PEREYRA: MEXICAN LEAGUE A HAVEN FOR ABUSERS

            While Major League Baseball is relentless and vetoes violent players, Proceso writer Beatriz Pereyra has written an extensive column that says the Mexican Baseball League opens its doors to them regardless of the complaints they have faced. So far there are eight baseball players who have been kicked off major league teams and their subsidiaries for sexual assault and family violence, mainly, who have been hired by Mexican League teams.             In an interview with Pereyra, LMB president Horacio de la Vega acknowledges that they currently lack protocols to deal with the issue, but advances measures to uproot violent behavior. The following is a recent Proceso column by Pereyra, given the Google Translate treatment:

The Mexican Baseball League has become a refuge for players and managers expelled from Major League Baseball for having engaged in sexual harassment and abuse of women, as well as as domestic violence perpetrated against their partners and children.

From 2018 to date there are at least eight documented cases: Yasiel Puig (Veracruz), Addison Russell and Mickey Callaway (Monclova), Danry Vásquez (Campeche and Aguascalientes), Luke Heimlich (Dos Laredos), Roberto Osuna (Mexico City), Sergio Mitre (Tijuana and Saltillo) and Omar Vizquel (Tijuana).

Of those, only Vasquez, Russell and Callaway have admitted guilt. The rest deny having committed the abuses and there is no evidence that they have been in rehabilitation. There is also no sign that the clubs they come from or joined have clear policies on how to deal with these people, beyond simply firing them or hiring them to give them a second chance.

In February 2021, five women who spoke on condition of anonymity reported to sports information website The Athletic that they were sexually harassed by Mickey Callaway when he served as pitching coach with the Cleveland Indians (2013-2017), manager of the Mets (2018-2019) and pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels (2020).

According to the accusations, Callaway sent emails, text messages and on social networks in which he even asked them to send him nude photos. He also used to make comments to them about their appearance, making them uncomfortable, and on one occasion he “brought his genitals close to the face of a female reporter” when she was interviewing him.

Following a three-month investigation, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's Office announced that it has placed Callaway on its list of ineligible managers, meaning no team can sign him. “Having reviewed the evidence, I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Callaway violated MLB policy. Harassment has no place in Major League Baseball and we are committed to providing an appropriate work environment for everyone involved in our game," Manfred said.

Callaway accepted the sanction and limited himself to issuing a statement: “I apologize to the women who shared with the investigators any interaction that made them feel uncomfortable. I never intended to make anyone feel this way and I didn't understand that these interactions could do that or violate MLB policies. I take responsibility for the consequences,” he said.

But Mickey Callaway has nothing to worry about. In Mexico he already has a job. In 2022 he will be the manager of the Monclova Acereros. It is not the first time that this club hired a man who has no place in the Major Leagues.

For the 2021 LMB campaign, one of Monclova’s most striking signings was that of Addison Russell, a former Chicago Cubs infielder who was suspended 40 games for violating the MLB's domestic violence policy.

In October 2018, Manfred announced the punishment when Russell was on administrative leave – he couldn't play, but was paid – while allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife were investigated.

"My office has completed its investigation into allegations that Addison Russell violated MLB's domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy." The player accepted the punishment and decided not to appeal the suspension.

Domestic violence allegations against Russell were posted by a third party on social media in 2017, but the player's then-wife refused to speak to MLB. In September 2018, the victim confirmed that she did suffer physical and emotional abuse during her two-year marriage.

Not only did the Monclova Acereros resort to hiring former major league players who, unable to get a contract in the United States, saw in Mexican baseball the opportunity to continue playing.

The Campeche Piratas did it with Danry Vásquez, who in August 2016 attacked his partner on the ballpark steps of the Corpus Christi Hooks, a Class AA minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros.

When the images were made public in March 2018, they were used as evidence to open a case against him. After he was arrested, Vasquez was released on bail and reached a plea deal. The case was later dismissed, the player paid a fine and promised not to attack a person with whom he was in a romantic relationship again.

Vasquez apologized in court to fans because his behavior "was unprofessional." By then, he was under contract to a team in Pennsylvania, the Lancaster Barnstormers who fired him as soon as the video was made public.

“As soon as the nature of the incident became apparent, the Barnstormers decided to sever the link. There’s no other option but to end the relationship. Neither I, nor the Barnstormers as an organization, can condone or be associated with this behavior," Lancaster manager Ross Peeples said.

The video shows how Vásquez slaps his girlfriend, knocks her down with the blow, drags her down the stairs. In a break he hits her in the face again, she falls from her and picks her up violently. The images were captured by the stadium's security cameras.

After having played in 2018 with Campeche, the player has been on the roster of the Aguascalientes Rieleros in the 2019 and 2021 campaigns.

From Heimlich to Mitre

The first LMB team to start signing players with a history of violence against women was the Dos Laredos Tecolotes. In March 2019 they announced the hiring of Luke Heimlich, a pitcher who shone at Oregon State University and was considered one of the best prospects in college baseball in the United States.

Despite his talent, he was not drafted by an MLB team when it became known that in 2012 he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his six-year-old niece when he was 15 years old. In statements to the press, Heimlich has denied that he committed the abuse and that if he pleaded guilty, it was because of the poor advice he received.

In an interview for the Hitazo baseball website, the president of the Tecolotes, José Antonio Mansur, declared that his intention was to give the player a second chance. “The LMB has all his criminal records, in addition to a letter from MLB indicating that he is not suspended; so it is a matter of seeing if we are going to crucify a man for life or give him a second chance, as it should be.

“It would be a good example of how someone who is already free, who has already paid for his mistake, can rejoin. After discussing it with my family, I think he deserves it. We shouldn't close the doors to a 23-year-old boy for his own good and to show that the LMB is open to reincorporating people,” said Mansur.

In May 2018, 23-year-old pitcher Roberto Osuna was arrested by Toronto police while playing for the Blue Jays. The arrest was due to a complaint from his partner, who accused him of having beaten her. After serving a 75-game suspension, Osuna was traded to the Houston Astros.

The case remained in limbo when the complainant stated that she would not appear in court to testify. The parties signed a peace bond and the charges were dropped. In August of that year, Osuna gave an interview to USA Today in which he assured that the fans have judged him without really knowing what happened. He did not talk about the details of the case, but anticipated that the truth would be known soon, which never happened.

In April 2021, the Veracruz Águilas announced that former major leaguer Yasiel Puig would wear their uniform. After spending time with the Dodgers, and a brief stint in Cincinnati and Cleveland, the player did not get a contract for the 2020 season.

Puig arrived in Mexico with the shadow of the accusation of a woman who denounced him for having sexually violated her during a basketball game, accusations that he has denied and for which he considers that the doors to return to the MLB have been closed.

An investigation by the Washington Post revealed last December that since 2017 two other women had signed confidentiality agreements with Puig: they received money in exchange for not making public that they were sexually assaulted and beaten by the player.

