Viva Beisbol
by Bruce Baskin
August 2, 2006 - Mexican League (ML)
When the regular season gives way to the playoffs, it's never a bad thing to have a little momentum going for you. As the Mexican League heads into its 2006 playoffs, it's safe to say the Monterrey Sultanes have lots of momentum and loom as the team to beat in the postseason.
The Sultanes have demolished their opposition all season long en route to First and Second Half titles in the LMB North and an overall record of 79-30, by far the best mark in the circuit. They ended their regular season July 30 with a 15-game winning streak heading into the eight-team playoffs. Centerfielder Dionys Cesar hit .370 led the Liga with 163 hits and 42 stolen bases, third baseman Mendy Lopez turned in a .363 BA with 30 homers and 94 RBI's, and outfielder Edgar Quintero had a strong year at the plate with .330/22/94 numbers.
Pitching? Well, Monterrey added Walter Silva (11-7 with a 3.93 ERA) prior to the season, then traded with Campeche for standout hurler Francisco Campos during the campaign. Campos ended the season with an 11-5 record and a 3.65 ERA after a tepid start with the Piratas. Not that the Sultanes were desperate for pitchers to begin with, as fellow starters Alfredo Garcia and Alfredo Aceves combined for an 18-7 mark and closer Maximo de la Rosa went 6-2 with 27 saves and a 2.13 ERA. Unlike last year's champion Angelopolis Tigres, whose wall-to-wall offense overcame a weak pitching staff by bludgeoning opponents into submission, Monterrey has both the LMB's best hitting (.322) and pitching (4.07). They were even world-beaters at the gate, averaging over 17,000 fans per game. Simply put, this team has no weakness.
The Sultanes will open the first round of playoff action with a series against the Tijuana Potros, who feature 2006 batting champion Derrick White in their lineup. White hit well all season long to finish at .407. While it's not unusual for batters to top the .400 mark in the Mexican League, which has long been top-heavy with hitters, White was a constant on a Potros team that saw lots of people come and go during the course of the campaign. They're a decent side, but will decidedly be underdogs against the Sultanes. The other Northern Division semifinal will pit Saltillo against Puebla. Both are solid teams, with Saltillo's pitching being a little better than Puebla's. In a seven-game series, that may be the difference.
Unlike the LMB North, the Southern Division has no clear-cut playoff favorite, although the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and their terrific offense will likely get the nod going in. The Diablos will meet Yucatan in the first round. The Leones always rank among the LMB's best in pitching, but their offense is suspect. In the other LMB South semifinal, Angelopolis and Oaxaca meet in what looks to be an intriguing series. The Tigres once again have a strong batting team, although nothing like last year's juggernaut that beat Saltillo in the finals. Oaxaca lost 2005 star Felix Jose in their lineup, but Guerreros pitcher Carlos Elizalde tied Tijuana's Alonso Beltran for the LMB lead in wins with 13. Outfielder Chris Latham had a unique season in which he led Liga batters in both bases on balls (84) and strikeouts (102). In between walks and whiffs, Latham hit .301 with 18 homers and 19 steals.
