Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
Encyclopedia
The Puerto Rico Baseball League formerly known as Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (lit. "Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico") or LBPPR, is the main professional baseball
league
in Puerto Rico
. In 2007, the LBPPR recessed for the first time since its creation. In 2008, the organization resumed operations, but several changes were executed as part of its restructuring. These included renaming the league to "Puerto Rico Baseball League" and establishing a website. Currently consisting of four teams, the league's champion participates in the Caribbean Series.
, Hiram Bithorn
and Luis Olmo, were active in the rosters of San Juan and Caguas. Bithorn became the youngest manager in the league’s history, receiving the office when he was 22 years old. Huyke served as manager for Mayagüez for less than a month, because the team‘s owner threatened to remove its entry if he did not take the office. Maldonado was named the league’s commissioner. Changes in the rosters allowed only during the first half of the season, meeting a deadline before the beginning of the second half. While the number of games has historically varied from 40 to 80 games per season. The All-Star game was scheduled to coincide with the traditional Three Kings Day, an idea suggested by Angel Colon so that the proceeds could be used to buy toys. This date was used for decades, until the emergence of television forced the league to comply to the dates requested by the networks. One of the main figures of the league in its early stage was veteran Negro leagues’ veteran, Emilio Navarro
. The Cangrejeros de Santurce and Tiburones de Aguadilla joined the original teams in the 1939-40 season. On January 8, 1939, Humacao and San Juan played an 18-inning game that lasted four hours, establishing a record. Between 1938 and 1941, the LBSPR was part of the National Semi-Professional Baseball Congress
, with titleholder Guayama facing the champions of the Congress’ United States branch in best-of-seven series in 1939, where they defeated the Duncan Cementers, and again in 1940, with a roster that included the league‘s Most Valuable Player, Satchel Paige. In 1939-40, Perucho Cepeda won the league’s batting championship over Josh Gibson
, who managed to win it the following season. The Criollos de Caguas won their firs championship in 1940-31, defeating the Cangrejeros in the final series. Santurce’s Luis Cabrera was the last player to win the LBSPR’ Most Valuable Player award. On September 14, 1941, Rafael Delgado Márquez proposed that the league was renamed to Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (LBPPR), effectively moving the league towards professionalism. A format of vueltas (halves) was adopted since the league‘s creation, where the winners of each vuelta facing each other for the championship However, Ponce managed to win three consecutive championships (1941–1945) without having to participate in a final by winning both vueltas. Consequently, the fans of teams that were mathematically eliminated by this format lost interest in the tournament. Some players also concluded their participation in the season after the teams were eliminated. To deal with this issue, the league established a new playoff format, where the top four teams where included. Francisco Coimbre
was a key member of Ponce’s success with his offensive, winning two batting championships, establishing a league record for most consecutive games with hits and not recording a single strikeout in three consecutive seasons (1939–42). The consistency of his performances earned him a Most Valuable player award. Other players that participated for Ponce included Juan Guilbe and Griffin Tirado. World War II
affected the league directly, reducing the 1942-43 season's length with only four active teams. This amount of teams continued until 1946, while the rule that allowed the participation of three imported players per team, was suspended from 1942 to 1944. In the 1994-45 season, Canena Marquez debuted in the league establishing a record of highest batting average for a rookie with .361, fulfilling the minimum required at-bats. The Senadores de San Juan won their first championship on 1945-46, defeating the Indios in the finals. During this season, Joe Buzas became the first foreign MLB player to manage in the LBPPR. Tomas “Planchardon” Quiñones won two back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards from 1943 to 1945. In 1947, the league’s team participated in a series of five games against the New York Yankees
, which featured Ponce defeating the visiting team . José "Pantalones" Santiago debuted in this season, earning the Rookie of the Year recognition while Canena Marquez broke Josh Gibson's home run record of 13. Vic Power
made his debut for the Criollos on the 1947-48 season, in which the team won the league's title with a roster that included Rafaelito Ortiz, who was the only pitcher to win 10 or more games for 3 different LBPPR teams. Mayagüez won the 1948-49 championship with a roster that included Canena Marquez and Luke Easter. That same year, the LBPPR joined the Caribbean Series, beginning a rivalry with the Cuban League
's champion that lasted throughout the next decade, until Cuba ceased to participate in the event. A decade after its foundation, the league was employing an 80-game schedule. Several new ballparks have been built by the 1949-50 season, this was due to an attendance average of 750,000. Each of the stadiums built surpassed 6,000 seats, with Ponce’s Paquito Mountainer reaching 9,718 seats by then. The installment of lights that allowed the organizations of games at night increased assistance. Estadio Sixto Escobar had a maximum capacity of over 15,000, with 13,135 seats. Percucho Cepeda was one of the league’s dominant figures during the 1940s, winning two batting championships and a Most Valuable Player award. Natalio Irizarry won the league’s Rookie of the Year recognition in 1949-50. From 1949-1955, the league featured the participation of new MLB players, including Johnny Logan, Harvey Haddix
and Hank Aaron among several others. The players began choosing the league to play due to its competitive level and warm climate during the winter, a custom that has continued until the current decade. Players of the Negro leagues preferred it due to lack of racism towards the players, as opposed to the United States.