Puig denied all three accusations and clarified that having paid does not imply that he is responsible for what he is accused of. The Cuban will not return to Mexican baseball in 2022, as he signed a contract with a South Korean league team.

In October 2020, when there was no LMB season as a result of the pandemic, Blanca García, wife of Omar Vizquel, announced that the former major league player, an 11-time Gold Glove winner, was physically and psychologically abusing her. The Venezuelan was then serving as manager of the Tijuana Toros.

In the multiple complaints she made in different media and on her social network accounts, García also aired an incident that Vizquel had when he was manager of a team in the Minor Leagues: “It made me very disgusted and very indignant and that was the point of breakup that I couldn't take anymore, because the abuse wasn't just me. That was a big part of what led me to make the decision to divorce.”

In August 2021, two weeks after the Toros removed Vizquel as manager,the complaint was made public that one of the bat boys of the Birmingham Barons, the double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, filed for sexual conduct aggressive. The young man, who suffers from autism, recounted how Vizquel exposed himself naked to him, forced him to rub his back and deliberately showed him his member.

In a statement, the club reported: "After first becoming aware of an alleged incident in late August 2019, Chicago conducted an internal investigation that resulted in termination of employment with Vizquel."

On December 27, Vizquel announced that the divorce process with his wife had already concluded and that the judge dismissed the charges of gender violence. Regarding the bat boy's lawsuit, he said that, since the case is still open, he cannot comment, but he denied the facts and announced that "it will also be clarified."

Sergio Mitre, 41, is currently being tried for the femicide of Inés, one year and 10 months old, the daughter of his ex-partner Liliana, who points out that he had beaten the girl until she died (NOTE: Mitre has been found guilty and faces up to 60 years in prison). However, the player carries a history of violence from the United States, where he has attacked ex-partners, minors and animals.

In Mexico since September 2019, a video has been made public where the player is seen running naked from a hotel room in Saltillo chasing a woman, also without clothes, whom he dragged back to the room in front of security personnel.

As a result of what happened that night, Sergio Mitre was arrested, spent four days in jail, was prosecuted for domestic violence and the case ended in a conditional suspension. The process consists of the aggressor acknowledging his responsibility and agreeing to comply with a series of reparations and protection measures for the victim.

The Saltillo Saraperos, who initially condemned the violent acts and suspended the player indefinitely, rehired him for 2020. At the beginning of that year he met Liliana and Inés, and while the LMB was inactive – as a result of the pandemic – the girl's murder happened.

Code of ethics

The president of the LMB, Horacio de la Vega, tells Proceso that while Mitre's trial is over, the league has permanently suspended him.

“In the case of players or managers who’ve had this type of unacceptable behavior and who are currently active in the league,” said de la Vega, “it is for such individuals to take responsibility for their actions and reinsert themselves into professional sports in an impeccable way, with exemplary behavior in all aspects of his life, in particular his behavior towards women, and that his activity in professional sports serves as a second chance to make up for his faults.”

The president acknowledges that the LMB lacks a policy to act in this type of case, but that "it is respectful of the autonomy of its clubs and the hiring of personnel."

However, he anticipates that for the 2022 season a Code of Ethics will come into force, "an unprecedented effort in the almost 100 years of existence of the league" which will include precautionary measures and the uprooting of violent behavior against women. He also said that the LMB will develop permanent campaigns for the prevention of gender violence and will teach courses to suppress "incorrectly normalized behavior in our society."

The central task, he adds, "will be prevention, awareness and education to have players with social awareness, gender and values ​​that promote inclusion and equality. We will be very respectful of authority, and if there are players who are legally impeded to participate in our circuit, what is available will be followed.

“The position of the LMB is that any offender be prosecuted, in accordance with all applicable laws in Mexico, as well as with the legal systems of other countries. In the event that the authorities require the support of the LMB, it will be granted.

"Similarly, at the time there are accusations of any kind against personnel of any of the clubs, the league will proceed accordingly with exhaustive investigations."

LMB DIVISION SEMIS SET, TWO SERIES GO SEVEN GAMES

    The Mexican League division semifinals are now set after a pair of seventh and deciding first round playoff games were required to determine the eighth-team lineup. Mexico City, Tabasco and Yucatan all advanced in the LMB South and will be joined by Veracruz as the “lucky” loser because the Aguilas won two games in their series while Quintana Roo and Puebla only won once. Things came down to the wire in the LMB North, where it took a pair of Game Sevens to ensure that Guadalajara, Tijuana and Lucky Loser Aguascalientes to join Monclova in the division semis.

    Here are capsules with details of the past week's games in the six first-round series:

MEXICO CITY def. QUINTANA ROO, 4 games to 1

    Three first-round series ended Thursday night, including Mexico City's Game Five win over Quintana Roo, 8-4. Japhet Amador led the Diablos attack with two homers and six RBIs to close the set with a 4-games-to-1 Mexico City triumph. The Tigres were forced to play their “home” games at Merida's Parque Kukulkan due to ballpark renovations Estadio Beto Avila in Cancun requiring them to play the final weeks of the season on the road.

    Angel Erro's two-run homer in the bottom of the second snapped a Quintana Roo scoreless streak that had reached 19 innings, including shutouts on Tuesday (a 9-0 loss as Amador belted two longballs and drove in four) and Wednesday (a 3-0 defeat in which Arturo Lopez tossed six scoreless innings for the Red Devils and Juan Carlos Gamboa socked a two-run homer in the third).

TABASCO def. PUEBLA, 4 games to 1

    Tabasco also closed out their series in five games with Puebla on Thursday. After splitting two games in Villahermosa, the Olmecas copped three straight road games, starting with a 14-12 slugfest win last Tuesday as former Phillies farmhand Herlis Rodriguez slammed a three-run homer and Roel Santos posted a two-run blast. Jesus Arredondo hit a two-run single and later scored in a five-run fifth inning as the Olmecas went on to top the Pericos, 8-3, one night later.

    The Olmecas clinched the series Thursday, 7-4, as Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with three runs and Ronnier Mustelier's two-run single gave the Olmecas a 7-0 lead in the fourth that the Parakeets couldn't overcome. Manager Pedro Mere's club lacked offense in the regular season but it was their 29 runs in three games that sealed their victory.

MONCLOVA def. SALTILLO, 4 games to 1

    Also on Thursday, defending champion Monclova finished their LMB North series with a 3-1 Game Five thriller over Saltillo as Addison Russell cranked out a two-run homer off Saraperos closer Anthony Carter in the bottom of the tenth to end the contest after Bartolo Colon turned in 5.1 decent entradas for Monclova, allowing one run on five hits.

    The Steelers earlier collected a 6-3 win over Saltillo Tuesday during which Chris Carter slugged a pair of homers of Saraperos starter David Holmberg. Monclova registered another victory Wednesday on a 3-2 score as Dwight Smith's sacrifice fly brought home Erick Aybar with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Carlos Bustamante earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth for the Acereros to set up Thursday's clincher.

