman Ricky Alvarez

Syndicate baseball.  While ownership of multiple teams in the same league is something not allowed in Major League Baseball since the Robison brothers' transfer of top players from their Cleveland team to their St. Louis franchise led to the disastrous 20-134 Spiders of 1899, the Mexican League has no such problem.  In fact, incoming LMB president Javier Salinas has said he approves of such arrangements, stating that it's better to have one financially capable owner of two teams than an underfinanced owner of one.  Although there's some logic behind that viewpoint, fans in Puebla and now Laguna would be hard-pressed to agree that they're being well-served by owners who consider their local team as the lesser part of their respective equations.

We've already seen the core players of Puebla's 2016 Liga championship team shifted to Monclova prior to this season by owner Gerardo Benavides, whose grandfather founded the Acereros and desperately wants his hometown to fly its first LMB pennant this year.  Although the Pericos have brought in enough decent replacements to hold third place in the South Division standings at the All-Star Break, that is more the result of belonging to a division in which only Yucatan has a winning record.  With their current 32-33 record, the Parrots would be looking up at six teams in the LMB North rather than trail second-place Quintana Roo by just a half-game in the LMB South.  Not so coincidentally, attendance at Puebla's Estadio Hermanos Serdan has dropped from an average of 4,314 in 2016 to 3,241 per opening in 2017, a decline of 25 percent.  Then again, the Pericos were last in the LMB attendance derby in 2015 with a 2,316 per game average so one could say it's all relative, but it's been made clear to people in the colonial city who DO follow baseball that their team is not a priority to their team's owner.

Now let's shift attention to the Union Laguna Vaqueros.  The Mexican League has had a presence in the Torreon-Gomez Palacio area as far back as 1940, with Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo leading the Algodoneros to the region's first pennant in their third season.  Union Laguna won another title in 1950, but it would turn out to be their last.  The Vaqueros were purchased in the offseason by brothers Jose Juan and Erick Arellano, who also own the South-leading Yucatan Leones.  The Arellanos would love to place an LMB team in their own hometown of Mazatlan, but stalled development of a new ballpark there has put that desire on hold for now.  Unlike Benavides in Puebla, the brothers had largely left their Union Laguna team untouched and the Vaqueros have been in the midst of a battle for a playoff berth in the LMB North with a 35-31 record at the All-Star Break, one game out of the fourth and final postseason slot with one of the Liga's more potent offenses.  Until Monday.

That's when the Arellanos decided to ship the Vaqueros' best player, All-Star first baseman Ricky Alvarez, to Yucatan as part of a six-player swap clearly designed to load the Leones up for the playoffs.  Laguna also sent pitchers Edgar Osuna and Maikel Cleto to Merida in exchange for hurlers Tomas Solis, Alejandro Martinez and Leo Rosales, who have 50 innings pitched between them this year.  Alvarez is the main prize, with the 28-year-old Tijuana product having a season bringing him some support in MVP talks with a .330 average, 13 homers and an LMB-best 75 RBIs.  The former Angels minor league has hit 37 homers and driven in 166 runs over 177 games for the Vaqueros since coming to Torreon in a trade with Tabasco prior to last season.

Then there's Osuna, who set the Liga on fire in April by winning his first five starts but hasn't won a game since to see his record level off at 5-4 while his ERA (which had been 1.61 entering May) ballooned to 5.37 with no quality starts in his last eight outings.  Still, the 29-year-old from Mazatlan will give the Leones pitching staff a lefty with 12 years experience, much of it in the Braves and Royals organizations, and a former Texas League All-Star.  As well, Cleto (who previously pitched in MLB for both the Cardinals the White Sox) has had a good half-season in the Laguna bullpen, with a 3.20 ERA and 4 saves in 5 opportunities over 19 appearances, and will likely replace former Leones closer Jairo Asencio, who was released earlier this month despite being among the LMB leaders in saves.  The team also last Friday released Brad Snyder, another ex-MLBer who was batting .268, was second to Alvarez on the team with 12 homers and third with 41 RBIs while playing errorless ball in the outfield.

While this swap (which has not been officially announced by the Liga office) doesn't have the seismic effect that last winter's mass exodus from Puebla to Monclova, fans in Laguna have already let their opinions be known.   A group of six aficionados released a public letter posted on the Puro Beisbol site calling on others to boycott attending Vaqueros games, at least temporarily, at 86-year-old Estadio Revolucion, where the club is sixth in LMB attendance at 5,206 per opening.  The Vaqueros drew just 2,000 people in Tuesday night's 10-7 loss to Puebla (irony duly noted).

It's hard to believe this is the sort of syndicate ownership Salinas has envisioned for the troubled league he's taking over after current president Plinio Escalante retires following the season.  Then again, with franchise problems in places like Leon, Tabasco and now Quintana Roo (that's another story for another day), among others, perhaps Salinas has no choice as long as the Arellanos pay the bills and Benavides is heading the Assembly of Presidents who sign his paycheck.

Pitchers Osuna, De La Cruz, Crenshaw each record 5th wins

Although April only ended Sunday and the Mexican League is just over four weeks into its 2017 season, three Liga pitchers have already attained their fifth wins of the young campaign.  Union Laguna moundmates Edgar Osuna (pictured) and Dustin Crenshaw are joined by Saltillo starter Frankie de la Cruz as the LMB's co-wins leaders heading into the month of May.

