Viva Beisbol

Published on April 19, 2005 under Mexican League (ML) News Release

LMB PITCHERS WEATHERING HIT EXPLOSION

Saltillo ties Sultanes for North lead; SD Padres Honor Liga

Bill Veeck would be going broke running a Mexican League team in 2005. The Hall of Fame owner was noted for his exploding scoreboard at Chicago's old Comiskey Park, which would launch fireworks every time a White Sox batter hit a home run. With the offensive blasts being launched by Liga batters these days, Veeck would be simpatico with LMB pitchers undergoing shellshock these days.

Twelve of the Liga's 16 teams have aggregate batting averages of .300 or better, led by the Mexico Tigres' .343 mark. Conversely, 13 of the 16 LMB pitching staffs have earned-run averages of 5.00 or higher. Laguna pitchers are ducking liners to the tune of an 8.14 ERA, while Oaxaca hurlers are dishing runs up at a rate of 7.84 per game. The Mexican League has a reputation of being a hitters' league and it's a well-known theory that hitters are ahead of pitchers early in a season no matter what league they're in. Still, the batters are definitely ruling the day after one month of Liga baseball.

Saltillo has pulled into a tie with Monterrey at the top of the LMB North. Both are 16-10 as the Saraperos come off a three-game sweep of fading San Luis as the Sultanes dropped the final two games of a three-game home series against Mexico City's Diablos Rojos. In the LMB South, Campeche and the Mexico Tigres have pulled away from the pack to form a two-team battle for the top with Yucatan in third place and a three-way logjam for fourth.

In other LMB news, prior to their game against Pittsburgh at Petco Park on April 10, the San Diego Padres honored the Mexican League with an 80th Anniversary plaque while acknowledging three former Padre pitchers from Mexico. As part of their Mexican Day promotion, San Diego GM Kevin Towers formally presented the plaque to Liga president Alexander Hutt during a special pregame ceremony. As well, former Padres Vicente Romo, Sid Monge and Vicente Palacios received a warm reception from the crowd.

While the present-day LMB dates back to 1946 when the Pasquel brothers formed the Liga in the wake of World War II, Mexican pro baseball dates back to June 1925 when a five-team league centered in Mexico City was formed by sportswriter Alejandro "Frey Nano" Aguilar Reyes and manager Ernesto Carmona. The game in Mexico itself goes back much further, with baseball popping up in various locales during the latter half of the nineteenth century.

NORTHERN DIVISION

1T) MONTERREY SULTANES (16-10)

The Sultanes dropped two of three to Tijuana between April 12-14, then did likewise against Mexico City from April 15-17. Pablo Ocho hurled a solid 1-0 shutout win on April 13, but Monterrey pitchers let in 20 Potros runs in the first and third games of the set. Against the Diablos Rojos, the lone Tijuana win came April 15 as infielder Heber Gomez (.430) had three hits and four RBIs and pitcher Rigo Loya

(3-1) tossed seven shutout innings in the 11-4 win.

1T) SALTILLO SARAPEROS (16-10)

Saltillo stormed to a three-game road sweep at San Luis April 15-17 to pull into a first-place tie with Monterrey. Steve Bourgeois (4-1/2.08) went eight innings in an 11-1 opener triumph as Christian Presichi hit a grand slam. The Saraperos went into the tenth April 16 with Sergio Guerrero (.340) hitting a two-run single in a 5-2 win. Jayson Bass' two homers and eight RBIs led a 9-0 shutout the next day.

3) AGUASCALIENTES RIELEROS (14-12)

The Rieleros are coming off a surprising home series loss to Laguna, although Aguascalientes did hold off an embarrassing sweep by thumping the Vaqueros 11-1 April 17 behind eight solid innings from starter Francisco Rivera and a three-run triple by Grimaldo Martinez. Eduardo Rios (.423/12/39) is still red-hot at the plate, while Rontrez Johnson has a LMB-high 15 stolen bases for the Railroadmen.

4) MONCLOVA ACEREROS (13-13)

Monclova put away Tijuana at home April 15-17, topping the Potros two games to one. Starter Bryan Ward went seven innings for the win to go to 2-1 for the Steelers in the series opener. Things didn't go as well the next night as the Potros held off Monclova 9-8, but the Acereros took the third game April 17 by a 10-7 count as Fernando "He-Man" Rodriguez went 3-5 with four RBIs. Rodriguez is hitting a team-high .376.

5T) MEXICO CITY DIABLOS ROJOS (12-14)

The Red Devils took a big 2-1 series win at Monterrey in a matchup of two longtime Liga rivals. After dropping the opener to the Sultanes 11-4 on April 15, Mexico City came back with a 4-1 win behind six solid innings from Jose Silva and a homer by Ray Martinez. The Diablos Rojos then won the 2-1 rubber match April 17 as Robert Saucedo (.311 with 10 homers) drilled a two-run bomb to give starter Robert Ramirez all the runs he needed.