YUCATAN def. VERACRUZ, 4 games to 2

    After Friday's travel day, one more series concluded on Saturday. Yucatan returned home after winning two of three in Veracruz to record a 5-1 win over the Aguilas to take their first round set, 4 games to 2, as Jose Aguilar's two-run double gave the Leones a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second that they never relinquished.

    Yucatan had split a pair in Merida prior to winning, 7-6, in Veracruz last Tuesday when Aguilas third baseman Hector Gomez' throwing error in the top of the ninth allowed Walter Ibarra and Yadier Drake to plate the tying and winning runs, respectively. Alex Liddi clubbed two homers and drove in five Wednesday in an 11-3 Yucatan win (Aguila pitchers allowed 11 hits and nine walks); then Liddi, Norberto Obeso and Luis Juarez all homered in the fifth Thursday but Veracuz staved off elimination with a 9-8 triumph as Gomez earned some redemption with a walkoff single that scored Alexei Amarista with the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth. Juarez hit five homers and Liddi went deep four times for the Leones in the series.

GUADALAJARA def. UNION LAGUNA, 4 games to 3

    Both Union Laguna and Tijuana stayed alive with wins Saturday to force Game Sevens in their respective series Sunday. Nick Torres had three hits (including a ninth-inning homer) and scored three runs for the Algodoneros in a wild 13-11 win at Guadalajara. The Cottoneers beat the top-seeded Mariachis twice in three games during the week in Torreon.

    Guadalajara clobbered the hosts, 12-2, last Tuesday as Johnny Davis went 4-for-5 to key a 17-hit Mariachis outburst. Laguna came back with wins on Wednesday and Thursday, starting with a 10-2 clobbering that saw the Algodoneros break open a 4-2 game with six eighth-frame runs as Ciro Norzagaray sliced a two-run, bases-loaded single to cap a two-hit, three-ribbie night. Thursday's game ended with a 5-4 Cottoneers victory with Carlos Rivero's solo homer breaking a 4-all tie and Jenrry Mejia tossing a scoreless ninth for the save (despite needing 20 pitches to do it). Mejia went 1.2 innings Saturday in Guadalajara for his third save of the series. Sunday's game was a 2-2 classic until the bottom of the eighth, when the Mariachis scored five runs, including a three-run homer by Niko Vasquez off Mejia to break it open. Fernando Cruz pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the 7-2 win and end the series.

TIJUANA def. AGUASCALIENTES, 4 games to 3

    Meanwhile, Tijuana held off an upset loss to Aguascalientes Saturday with a 5-4 win in eleven innings at home. Daniel Castro's walkoff single scored pinch-runner Junior Lake with the winning run for the Toros, who got three hits (including a two-run homer) from Leandro Castro during the contest. The Rieleros earlier took two of three midweek games at home and opened a 3-games-to-1 series lead before TJ won the next two. Tuesday's tilt featured a big game from Ags centerfielder Jay Austin (3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs) in a 6-5 win over the Toros. On Wednesday, the Algodoneros built a 5-1 lead and then held on to take a 5-4 triumph behind Marc Flores' two-run homer in the second and Michael Wing's two-run single in the fifth.

    Tijuana avoided elimination with a 5-0 shutout Thursday, with Joe Van Meter starting things off with 6 scoreless innings and Fernando Rodney ending them by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth. Peter O'Brien doubled, tripled and drove in three for the Bulls in the win to send the series back to the border city. After Saturday's win, the Toros closed out the Rieleros Sunday with a 6-4 victory in which Gabriel Gutierrez' two-out double off Daniel Guerrero broke a 4-4 tie by doubling in Isaac Rodriguez while Gutierrez plated an insurance run moments later on Leandro Castro's single. Rodney made things interesting in the top of the ninth by loading the bases before retiring the last two Aguascalientes batters to end the game and series.

    The division semis will open with four games Tuesday night. In the LMB South, Mexico City will open their best-of-7 set with Lucky Loser Veracruz at home and Yucatan will take on Tabasco in Merida. In the LMB North, Tijuana will open their series with Monclova in the border city while Guadalajara is at Estadio Panamericano to host an opener against Aguascalientes, who is the division's Lucky Loser by virtue of finishing a half-game ahead of Union Laguna during the regular season.

EX-TOROS SKIPPER VIZQUEL NAMED IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT SUIT

Omar Vizquel with Birmingham in 2019

    Things just keep getting tougher for Hall of Fame candidate Omar Vizquel. The former shortstop, who won eleven Gold Gloves and collected 2,877 hits over a 24-year MLB career, was hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States within days of parting company with the Mexican League Tijuana Toros and months after his wife Blanca filed domestic violence charges against him.

    According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, an autistic former batboy for the Class AA Birmingham Barons (who Vizquel managed in 2019) alleged that Vizquel exposed his penis “at least five occasions” in the team's clubhouse. According to the lawsuit, Vizquel came out of a shower naked on August 22, 2019 and handed the man a bar of soap, demanding that he “wash my damn back!” The accuser says he was “humiliated, intimidated and scared of what would happen if he disobeyed” and “complied with Vizquel's request.”

    The man, now 25, did not return to work after the alleged incident and the lawsuit states, “at this point, he was constructively discharged, as no reasonable person would have returned to that work environment after what had happened.” The suit was filed in United States District Court in Alabama. The suit also accuses the Barons and their parent Chicago White Sox organization of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and seeks back payments and damages. No criminal charges have been filed against Vizquel in connection to the batboy’s claims. Neither Vizquel nor his attorney have commented.

    According to Joshua Rhett Miller of the New York Post, the former batboy (who has not been named) also alleges that Vizquel had “targeted” him for sexual harassment because of his disability. The man also claims Vizquel told him in June 2019 that he was homosexual and telling him in the dugout, “I just want you to know that I’m gay” and “I like guys.”

    In contrast, a writer for the TodayIn24 website who simply goes by the name Bonnie is not a Vizquel supporter but talked to two Birmingham players that season: “More jokes are made in clubhouses than anywhere else. And that’s why, since Vizquel doesn’t answer, I called two players who were from the Barons of 2019, the year of the indictment.

    “One of them told me, 'Omar used to make up jokes of many kinds against all of us and we laughed a lot.' And the other: 'I remember that batboy, great boy. We all loved him very much, even Vizquel. And having his back washed has nothing to do with sex.“

    In a statement, the White Sox said: "After first learning of an alleged incident in late August 2019, Chicago conducted an internal investigation that resulted in the termination of the organization's relationship with Vizquel. Because this is active litigation, at this time the White Sox will not comment further regarding the allegations included in this lawsuit.”