made his debut with the Cangrejeros hitting .234. He was signed by Pedrin Zorilla, debuting in the league as a teenager. The team won that year’s title and Cot Deal was named MVP. Clemente improved this average to .288 the following season, but Santurce finished last in the league. The league’s champions were the Criollos, who also won the Caribbean Series. With a roster that also included Luis Olmo, Willy Mays and Rubén Gómez, the Cangrejeros won the 1954-55 championship defeating Caguas in the finals, 4-1. During this season, Clemente became the first Puerto Rican player to hit two home runs in the league’s All-Star game. The team also went on to win the Caribbean Series, which were held in Venezuela. Jim Rivera hand an average of .450 and was named MVP. Puerto Rican fans received the team with a parade upon landing and Luis Muñoz Marín
welcomed them in La Fortaleza
. In 1955-56, the Criollos won the league’s championship, in a season that marked Orlando Cepeda
’s debut in the league. Clemente won the season’s batting championship with an average of .396. In 1956-57, the league’s championship was won by the Indios. During this season, Clemente went on to break the league’s record for most games with hits, previously established by Francisco Coimbre
in 1943-44. The following season, the Criollos defeated the Cangrejeros to win the championship. Clemente who now played for Caguas, hit .529 during the final series. Juan “Terin” Pizarro won the Most Valuable Player Award, leading the league in wins, ERA, best win-to-loss margin and pitched the LBPPR’s seventh no-hitter. In the Caribbean Series, he defeated Carta Vieja of Panama (8:0), recording 17 strikeouts. Both teams traded the final two championships of the decade. The 1959-60 season marked the firs instance that LBPPR games were transmitted in two languages trough radio. The Criollos won the championship, while Mayagüez's Ramón Luis Conde won the Most Valuable Player Award.
During the 1950s, Puerto Rico’s economy experienced significant growth, which propitiated baseball-related gambling. This tendency experienced a notable increase in the early 1960s. Other changes were experienced in the game’s style with the introduction of more player-managers, such as Luis Olmo’s,who became the first to consistently employ pitching coaches and closers in the league. Vic Power used other unusual managing techniques, such as using Frank Howard as a relief pitcher as well as becoming the first player-manager to sit himself in favor of a pinch hitter, replacing his turn in the lineup with Herminio Cortes. After the Cuban Revolution
, hotels and casinos in San Juan benefited from Havana’ economic decay. During this timeframe, Puerto Rico expanded its presence in the Caribbean, and a native team frequently played again a representation of St. Thomas and Saint Croix in February. Julio Navarro was drafted from one of these exhibitions, eventually becoming one of the league’s dominant pitchers. The Dominican Winter League was still not a member of the Caribbean Confederation back then, which allowed uncommon interleague trades between it and the LBPPR, which would have more trouble negotiating such deals with member leagues. During this decade, some of the league’s teams would provide import players with houses and taxis for transportation. The Senadores de San Juan, led by Clemente, who had just won the MLB World Series with Pittburg, won the league’s 1960-61 season,as well as José Santiago, who recorded a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 2.44 for the team. Luis “Tite” Arroyo won the season’s Most Valuable Player award, registering a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 1.64. Due to political tension, the Caribbean Series that were planned to take place in Habana were cancelled. The event was replaced by the Interamerican Series, which San Juan attended with a roster that included pitcher Florentino Rivera. The Interamerican Series were held three more times, with each team winning the one held in their home field. Mayagüez did so in 1963, in a series where Terin Pizarro recorded the only no-hitter in the history of the event, in a win over Valencia at the opening night. In 1961-62, the Lobos de Arecibo joined the league as an expansion team. On January 14, 1962, Julio Navarro pitched the first regular season no-hitter. For the 1962-63 season, Estadio Sixto Escobar was replaced by the Hiram Bithorn Stadium
, with a capacity of 20,000 seats by then. In 1963-64, Clemente finished second with a batting average of .345, leading the Senadores to the title. San Juan once again played in the Interamerican Series, held in Nicaragua. In 1964-65, Orlando Cepeda joined the Cangrejeros, replacing Jim Beauchamp helping the team win the league’s championship. During this season, Clemente was named San Juan’ player-manager, leading them to the playoffs. The All-Star game featured a format where Latin American players faced North American players. The following season featured the debut of Jerry Morales who won the league’s Rookie of the Year recognition after participating for Puerto Rico’s national baseball team in the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games. Carlos Bernier retired in 1966, having won five stolen base titles for a total of 285. On November 20, 1966, San Juan’s Luis de Leon pitched the first perfect game in the league’s history. Caguas won the league’s championship in 1967-68. Nino Escalera, who finished his career third on the league’s hit list, replaced Vic Power as the team’s manager during this season. On December 20, 1969, Santurce and Arecibo participated in the only LBPPR game played outside of Puerto Rico, held in the United States Virgin Islands
to honor Elrod Hendricks
.
. Both native and foreign players won a black band on their arms to symbolize grief. The Criollos won the 1973-74 championship, possessing the league’s strongest native lineup. Jerry Morales led the team, hitting 14 home runs as Caguas’ lead-off hitter. Eduardo Figueroa led the league in wins on back-to-back seasons, recording 10-3 twice from 1973-75. This was the first year that the league employed the designated hitter rule, including the position in the batting lineups. Gómez who had continued pitching for Santurce, retired in the 1975-76 season. By this time, he has played for nine champion teams and worked under nine managers. The Crillos won the 1976-77 championship, being led by the league’s MVP, José Cruz. The Indios won the title the following season with a lineup that included MVP Kurt Bevaqua and went on to win the Caribbean Series held in Mazatlan, Mexico, José Manuel Morales leading all batters with an .421 average. Caguas won its ninth championship in the 1978-79 season. José Cruz, along his two brothers Cirilo and Hector, represented the team in the Caribbean Series. Bayamón won the last championship of this decade, with a roster that included the batting champion, Dave Bergman.