LMB NORTHERN DIVISION 2006 Team Leaders
MONTERREY SULTANES (79-30)
Top Batters: Dionys Cesar (.370/42SB), Mendy Lopez (.363/30/94), Edgar Quintero (.330/22/94)
Top Pitchers: Walter Silva (11-7/3.93), Francisco Campos (11-5/3.65), Max de la Rosa (6-2/2.13/26sv)
PUEBLA PERICOS (64-44)
Top Batters: Manny Martinez (.348/15/84), Edwards Guzman (.346/14/78), Donny Leon (.316/23/86)
Top Pitchers: Emil Kamar (11-5/4.24), Eric Knott (9-7/3.48), Cruz Antonio Soto (4-1/3.42/15SV)
SALTILLO SARAPEROS (62-45)
Top Batters: Jorge Luis Valle (.361/12/60), Sergio Guerrero (.341), Christian Presichi (.332/17/64)
Top Pitchers: Alejandro Rios (11-3/3.43), Steve Bourgeois (10-5/4.75), Mario Mendoza (9-7/3.70)
TIJUANA POTROS (60-52)
Top Batters: Derrick White (.407/19/73), Cornelio Garcia (.330), Eduardo Jimenez (.263/19/71)
Top Pitchers: Alonso Beltran (13-5/4.50), Hugo Castellanos (6-0/3.17), Mac Suzuki (4-5/3.48/11sv)
LAGUNA VAQUEROS (50-59)
Top Batters: Jose Amador (.363/9/61), Demond Smith (.353), Darrell Sherman (.349)
Top Pitchers: Ramon Antonio Garcia (8-8/5.19), Alberto Manrique (6-3/4.14), Joel Navarro (6-6/5.86)
SAN LUIS POTOSI TUNEROS (49-61)
Top Batters: Darryl Brinkley (.355), Sharnol Adriana (.354/22/91/31SB), Pat O'Sullivan (.353/16/60)
Top Pitchers: Edgar Leyva (7-10/6.23), Enrique Quinones (5-9/4.47), Mauro Nieblas (1-2/2.17/26SV)
MONCLOVA ACEREROS (48-60)
Top Batters: Raul Lopez (.372/10/55), Ivan Terrazas (.338/13/53), Hector Garanzuay (.331/12/61)
Top Pitchers: Pasqual Coco (10-10/5.15), Jasiel Acosta (9-5/3.99), Enrique Ramirez (3-6/4.03/19sv)
AGUASCALIENTES RIELEROS (27-81)
Top Batters: Abel Martinez (.372/2/57), Eduardo Rios (.329/33/112), Roman Gonzalez (.319)
Top Pitchers: Ricardo Palma (4-2/5.34), Francisco Villegas (3-3/5.30), Juan Luevano (1-2/3.57/4SV)
LMB SOUTHERN DIVISION 2006 Team Leaders
MEXICO CITY DIABLOS ROJOS (66-40)
Top Batters: Geronimo Gil (.387/12/71), Saul Soto (.329/17/62), Roberto Saucedo (.324/27/89)
Top Pitchers: Salvador Robles (11-4/3.21), Roberto Ramirez (10-6/6.26), Joakim Soria (0-0/3.89/15SV)
OAXACA GUERREROS (63-44)
Top Batters: Pedro Valdes (.362/14/100), Jaime Brena (.346), Efren Espinoza (.342/23/81)
Top Pitchers: Carlos Elizalde (13-7/3.33), Carlos Garcia (9-4/5.50), Fernando Desgue (0-0/2.25/19SV)
ANGELOPOLIS TIGRES (61-45)
Top Batters: Luis Suarez (.382), Javier Robles (.381/23/81), Jorge Alberto Vazquez (75G/.359/31/98)
Top Pitchers: Jesus Guzman (11-4/5.11), Oscar Bustillos (6-4/4.63), Adrian Marzano (4-6/3.96/24sv)
YUCATAN LEONES (58-51)
Top Batters: Luis Arredondo (.370/28SB), Willie Romero (.331/7/61), Pedro Castellano (.306/15/87)
Top Pitchers: Salvador Arellano (12-5/4.63), Oscar Rivera (9-7/3.75), Jose Vargas (6-4/1.36/27SV)
VERACRUZ ROJOS AGUILAS (49-58)
Top Batters: Willis Otanez (.354/19/76), Chad Meyers (.325), Izzy Alcantara (.302/15/50)
Top Pitchers: Ignacio Montano (9-3/3.54), Emigdio Lopez (8-5/4.90), Sixto Baez (3-0/2.16/25SV)
CAMPECHE PIRATAS (47-61)
Top Batters: Jose Leon (.348/17/49), Roberto Vizcarra (.334/14/59), Robert Perez (.311/14/52)
Top Pitchers: Juan J. Alvarez (8-5/3.63), Miguel Ruiz (7-8/4.61), Isidro Marquez (2-4/2.95/17SV)
CORDOBA CAFETEROS (43-64)
Top Batters: Jose Amado (.364/20/81), Selwyn Langaigne (.334), Noe Mata (.308/8/55)
Top Pitchers: Hansel Izquierdo (9-6/292), Juan Martinez (5-4/4.21), Geraldo Bueno (4-1/2.15/12sv)
TABASCO OLMECAS (39-68)
Top Batters: Scott Bullett (.333/19/78), Carlos Sievers (.325/11/48), Hector Arredondo (.283)
Top Pitchers: Vinny Gonzalez (8-7/3.24), Jose Santiago (7-7/4.55), Jesus Rios (3-4/4.91)
