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02/27/2004 Archived Entry: "Mexican League News"
Teams Spring Training in Progress
The 2004 Mexican summer league season is coming soon, this year honoring former Indians star second baseman and first latin player to win a batting title, 50 years ago , BOB AVILA by naming this season under his name.
A total of 16 teams , splitted in two groups, North and South will start up the season, next March 17th, with a total of 110 games to be played in two halfs, with the first ending with the All Star game in May 8th, when the City of Torreon, home of the Laguna Cowboys will be hosting this event.
Teams participating in the North Group are: In the South Group:
Monclova Steelers Mexico City Red Devils (Champions)
Puebla Parrotts Cancun Lobstermen
Tijuana Toros (New Team, replaces Laredo) Yucatan Lions
Aguascalientes Railmen (replaces Cordoba) Tabasco Olmecas
Saltillo SarapeMakers Campeche Pirates
Monterrey Sultans Veracruz Reds
San Luis Cactustree growers (replaces Reynosa Puebla Tigers
Laguna Cowboys Oaxaca Warriors
The playing format is, best 3 teams in each division goes to play offs, and then best 4 teams, including a "lucky looser" goes to semifinal series.
Each team is allowed to have up to 5 foreign players ,therefore a monthly salary of 10 K USD cap, had been established to any player, in regardless of he is imported or domestic becoming the very first time, in which Mexican League set up such a thing.
Among those foreign players, in spring tarining today in the diferent teams are:
IF Pedro Santana, dominican, Puerto Rican Oreste Marrero, Cuban Hansel Izquierdo, Panamanian Jorge Cortes and American Greg Martinez, who are sweating in Oaxaca´s fields
Rick de Hart, Rick Krivda,Kevin McGlitchy, Dominican Juan Francisco Peña and Cuban Alberto Castillo, do the same for the Monterey Sutans, skipped by by former Mariner catcher Dan Firova.er
Former Dodgers catcher Carlos Hernandez is the manager of the manager of newly arrived Tijuana Toros, who signed Venzuelan secnd baseman Liu Rodriguez, Dominican Gustavo Lopez along with Americans Derrick White and Selwynn Langaigne, also supporting Carlos from the coaching standpoint are Tim Flannery and Leo Posada, father of Yankee catcher Jorge Posada.
Meanwhile, the reigning champions Mexico City Red Devils, have Bronswell Patrick, Pedro Castellano, Ben Rivera, Jake Chapman and Hank Woodman as their foreign legion.Mike Easler also joined the club as hitting coach.
Other well known names, who formerly played major and minor league baseball in USA such as Lou Lucca, Kevin Grijak,Rudy Pemberton, Brian Ward,, Maximo de la Rosa,Wilton Veras,Izzy Alcantara,Morggan Burkhart,Jayson Bass,Gus Gandarillas are getting tuned up for th upcoming season playing in various teams.
Lastly, two managers are returning to the league, Derek Bryant (Monterrey) and Mario Mendoza (Tigers).
Today in Merida the Mexican League annual meeting is in progress up until saturday Feb 28th F in which an official announcement will be made, regarding the realunching of Mexican Baseball Academy, down there in Monterrey, in order to develop players into a major league caliber, and former Manager and Scout American Lee Sigman was named Director of Scouting and player Development.
Replies: 3 comments
Thanks for your comments, and regarding to your question on Aguascalientes Railmen, they were out of the league for a short time, and this year the Cordoba Coffe Makers moved to Aguascalientes, which appeared for the first time in the Mexican league baseball in 1975 taking over the Poza Rica Oilmen place,and playing in the west division of the South Group and finishing at the bottom, with a record of 51-85, and becoming champions just three years ahead in 1978, under manager Jaime Fabela., leaving the league after 1997 season , claiming economical problems, when people stopped attending their games, and now they´re back.
Posted by Carlos Fragoso @ 03/06/2004 08:29 PM EST
Thanks for your comments, and regarding to your question on Aguascalientes Railmen, they were out of the league for a short time, and this year the Cordoba Coffe Makers moved to Aguascalientes, which appeared for the first time in the Mexican league baseball in 1975 taking over the Poza Rica Oilmen place,and playing in the west division of the South Group and finishing at the bottom, with a record of 51-85, and becoming champions just three years ahead in 1978, under manager Jaime Fabela., leaving the league after 1997 season , claiming economical problems, when people stopped attending their games, and now they´re back.
Posted by Carlos Fragoso @ 03/06/2004 08:28 PM EST
Great to see this news. Surprised to see the new teams.
I notice that the Aguascalientes Railmen are returning.
What happened to the team while they were gone?
Posted by Robert Kiyoshi Shadlow @ 03/01/2004 12:39 AM EST