Osuna and Crenshaw are two reasons the Vaqueros  are in a virtual three-way tie with Monterrey (17-8) and Tijuana (18-9) for first place in the LMB North with an 18-9 record.  Although Laguna's battering-ram offense led by 1B Ricky Alvarez (.390 with 8 homers and 40 RBIs) and 2B Anderson Hernandez (.390) has given their pitching staff a lot of cushion, the 5-0 Osuna has more than held up his end of the bargain by winning all five of his starts and leading the LMB with an ERA of 1.61 over 28 innings.  The 29-year-old lefty from Mazatlan won his most recent start last last Thursday by holding the potent Monclova offense scoreless on five hits in five innings in a 6-5 win at Estadio Monclova during which rookie manager Ramon Orantes left Vaqueros closer Esmailin Caridad in for the entire bottom of the ninth as the Acereros posted all five of their runs on six hits and had a man on first with one out before Antonio Lamas tapped into a game-ending 1-6-3 double play.

Crenshaw has needed the Union Laguna offensive support more in compiling his 5-1 record in six starts, although he did toss a five-hit shutout against visiting Durango last Friday in a 9-0 whitewash in Torreon, of course (since the fading Generales still have yet to play a home date).  Crenshaw's season ERA of 4.74 isn't the most impressive but when you have a lineup averaging .315 and 7.85 runs per game, you've got some elbow room to work with.  Crenshaw has exhibited good control by issuing just five walks in 38 innings.  The 6'5" righty attended South Alabama and spent four years in indy ball and was 14-2 for St. Paul of the American Association before joining the Vaqueros last season (going 8-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 starts).

Meanwhile, de la Cruz has spun his magic for a Saltillo team that was 13-12 before Sunday's game in Aguascalientes.  The 33-year-old Dominican right-hander is in his 16th year of pro ball, spending MLB time along the way with Detroit, Florida, San Diego and Milwaukee between 2007 and 2011.  The well-travelled de la Cruz has also pitched in Japan and Italy (turning in a 3-4 record and 2.65 ERA in Nettuno last summer) before signing with the Saraperos one day before their season opener.  He put together five quality starts out the chute for Saltillo and his 2.08 ERA was eighth on the Liga table before he was pounded for eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits in five innings in a 10-5 loss in Aguascalientes.  He's now at 3.40 per nine.

While three teams are locked into the LMB North lead, 16-10 Yucatan has opened a two-and-a-half game advantage over 14-13 Puebla in the LMB South while 13-13 Oaxaca is three games back.  Both Liga newcomers have struggled of late, as Durango has lost seven of their last ten games to fall to last in the North at 11-16 while Leon's 2-8 mark over their most recent 10-game stretch dropped the Broncos into seventh place in the South with a 10-17 record.

Monterrey centerfielder Chris Roberson has regained the Mexican League batting table lead with a .443 average, two points up on Saltillo second baseman Luis Borges.  Tijuana outfielder Corey Brown has homered in five straight games and six of his last seven to take the Liga lead in that category with 10 on the season, just ahead of Toros teammate Alex Liddi's nine longballs.  Brown is also second in the circuit with 38 RBIs, trailing only Laguna first baseman Ricky Alvarez' 41.  Saltillo outer gardener Justin Greene still leads the LMB with 10 stolen bases (Laguna outfielder Ethan Chapman and Tijuana's Dustin Martin both have seven), but Greene hasn't swiped a bag in his last five contests.

As mentioned, Osuna, Crenshaw and de la Cruz each have five wins going into the May calendar while Osuna tops the loop in ERA.  Oaxaca's Irwin Delgado, a 5'9" lefty from Mexicali, struck out eight Quintana Roo batters over 6.2 innings in a Friday night win at home against the Tigres to surpass Monclova's Josh Lowey for the strikeouts lead by a 39-35 margin (de la Cruz is third with 31).  Durango closer Tiago da Silva saw his string of eleven saves in as many appearances at the start of the season snapped, but his eleven saves still top the list by three over Jairo Asencio of Yucatan.

Among the eight month-opening series scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, the biggest will take place in Torreon when Union Laguna hosts Monterrey in a battle of LMB North co-leaders.  The Sultanes then return home to Estadio Monterrey for a weekend set with the other current co-leader, the Monclova Acereros.  The most-anticipated series of the week may be in Durango, where the vagabond Generales may finally play their home opener against Monclova Tuesday after spending the entire first month of the season living out of their suitcases while renovations on Estadio Francisco Villa have lurched on.  Manager Joe Alvarez' showed much pluck at the schedule's outset but have shown signs of road wear recently.  Here's hoping the Generales finally get to play in front of fans in Durango and start living normal lives (in a baseball sense).  As easy as it's been to poke fun of the people running the team, it's been hard to watch players and coaches endure the odyssey they've faced through no fault of their own.  How do you not root for these guys?

Mexican League standings as of May 1, 2017
NORTHERN DIVISION: Monterrey 17-8, Tijuana 18-9, Laguna 18-9, Mexico City 15-12, Monclova 14-13, Saltillo 13-13, Aguascalientes 13-14, Durango 11-16
SOUTHERN DIVISION: Yucatan 16-10, Puebla 14-13, Oaxaca 13-13, Campeche 11-16, Veracruz 11-16, Quintana Roo 10-15, Leon 10-17, Tabasco 8-18

LMB Schedule for May 2-4, 2017
Monclova at Durango, Monterrey at Laguna, Mexico City at Saltillo, Tijuana at Aguascalientes, Puebla at Tabasco, Veracruz at Quintana Roo,  Campeche at Leon, Oaxaca at Yucatan

LMB schedule for May 5-7, 2017
Aguascalientes at Mexico City, Laguna at Durango, Monclova at Monterrey, Saltillo at Tijuana, Campeche at Puebla, Oaxaca at Quintana Roo, Veracruz at Yucatan, Tabasco at Leon

Laguna gets seventh straight win, tied for LMB North lead

The last time a team from Mexico's Laguna region (centered in the cities of Torreon and Gomez Palacio) won the Mexican League pennant, Harry Truman was president of the USA, Hank Williams was just emerging as country music's most seminal singer and a 16-year-old named Henry Aaron was earning $3 a day playing for the semipro Mobile Black Bears.  You get the picture.