and Ramón Avilés
were drafted by the remaining teams. The team returned the following season, winning the franchise’s first championship. The team the won the 1983 Caribbean Series, receiving a large welcoming ceremony at Muñoz Marín Airport that included a parade from San Juan to Arecibo. Maldonado, who became the third native player to hit two home runs in an All-Star game, along Clemente and Ismael Oquendo, was included in the Series’ All Star team after recording a .348 average. In the 1974-75 season, the Senadores de San Juan were moved to Bayamon, being renamed Vaqueros de Bayamon. From 1974 to 1983, the team hosted their games in Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel, which has 16,000 seats. Bayamon’s Carmelo Martínez was selected MVP. Mayagüez won the 1983-84 season, with Santurce’s Jerry Willard being selected MVP. Besides this, the players were rewarded with a cruise trip and met the Governor of Puerto Rico. Eduardo Figueroa led the league in ERA, winning the recognition of Comeback Player of the Year. For the 1984-85 season, the Vaqueros were moved back to San Juan and re-adopted their original name, Senadores de San Juan. However, one year later they were rechristen as the Metros de San Juan, a name that they conserved until 1994. The team won the LBPPR title that season. The team also won the Caribbean Series being led by Francisco Javier Oliveras, who won a game in the series and had previously recorded eight regular season wins and one in the semifinals. Henry Cotto of Caguas was selected the league’s MVP. Ruben Sierra debuted for Santurce and won the league’s Rookie of the Year award. One of Puerto Rico’s most successful managers, Mako Oliveras, made his managing debut in December 1984, subsequently becoming responsible for giving playing time to unknown prospects such as Benito Santiago, Edgar Martínez
and Carlos Baerga, all of which would go on to become stars. Mayagüez won the 1985-86 championship. This marked Roberto Alomar’s debut in the LBPPR, debuting for the Criollos after being drafted by Arecibo while in high school. Caguas won the 1986-87 championship, the team went on to win the Caribbean Series, featuring an native lineup that included Alomar, Carmelo Martínez, Edgar Díaz, Germán Rivera, Henry Cotto, Orlando Mercado and Heidi Vargas. This was José Cruz's final year in the league, having amassed 119 home runs, 40 for the Leones and 70 with Caguas, finishing second in the all-time list. The Indios de Mayagüez won the 1985-86 season, being led by Luis Quiñones’ three home runs in the finals over San Juan. Caguas won the 1986-87 championship and their third Caribbean Series‘ title, being led by a lineup that included Cotto and Oliveras. Mayagüez won the first of back to back titles in 1987-88. This year the All-Star Game commemorated the league’s 50th anniversary, being dedicated to Angel Colon. The Metro region defeated the Island region, 1:0. Mayagüez won the 1988-89 title, once again being led by Quiñones‘ clutch hitting. Javier López debuted in 1988, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year recognition.
, were drafted by Santurce and Mayagüez respectively. The Indios won that season’s championship and the Caribbean Series held in Mexico, with Chad Kreuter winning the series’ MVP award. Roberto Hernandez won a tie-breaker with Venezuela to secure the series. Cordero was recognized as the league’s MVP. The 1992-93 season featured the return of Dickie Thon to the league, who led Santurce to a championship over San Juan in the finals as well as the debut of José Cruz as a manager. The finals series featured both Thon and Juan González, which attracted 90,369 fans throughout six games, including a record of 23,701 in the last game. González had won consecutive batting titles in Major League Baseball and was selected the MVP after recording an average of .333 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs. Other MLB players, including Ivan Rodriguez, Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Omar Olivares returned to the league during that season. The Cangrejeros went on to win their fourth Caribbean Series’ title. Cordero won the league’s batting championship. Until 1993, all of the ballparks featured natural grass, with Ponce being the first to install artificial turn during that year. The Senadores de San Juan defeated the Cuban national baseball team on December 1, 1993, with a walk-off home run by Javier López. The 1993-94 championship was won by San Juan, which was led by Carmelo Martínez's second MVP season. The Criollos rejoined the league for the 1994-95 season and González returned to the team. The Cangrejeros won that year’s championship, repeating Puerto Rico’s title in the Caribbean Series. That year, the Senadores de San Juan managed by Luis "Torito" Meléndez
won the title, subsequently assembling one of the strongest teams in the history of the Caribbean Series. The group, which was dubbed "Dream Team", featured Major League Baseball players in most positions, counting with a lineup that included Roberto Alomar
, Carlos Baerga
, Bernie Williams
, Juan González, Edgar Martínez
, Carlos Delgado
, Rubén Sierra
, Rey Sánchez
and Carmelo Martínez
. Puerto Rico's offensive dominated the tournament, eventually winning the Caribbean Series' championship with an undefeated record of 6–0. The team was responsible for the only two losses of the Dominican Republic, the country that finished second, scoring victories against Pedro Martínez
and José Rijo
in the third and sixth games respectively. Alomar, who had been traded to the team from Ponce for Javier López during the off-season, was named the series’ Most Valuable Player after batting 560 with two home runs.
plan and reorganization.
In May 2008, it was announced that the league would come back for the 2008-09 season, and that the Manati Athenians would be moved once again to Santurce, and become the Santurce Crabbers. As part of the restructuring, Major League Baseball
offered to work to increase publicity.
On July 15, 2008, personnel from the league and Major League Baseball participated in a meeting where details about the league's merchandising were discussed.
to classify to the post season, leading the league. Arecibo and Santurce also classified directly. The last space for the playoffs was decided with a "sudden death" game, with Mayagüez defeating Caguas in with scores of 6-0. On January 8, the players
from eliminated teams participated in a special draft, with players including Iván Rodríguez
, Saúl Rivera
and Luis Matos
going to new teams. The Indios and Cangrejeros were eliminated in the semifinals, with Ponce and Arecibo advancing. In the finals, the Leones won the first game, only losing the second before dominating three straight to win the league's championship
. On October 2, 2009, García resigned his position as president
of the league, citing "personal reasons". Subsequently, Sadi Antonmattei was elected by the board of directors
to serve as president. On October 19, 2009, the league revealed a contract with WIPR-TV
to broadcast
its games. The 2009-10 season was inaugurated on November 20, 2009, with games between Ponce versus Carolina and Arecibo versus Mayagüez-Aguadilla. This year marked the first time that the league only had five active participants since 1993-94, due to the Cangrejeros' recess. During this season, the inter-league games with the Dominican Winter Baseball League continued being included in the official record books of both organizations.