Vizquel as an 11-time Gold Glove shortstop

    The 54-year-old Venezuelan had piloted the Barons to a 64-72 record his first year in Birmingham after leading Class A Winston-Salem to a 84-54 mark and the Carolina League playoff semifinals in 2018, earning Manager of the Year honors. Vizquel was hired to manage Tijuana for 2020 but the season was canceled due to the Wuhan virus. This year, he had the Toros in second place in the LMB North with a 32-22 when he was relieved of his duties on July 26.

    Vizquel was accused last year by his wife, Blanca, of multiple cases of physical abuse. He was arrested once but was not charged. Vizquel has denied abusing his wife, who filed for divorce last year. Major League Baseball has acknowledged investigating his personal and professional conduct, although he has not been employed by an MLB organization since the White Sox fired him. The investigation remains open, according to a source.

    Vizquel became eligible for election to the Hall of Fame in 2018 and was named on 37 percent of the BBWA ballots his first year. He rose to 42.8 percent and then 52.6 percent the following two years before dropping to 49.1 percent last winter a month after the domestic abuse allegations surfaced. He has six years' worth of balloting left before his election is handed over to the Veterans Committee.

BUFFALOES SIGN MEXICAN PITCHER VARGAS TO NPB CONTRACT

Vargas with Ibaraki Astro Planets

    Cesar Vargas' excellent adventure in Japan continues. The pitcher from Puebla, who made seven MLB starts for San Diego in 2017, has reached an agreement with the Pacific League's first-place Orix Buffaloes, according to Nikkei Sports.

    It's been an eventful year for the 29-year-old righty, who missed the 2020 Mexican League season after going 8-6 with a 4.34 ERA over 32 games (including 18 starts) for Monterrey in 2019. Vargas spent an eighth Mexican Pacific League season with Hermosillo last winter and was 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA in seven starts.

    He began the current Liga season with Monterrey in May and went 1-0 and 2.70 in two starts before heading to Japan to pitch for the Ibaraki Astro Planets of the independent Baseball Challenge League. In eleven outings as a teammate of former LMB and LMP outfielder Dariel Alvarez and new Veracruz Aguilas pitcher Kodai Hamaya, Vargas went 5-2 with a 1.60 ERA. Alvarez was also recently picked up by the SoftBank Hawks and batted 0-for-4 in his first game for the defending Japan Series champions.

    The 6'2” 237-pound Vargas also pitched for Mexico in the Tokyo Olympics earlier this month, making scoreless appearances in losses to host Japan and Israel and retiring all four batters he faced (two on strikeouts).

Pitching for Monterrey in 2019

   Vargas was signed by the New York Yankees as a 17-year-old in 2009 and spent seven summers in the American League club's system, mostly as a reliever. He then spent 2016 and 2017 with the Padres organization, going 0-3 with a 5.03 ERA in seven starts for the parent club. After playing as a Nationals minor leaguer in 2018, Vargas moved back south of the border to play for Monterrey in 2019. During that time, he played eight winters for Hermosillo (including the last six in a row), going 14-9 with a 3.81 ERA for the Naranjeros in 114 appearances, 92 out them out of the bullpen.

    With his initial outing for his new team, Vargas will become the first Mexican-born player to appear in NPB this season after Christian Villanueva played for the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2020. Heading into the weekend, the Buffaloes (who split their home games between Kobe and Osaka) led the Pacific League with a 43-34 record plus 11 ties, a game-and-a-half ahead of the 42-36-11 Rakuten Golden Eagles.

MEXICO BLASTED BY ISRAEL, 12-5; KO'D FROM OLYMPICS

Isaac Rodriguez against Dominicans

    The Mexican Olympic baseball team lost to Israel by a 12-5 count Sunday in Yokohama to be eliminated from their first appearance in the Summer Games after losing all three contests they played. The Verdes Grande had dropped a 1-0 knucklebiter to the Dominican Republic and a 7-4 decision to host Japan last week to finish 0-2 in Group A.

    In Sunday's loss, Israel took a 6-0 lead and never looked back in winning their first Olympic game after turning in an 0-2 record in Group B. Mexico starter Manny Barreda gave up six runs on four hits and three walks over two-plus innings to take the loss. The ex-Yankees prospect was trailing 1-0 after two innings before the roof caved in top of the the third, when he walked Israel's first two batters before giving up a three-run homer to former MLBer Danny Valencia, who drilled a fastball ten rows deep into the Yokohama Baseball Stadium's left-field seats. Barreda allowed two more baserunners without recording an out before being yanked for reliever Sasagi Sanchez, who then gave up a two-run Nick Rickles single to make it a 6-0 game.

    To their credit, the Mexicans fought back to make it a one-run game by scoring four times in the bottom of the third. Braves farmhand Ryan Goins doubled to deep left to plate Jonathan Jones with Mexico's first run and then came in when Israel starter Jonathan Zeid uncorked a wild pitch during a walk to Isaac Rodriguez. Rodriguez scored on a Sebastian Elizalde double to left and then Elizalde crossed the plate when Joey Meneses singled to shallow left to narrow the deficit to 6-4. Adrian Gonzalez singled in Meneses in the bottom of the sixth to close to gap to 6-5, but a horrible top of the seventh put the game out of reach.

    In that fateful frame, Israel sent ten batters to the plate and scored six runs on as many hits, keyed by consecutive two-run singles from Mitch Glasser and Zach Penprase, a pair of longtime indyball players. Former MLB hurler Oliver Perez allowed all six runs, although the first two were charged to fellow Mexican reliever Fernando Salas. Israel allowed one Gonzalez double over the last three frames to cement the win.

    Mexico dropped their first game last Friday, 1-0, to the Dominican Republic. Starter Angel Sanchez (5 IP) and four relievers combined to limit the Mexicans to four singles and three walks while Mexican starter Teddy Stankiewicz battled admirably through 4.2 innings, striking out five Dominicans but allowing the game's lone run when ex-MLBer Melky Cabrera single in Charlie Valerio in the bottom of the fifth. Diamondbacks minor leaguer Luis Castillo turned in a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

    The Verdes Grande's best chance came in the top of the sixth when Isaac Rodriguez laid down a bunt single, advanced to second on a passed ball by catcher Valerio while Elizalde was up and then tried to score on a Meneses single to left but was cut down at the plate by a throw from Jose Bautista.

    Things were a little less dramatic one day later, when Japan bopped Mexico by a 7-4 score on Saturday. Mexico actually took a 1-0 lead against the host team in the bottom of the first when Meneses singled up the middle off Masato Morishita to score Rodriguez from second. Japan came back to tie it in the second and go ahead in the third with single runs against Mexican starter Juan Pablo Oramas. Eduardo Arredondo relieved Oramas in the fourth and gave up a pair of singles to set up a three-run homer by Tetsuto Yamada to bring Japan's lead up to 5-1.

Joey Meneses hit .500 with HR for Mexico

    Mexico got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Elizalde scored from third on a Gonzalez double-play grounder to second, but Japan scored singletons in the seventh and eighth to stretch their advantage to 7-2. Meneses crashed a two-run homer off reliever Kaima Taira in the bottom of the eighth, making it a 7-4 game, but Mexico could get no closer before running out of outs.