While it's far too early to seriously invoke thoughts of Union Laguna winning their first Liga pennant since 1950, the Vaqueros are making the most of the early portion of the 2017 schedule by winning seven straight games (including sweeps of road series in Tabasco and Campeche) to tie Monterrey for the LMB North lead with identical 10-5 records, tops in the circuit.  Union Laguna closed out their broom job in Campeche Sunday with a 6-4 win over the Piratas as Jerome Pena's three-run homer in the fifth inning put the Vaqueros ahead for good.  Starter Dustin Crenshaw battled through six rocky innings for his third win of the young season while closer Esmailin Caridad worked a 1-2-3 ninth with a pair of strikeouts for his fifth save.

If those names are unfamiliar to casual observers of Mexican baseball, it should come as little surprise.  Union Laguna has historically been one of those franchises that have operated on the margins with limited budgets.  While more glamorous teams in places like Mexico City and Monterrey have been able to afford more recognizable talent, Laguna has never had the financial means to compete at that level.  Even now, the Vaqueros have a relatively anonymous roster, with former MLB infielder Anderson Hernandez (who's batting .339) perhaps the most notable team member.

Union Laguna plays in the 12,000-seat Estadio Revolucion, the Liga's oldest ballpark and with an impressive art deco entry facade that was inaugurated in 1932 and has apparently never undergone a major facelift over its 85-year history.  Brothers Juan Jose and Erick Arellano, who also own the Yucatan Leones, bought the club in the offseason.  There has been some speculation that the Arellanos may move the team to their hometown of Mazatlan, but the combination of stalled plans for a new ballpark in Mazatlan, decent fan support in Laguna (they're currently sixth in LMB attendance with an average of 5,272 turnstile clicks per opening) and the brothers' own financial concerns may be putting that off for the time being.

For now, the Vaqueros are led by rookie manager Ramon Orantes, a longtime LMB infielder, and they've responded with a team batting average of .297 (third in the Liga). Shortstop Kristian Delgado (.368), first baseman Ricky Alvarez (.356 with 4 homers and 17 RBIs), outfielder Welington Dotel (.345) and Hernandez have done the most damage at the plate.  Orantes' pitching staff has a middle-of-the-road ERA of 4.57.  Crenshaw and lefty Edgar Osuna both have three wins, with Osuna's 1.50 ERA leading the team.  It's hard to envision Union Laguna maintaining this pace over five months against such loaded LMB North teams as Monterrey, Tijuana and Monclova, but they're off to a great start and it's an opportunity here to go into some depth about a team that has received relatively scant attention over the years.

While the Vaqueros and Sultanes top the North, only three-and-a-half games separate the co-leaders from last-place Saltillo.  At 6-8, the Saraperos are the only team in the division under .500.  In the LMB South, Yucatan is atop the standings with a 9-5 mark, a game up on Oaxaca's all-Mexican squad and a game-and-a-half ahead of defending champs Puebla.  The South is a little more spread out, with last-place Tabasco six games out of the lead with an Liga-worst 3-11 mark.  The Olmecas snapped an eight-game losing skid Saturday by beating Durango, 6-2, as Dave Sappelt stroked a two-run single and starter Angel Araiza went 5.1 innings for his first win.

Speaking of the Generales, who've gone a surprising 8-7 playing all their games away from home, they'll have to wait just a bit longer for their home opener at Estadio Francisco Villa, where hurried renovations haven't caught up with Tuesday's scheduled game against Veracruz.  A fire broke out at the ballpark over the weekend, which certainly didn't help the beleaguered franchise.  Durango's home opener has been pushed back to Friday against Oaxaca.  As hard as I've been on the Generales (and the Mexican League in general) the past few weeks and months, I want this team and league to succeed.  The center of power does appear to be shifting from the Old Guard owners to the New Breed group and while I'm simpatico with the Old Guard's "Mexico First" desire to focus on giving domestic talent more opportunities to play, the New Breed is bringing badly-needed fresh thinking and approaches to a league that has badly needed both for years.

On the stats front, longtime Monterrey centerfielder Chris Roberson leads the Mexican League with a .468 average, 18 points ahead of Oaxaca gardener Alan Sanchez.  Durango outfielder Yadir Drake has been a big part of the Generales' early success by leading the circuit with 6 homers to go with his .351 batting average.  Monclova first sacker Matt Clark tops the loop with 24 RBIs, one ahead of Acereros second baseman Manny Rodriguez.  Saltillo outfielder Justin Greene appears recovered from a facial injury suffered playing winterball in the Mexican Pacific League and has 7 stolen bases, best in the LMB.

Seven pitchers have 3 wins apiece, with Union Laguna's Crenshaw the only one to suffer a loss.  The most effective starter has been Mitch Lively of Leon, whose 3-0 record is augmented by a 0.90 ERA.  The leader in that category is Monterrey's Angel Castro (1-0) at 0.46.  Josh Lowey's disastrous 2016 stint in Korea appears to have had no ill effect in his Liga pitching.  The Floridian righty is 2-1 for Monclova with a 3.00 ERA and his 23 strikeouts in 21 innings are the LMB's best.  He's issued just two walks thus far in three starts.   Durango closer Tiago Da Silva is a perfect 8-for-8 in saves opportunities, putting him three ahead of Laguna's Caridad in that column.

Among the more important series coming up this week include Monclova's visit to Merida Tuesday through Thursday to take on the Yucatan Leones in a set between two teams picked by many (including me) to meet in September's championship series.  The Leon Bravos will play their first game at home Friday when they host Mexico City in the first of three.  As mentioned, Durango hopes to get their home schedule underway Friday against Oaxaca.