Indios de Mayagüez won the 2009-10 season, their 16th championship (most in the PRBL) when they beat Criollos de Caguas 4 games to 1. Three games in this series went to extra innings.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. In 2007, the LBPPR recessed for the first time since its creation. In 2008, the organization resumed operations, but several changes were executed as part of its restructuring. These included renaming the league to "Puerto Rico Baseball League" and establishing a website. Currently consisting of four teams, the league's champion participates in the Caribbean Series.
Inception and Béisbol Romántico (1938-1970)
Enrique Huyke, a professor from Mayagüez, originally suggested the establishment of a organized baseball league in Puerto Rico. The idea was adopted by Teofilo Maldonado, president of the Commission on Recreation and Sports. A third party, Gabriel Castro, helped Huyke with the scouting of organizations which had to pay a thousand dollars prior to being admitted, while independent entities like the Guayama Rotary Club collaborated in raising funds for the teams. The Liga de Béisbol Semiprofesional de Puerto Rico (LBSPR) was founded in 1938, as a semi-professional league. Six team formed the new organization, these were the Senadores de San Juan, Leones de Ponce, Criollos de Caguas, Brujos de Guayama and Grises Orientales de Humacao. The first Puerto Rican players to play in Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, Hiram Bithorn
Hiram Bithorn
Hiram Gabriel Bithorn was a Puerto Rican right-handed pitcher who became the first baseball player from Puerto Rico to play Major League Baseball...
and Luis Olmo, were active in the rosters of San Juan and Caguas. Bithorn became the youngest manager in the league’s history, receiving the office when he was 22 years old. Huyke served as manager for Mayagüez for less than a month, because the team‘s owner threatened to remove its entry if he did not take the office. Maldonado was named the league’s commissioner. Changes in the rosters allowed only during the first half of the season, meeting a deadline before the beginning of the second half. While the number of games has historically varied from 40 to 80 games per season. The All-Star game was scheduled to coincide with the traditional Three Kings Day, an idea suggested by Angel Colon so that the proceeds could be used to buy toys. This date was used for decades, until the emergence of television forced the league to comply to the dates requested by the networks. One of the main figures of the league in its early stage was veteran Negro leagues’ veteran, Emilio Navarro
Emilio Navarro
Emilio "Millito" Navarro was the first Puerto Rican to play baseball in the Negro Leagues. At age 105, Navarro was also the oldest living professional baseball player to have played in the Negro Leagues.-Biography:...
. The Cangrejeros de Santurce and Tiburones de Aguadilla joined the original teams in the 1939-40 season. On January 8, 1939, Humacao and San Juan played an 18-inning game that lasted four hours, establishing a record. Between 1938 and 1941, the LBSPR was part of the National Semi-Professional Baseball Congress
National Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
, with titleholder Guayama facing the champions of the Congress’ United States branch in best-of-seven series in 1939, where they defeated the Duncan Cementers, and again in 1940, with a roster that included the league‘s Most Valuable Player, Satchel Paige. In 1939-40, Perucho Cepeda won the league’s batting championship over Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Joshua Gibson was an American catcher in baseball's Negro leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946...
, who managed to win it the following season. The Criollos de Caguas won their firs championship in 1940-31, defeating the Cangrejeros in the final series. Santurce’s Luis Cabrera was the last player to win the LBSPR’ Most Valuable Player award. On September 14, 1941, Rafael Delgado Márquez proposed that the league was renamed to Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (LBPPR), effectively moving the league towards professionalism. A format of vueltas (halves) was adopted since the league‘s creation, where the winners of each vuelta facing each other for the championship However, Ponce managed to win three consecutive championships (1941–1945) without having to participate in a final by winning both vueltas. Consequently, the fans of teams that were mathematically eliminated by this format lost interest in the tournament. Some players also concluded their participation in the season after the teams were eliminated. To deal with this issue, the league established a new playoff format, where the top four teams where included. Francisco Coimbre
Francisco Coimbre
Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre Atiles , more commonly known as Pancho Coimbre, was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player. He was born in the municipality of Coamo and moved to Ponce early in his life. It was in Ponce where he would begin to actively participate in sports, both in sprinting and...
was a key member of Ponce’s success with his offensive, winning two batting championships, establishing a league record for most consecutive games with hits and not recording a single strikeout in three consecutive seasons (1939–42). The consistency of his performances earned him a Most Valuable player award. Other players that participated for Ponce included Juan Guilbe and Griffin Tirado. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
affected the league directly, reducing the 1942-43 season's length with only four active teams. This amount of teams continued until 1946, while the rule that allowed the participation of three imported players per team, was suspended from 1942 to 1944. In the 1994-45 season, Canena Marquez debuted in the league establishing a record of highest batting average for a rookie with .361, fulfilling the minimum required at-bats. The Senadores de San Juan won their first championship on 1945-46, defeating the Indios in the finals. During this season, Joe Buzas became the first foreign MLB player to manage in the LBPPR. Tomas “Planchardon” Quiñones won two back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards from 1943 to 1945. In 1947, the league’s team participated in a series of five games against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, which featured Ponce defeating the visiting team . José "Pantalones" Santiago debuted in this season, earning the Rookie of the Year recognition while Canena Marquez broke Josh Gibson's home run record of 13. Vic Power
Victor Pellot
Victor Pellot a.k.a. "Vic Power" was the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League...
made his debut for the Criollos on the 1947-48 season, in which the team won the league's title with a roster that included Rafaelito Ortiz, who was the only pitcher to win 10 or more games for 3 different LBPPR teams. Mayagüez won the 1948-49 championship with a roster that included Canena Marquez and Luke Easter. That same year, the LBPPR joined the Caribbean Series, beginning a rivalry with the Cuban League
Cuban League
The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside of the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961...