    All in all, it was a disappointing Olympic baseball debut for Mexico, who was outscored 20-9 over three games. Meneses turned in the top plate performance, going 6-for-12 with a homer and four RBIs, but Gonzalez (.273) was the only other hitter above .250 as the team combined for a .202 batting average. The pitching was little better, although Stankiewicz (1.93) and Oramas (3.00) did fairly well while relievers Sanchez, Carlos Bustamante, Daniel Duarte and Cesar Vargas allowed no earned runs but Barreda and three relievers all had ERAs at 13.50 or above as Mexico finished with a 6.23 team ERA.

    Mexico manager Benji Gil was circumspect in the aftermath of what most baseball observers in the country consider a disastrous performance. “Not even in my worst nightmare did I think this would be the result,” said the former MLB infielder, who was brought in after Juan Castro was unceremoniously fired despite having led the team to the country's-ever Olympic baseball appearance by qualifying in the 2019 Premier12 tournament. Gil pointed to a pitching collapse after allowing just one run against the Dominican Republic.

    “Normally in all these competitions, Mexico always has tremendous pitching,” said Gil. “We compete with that and that is why we are known in baseball. In the last two games, we did battle...not all of them, but as a team we did battle. Allowing 19 runs in 18 innings is something that has never been seen for a Mexican team.”

    Now it has.

SECOND-PLACE TOROS FIRE VIZQUEL AS LMB PLAYOFFS APPROACH

Omar Vizquel tossing BP as TJ skipper

    With the Mexican League playoffs just days away, two teams have made decisions regarding the men managing them. The Tijuana Toros demoted Hall of Fame candidate Omar Vizquel for “personal reasons” last Monday after the team suffered a three-game weekend sweep to Monterrey at home. The Toros were 32-22 at the time and in second place in the LMB North with nine games left in the regular season. There is speculation that Vizquel stepped down due to pressure from Major League Baseball because of an unresolved domestic violence case filed by the wife of the former shortstop, but the team owners (the Uribe family) are rather capricious even by LMB standards and have cut loose a dozen managers despite six consecutive playoff appearances and a 2017 pennant.

    The Tijuana front office issued a statement claiming "the decision that resolves the labor agreement was generated by mutual agreement and is adopted from the highest responsibility between the board of directors and the Venezuelan helmsman." Vizquel will be reassigned to other duties with the Toros while longtime Mexican baseball figure Homar Rojas (who was fired earlier this year as Monterrey's helmsman) becomes the 13th manager in Tijuana since the Toros debuted in 2014 while Bronswell Patrick moves from pitching coach to bench coach. Tijuana won five of their first six games under Rojas, who is managing his sixth LMB team since 2005.

    In Merida, the Yucatan Leones announced a new skipper to replace Geronimo Gil, who was fired on June 22 with a 14-11 record. Salon de la Fama member Chico Rodriguez led Yucatan to a 13-14 mark as interim manager until the Leones named Luis Matos as dugout boss on July 21. Matos spent seven years as an MLB outfielder before playing for Yucatan between 2008 and 2012. He managed Caguas to two Puerto Rican League pennants and Caribbean Series titles in 2017 and 2018 during a four-year stint with the Criollos. Matos split his first eight games at the helm of the Leones going into Sunday's contest with Campeche.

    The expansion Veracruz Aguilas still have Leo Rodriguez III as manager, but they brought in some experienced help last week by hiring former Mazatlan Venados leader Juan Jose Pacho as bench coach. Pacho was fired by the Mexican Pacific League team last winter, allegedly because he made public appearances supporting a political candidate opposed by Venados ownership. The Salon de la Fama shortstop's presence certainly hasn't harmed veteran slugger Jesus “Cacao” Valdez, who swatted a pair of three-run homers and drove in nine runs in an 18-6 blowout in Oaxaca last Thursday as Veracruz clinched a playoff berth.

    Just three games remain in the regular season and most playoff slots have been secured. In the LMB North, Guadalajara has clinched first place while Tijuana, Monclova and Saltillo have also punched their tickets. Aguascalientes is fifth after winning seven of ten games and close to reaching the postseason but Union Laguna, Dos Laredos and Monterrey are in a fairly tight battle for the sixth and final berth. Mexico City has clinched the top of the LMB South while Tabasco has won nine of ten outings to secure a playoff slot. Yucatan, Veracruz and Quintana Roo are also locks, meaning sixth-place Puebla needs one win or one Leon loss for the final postseason berth.

Luis Escobar has starred for Tabasco

    Guadalajara's Leo Heras is batting .415 after 43 games, good enough to top the batting race on the LMB website, ahead of Saltillo's Henry Urrutia (.391) and Tito Polo (.390) of Durango. Leon's Xavier Batista has pulled ahead of Rainel Rosario of Saltillo in the home run derby, 19 to 18, while Tijuana's Leandro Castro's 68 RBIs will likely be enough to hold off Japhet Amador's 57 for Mexico City to take that crown. In stolen bases, Quintana Roo's Reynaldo Rodriguez has 21 while Herlis Rodriguez of Tabasco is one behind at 20.

    Among pitchers, Masaru Nakamura of Guadalajara still has a perfect 8-0 record to lead the Liga in wins, one ahead of five other hurlers. Former Pirates righty Luis Escobar heads the ERA list as the Colombian shows a 2.60 mark after 11 starts, comfortably ahead of Laguna's Rafael Pineda (3.21). There's a battle for strikeout supremacy between Aguascalientes' Erik Leal (66), Puebla's Jose Valdez (66) and Mexico City's Hector Hernandez (65) while another three pitchers have 60-plus K's. Fernando Rodney of Tijuana is tops in saves with 15, one more than Guadalajara's Fernando Cruz.

    Just nine midweek series remain before the regular season closes. The most important may be a crossover set when Aguascalientes visits Leon, with the Rieleros trying to fight off three teams for one of two unsettled LMB North berth and the Bravos needed to win all three games to even have a chance to qualify in the LMB South.

JUAN VENE: JALISCO CHARROS HEADED FOR SALE, NAME CHANGE

    Now in his 90's, Juan Vene has covered Mexican baseball for years and his column “En la Pelota” is carried by 37 newspapers and websites. In a recent column, the Florida-based Vene states that a sale of the Mexican Pacific League's Jalisco Charros to the owners of the Guadalajara Mariachis is pending, as is a change of the team nickname. Puro Beisbol reports that sources from the State of Jalisco confirm the transaction and that the LMP will approve the deal.

    The following is a lightly-edited Google translation of Vene's column:

    The Jalisco Charros, whose name is owned by Armando Navarro, are about to end. The next team for the Guadalajara winters would be called the Jalisco Caballos and owned by José Luis González Íñigo and Carlos Valenzuela Gómez, who also own the Mexican League's Guadalajara franchise.