Arellanos' assets freeze may chill Yucatan, Laguna seasons

As if the Mexican League hasn't had enough problems to wade through since the conclusion of last season, with continuing concerns over a very uncertain future for the new Durango Generales and a 21-player exodus from Puebla to Monclova, courtesy of Gerardo Benavides (who owns both teams), the Liga is now facing a potential crisis that threatens the ability of two of its 16 teams to operate this year.

According to Proceso magazine writer Beatriz Pereyra, whose column on Sergio Romo and racism earlier this winter caused reactions across Mexican baseball, brothers Erick and Juan Jose Arellano (pictured) have had their assets frozen by the National Banking and Securities Commission, Mexico's counterpart to the USA's Securities Exchange Commission.  The CNBV acted at the behest of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit's Financial Intelligence Unit.  The Arellano brothers own both the Yucatan Leones in Merida and the Union Laguna Vaqueros in Torreon, which are among the assets frozen.

Pereyra reports that this is not the first time such actions have been taken with the Arellanos, citing similar account lockdowns in 2015 and 2016.  The FIU has intervened to review whether money-laundering practices were taking place within the brothers' Mazatlan-based Grupo ArHe, although one related document states that "there is no evidence that the resources are of illicit origin," according to the Proceso story.  Grupo ArHe's holdings include several gas stations, Alamo car rental agencies, construction firms and a sports uniform manfacturing business, among others.

The Arellano's assets remained frozen as of Monday and Pereyra says the brothers face liquidity problems as a result, as sponsors are unable to send funds to either team, already causing preseason difficulties for the Leones and recently-acquired Vaqueros while the LMB regular season is scheduled to begin on March 31 and just one more crisis for Liga president Plinio Escalante, ironically a Yucatan native, to deal with.

And they still haven't named a manager in Durango, although the Generales' Facebook page (they don't have a website) shows a 2017 season schedule with an April 18 opener against Veracruz.  Who knew?

Laguna Vaqueros sold to Arellano brothers; move to Mazatlan next?

The Mexican League's Laguna Vaqueros have been sold to brothers Juan Jose and Erick Arellano, who also own the Yucatan Leones.  The Mazatlan natives first purchased 33 percent of the Vaqueros in March, and La Aficion reports the infusion of cash the Arellanos put into the club made it possible to bring in better players, resulting in a playoff berth before losing to Monterrey in the first round.  The Arellanos purchased the remaining 67 percent of the Vaqueros in late September and are now sole owners of the franchise.

They followed a similar path in Torreon as in Merida, where the Arellanos purchased a share in the Leones in 2014 before subsequently buying control of that team.  While the Vaqueros were hardly a washout at the gate this season, averaging 5,395 fans per opening for a total of 285,952 for the season (finishing fifth among 16 teams), there was discussion that the Arellanos would entertain offers to move the team.

In the past, the brothers have floated the idea of buying an existing Liga team and moving it to Mazatlan, where they would share 14,000-seat Estadio Teodoro Mariscal with the Mexican Pacific League Venados while a new ballpark north of town is constructed.  However, Yucatan's La Verdad newspaper reported Sunday that Leones general manager Juan Carlos Canizales says that while the brothers are still interested in bringing LMB baseball to the Pearl of the Pacific, they will operate the Vaqueros in Torreon for the 2017 season.

Wherever the Cowboys play next year, they'll do it without manager Daniel Fernandez.  The former Mexico City pilot, whose Diablos Rojos won the 2008 LMB pennant, was hired one month into the season to replace Mario Mendoza (who'd been hired by Laguna in the offseason).  Fernandez, one of the LMB's all-time leading batters after a 26-year playing career (all but one with Mexico City), won 48 of 82 to take the Vaqueros to the postseason, but mounting criticism during the team's four-game sweep at the hands of Monterrey, were a prelude to his ouster after Laguna failed to win a pennant for the 66th consecutive season.  The team plays in 8,500-seat Estadio Revolucion (pictured), which was completed in 1932, eight year before Union Laguna made its Mexican League debut.  The 84-year-old ballpark was renovated in 2002.


More turmoil in the Mexican League; five teams threaten to leave circuit

Internal squabbles among Mexican League owners resurfaced at a meeting of LMB team presidents in late September and, at least on the surface, the impasse may be reaching critical mass.

The main issue appears to be centered on Mexican-born players who signed with Major League Baseball teams without going through the usual process of first signing with a Mexican team, who would then negotiate with MLB organizations for the rights to the player (with the vast majority of sale proceeds going to the Liga team and not the player).  Those players had been effectively blackballed from returning to play in Mexico after their careers in the states were over, but that rule was overturned earlier this year over the strenuous objection of a number of LMB owners.

Now, after the latest meeting, five teams are threatening to leave the circuit altogether.  Mexico City Diablos president Roberto Mansur and his Quintana Roo Tigres counterpart, Carlos Peralta, both resigned from the LMB Board of Directors and were joined by the Monterrey Sultanes, Oaxaca Guerreros and Carmen Delfines in rebelling against league president Plinio Escalante, who had planned to retire after the recently-concluded season but was talked into staying two more years after a suitable replacement wasn't found.

The situation is complicated enough that further explanation here would be speculation, something that would be unfair to the parties involved.  Needless to say, with neither side of the split apparently willing to budge, this is a story that bears watching.


Mexican Baseball Fiesta held in Tucson

With the Mexican Pacific League 2016-17 season opener less than ten days away when Mexicali visits Mazatlan on Tuesday, October 11, training camps for all eight teams are in full-tilt boogie mode.

While players have engaged in the timeless traditions of calisthenics, drills and generally getting set for the winterball season less than a month after the Mexican League summer season concluded, "preseason" in the MexPac has come to include heading north of the border to play exhibition games in front of audiences in the U.S. Southwest as part of LMP president Omar Canizales' vision of expanding the circuit's brand into new territory.