's champion that lasted throughout the next decade, until Cuba ceased to participate in the event. A decade after its foundation, the league was employing an 80-game schedule. Several new ballparks have been built by the 1949-50 season, this was due to an attendance average of 750,000. Each of the stadiums built surpassed 6,000 seats, with Ponce’s Paquito Mountainer reaching 9,718 seats by then. The installment of lights that allowed the organizations of games at night increased assistance. Estadio Sixto Escobar had a maximum capacity of over 15,000, with 13,135 seats. Percucho Cepeda was one of the league’s dominant figures during the 1940s, winning two batting championships and a Most Valuable Player award. Natalio Irizarry won the league’s Rookie of the Year recognition in 1949-50. From 1949-1955, the league featured the participation of new MLB players, including Johnny Logan, Harvey Haddix
Harvey Haddix
Harvey Haddix, Jr. was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Redlegs , Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles . Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio, located just outside of Springfield...
and Hank Aaron among several others. The players began choosing the league to play due to its competitive level and warm climate during the winter, a custom that has continued until the current decade. Players of the Negro leagues preferred it due to lack of racism towards the players, as opposed to the United States.
Emergence of Clemente and Cepeda
In 1952, Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
made his debut with the Cangrejeros hitting .234. He was signed by Pedrin Zorilla, debuting in the league as a teenager. The team won that year’s title and Cot Deal was named MVP. Clemente improved this average to .288 the following season, but Santurce finished last in the league. The league’s champions were the Criollos, who also won the Caribbean Series. With a roster that also included Luis Olmo, Willy Mays and Rubén Gómez, the Cangrejeros won the 1954-55 championship defeating Caguas in the finals, 4-1. During this season, Clemente became the first Puerto Rican player to hit two home runs in the league’s All-Star game. The team also went on to win the Caribbean Series, which were held in Venezuela. Jim Rivera hand an average of .450 and was named MVP. Puerto Rican fans received the team with a parade upon landing and Luis Muñoz Marín
Luis Muñoz Marín
Don José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician. Regarded as the "father of modern Puerto Rico," he was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Muñoz Marín was the son of Luis Muñoz Rivera, a renowned autonomist leader...
welcomed them in La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina . It is the oldest executive mansion in the New World...
. In 1955-56, the Criollos won the league’s championship, in a season that marked Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
’s debut in the league. Clemente won the season’s batting championship with an average of .396. In 1956-57, the league’s championship was won by the Indios. During this season, Clemente went on to break the league’s record for most games with hits, previously established by Francisco Coimbre
Francisco Coimbre
Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre Atiles , more commonly known as Pancho Coimbre, was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player. He was born in the municipality of Coamo and moved to Ponce early in his life. It was in Ponce where he would begin to actively participate in sports, both in sprinting and...
in 1943-44. The following season, the Criollos defeated the Cangrejeros to win the championship. Clemente who now played for Caguas, hit .529 during the final series. Juan “Terin” Pizarro won the Most Valuable Player Award, leading the league in wins, ERA, best win-to-loss margin and pitched the LBPPR’s seventh no-hitter. In the Caribbean Series, he defeated Carta Vieja of Panama (8:0), recording 17 strikeouts. Both teams traded the final two championships of the decade. The 1959-60 season marked the firs instance that LBPPR games were transmitted in two languages trough radio. The Criollos won the championship, while Mayagüez's Ramón Luis Conde won the Most Valuable Player Award.
During the 1950s, Puerto Rico’s economy experienced significant growth, which propitiated baseball-related gambling. This tendency experienced a notable increase in the early 1960s. Other changes were experienced in the game’s style with the introduction of more player-managers, such as Luis Olmo’s,who became the first to consistently employ pitching coaches and closers in the league. Vic Power used other unusual managing techniques, such as using Frank Howard as a relief pitcher as well as becoming the first player-manager to sit himself in favor of a pinch hitter, replacing his turn in the lineup with Herminio Cortes. After the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
, hotels and casinos in San Juan benefited from Havana’ economic decay. During this timeframe, Puerto Rico expanded its presence in the Caribbean, and a native team frequently played again a representation of St. Thomas and Saint Croix in February. Julio Navarro was drafted from one of these exhibitions, eventually becoming one of the league’s dominant pitchers. The Dominican Winter League was still not a member of the Caribbean Confederation back then, which allowed uncommon interleague trades between it and the LBPPR, which would have more trouble negotiating such deals with member leagues. During this decade, some of the league’s teams would provide import players with houses and taxis for transportation. The Senadores de San Juan, led by Clemente, who had just won the MLB World Series with Pittburg, won the league’s 1960-61 season,as well as José Santiago, who recorded a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 2.44 for the team. Luis “Tite” Arroyo won the season’s Most Valuable Player award, registering a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 1.64. Due to political tension, the Caribbean Series that were planned to take place in Habana were cancelled. The event was replaced by the Interamerican Series, which San Juan attended with a roster that included pitcher Florentino Rivera. The Interamerican Series were held three more times, with each team winning the one held in their home field. Mayagüez did so in 1963, in a series where Terin Pizarro recorded the only no-hitter in the history of the event, in a win over Valencia at the opening night. In 1961-62, the Lobos de Arecibo joined the league as an expansion team. On January 14, 1962, Julio Navarro pitched the first regular season no-hitter. For the 1962-63 season, Estadio Sixto Escobar was replaced by the Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a baseball park in San Juan, Puerto Rico, operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Its name honors the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, who first played with the Chicago Cubs in 1942...