    "Both González and Valenzuela, co-owners of the Mariachis, are very good people," said a fellow journalist from Guadalajara.

    Navarro had contributed the name of Charros to be a partner of Salvador Quirarte, who invested the necessary money. The two got into a fight under accusations of mismanagement of the team's money. And there is no way to reconcile them.

    Quirarte does not respond to calls and Navarro's cell phone number always get the “beep-beep-beep” busy signal.

    Meanwhile, the Zapopan stadium, in the beautiful metropolitan area of Guadalajara, is owned by the Government of the State of Jalisco. And the governor, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, is a Guadalajara leader who only wants peace and good baseball.

    Alfaro Ramírez likes the name “Jalisco Caballos” and is willing to provide all the necessary support to those who dedicate themselves to organizing the best show for Jalisco and not to fight for two or three pesos of old paper.

    Navarro has accused Quirarte of mishandling the team's money, so I try to contact him to see if he informs me how his partner did something wrong. But I already told you it's a case of “beep-beep-beep” every time I call him.

Name change likely for Estadio Charros, too

    Beautiful Guadalajara and its surroundings are home to hundreds of thousands of frenzied baseball fans, who have always supported it.

    However, there is a kind of gypsy curse on the ball in that sector of the world. The original Charros played in an uncomfortable stadium, built for student baseball and located on the outskirts of the city.

    It was not comfortable to go there. The Charros had to disappear in 1995.

    They returned in 2014, with great enthusiasm to a full stadium in the modern house of Zapopan, until peace ended in 2021. That is why, possibly, the 2021-2022 season will be that of the burial of the Charros and the birth of the Caballos.

    The figure of the caballo (or “horse”) is emblematic in Jalisco, especially for what these beautiful animals mean in the life of the charros.

    It will be a new life for baseball in Jalisco, absolutely better than Navarro and Quirarte pulling their hair out for two or three pesos of old paper.

LMP TO OPEN PLAY THURSDAY AMID VIRUS CONCERNS

Inspection at Los Mochis ballpark

    Despite ongoing worries about possible effects the ongoing pandemic might have on both the playing field and in the stands, the Mexican Pacific League is preparing for the opener of its 76th season of winterball on Thursday night, when five games are slated to be played. While the LMP expects to become the first professional baseball league across the globe to start their season on time and (mostly) with people in the stands, things could be running a little smoother.

    On the positive side, the Los Mochis Caneros have gotten the okay from local government to open Estadio Emilio Ibarra Almada seating to 40 percent capacity for home games this winter. The leader of the Municipal Health Directorate in Ahome, Dr. Francisco Espinoza Valverde, and Civil Protection director Salvador Lamphar toured the ballpark with Caneros owner Joaquin Vega to verify that protocols are being followed and subsequently gave the green light for fans to witness games in person. Estadio Emilio Ibarra Almada is located in Ahome, a community of over 10,000 within the municipality of the same name in which Los Mochis is the seat, thus local officials have jurisdiction for such decisions.

    Since the stadium seats 12,000 under normal circumstances, the adjusted capacity to start the season will drop to 4,500 for the start of the season. There will be signage indicating which seats may or may not be used, with no more than three seats allowed to be purchased together. Tickets for Caneros home games are due to go on sale Monday. The decision brought the number of Mex Pac teams being allowed to host games with people in the seats to six: Culiacan, Guasave, Hermosillo, Los Mochis, Mazatlan and Mexicali.

    On the other hand, Septima Entrada reports that Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro has confirmed that due to conditions related to the pandemic, the public will not be allowed to attend sporting events in the state, including Jalisco Charros home games in Guadalajara. “This is an endurance race and it is not known how long it will last,” Alfaro said on Twitter. “We are all tired, with exhaustion from not being able to go out, of not being able to celebrate in the stadiums, of not celebrating our traditions, but it is not time to relax things.”

    Alfaro noted that Jalisco is one of many states in the country designated with a virtual orange traffic light, which reflects the second-highest stage of alert in Mexico. “For now, there are no conditions to advance in the opening of new activities. We still cannot allow the return of people to the stadiums or the opening of clubs or any type of massive activity," added the governor.

Seats to remain unfilled in Culiacan

    To complicate things even further, Sinaloa (where four of the five LMP teams planning to allow fans play) is one of seven states in which their virtual traffic lights have been downgraded from yellow to orange, which has the potential to force those teams to rescind their decisions and play behind closed doors. The state of Sonora, which has Mex Pac teams in Hermosillo, Navojoa and Obregon, is still under a yellow traffic light but ironically none of those three clubs had said they'd be playing in front of limited capacity crowds until the Naranjeros made a statement to that effect on Saturday. Monterrey, in the virus-ravaged state of Nuevo Leon, will also be playing before empty seats.

    Last week, the LMP office in Guadalajara announced that 669 tests for the Wuhan virus had been carried out in two stages. “The first stage showed that 25% of the players had already contracted the virus prior to arrival at the training fields and that they already had antibodies,” the press release states. “7.7% of the players and coaches were positive at that time in the first stage. 6.2% of the players and coaches were positive in a second stage.”

    The press release adds that both stages of the tests were applied to the same people, showing that the LMP protocol has “generated a downward result in infections” and that the number of positives has been lower than the average of each state where games are played. More to the point, the league says “the results to date to not represent a threat for the season to take place.” Teams will be allowed to use players from extended 70-man rosters to allow for more flexibility in case the virus hits any of them harder than anticipated.

    Thursday's schedule has Jalisco at Monterrey to take the cellophane off the season at 5:00PM EDT, followed by Guasave at Culiacan (9:00PM EDT), Mazatlan at Los Mochis (9:30EDT), Mexicali at Obregon (10:10 EDT) and Hermosillo at Navojoa (10:30 EDT).

TIGRES TO MOVE FROM CANCUN, HOPE TO LAND IN SONORAN CITY

Tigres appear done in Cancun

    One of the Mexican League's flagship franchises will be moving for the third time in less than 20 years years after Quintana Roo Tigres owner Fernando Valenzuela notified the league office of his intention to shift the team out of Cancun after 14 years in the resort city. While nothing is firm yet, the former Cy Young Award winner and his wife Linda are planning to move the Tigres to the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.

    Formed in 1955, the Mexico City Tigres (first under founder Alejo Peralta and then his son Carlos) formed an intense rivalry with the Diablos Rojos as the two teams shared the beloved Social Security Park for 45 years before it was razed and replaced by a shopping center. After playing the 2000 and 2001 seasons and winning pennants both years at Foro Sol (a larger facility but ill-suited for baseball), the younger Peralta moved the club to Puebla in 2002 and renamed them the Angelopolis Tigres. They shared Estadio Hermanos Serdan with the Pericos for five years and won the LMB pennant in 2005, but Carlos Peralta moved the team again, this time in 2007 to Cancun. Now known as the Quintana Roo Tigres, the team won three pennants between 2011 and 2015 but never really caught on with locals or tourists, who were more interested in spending time at the beach or in the bars.