Part of that expansion has been the Mexican Baseball Fiesta, in which several MexPac teams play in places like Fresno, California, Round Rock, Texas and Mesa, Arizona before culminating with a four-day event in Tucson, Arizona before heading back home.  This fall, the sixth Fiesta featured five LMP squads who were joined by a team of Kansas City Royals' prospects at Tucson's Kino Memorial Stadium for eight games between Thursday, September 29 and Sunday, October 2.

Former Tucson Padres general manager Mike Feder has spearheaded the event in the Old Pueblo since its 2011 inception and this year, the former PCL Executive of the Year brought in six Mexican bands to play live following the four twinbills to go along with $1 beers and sodas on Thursday, a Kid's Night promotion on Friday, appearances of players and team mascots at a couple of local auto dealerships in Saturday and a Sunday Family day featuring discounted tickets.  "This tournament includes some of the most popular teams in Mexico," Feder said in a press release.  "We're excited that the Mexican Baseball Fiesta continues to grow every year."

The Mexicali Aguilas opened play last Thursday with a 2-1 win over Obregon, but the scheduled nightcap between Hermosillo and Kansas City was called off because of rain.  There were no other washouts the rest of the way, although rain did delay at least one game for half an hour.  The unbalanced schedule had Obregon playing four games (including two against traditional rival Hermosillo) while Los Mochis and Culiacan played just two games apiece.

Results from Tucson were not readily available, but a little digging around on MexPac team websites turned up these scores and highlights:

THURSDAY, September 29
Mexicali 2, Obregon 1 (Ramon Rios hit an RBI single for Mexicali)
Hermosillo vs. Kansas City Royals prospects rained out

FRIDAY, September 30
Hermosillo 7, Obregon 4 (Roberto Ramos homered for Hermosillo)
Mexicali 6, Culiacan 4 (Chris Roberson hit an RBI doubled, scored a run for Mexicali)

SATURDAY, October 1
Obregon 5, Hermosillo 2 (Juan Pablo Oramos allowed 1 run in 3 innings for Obregon)
Los Mochis 6, Culiacan 2 (Saul Soto drove in 2 runs for Mochis)

SUNDAY, October 2
Hermosillo 5, Mexicali 4 (Hermosillo turned triple play in fifth inning)
Obregon 4, Los Mochis 3 (Leo Heras hit walkoff two-run triple for Obregon)

Final MBF Standings:  Mexicali 2-1, Hermosillo 2-1, Obregon 2-2, Los Mochis 1-1, Culiacan 0-2.

Merry-Go-Round Time: Four LMB teams recycle managers

It's not unusual for Mexican League teams to fire managers before the All-Star Break (this year's will be June 3-5 in Monterrey), but the triggers have started firing a little sooner this season.  Three teams canned their skippers before the end of April, replacing each with other former managers who've been aboard the same merry-go-round the recently-dispatched helmsmen have boarded once more themselves.  While younger managers will filter into the Liga here and there, there are many veteran LMB leaders who seemingly recycle from team to team for years.

The axe first swung on April 28 when Oaxaca let Enrique "Che" Reyes (pictured) go after the Guerreros got off to a 4-18 start, losing their first eleven games.  Reyes previously managed in Aguascalientes, Puebla, Dos Laredos, Cancun, back to Puebla, Angelopolis, Quintana Roo, Veracruz, Tabasco, Monterrey, Aguascalientes (again) and Tabasco (again) before coming to Oaxaca.  He was replaced by Alfonso "Houston" Jimenez, who has managed in Mexico City, Saltillo, Puebla, Minatitlan, Veracruz and (of course) Oaxaca.  Jimenez' first stint with the Guerreros was from 2002-04.

It didn't take long for Reyes to find his next stop, replacing Francisco Estrada in Tabasco after the well-traveled "Paquin" (Toluca, Minatitlan, Puebla, Cancun, Chihuahua, Tabasco) posted a 7-15 to start the year, leading to his dismissal. Estrada was hired in the offseason, plenty of time to build a winning team in Villahermosa.

Not to miss out on the fun, the Laguna Vaqueros determined that an 11-13 mark was enough to sack Mario Mendoza on April 30.  The man who gave baseball the Mendoza Line, the Chihuahua native led teams in Monclova, Aguascalientes, Dos Laredos, Angeleopolis, Tabasco, Campeche, Monclova (again) and Tijuana before coming to Torreon this year.  The Vaqueros opted for youth in bringing Daniel Fernandez in.  The 50-year-old Fernandez has only been managing long enough to work in Mexico City, Tabasco, Veracruz and Yucatan before his hiring in Laguna.

And to stay with the theme after this story was first posted on May 9, the Veracruz Rojo Aguilas sent yet one more first-year manager, Mark Weidemaier, packing after the Red Eagles began the year with a 12-21 record.  Weidemaier, who also managed Torreon in 1988, was hired by Veracruz in the offseason after spending two years coaching with the Washington Nationals.

He was replaced by another of the new breed, Lino Connell, who'd been managing the Northern Mexico League Ensenada Marineros, a farm team shared by Mexico City and Oaxaca.  Connell has seen enough of the world to be a Samsonite spokesman, playing in the United States, Mexico, Italy and his native Venezuela from 1991 to 2010.  He spent from 2000 to 2006 with Veracruz, Oaxaca and Reynosa during his 20-year playing career.  Connell began last season in Ensenada before finishing out the campaign running the Monterrey Sultanes and was recently named bench coach of the winter Venezuelan League Zulia Aguilas.

Although it's not unusual to see players spend 10 to 20 seasons with the same Mexican League team, managers have less job security than being married to a Kardashian.

Hernandez off to hot start for Aguascalientes

April is a little early to start talking about Triple Crown contenders, but shortstop Diory Hernandez of the Aguascalientes is apparently willing to at least stake out an early position in the discussion.