, with a capacity of 20,000 seats by then. In 1963-64, Clemente finished second with a batting average of .345, leading the Senadores to the title. San Juan once again played in the Interamerican Series, held in Nicaragua. In 1964-65, Orlando Cepeda joined the Cangrejeros, replacing Jim Beauchamp helping the team win the league’s championship. During this season, Clemente was named San Juan’ player-manager, leading them to the playoffs. The All-Star game featured a format where Latin American players faced North American players. The following season featured the debut of Jerry Morales who won the league’s Rookie of the Year recognition after participating for Puerto Rico’s national baseball team in the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games. Carlos Bernier retired in 1966, having won five stolen base titles for a total of 285. On November 20, 1966, San Juan’s Luis de Leon pitched the first perfect game in the league’s history. Caguas won the league’s championship in 1967-68. Nino Escalera, who finished his career third on the league’s hit list, replaced Vic Power as the team’s manager during this season. On December 20, 1969, Santurce and Arecibo participated in the only LBPPR game played outside of Puerto Rico, held in the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
to honor Elrod Hendricks
Elrod Hendricks
Elrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks was a catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Hendricks played during a 12-year career that lasted from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees...
.
Increase of native international players; 1970-2000
Ponce won the second of back-to-back championships in 1969-70 as well as the Caribbean Series’ title being led in both by Conde’s offensive. Wayne Simpson was selected MVP. The Cangrejeros won the 1970-71 championship, defeating the Criollos in the finals. Ponce’s Santos Alomar Sr. won the league’s batting championship and was named MVP, while Willie Montañez of Caguas led the league in home runs after recording 30 in Major League Baseball. Clemente returned to serve as San Juan’s manager for the season, naming Nino Escalera as his coach. He only accepted the work for a year, expecting Escalera to replace him during the following season. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing their series against Santurce. Clemente also managed Puerto Rico to a win in the All-Star game, which featured a format of natives versus foreign players. He was succeeded by as Santurce’s manager by Frank Robinson on the 1971-72 season. Rubén Gómez also performed in the office temporarily, while Robinson attended a tour in Japan with Baltimore. The Cangrejeros won the 1972-73 title. That season’s All-Star game was dedicated in Clemente’s honor, who died a week before while transporting supplies to victims of the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at 12:29 a.m. local time on Saturday, December 23, 1972 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a magnitude of 6.2 and occurred at a depth of about 5 kilometers beneath the centre of the city. Within an hour after the main...
. Both native and foreign players won a black band on their arms to symbolize grief. The Criollos won the 1973-74 championship, possessing the league’s strongest native lineup. Jerry Morales led the team, hitting 14 home runs as Caguas’ lead-off hitter. Eduardo Figueroa led the league in wins on back-to-back seasons, recording 10-3 twice from 1973-75. This was the first year that the league employed the designated hitter rule, including the position in the batting lineups. Gómez who had continued pitching for Santurce, retired in the 1975-76 season. By this time, he has played for nine champion teams and worked under nine managers. The Crillos won the 1976-77 championship, being led by the league’s MVP, José Cruz. The Indios won the title the following season with a lineup that included MVP Kurt Bevaqua and went on to win the Caribbean Series held in Mazatlan, Mexico, José Manuel Morales leading all batters with an .421 average. Caguas won its ninth championship in the 1978-79 season. José Cruz, along his two brothers Cirilo and Hector, represented the team in the Caribbean Series. Bayamón won the last championship of this decade, with a roster that included the batting champion, Dave Bergman.
Reemergence in the Caribbean Series
Coming back from a fourth-place regular season finish, the Criollos won their tenth championship in the 1980-81 season, but the Caribbean Series were not held that year. On January 2, 1981, Rickey Henderson established a new stolen bases record with 42. Orlando Gómez made his debut as a manager for Mayaguez and won the Manager of the Year award. Dickie Thon won the first of two back-to-back batting titles this season. This also marked Alomar Sr.'s last active season, retiring forth on the fourth place of league’s all-time hit leaders. In 1981-82, the Lobos de Arecibo recessed and their native star players, Edwin Núñez, Candy MaldonadoCandy Maldonado
Candido Maldonado Guadarrama is a former Major League Baseball outfielder from to for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. Chris Berman, a fellow ESPN analyst, called him the "Candyman"...
and Ramón Avilés
Ramón Avilés
Ramón Antonio Avilés Miranda is a former backup infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies...
were drafted by the remaining teams. The team returned the following season, winning the franchise’s first championship. The team the won the 1983 Caribbean Series, receiving a large welcoming ceremony at Muñoz Marín Airport that included a parade from San Juan to Arecibo. Maldonado, who became the third native player to hit two home runs in an All-Star game, along Clemente and Ismael Oquendo, was included in the Series’ All Star team after recording a .348 average. In the 1974-75 season, the Senadores de San Juan were moved to Bayamon, being renamed Vaqueros de Bayamon. From 1974 to 1983, the team hosted their games in Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel, which has 16,000 seats. Bayamon’s Carmelo Martínez was selected MVP. Mayagüez won the 1983-84 season, with Santurce’s Jerry Willard being selected MVP. Besides this, the players were rewarded with a cruise trip and met the Governor of Puerto Rico. Eduardo Figueroa led the league in ERA, winning the recognition of Comeback Player of the Year. For the 1984-85 season, the Vaqueros were moved back to San Juan and re-adopted their original name, Senadores de San Juan. However, one year later they were rechristen as the Metros de San Juan, a name that they conserved until 1994. The team won the LBPPR title that season. The team also won the Caribbean Series being led by Francisco Javier Oliveras, who won a game in the series and had previously recorded eight regular season wins and one in the semifinals. Henry Cotto of Caguas was selected the league’s MVP. Ruben Sierra debuted for Santurce and won the league’s Rookie of the Year award. One of Puerto Rico’s most successful managers, Mako Oliveras, made his managing debut in December 1984, subsequently becoming responsible for giving playing time to unknown prospects such as Benito Santiago, Edgar Martínez
Edgar Martinez
Edgar Martínez , nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and designated hitter. He spent his entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. He is the cousin of Carmelo Martínez.-Seattle Mariners:On December 19, 1982, the Seattle Mariners signed...