Mexican League 2006 Batting Leaders
GAMES PLAYED: 110 Darryl Brinkley, San Luis Potosi
AT-BATS: 445 Christian Quintero, Oaxaca
RUNS SCORED: 92 Mendy Lopez, Monterrey
HITS: 163 Dionys Cesar, Monterrey
DOUBLES: 35 Darryl Brinkley, San Luis Potosi
TRIPLES: 11 Luis Arredondo, Yucatan
HOME RUNS: 33 Eduardo Rios, Aguascalientes
RUNS BATTED IN: 112 Eduardo Rios, Aguascalientes
TOTAL BASES: 277 Eduardo Rios, Aguascalientes
BASES ON BALLS: 84 Chris Latham, Oaxaca
STRIKEOUTS: 102 Chris Latham, Oaxaca
STOLEN BASES: 42 Dionys Cesar, Monterrey
CAUGHT STEALING: 16 Roman Gonzalez, Aguascalientes
ON-BASE PCT.: .496 Derrick White, Tijuana
SLUGGING PCT.: .739 Jorge Alberto Vazquez, Angelopolis
BATTING PCT.: .407 Derrick White, Tijuana
Mexican League Pitching Leaders
GAMES PITCHED: 58 Jose Vargas, Yucatan
GAMES STARTED: 23 Mario Mendoza, SLT; Fernando Villalobos, YUC
COMPLETE GAMES: 7 Hansel Izquierdo, Cordoba
SHUTOUTS: 2 Three pitchers
SAVES: 27 Jose Vargas, Yucatan
GAMES WON: 13 Alonso Beltran, TIJ; Carlos Elizalde, OAX
GAMES LOST: 12 Juan Delgadillo, Tabasco
INNINGS PITCHED: 146 Jose Santiago, Tabasco
HITS: 195 Jose Santiago, Tabasco
RUNS: 105 Eduardo Salgado, Yucatan
EARNED RUNS: 93 Eduardo Salgado, Yucatan
HOME RUNS: 24 Eduardo Salgado, Yucatan
STRIKEOUTS: 112 Oscar Rivera, Yucatan
BASES ON BALLS: 64 Fernando Villalobos, Yucatan
HIT BATSMEN 13 Mario Mendoza, Saltillo
E.R.A.: 2.92 Hansel Izquierdo, Cordoba
Maestros of Mexico
Jose Luis "Chile" Gomez, 2B
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o Born 23 May 1909
o Died 1 December 1992
o Birthplace: Villa Union, Mexico
o Elected to Salon de la Fama in 1971
o Category: Player
o Position: Second Base
One of the masters of playing second base, Chile Gomez was the second Mexican-born player (after Mel Almada) to play in the major leagues, debuting in 1935. A connoisseur of all the secrets of the position, Gomez did everything well and with elegance.
As a 21-year-old student, he traveled from Sinaloa to Mexico City in 1931 to fill in for the Tampico Alijadores during a series against the Fabriles. The Fabriles' Homobono Marquez called attention to Gomez' fielding and signed him to a contract. Thus, Gomez initiated a career that through the years was full of splendor and popularity, both on Mexican diamonds as well as the foreign ones. He played 17 campaigns in the Liga Mexicana, three in the Major Leagues with Philadelphia and Washington, and two in the Cuban Championships with Santa Clara and Cienfuegos.
His feats included a triple connected against the left-handed immortal Vernon (Lefty) Gomez, in the inaugural game of the 1942 season in Washington; and he hit a homer for Mexico City to solve a 1-0 game in 1943 in Mexico City's Delta Park, settling a historical duel between Monterrey's Daniel RÃos and the Diablos Rojos' Alfonso (El Tuza) Ramirez. After that game, fans placed both Gomez and Ramirez on their shoulders and marched them through downtown Mexico City, something that never has been repeated in Mexican baseball.
For his LMB career, Gomez batted .278 and scored 929 runs. As a major leaguer, he hit .226. The 5'10' 165-pounder also was pilot of the Monterrey, San Luis PotosÃ, Tampico and Puebla teams in the LMB. He was enshrined in the Salon de la Fama in 1971.
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VIVA BEISBOL SOURCES: Mexican League, Minor League Baseball, David Crocker, Capital Publishing, OurSports Central, Salon de la Fama.
Mexican League Stories from August 2, 2006
- Viva Beisbol - OSC Original by Bruce Baskin
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