The 32-year-old Dominican is in his third year in the Mexican League after spending nine seasons in the Braves system, including 75 games over three campaigns in Atlanta during which he hit .157 with three homers.  After batting .256 for Campeche in 2013 and taking the next year off, Hernandez hit a combined .315 with one homer in 36 games.  Having hit just 49 homers over 13 seasons as a pro and never reaching double-digits in a single season, nobody expected him to have the kind of start to the season he's produced for the Rieleros.

After just 14 games, Hernandez is leading the LMB in all three Triple Crown categories with a .453 batting average, six homers and 23 runs batted in.  He went 4-for-5 with a homer and 6 RBI's against Monterrey on April 7.  Five days later on the 12th, he collected three hits with a homer and six more ribbies at home against Oaxaca before knocking out two solo homers against the Guerreros on the 14th.  Hernandez drove in two more runs Sunday night against Puebla, singling and doubling to stretch his modest hitting streak to six games. However, he's not a likely threat to keep his current output up for an entire season.

Hernandez' early power display has been a key factor in Aguascalientes' battle for first place in the LMB North.  The Rieleros, a perennial also-ran with just one 1978 Liga pennant in the forty-plus years since the team's inception (minus a four-year stay in Nuevo Laredo between 2008 and 2011), ended last weekend with an 8-6 record, two games behind co-leaders Monclova and Laguna and one in back of Monterrey despite being swept by the Pericos over the weekend.  The Rieleros will open a series in Veracruz Tuesday.

Like Aguascalientes, neither Laguna nor Monclova have ever been powers in Mexican baseball, with the old Laguna Algodoneros taking titles in 1942 and 1950 and no Acereros team ever copping the flag.  The Vaqueros helped themselves by winning two of three in their weekend road set in Campeche while Monclova did likewise in Carmen to enter Monday's travel day tied for first with Laguna at 10-4.  Monclova opens a three-game home series with Quintana Roo Tuesday while Laguna will welcome the Yucatan Leones to Torreon the same might.

In the LMB South, Puebla and defending champion Quintana Roo are tied atop the table with 10-4 records. The Pericos' broomification of Aguascalientes stretched Puebla's winning streak to seven in a row.  The Parrots have gotten good production from ex-MLB outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who's batting .368 with three homers and 13 RBI's along with seven stolen bases in 14 games.  Puebla will host Mexico City for a three-game series at Estadio Hermanos Serdan beginning Tuesday.

The Tigres have kept pace with the Pericos by winning eight of their last ten games, including a 4-3 win over Monterrey Sunday in Cancun as Esteban Quiroz singled and doubled to bring in two runs for Quintana Roo in support of rookie pitcher Fernando Miranda, who retired the first ten Sultanes hitters of the game and went five innings in his first start for his second win of the young season against no losses.  Miranda's ERA is at 7.71, so it's not time to call him a sensation just yet.  The Tigres are in Monclova Tuesday.

Escalante to stay two more years as Liga president

The Mexican League's Assembly of Presidents met in Mexico City Monday to discuss a number of issues the league is facing in 2016.

Perhaps the most pressing was replacing league president Plinio Escalante (pictured), who announced his retirement effective at the end of the upcoming season after sitting behind the big desk since replacing Alejandro Hutt in 2007.  The dilemma essentially solved itself when Escalante agree to serve two more years in office, moving his exit down the road to 2018.  Although the LMB has tended to sputter along during Escalante's reign while the while the Mexican Pacific League has exploded in both attendance and presence in recent years, the Yucatecan has provided a measure of stability during his nine years at the helm at the Liga's Mexico City headquarters.  Escalante met with LMB directors for two hours Sunday night hammering out details of his extension prior to Monday's announcement.

Introduced at Monday's session was Javier Balseca Gonzalez, the Mexican League's new director of marketing and merchandising.  Balseca, who was hired to the post in January, gave a presentation to Liga leaders whose 16-team league drew 3.87 million fans in 2015 for an average of 4,565 per opening. Conversely, the AAA International League pulled in 7,199 per contest while Pacific Coast League teams welcomed 6,508 people through the turnstiles per night.  The Mexican Pacific League led all non-MLB leagues in the hemisphere with a regular season average attendance of 9,670.

The team presidents also discussed moving the date of the Liga's 2016 All-Star Game in Monterrey, which was originally scheduled for May 29, a date that coincides with Mexican soccer's Premier Division championship game.

Finally, Laguna Vaqueros CEO Carlos Gomez del Campo told his peers the Torreon-based team is in the process of finding new partners, a topic that was tabled until the Assembly's September meeting in Oaxaca. The next such gathering is scheduled to take place May 27 in Monterrey during All-Star Weekend but, as noted above, that may change.

Mexican League results for Friday, Apr. 1

LAGUNA 15-13-1, Saltillo 8-14-0
W-E. Yan (1-2). L-O. Calderon (0-1).
Vaqueros’ Emmanuel Valdez was 4-for-5 with two homers, triple, three runs scored and five RBIs.

Oaxaca 1-6-0, VERACRUZ 10-11-2
W-R. Cruz (2-0). L-M. Tabachnik (0-1).
Francisco Mendez and Victor Diaz clobbered solo homers as starter Rafael Cruz went all nine for Aguilas win.

Campeche 5-11-0, TABASCO 6-12-0 (13)
W-J. Pena (2-0). L-A. Montes (0-1).
Olmecas tied game after trailing 4-0 in ninth, then won on Isidro Pina’s RBI single in the bottom of the 13th.

Quintana Roo 4-8-0, REYNOSA 0-6-0
W-P. Ortega (1-0). L-M. Tovar (2-1).
Iker Franco swatted a pair of homers as Pablo Ortega combined with three relievers on six-hit shutout for Tigres.