and Carlos Baerga, all of which would go on to become stars. Mayagüez won the 1985-86 championship. This marked Roberto Alomar’s debut in the LBPPR, debuting for the Criollos after being drafted by Arecibo while in high school. Caguas won the 1986-87 championship, the team went on to win the Caribbean Series, featuring an native lineup that included Alomar, Carmelo Martínez, Edgar Díaz, Germán Rivera, Henry Cotto, Orlando Mercado and Heidi Vargas. This was José Cruz's final year in the league, having amassed 119 home runs, 40 for the Leones and 70 with Caguas, finishing second in the all-time list. The Indios de Mayagüez won the 1985-86 season, being led by Luis Quiñones’ three home runs in the finals over San Juan. Caguas won the 1986-87 championship and their third Caribbean Series‘ title, being led by a lineup that included Cotto and Oliveras. Mayagüez won the first of back to back titles in 1987-88. This year the All-Star Game commemorated the league’s 50th anniversary, being dedicated to Angel Colon. The Metro region defeated the Island region, 1:0. Mayagüez won the 1988-89 title, once again being led by Quiñones‘ clutch hitting. Javier López debuted in 1988, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year recognition.
Rivalry with LBPRD and "Dream Team"
San Juan won the championship in the 1989-90 season. The season featured the debut of Juan González, who under the initiative of that season’s Manager of the Year, Ramón Avilés, played every game with Caguas, finishing second in home runs with 9 and RBIs with 34. He was traded for Alomar during the off-season. González also reinforced San Juan, recording two home runs in the Caribbean Series. Carlos Baerga and Edgar Martínez were named co-MVPs. Martínez became the first player in 41 seasons to win the batting crown with an average above.400, registering .424. Santurce won the title the following year, which featured the debut of Wil Cordero, who was name Rookie of the Year. In the 1991-1992 season, the Criollos de Caguas franchise was moved to Bayamon, but experienced low attendance in that municipality. Due to this, their star players, Juan González and Iván RodríguezIván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
, were drafted by Santurce and Mayagüez respectively. The Indios won that season’s championship and the Caribbean Series held in Mexico, with Chad Kreuter winning the series’ MVP award. Roberto Hernandez won a tie-breaker with Venezuela to secure the series. Cordero was recognized as the league’s MVP. The 1992-93 season featured the return of Dickie Thon to the league, who led Santurce to a championship over San Juan in the finals as well as the debut of José Cruz as a manager. The finals series featured both Thon and Juan González, which attracted 90,369 fans throughout six games, including a record of 23,701 in the last game. González had won consecutive batting titles in Major League Baseball and was selected the MVP after recording an average of .333 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs. Other MLB players, including Ivan Rodriguez, Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Omar Olivares returned to the league during that season. The Cangrejeros went on to win their fourth Caribbean Series’ title. Cordero won the league’s batting championship. Until 1993, all of the ballparks featured natural grass, with Ponce being the first to install artificial turn during that year. The Senadores de San Juan defeated the Cuban national baseball team on December 1, 1993, with a walk-off home run by Javier López. The 1993-94 championship was won by San Juan, which was led by Carmelo Martínez's second MVP season. The Criollos rejoined the league for the 1994-95 season and González returned to the team. The Cangrejeros won that year’s championship, repeating Puerto Rico’s title in the Caribbean Series. That year, the Senadores de San Juan managed by Luis "Torito" Meléndez
Luis Meléndez (baseball)
Luis Antonio Meléndez Santana is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball from 1970 until 1977, for the St...
won the title, subsequently assembling one of the strongest teams in the history of the Caribbean Series. The group, which was dubbed "Dream Team", featured Major League Baseball players in most positions, counting with a lineup that included Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
, Carlos Baerga
Carlos Baerga
Carlos Obed Baerga Ortiz is a former Major League Baseball player. After spending most of his career as a second baseman, he was used at various positions late in his career.-Cleveland Indians:...
, Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
, Juan González, Edgar Martínez
Edgar Martinez
Edgar Martínez , nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and designated hitter. He spent his entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. He is the cousin of Carmelo Martínez.-Seattle Mariners:On December 19, 1982, the Seattle Mariners signed...
, Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
, Rubén Sierra
Rubén Sierra
Rubén Angel Sierra García is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Sierra also goes by the nicknames El Caballo and El Indio....
, Rey Sánchez
Rey Sánchez
Rey Francisco Sánchez Guadalupe is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He attended high school in California and was drafted in the 13th round of the amateur baseball draft by the Texas Rangers. He played in their minor league system until , when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for minor...
and Carmelo Martínez
Carmelo Martinez
Carmelo Martínez Salgado is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a first baseman and outfielder, from 1983 to 1991. He also played one season in Japan for the Orix BlueWave in...
. Puerto Rico's offensive dominated the tournament, eventually winning the Caribbean Series' championship with an undefeated record of 6–0. The team was responsible for the only two losses of the Dominican Republic, the country that finished second, scoring victories against Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
and José Rijo
José Rijo
José Antonio Rijo Abreu is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds .-Playing career:...
in the third and sixth games respectively. Alomar, who had been traded to the team from Ponce for Javier López during the off-season, was named the series’ Most Valuable Player after batting 560 with two home runs.