5T) TIJUANA POTROS (12-14)

Although Randall Simon (.388) saw his hitting streak stopped at 21 games, the Colts took two out of three games in a big series with Monterrey April 12-14, but Potros pitchers struggled in allowing 26 runs during a series loss to Monclova April 15-17. Tijuana has added the bat of George Arias, who hit 156 homers in Japan between 2000 and 2004. Arias hit his first homer for Tijuana in a 9-8 win over the Steelers April 16.

7) LAGUNA VAQUEROS (10-16)

The Vaqueros continue to experience pitching woes despite a series win at Aguascalientes. Laguna hurlers allowed 38 runs in three games against lowly San Luis, followed by 24 more by Rielero batters. Good thing the Vaquero offense woke up, as Julio Reyes (.442) keyed a 12-9 win April 15. The next night, Rafael Castaneda's two-run single in the tenth inning led to an 8-4 victory. Carlos Pacho hit a solo homer in an 11-1 loss April 17.

8) SAN LUIS TUNEROS (7-19)

Nothing like three games with Laguna to wake up the batters. The Tuneros took two games against the Vaqueros, including a 21-13 slugfest April 12 in which San Luis tied a Liga record with four circuit clouts in one inning. Unfortunately, that set was followed by a three-game home sweep at the hands of Saltillo April 15-17. Darryl Brinkley leads the LMB with a .446 average, but San Luis is reeling with a 2-8 record in their last ten games.

SOUTHERN DIVISION

1) CAMPECHE PIRATAS (19-7)

The Pirates kept rolling with a three-game sweep against Puebla and an April 15-17 series win over Veracruz. Nataneal Reyes pitched six frames April 15 in a 2-1 win over the Red Eagles, followed two days later by another strong six innings by Francisco Campos in a 4-1 triumph. Campeche was 9-0 at home before dropping a 10-6 game to Veracruz April 16. Flavio Romero (.387) and Bill Selby (.362) lead Pirata batters.

2) MEXICO TIGRES (17-9)

The Tigres remained within two games of Campeche with a series win over Yucatan April 15-17 in Puebla. Guillermo Velasquez was 4-for-4 with two RBIs in Mexico's 13-12 slugfest over the Leones April 16, while Baudrell Zambrano (1.15 ERA) ran his record to 4-0 with four innings of solid relief in the Tigres' 9-8 series decider April 17. Mexico's potent lineup is led by the .398 average of Carlos Alberto Gastelum.

3) YUCATAN LEONES (14-12)

The Lions copped three straight wins over Tabasco April 12-14, but then stumbled with two losses in an April 15-17 set against the Tigres. Yucatan capped the Tabasco series with a 6-3 win behind two ribbies apiece from Chad Meyers and Jorge Crespo. The Lions then won the first game with Mexico 6-5 with a five-run fifth inning and a eighth-inning game-saving diving catch in right field by Scott Bullett. Yucatan leads the LMB with a 4.41 ERA.

4T) PUEBLA PERICOS (12-14)

The Parrots dropped a three-game set to red-hot Campeche April 12-14, but then turned around and blew out Tabasco in three straight wins April 15-17. Colombian Carlos Villalobos drove in four runs in Puebla's April 15 7-2 win over the Olmecas. An eleventh-inning RBI single from Manny Martinez (.385) gave the Pericos a 4-3 squeaker the next night. In the April 17 finale, Puebla starter Eric Knott (4-1) allowed one run in eight innings en route to a 10-3 win.

4T) TABASCO OLMECAS (12-14)

Carlos Sievers had a career game for Tabasco in a 15-10 win April 12 against Veracruz. Sievers drove in eight runs for the Olmecas, belting a homer along the way. The next night, Julian Yan (.318 with 10 homers) hit his 150th career LMB roundtripper but the Red Eagles topped Tabasco the final two games of the matchup. The Olmecas were then swept at home by Puebla in Villahermosa. Tabasco is now just 4-9 at home but 8-5 on the road.

4T) VERACRUZ ROJOS AGUILAS (12-14)

After allowing 15 Tabasco runs April 12, Red Eagle pitchers settled down and won the next two games by allowing just five runs. Veracruz won April 14 with a 2-1 eleven-inning thriller capped by Luis Carlos Garcia's game-winning double. Veracruz then dropped two games in Campeche April 15-17. The Rojos Aguilas broke through with a 10-6 win in the middle game as Omar Ramirez was 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.

7T) CANCUN LANGOSTEROS (11-15)

The Lobstermen moved into a seventh-place tie with Oaxaca after winning two of three road games April 15-17 with the Guerreros. Liu Rodriguez (.354) led an 8-6 win April 16, going 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs. In the series-capping game the next day, The Langosteros won 7-6 with help of a crazy fifth-inning play in which two runs scored on a wild pitch and two infield errors to break a 5-all tie.