    Carlos Peralta was a competent owner by LMB standards, but his passion never came close to his father's and he was ready to sell the Tigres after ten seasons in Cancun. Enter Fernando Valenzuela, who had pitched against the team in Mexico City when he was a teenager pitching for Yucatan in 1979. Valenzuela and his wife bought the Tigres franchise from Peralta in February 2017 and immediately began having problems.

    After partners bailed out to leave the Valenzuelas as the sole owners, five Tigres prospects who'd been on a list of players they were given while negotiating for the team had been transferred to the Diablos Rojos before they assumed ownership. The Rookiegate scandal, which resulted in two of those prospects being sold to the Texas Rangers for over $2 million, soured the Valenzuelas (who could've used the money to counteract the meager crowds at Estadio Beto Avila) and they had to run the once-proud franchise on a frayed shoestring over the next three years. The canceled 2020 season likely sealed the Tigres' fate in Cancun.

    When Proceso writer Beatriz Pereyra tweeted less than a month ago that the Tigres would be moving, the team categorically denied her but Pereyra stood her ground and repeated what she'd heard. As it turns out, she was correct. Although many people have clamored for years to have the Tigres back in Mexico City and others in Veracruz have been trying to bring an LMP team back to the port city, Valenzuela is said to be planning to move the ballclub to San Luis Rio Colorado, a city of 200,000 sitting on the Mexico-Arizona border that has never had a team in either the Mexican League or Mexican Pacific League.

 

Ballpark awaits in San Luis Rio Colorado

   San Luis Rio Colorado (commonly known as simply "San Luis") has been a member of the North Mexico League. The Algodoneros, who can trace their own beginnings to 1946, won their third LNM pennant in seven years in 2019 but the future for that club, classified as Class AA in the Mexican system, is in doubt. The city has refurbished Estadio Andres Mena Montijo from 2,500 seats into a new-look facility that can hold 7,000 spectators, and the Algodoneros were reportedly refused the opportunity to lease the updated ballpark this year before the Liga Norte shut down anyway due to the Wuhan virus.

    Although San Luis would be one of the smallest markets in the Mexican League, it's located in the baseball-crazy state of Sonora, a proven breeding ground for players and fans. San Luis has hosted games for past editions of the Mexican Baseball Fiesta with good turnouts, so crowds may be above the LMB average at worst. The city is located less than 300 miles from Valenzuela's home base in Los Angeles, a much shorter commute than Cancun has been. The Tijuana Toros would have a natural travel partner, although one never knows how the Uribe family would react to a team that could draw fans from Mexicali or even Yuma who've been going to El Nido for ballgames. While San Luis can get scorching hot in the summer, so does Monclova and all the Acereros did was win the last MLB pennant. San Luis mayor Santos Gonzalez already has a good relationship with president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Both Fernando and his son, Tigres GM Fernando Junior, have visited San Luis and toured the ballpark. The stars seem to all be aligned.

    In other words, barring fireworks at the next Assembly of Presidents meeting, we'll be seeing the San Luis Tigres in 2021. Then again, what would a Mexican League Assembly of Presidents meeting be without fireworks?

TOROS SKIPPER VIZQUEL ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

    A nasty divorce just got nastier after Tijuana Toros manager (and Cooperstown candidate) Omar Vizquel's soon-to-be ex-wife accused him of domestic violence during a session on Instagram Live.

    “I am in a divorce process,” Blanca Vizquel said last week, according to Puro Beisbol. “It is a hard process where the man wants me to shut my mouth. That is his request: That I keep my mouth shut so as not to damage his career, so as not to damage his Hall of Fame chances, but he never thought of me nor my well-being. I was his trophy. It cut off all my hopes and dreams."

    Omar Vizquel's first wife, Nicole, was a Seattle native the Venezuelan had met as a young player with the Mariners, leading to their 1992 marriage and two children before their.divorce a few years later. Blanca Garcia, a Colombian fitness trainer 20 years younger than the 53-year-old ex-shortstop, married the 11-time Gold Glove winner in 2014.

    After retiring as a player in 2012 following a 24-year MLB career in which he played in three All-Star Games and collected 2,877 hits, Vizquel has gone into coaching. After spending time as a roving instructor for Angels minor leaguers and as Detroit's infield coach for four years between 2014 and 2017, he moved to the Chicago White Sox system in 2018, leading Winston-Salem to an 84-54 record in the Class A Carolina League and then 64-74 with Class AA Birmingham for 2019 before the Chisox let him go. Vizquel also managed Venezuela to a 2-5 record in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

    Vizquel was hired to manage Tijuana in 2020 but saw the season end before it got started after the Mexican League canceled its schedule. Now his future with the Toros may be in doubt due to these allegations.

The Vizquels in apparently happier times

    Blanca Vizquel also said on Instagram, “He demanded that I go everywhere with him so in order to not bother him and for not pay the consequences, I had to agree to smile, be well-dressed and well-groomed with makeup, when all I wanted was to cry…but it wasn't an option for me.” In a story posted on the en24.com website in Venezuela, she claimed that Vizquel lost his job with the White Sox for this reason and that he only gave her “crumbs of money” because he did not stop financially supporting his ex-wife. She said she couldn't elaborate on the case at the suggestion of her lawyers but details about her troubled relationship with Vizquel would soon be revealed. No details of actual physical violence have been given.

    Besides the threat to his current job status, the allegations are also a setback for Vizquel's chances at joining another slick-fielding shortstop, Luis Aparicio, as the only Venezuelans in the Hall of Fame. He earned 36.9 percent of the vote in 2018, his first year on the ballot) then saw his support rise to 4.8 percent in 2019 and 52.6 this year. It takes being on 75 percent of BBWAA ballots for induction and Vizquel was looking like a good bet to get in before his ten-year ballot limit was reached. Whether these allegations hinder his chances or not, they certainly won't help.

CITY OF MAZATLAN OKAYS 2021 SERIE DEL CARIBE

Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, Mazatlan

Several weeks after evicting the Mazatlan Venados from Estadio Teodoro Mariscal for violations of their lease, the City of Mazatlan has announced that the Mexican Pacific League team will be allowed to use the ballpark for the upcoming 2020-21 season, including hosting the 2021 Caribbean Series in early February.

The City physically escorted Venados front office employees out the stadium in early April, locking the facility up after it had been cleared out. The government claims the team had violated a number of conditions of their ballpark lease, including sponsorship of local basketball players and boxers and delivering Venados game tickets to senior citizens. The team was also asked to let the City use the ballpark to deliver services to seniors in relation to the Wuhan Virus outbreak, but refused the request.

The imbroglio led to concerns that the Caribbean Series would be moved out of Mazatlan if things were not resolved soon, with the Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE) giving the Mex Pac until the end of this month to broker a truce between the warring sides.