Suspension and restructuration
In August 2007, it was announced that the 2007-2008 season was cancelled due to shrinking attendance and profits over the last 10 years, and the league would instead work on a marketingMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
plan and reorganization.
In May 2008, it was announced that the league would come back for the 2008-09 season, and that the Manati Athenians would be moved once again to Santurce, and become the Santurce Crabbers. As part of the restructuring, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
offered to work to increase publicity.
On July 15, 2008, personnel from the league and Major League Baseball participated in a meeting where details about the league's merchandising were discussed.
Puerto Rico Baseball League
Ponce was the first teamTeam
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
to classify to the post season, leading the league. Arecibo and Santurce also classified directly. The last space for the playoffs was decided with a "sudden death" game, with Mayagüez defeating Caguas in with scores of 6-0. On January 8, the players
Baseball positions
There are 9 fielding positions in baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number which is used to score putouts...
from eliminated teams participated in a special draft, with players including Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
, Saúl Rivera
Saul Rivera
Rabell Saúl Rivera is a right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher currently a free agent.-Career:...
and Luis Matos
Luis Matos
Luis David Matos is a professional baseball outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles between 2000–06 and briefly for the Washington Nationals in late 2006...
going to new teams. The Indios and Cangrejeros were eliminated in the semifinals, with Ponce and Arecibo advancing. In the finals, the Leones won the first game, only losing the second before dominating three straight to win the league's championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
. On October 2, 2009, García resigned his position as president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the league, citing "personal reasons". Subsequently, Sadi Antonmattei was elected by the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
to serve as president. On October 19, 2009, the league revealed a contract with WIPR-TV
WIPR-TV
WIPR-TV is an non-commercial educational, full-power public television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 6, digital 43. The station is owned and operated by Corporación de Puerto Rico para la Difusión Pública ...
to broadcast
Broadcast
Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...
its games. The 2009-10 season was inaugurated on November 20, 2009, with games between Ponce versus Carolina and Arecibo versus Mayagüez-Aguadilla. This year marked the first time that the league only had five active participants since 1993-94, due to the Cangrejeros' recess. During this season, the inter-league games with the Dominican Winter Baseball League continued being included in the official record books of both organizations.
Indios de Mayagüez won the 2009-10 season, their 16th championship (most in the PRBL) when they beat Criollos de Caguas 4 games to 1. Three games in this series went to extra innings.
Current teams
| Team | City (all in Puerto Rico) | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criollos de Caguas | Caguas Caguas, Puerto Rico Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey.... |
Parque Yldefonso Solá Morales Parque Yldefonso Solá Morales Parque Yldefonso Solá Morales is a multi-use stadium in Caguas, Puerto Rico. It is currently used mostly for baseball games and is the home of Criollos de Caguas. The stadium holds 5,000 people. The hockey events for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games will be held there.-References:... |
5,000 |
| Gigantes de Carolina Gigantes de Carolina (baseball) The Gigantes de Carolina are a baseball team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League . Based in the city of Carolina, Puerto Rico, the Gigantes are the reigning back to back champions of the LBPPR..They play at Roberto Clemente Stadium... |
Carolina Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo... |
Roberto Clemente Stadium Roberto Clemente Stadium Roberto Clemente Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It is currently used mostly for baseball games and is the home of Gigantes de Carolina. The stadium holds 12,500 people and was built in 2000... |
12,500 |
| Indios de Mayagüez Indios de Mayagüez The Indios de Mayagüez are a baseball team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League . Normally based in Mayagüez, the Indios have won 16 national championships and two Caribbean World Series... |
Mayagüez Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"... |
Isidoro García Baseball Stadium Isidoro García Baseball Stadium Isidoro García Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Mayagüez, it is also known as "El Cholo García". It is located next to the new Mayaguez Athletics Stadium and across the street of the Parque del Litoral.-Old stadium:... |
10,500 |
| Leones de Ponce Leones de Ponce (baseball) This article is about the Ponce baseball team. For the basketball team of the same name, see Ponce Lions .The Leones de Ponce are a baseball team in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. The organization is based in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The team plays at the Francisco Montaner Stadium... |
Ponce Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the... |
Francisco Montaner Stadium Francisco Montaner Stadium The Estadio Francisco Montaner is a multi-use stadium in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is home to the Leones de Ponce team of the Puerto Rico Baseball League and FC Leones of the Puerto Rico Soccer League . The stadium has a capacity of 16,000 seats... |
16,000 |
Former teams
- Lobos de AreciboLobos de AreciboLobos de Arecibo are a professional baseball team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, based in Arecibo. The Lobos won the 1983 national baseball championship and the 1983 Caribbean World Series, the only time the franchise won both titles....
- Metropolitanos de San Juan
- Atenienses de ManatiAtenienses de ManatíThe Atenienses de Manatí were a professional baseball team based in Manatí, Puerto Rico. The Atenienses were owned by José Valentín but they have now been relocated to San Juan as the Cangrejeros de Santurce. The team moved to Manatí for the 2004-05 season from San Juan, where they had been the...
- Venerables y Brujos de Guayama
- Vaqueros de Bayamón
- Tiburones de Aguadilla
- Piratas Kofresi de Ponce
- Grises de Humacao
- Cangrejeros de Santurce
- Senadores de San JuanSenadores de San JuanThe ' are a professional baseball team based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They are currently members of the Puerto Rico Baseball League....
See also
- Baseball awards
- Sports in Puerto Rico
External links
- Official Site
- MLB.com - Caribbean Leagues
- Connor, Joe, Welcome to Puerto Rico. ESPN (MLB), January 17, 2006. Retrieved 2009-12-16.