7T) OAXACA GUERREROS (11-15)

The Warriors continue to struggle, dropping three games to Yucatan and two more to Cancun as Oaxaca pitchers have allowed 41 runs to cross the plate in the last six games. With a team ERA hovering near 8.00, that's not exactly shocking news. The Guerreros did break through for a 10-5 win April 15 over the Langosteros after trailing 4-0, but dropped two close ones to Cancun. Felix Jose is batting .366 with nine homers for Oaxaca.

MEXICAN BASEBALL ROAD TRIP: Campeche

While our last stop on the Road Trip, Merida, was marked by invasions of Mayan rebels from the south, Campeche was plagued by attacks from pirates cruising the Gulf of Mexico. The city was founded in 1540 by Spaniards on the site of a former Mayan fishing village. It was the most important port on the Yucatan Peninsula during colonial days, a fact not unnoticed by English, French and British buccaneers who wreaked havoc on Campeche several times. After a particularly grisly massacre in 1663, thick walls were built to protect the city, including eight bastions (seven of which can still be visited). Things calmed down a bit after that, and Campeche flourished within the fortifications.

As one might expect, Campeche is full of stately reminders of its prosperous past. Many pastel-colored centuries-old buildings can be enjoyed, as can a lovely botanical garden built around one of the bastions. Like Cancun and Merida, Campeche sits in a tropical climate. Unlike their Liga rivals to the east, however, the city of 217,000 has been relatively untouched by tourism and retains its genuine feel of an old colonial working town.

The Piratas play at 6,000-seat Parque Nelson Barrera, named after the beloved third base great and manager who tragically died a few years ago when he was struck by a powerline while cleaning debris from his home rooftop after a storm.

The field measures 330 feet down both foul lines and 400 feet to straightaway center field. Campeche won the LMB playoffs last season for their first flag since 1983, but surprisingly few fans turned out to watch. Only 1,732 people per game attended Pirates games as Campeche was 44th among 46 Class AAA teams in attendance. The team deserved better, but hopefully attendance will rise in 2005 as the club is off to a great start this spring.

NEXT VISIT: Villahermosa, Tabasco

MAESTROS OF MEXICO: Ronnie Camacho

Ronaldo Camacho Duran was born October 26, 1932 in Empalme, Sonora. Although he was only 5'9" and 170 pounds at the height of his career, Camacho was called "The Rock" for his reliable batting and glove work. He was one of the top power hitters in the Mexican League during the 1960's, winning titles twice each in homers, runs scored and RBIs between 1962 and 1969.

Camacho began his career as a 19-year-old second baseman in 1953, signing with the St. Louis Cardinals and landing in Fresno. He spent parts of eight seasons in the Cards' system, batting .276 as a member of Fresno's 1955 team which Baseball America rates #79 among the All-Time Top 100 teams in minor league history.

However, Camacho never reached the majors and returned to Mexico for good in 1957 with Nuevo Laredo. After a pair of productive seasons for the Tecolotes, Camacho moved to Puebla in 1960, where he would shift to first base and spend most of the next ten years. "The Rock" went to the Yucatan Leones in 1970, beginning a tour of the Liga that saw him bounce around the circuit before retiring after spending the 1975 season with Aguascalientes.

In 20 LMB seasons, Camacho hit .272 with 317 homers and 1,273 RBIs. He batted .300 four times, topped 20 roundtrippers nine times and cleared 100 RBIs four times, with career highs of 39 bombs and 116 ribbies. He stands sixth on the Liga's all-time home run list and 8th in RBIs even though he retired 20 years ago. Camacho also managed six LMB teams between 1971 and 1979.

The right-handed hitting Camacho also played 13 seasons of winter ball in the Mexican Pacific League, hitting .256 with 139 homers playing for Guaymas and his hometown of Empalme. He was the first batting champion of the league when it had just four teams in Sonora. As a manager, he won LMP titles with Guaymas in 1966-67 and Mazatlan in 1973-74. He also led the Mexican team at the 1975 Caribbean World Series in Hermosillo, the first time the Winter Classic was ever held in Mexico.

Ronnie "The Rock" Camacho was elected as a member of the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

NEXT MAESTRO: Jesus Sommers

VIVA BEISBOL TRIVIA QUIZ

This issue's Quiz: Who is the only pitcher to throw two Liga no-hitters in the same season?

Answer to last issue's Quiz: Juan Navarrete will manage in Vancouver (NWL) this year. Navarrete played 16 seasons in the Liga at second base, batting .327 with 2,396 hits and 236 stolen bases. He also spent six years in the Montreal Expos' organization during the 1970's.

Mexican League Stories from April 19, 2005

Viva Beisbol - ML

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