Tiburones de La Guaira

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Tiburones de La Guaira
La Guaira Sharks
Tiburones de La Guaira Logo
League: Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional
Founding: 1962
First Season: 1962/1963
City: Macuto, Vargas
Stadium: Estadio Fórum La Guaira
League Titles: 8
  1964/1965, 1965/1966, 1968/1969, 1970/1971, 1982/1983, 1984/1985, 1985/1986, 2023/2024
Serie del Caribe Titles: 1
  2024
Former Names: Patriotas de Venezuela (1946-1953)

Licoreros de Pampero (1955-1962)

Future Names:
President: Francisco Arocha Hernández
General Manager: Leonardo Campins
Manager:

The Tiburones de La Guaira are a Venezuelan winter league team that plays in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. The team was founded in 1955 as Pampero and would remain under that banner until 1962. Even though the team's name suggests that it plays in the coastal city of La Guaira, the team plays at Estadio Universitario de Caracas in Caracas which it shares with the Leones del Caracas.

In 1962 the club's owner, industrialist Alexander Hernández, sold the team to manager José Antonio Casanova for a symbolic sum of one bolivar. However, Casanova did not have the money to support the team and so he needed some financial support. He found this in some coastal businessmen: José Antonio Díaz, Pablo Díaz, Mario Gómez, Manuel Malpica, and Jesús Morales Valarino.

In the team's first season, the Tiburones went 23-19 but did not make to the semi-final series. In only the team's third season, they made it to the Finals, which they won versus the Leones. Over the next ten seasons, the team won four titles and was a runner-up on three occasions. During the mid-1980s the team also had another string of success, led by a group of players known as "La Guerrilla", winning three titles in four years. Despite having seven titles, the Tiburones have not won a Serie del Caribe. The team was later bought by Guillermo Gómez, Héctor Hoffman, and Pedro Padrón Panza whose son, Pedro Padrón Jr. is the current owner.

The Tiburones broke a long skein when they won the league title in 2023/24, their first since the 1985/86 season. They then went on to win their first-ever Caribbean Series title led by manager Ozzie Guillen and tournament MVP Ricardo Pinto.

The Tiburones have a rivalry with the Leones del Caracas, partly because both teams share the same stadium. Ironically, in 1975, due to both teams having differences with the Universidad Central de Venezuela regarding the rent of Estadio Universitario, they merged and played in Acarigua as Llaneros de Portuguesa for the 1975/1976 season; the team was known as Tibuleones in popular culture. After one season as the Llaneros, both teams reached an agreenment with the Universidad Central de Venezuela and resumed activities with the teams' original names and rosters.

The Tiburones are also presumed to have the most popular fan group of all Venezuelan sport, known as "La Samba", as this group perfoms this Brazilian rhythmn during the team's home games.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Manager Playoffs
1962-63 23-19 José Casanova
1963-64 23-27 José Casanova
1964-65 28-22 José Casanova Champions
1965-66 37-23 Tony Pacheco Champions
1966-67 31-31 Chuck Churn / Napoleon Reyes Runner-up
1967-68 36-24 Luis Aparicio
1968-69 36-24 Wilfredo Calvino Champions
1969-70 32-28 Reinaldo Cordeiro Runner-up
1970-71 31-29 Dave Garcia / Graciano Ravelo Champions
1971-72 31-30 Charley Lau Runner-up
1972-73 36-35 Preston Gomez Semi-final
1973-74 33-27 Preston Gomez Season cancelled
1974-75 33-27 Napoleon Reyes Semi-final
1975-76 No team Merged with Leones del Caracas
1976-77 36-28 Pompeyo Davalillo / Rene Lachemann Runner-up
1977-78 38-32 John Sullivan Semi-final
1978-79 29-41 Frank Verdi
1979-80 42-28 Preston Gomez Semi-final
1980-81 34-26 Rene Lachemann Semi-final
1981-82 34-31 Pompeyo Davalillo / Luis Aparicio Semi-final
1982-83 34-31 Ozzie Virgil Sr. Champions
1983-84 38-26 Ozzie Virgil Sr. Semi-final
1984-85 35-29 Gustavo Gil / Aurelio Monteagudo Champions
1985-86 32-33 Aurelio Monteagudo / Jose Martinez Champions
1986-87 32-33 Jose Martinez Runner-up
1987-88 25-35 Jose Martinez
1988-89 33-27 Terry Collins
1989-90 32-29 Terry Collins
1990-91 25-35 Rick Patterson
1991-92 28-31 Ozzie Virgil Sr.
1992-93 27-32 Ozzie Virgil Sr.
1993-94 18-42 Jeff Cox
1994-95 23-37 Luis Salazar
1995-96 25-35 Carlos Alfonso
1996-97 16-34 Jeff Cox
1997-98 25-39 John McLaren
1998-99 30-33 John McLaren
1999-00 25-33 Luis Salazar
2000-01 30-32 Luis Salazar
2001-02 28-34 Luis Salazar
2002-03 23-17 Luis Salazar Playoffs cancelled
2003-04 33-29 Luis Salazar
2004-05 21-41 Jesus Alfaro / Russell Vasquez
2005-06 31-31 Joey Cora / Omer Munoz
2006-07 27-35 Razor Shines / Julio Vinas
2007-08 30-33 Julio Vinas / Carlos Subero
2008-09 31-32 Carlos Subero
2009-10 32-31 Carlos Subero
2010-11 26-35 Carlos Subero / Marco Antonio Davalillo
2011-12 37-26 Marco Antonio Davalillo Runner-up
2012-13 29-33 Marco Antonio Davalillo
2013-14 32-31 Tony DeFrancesco
2014-15 31-34 Buddy Bailey
2015-16 33-30 Buddy Bailey Semi-final
2016-17 30-33 Ozzie Guillén 1st round
2017-18 24-39 Ozzie Guillén
2018-19 28-33 Ozzie Guillén
2019-20 25-17 Renny Osuna Semi-final
2020-21 16-24 Gustavo Molina / Russell Vasquez
2021-22 15-34 Dennis Malave / Jackson Melian

Caribbean Series Appearances[edit]

Retired Numbers[edit]

Notable Players[edit]


Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional
División Occidental: Tigres de Aragua · Cardenales de Lara · Bravos de Margarita · Águilas del Zulia
División Oriental: Caribes de Anzoátegui · Leones del Caracas · Tiburones de La Guaira · Navegantes del Magallanes
Related Articles: Salón de la Fama
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