Puebla 4-8-0, MINATITLAN 1-5-1
W-J. Cobos (1-0). L-E. Teran (0-1).
Pericos scored three runs on four hits in top of ninth to bust open 1-1 game as Cesar Tapia and Ivan Cervantes each singled twice.

MONTERREY 5-7-1, Yucatan 4-6-0
W-S. Mora (2-0). L-D. Pollok (0-2).
Karim Garcia’s three-run homer and Edgar Quintero’s two-run bomb in sixth enough for Sultanes in triumph.

MEXICO CITY 8-12-0, Monclova 1-8-0
W-M. Quevedo (1-0). L-O. Verdugo (0-1).
Diablos’ Marco Quevedo hurled seven shutout innings and Mario Valenzuela batted 4-for-4 with homer.

LAGUNA VAQUEROS (2010 record: 45-62)

New manager Juan Francisco “Chico” Rodriguez understands how patience works, and he’ll need a lot of it. This isn’t a strong enough team to battle LMB North powers Saltillo, Mexico City, Puebla and Monterrey.

After a traumatic offseason in which he was involved in a fatal car accident in the Dominican Republic, RF Alexis Gomez (.352/16/82 and an LMB-best 37 steals) is hoping for a repeat of his spectacular 2010 campaign with Laguna. LF Ivan Araujo (.329/8/65) is competent while 20-year-old CF Ramon Ramirez (.294) will likely round out the trio. 1B Daniel Fornes (.264/12/56) had an off-year, but DH Emmanuel Valdez (.331/16/88) was solid. 2B-SS Christian Herrera (.300/5/41) will start somewhere and C Luis Nieblas (.312/7/34) hit .329 in 67 games for the Vaqueros after being sent to Torreon from Minatitlan.

Laguna’s pitching was horrible in 2010 with a 6.55 team ERA. Jorge Ibarra (7-8/7.68) led the team in wins, late-arriving Randy Keisler (3-3/3.98) was solid and underrated Juan Delgadillo (5-1/4.77) did fine, but the mound was an ugly place for Vaqueros pitchers. Dario Veras (2-4/4.91) somehow had 22 saves.

Rodriguez managed the Chihuahua Dorados to a playoff berth last year and was hired by Laguna after the Dorados shut down for 2011. He’ll have a tough time winning in a very competitive division.

-Copyright 2011

ALEXIS GOMEZ HURT IN FATAL DOMINICAN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT

Newly-acquired Mexico City Diablos Rojos outfielder Alexis Gomez was taken to a hospital’s intensive care unit following a fatal traffic accident Monday in the Dominican Republic. The 32-year-old Gomez, who led the Mexican League with 37 stolen bases for Laguna last summer prior to being traded to Mexico City in the offseason, has been playing winterball with the Licey Tigres in the Dominican League (where he was batting .267 in 20 games at the time of the accident).

According to Puro Beisbol, police reports say Gomez was traveling through the city of Santiago in an SUV on Monday afternoon when the vehicle lost control and struck a pedestrian, who died at the scene. The crash also caused injuries to several other people including Gomez, who was rushed to Santiago Metropolitan Hospital. He has been tended to by neurosurgeon Adriano Valdez. A statement from the hospital said “The clinical picture is stable despite the severity of the accident.”

Gomez appeared in three seasons of MLB ball with Kansas City between 2002 and 2004 before playing for Detroit in 2005 and 2006. He helped the Tigers win the 2006 American League pennant by batting .276 and belting a playoff homer against Oakland. Gomez hit .352 for Laguna in 2010.

DIABLOS DEAL YAN TO LAGUNA FOR STEALS LEADER GOMEZ

The Mexico City Diablos Rojos have traded pitcher Esteban Yan to the Laguna Vaqueros for outfielder Alexis Gomez (pictured) in a swap of two BBM Mexican League All-Star Team choices for 2010.

The 35-year-old Yan spent all or part of eleven seasons in the major leagues with seven teams, including five with Tampa Bay, and turned in a career 33-39 record with 51 saves while recording a 5.14 ERA. Yan saved 41 games for the Rays between 2001 and 2002. For the Diablos last season, the Dominican righty was 12-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 games, 12 of them starts. He trailed only Quintana Roo’s Bobby Cramer in wins among Liga hurlers.

Gomez, a 32-year-old Dominican, turned in a sterling 2010 performance for the Vaqueros by leading the league with 37 steals in 41 attempts while batting .352, crashing 16 homers and knocking in 82 runs. Before coming to Mexico, Gomez appeared with Kansas City and Detroit in four MLB seasons between 2002 and 2006, batting .259 in 89 games. He hit .272 for the Tigers in 2006 and whacked a homer for Detroit in the playoffs that year against Oakland en route to an American League pennant.

VAQUEROS FIRE MANAGER DEREK BRYANT

“But what have you done for us lately?”

Last Thursday, the Laguna Vaqueros fired manager Derek Bryant, who led the team to their first playoff berth in five years and a slot in the Northern Zone finals against eventual champion Saltillo. Things have not gone as smoothly in 2010, as the Cowboys finished sixth in the Zona Madero with a 25-28 record for the first half and were 0-3 in the second half at the time of Bryant’s firing. Third base coach Adulfo Camacho will manage Laguna on an interim basis.

A former Oakland A’s outfielder, Bryant will be inducted into the Salon de la Fama next month after batting a resounding .355 with 141 homers for the Mexico City Tigres, Tampico and Monterrey from 1982 through 1988, averaging .34 homers, 107 RBIs and hitting .380 between 1984 and 1986.

WERE THEY USING BATTING TEES?

It’s one of the maxims of baseball in spring that hitters will be ahead of pitchers, but nowhere was that more apparent than in the Mexican League last Saturday night.