On Saturday, the Mazatlan City Council released this (translated) statement promising cooperation in allowing the Venados to return for the LMP season and that the Caribbean Series, which brings tourism money to host cities, may go ahead as planned:

The Municipal Government and Mayor Luis Benitez Torres express their commitment to guarantee all the facilities and the granting of permits for the 2020-2021 season of the Mexican Pacific League and the Caribbean Series 2021 at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal.

The City Council and the Mayor know the importance of sports culture and the economic and tourist impact that both baseball tournaments represent for the Mazatlan fans and for the municipality itself.

For this reason, this Government is open to communication with the company "Espectaculos Costa del Pacifico" and with the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation to reach agreements for the holding of the two sporting events here in Mazatlán.

The Municipal President expresses our will to grant the right to use, enjoy and enjoy the facilities of Estadio Teodoro Mariscal as well as any authorization for local activities, thereby guaranteeing that there is no impediment to holding such tournaments.

These measures are considered convenient for the benefit of society between the exploitation of a property in the public domain and the social, sports and tourist benefit of Mazatlecos.

Although the statement appears to give the go-ahead for business as usual at the ballpark, it's also notable for what it DOESN'T say. There is no mention of resumption of the lease between the Venados and the City, nor is anything said about a contract pulled by the City from team owner Jose Antonio Toledo that has allowed his family control of ballpark concessions since 1980 before purchasing the team 25 years later. While there does seem to be a truce, it promises to be an uneasy one.

Relations between the Venados and Mazatlan leaders soured quickly after Estadio Teodoro Mariscal reopened in October 2018 following a US$18 million renovation, when drinking water to the facility was shut off in the wake of a discovery that the team had created a clandestine drinking system there.


TOROS PLAN TO RE-OPEN CAMP JULY 15 IN OAXACA

Tijuana Toros to resume training next month

With an August 7 date tentatively set for finally beginning the 2020 Mexican League season, the Tijuana Toros were planning to re-open their training camp on July 15 in the southern state of Oaxaca. The Toros were training in Tempe, Arizona in mid-March when the LMB office ordered all 16 teams to close their camps and put the regular season on hold after the Wuhan virus appeared in Mexico and started claiming lives. As of last weekend, the number of confirmed cases of the Wuhan virus topped 139,000 nationwide, with over 16,000 deaths attributed to it (over 4,000 of them in Mexico City alone).

Toros sports director Oscar Romero, a former LMB pitcher whose son (Oscar Junior) is an 18-year-old third baseman in the Tijuana organization, said that Oaxaca was the most logical place for the team to spend three weeks prepping for the delayed season.

"This is more or less how the panorama is and all the teams are making the maximum effort so that we have the season with the necessary protocols," the elder Romero was quoted as saying on the El Fildeo website. "Our number one option is to train in the city of Oaxaca and it's for several reasons. The first is that they have the proper facilities there to do a good workout."

Besides being home to the Guerreros of the LMB, Oaxaca is also the site of a baseball academy owned and operated by Alfredo Harp Helu, who owns both the Guerreros and Mexico City Diablos Rojos. All three teams are expected to use the facility for training and warmup games until the regular season opens.

Tijuana is considered one of the preseason favorites to win the LMB North Division championship and a contender for copping the Serie de Rey. First-year manager Omar Vizquel will field a veteran outfit including everyday players like first baseman Ricky Alvarez, second baseman Isaac Rodriguez and outfielder Jesus "Cacao" Valdez with catching tandem Xorge Carrillo and Gabriel Gutierrez receiving pitches from Yoanys Quiala, Manny

Academia de Beisbol Alfredo Harp Helu, Oaxaca

Barreda, James Russell and closer Jake Sanchez.

Vizquel takes the reins in Tijuana from Oscar Robles, who managed the Toros to a 75-45 record in 2019 to tie Monclova for the LMB's best regular season record before falling to the Acereros in the LMB North Championship Series in seven games. Monclova went on to win their first pennant by beating Yucatan in the Serie del Rey. After a playing career likely to land him in Cooperstown as a sweet-fielding shortstop and timely batter, Vizquel managed two seasons in the Chicago White Sox system before parting ways with the Chisox after serving as dugout boss in AA Birmingham last year and is no doubt aware that Tijuana ownership will likely not accept anything short of the city's first pennant since 2017.

Meanwhile, Romero allows that the August 7 target for inaugural Liga games is a tentative one. "The first days of July are contemplated approximately to define whether or not there will be a 2020 season," he told El Fildeo, "and all this is conditioned on improving the difficult situation that we are going through with this pandemic."

KBO HOMER LEADER RAMOS SHELVED WITH ANKLE, BACK PAIN

Roberto Ramos raising eyes (and arms) in Korea

Hermosillo native Roberto Ramos' sensational debut season in the Korea Baseball Organization has been placed on hold after the LG Twins slugger was placed on the injured list last week with ankle and back problems. Ramos had played both games of a doubleheader on Thursday before the decision was made to sit him down for at least a three-game home series last weekend with the Busan Lotte Giants.

At the time he was shelved by the Seoul-based team last Friday, Ramos was leading the KBO with 13 homers while sitting in third place in both batting average (.391) and runs batted in (31). His .777 slugging percentage and 1.226 on-base plus slugging percentage both ranked second as Ramos was a prime reason the Twins were tied for second with the defending champion Doosan Bears in the standings at 21-12, four games behind the 25-8 NC Dinos.

"He had some discomfort in his right ankle after the double header, and he woke up this morning with a sore back," Twins manager Ryu Jong-Il said about Ramos in his pregame media availability Friday. "He took an injection in his back. We'll see how his recovery goes, but it looks like he won't be available this weekend." In Ramos' absence, the Twins called up first baseman Kim Ho-Eun from the minors. A 2016 sixth round draft pick, Kim made his KBO debut over the weekend.

Ramos going deep for LG Twins

The KBO has instituted a new procedure for injuries in 2020. Previously, whenever the league removed a player from their active roster due to an injury, they were required to sit for at least ten days before being reactivated. Now, there is no minimum number of days to remain out of the lineup, theoretically allowing a player placed on the IL on Friday night to sit one one game on Saturday before returning to the lineup Sunday afternoon.

Born in Hermosillo, the 25-year-old Ramos was a 2014 draft pick of the Colorado Rockies out of College of the Canyons in California. He spent six years in the Rockies farm system, socking 98 homers and batting .292 (including 30 longballs and 105 RBIs with a .309 average last season for AAA Albuquerque in the Pacific Coast League). Ramos signed a one-year free agent contract with the Twins in the offseason for $400,000 with a $50,000 signing bonus.

Ramos has played parts of six winterball seasons with his hometown Hermosillo Naranjeros, but without the same level of success that he's seen during the summer. Over 175 Mexican Pacific League games, he's hit .253 with 26 roundtrippers and 88 ribbies.