Laguna posted a 24-10 drubbing of Nuevo Laredo in Torreon as the Vaqueros collected 27 hits to go along with five Tecolotes errors. The game was a scoreless tie until the bottom of the second as Ivan Araujo (pictured) finished with a 5-for-6 night for Laguna, who surprisingly had no homers in the rout.
Things weren’t much better for Yucatan the same night as the Leones were on the short end of a 20-8 pasting in Puebla. The Pericos put this one out of reach early by scoring 10 runs in the first inning, including six off Leones starter Salvador Arellano (who failed to retire any of the six batters he faced). Rene Reyes was 4-for-6 for Puebla, who had no homers among their 22 hits.

MATEO INKS CONTRACT WITH LAGUNA FOR 2010

Major league veteran infielder Henry Mateo will open the upcoming 2010 Mexican League season in Torreon with the Laguna Vaqueros.

The 33-year-old Dominican spent last summer with the pennant-winning Durham Bulls of the Class AAA International League, batting .277 in 82 contests. Mateo has split this winter between Del Este of the Dominican League and Los Mochis of the Mexican Pacific League. After hitting just .167 in 16 games for the Toros, he finished the regular season with Mochis by batting .308 over 16 games for the Caneros.

Mateo was Montreal’s second round draft pick in 1997, and made his big league debut with the Expos in 2001. He moved with the team to Washington in 2005. In 190 games over six MLB seasons, Mateo batted .233 with one homer, 15 stolen bases and 39 runs scored.

Mateo will be expected to take over second base in Laguna for 2009 Mexican League MVP Dionys Cesar, who will play in Japan this year.

LIGA MVP CESAR TO PLAY IN JAPAN IN 2010

2009 Mexican League Most Valuable Player Dionys Cesar has signed a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Central League for next year.

The Dominican infielder moves to the Land of the Rising Sun after spending most of the past five summers in Mexico.The 33-year-old Cesar, a 15-year pro baseball veteran who has played minor league ball for four different major league organizations, helped the Laguna Vaqueros to their first playoff berth in five seasons this year by leading the Liga with a .380 batting average, 36 doubles and 40 stolen bases after starting the season hitting .288 in 19 games for Yuma in the independent Golden Baseball League.

Cesar's signing is rather unusual because Japanese teams historically import power hitters from the Americas. Last summer, Cesar hit just five homers for Laguna.

MEXICAN BASEBALL ROAD TRIP (Stop #10): Torreon, Coahuila

The tenth leg of our 24-city Mexican Baseball Road Trip takes us from Chihuahua 264 miles south in a straight shot on Highways 45 and 49D to the cities of Torreon, Coahuila and Gomez Palacio, Durango, otherwise known as Laguna. Laguna consists of about 1.3 million residents, including a workforce of nearly 400,000 people mostly in industry and commerce. The two cities and states are separated geographically by the Rio Nazas. The climate is dry and warm, since Laguna is located on a basin within the Chihuahuan Desert. Ironically, the two lagoons the region was named after have both dried up.

Torreon, a city of 1.1 million people where the Vaqueros actually play their home games, was named after a large tower built by Don Leonardo Zuluoaga in 1850 to watch over the Rio Nazas. Across the river, the city of Gomez Palacio has about 300,000 residents. The Laguna region was devastated by the heavy fighting in the Revolution of the early 20th Century, but has since become a notable nationwide center for cotton, livestock, mining and the wine industry.
Culturally, there are 11 universities and technical colleges in the Laguna area, and the Absalom Music Center is a well-respected musical academy. Also, the Teatro Isauro Martinez is considered one of the most beautiful theaters in the country. There are a number of local landmarks, including the Cristo de las Noas, the third-tallest statue of Jesus Christ in Latin America (smaller only than similar statues in Brazil and Colombia). Two of the most popular events in Laguna are the September Cotton Fair, which features an assortment of cultural events including music and bullfighting, and the Laguna DrumFest, which brings some of the best drummers from Mexico and abroad together at the Teatro Nazas for two days of percussion in October.

Laguna has a long history of baseball in the Mexican League, with the Union Laguna team winning Liga pennants in 1942 (under Hall of Fame player-manager Martin Dihigo) and in 1950. The 2009 edition of the Vaqueros finished 55-51 in the regular season and shocked the defending champion Mexico City Diablos Rojos in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Saltillo in the Northern Zone final.

For a while, the team played its home games at the former Colt Stadium, which served Houston’s National League team between 1962 and 1964 before the Astrodome was completed. Colt Stadium sat unused in the Astrodome parking lot before the grandstands were broken down and moved in sections to Gomez Palacio in 1970 after the Laguna team bought the remnants of the ballpark for $100,000. Colt Stadium reportedly still stands as part of a public playground. Presently, the Vaqueros play their home games in Torreon’s 12,000-seat Estadio Revolucion.

NEXT ROAD TRIP STOP (#11): Monclova, Coahuila

HAIL CESAR! VAQUEROS 2B NAMED 2009 MEXICAN LEAGUE MVP

Laguna Vaqueros second baseman Dionys Cesar capped off a great summer by being named the Mexican League’s Most Valuable Player for 2009. The award was voted upon by baseball writers in Mexico.

Cesar led the Liga in four offensive categories, including a .380 batting average, 156 hits, 36 doubles and 40 stolen bases. He also scored 92 runs, third in the circuit, and had the season’s longest hitting streak by batting safely in 32 consecutive games between April 5 and May 19.

The 32-year-old Dominican finished the regular season by grabbing the lead in the batting race in the final week of the campaign, hitting .385 for the Vaqueros. He was a key component in Laguna’s first playoff appearance in five seasons as the Cowboys advanced to the Northern Zone finals by surprising the Mexico City Diablos in the first round.

Cesar debuted in the LMB with Veracruz in 2003, and has hit .300 or better five of his six full seasons in the summer circuit.