Leones del Caracas
From BR Bullpen
| Leones del Caracas Caracas Lions | |
 | |
| League: | Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional |
| Founding: | May 10, 1942 |
| First Season: | 1952 |
| City: | Caracas, Distrito Capital |
| Stadium: | Estadio Universitario de Caracas |
| League Titles: | 18 |
| 1952/1953, 1956/1957, 1961/1962, 1963/1964, 1966/1967, 1967/1968, 1972/1973, 1977/1978, 1979/1980, 1980/1981, 1981/1982, 1986/1987, 1987/1988, 1989/1990, 1994/1995, 2005/2006, 2009/2010, 2022/2023 | |
| Serie del Caribe Titles: | 2 |
| 1982, 2006 | |
| Former Names: | Cervecería Caracas (1946-1951) |
| Future Names: | |
| President: | Luis Ávila |
| General Manager: | Juán Vicente Zerpa |
| Manager: | |
The Leones del Caracas ("Caracas Lions") are a Venezuelan winter league team that plays in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. The team was founded as Cervecería Caracas (Caracas Brewery) in 1942 and are the most successful team in the country.
Cervecería was one of the league's most successful franchises in the league's early years winning three pennants and losing four finals. Two of its wins came against the Navegantes del Magallanes. In 1952, Cerveza Caracas sold its team to Pablo Morales and Oscar Prieto Ortiz and Estadio Universitario de Caracas was built. The Leones still use the ballpark, which they share with the Tiburones de La Guaira. As Caracas and Magallanes ended up 1st or 2nd for five consecutive seasons from 1947/1948 through 1952/1953, they became permanently linked to each other in a rivalry known as Los Eternos Rivales (The Eternal Rivals).
Year-by-Year Record[edit]
| Year | Record | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-53 | 32-25 | Martín Dihigo | Champions |
| 1953-54 | 33-44 | Lum Harris | |
| 1954-55 | 28-22 | José Antonio Casanova | Runner-up |
| 1955-56 | 24-29 | José Antonio Casanova | |
| 1956-57 | 26-26 | Clay Bryant | Champions |
| 1957-58 | 20-20 | Alfonso Carrasquel | |
| 1958-59 | 24-22 | Reinaldo Cordeiro | |
| 1959-60 | 16-13 | Reinaldo Cordeiro / Charlie Thompson | Season cancelled |
| 1960-61 | 20-31 | Charlie Thompson / Antonio Brinez | |
| 1961-62 | 31-21 | Regino Otero | Champions Inter-American Series 2nd place |
| 1962-63 | 27-18 | Regino Otero | Runner-up |
| 1963-64 | 26-24 | Regino Otero | Champions |
| 1964-65 | 31-19 | Regino Otero | Runner-up |
| 1965-66 | 34-27 | Regino Otero | Semi-final |
| 1966-67 | 32-29 | Regino Otero | Champions |
| 1967-68 | 37-23 | Regino Otero | Champions |
| 1968-69 | 39-21 | Regino Otero | |
| 1969-70 | 28-32 | Pompeyo Davalillo | |
| 1970-71 | 35-25 | Pompeyo Davalillo | Semi-final |
| 1971-72 | 31-31 | Pompeyo Davalillo | Semi-final |
| 1972-73 | 37-33 | Ozzie Virgil Sr. | Champions |
| 1973-74 | 32-28 | Tony Pacheco | Season cancelled |
| 1974-75 | 30-30 | Tony Pacheco | Semi-final |
| 1975-76 | No team | Merged with Tiburones de La Guaira | |
| 1976-77 | 32-34 | Pat Corrales | |
| 1977-78 | 40-30 | Felipe Alou | Champions |
| 1978-79 | 31-39 | Felipe Alou | |
| 1979-80 | 46-23 | Felipe Alou | Champions |
| 1980-81 | 33-27 | Jim Leyland / Alfonso Carrasquel | Champions |
| 1981-82 | 33-33 | Alfonso Carrasquel | Champions |
| 1982-83 | 38-27 | Alfonso Carrasquel | Runner-up |
| 1983-84 | 25-40 | Alfonso Carrasquel / Gonzalo Márquez | |
| 1984-85 | 25-39 | Buck Rodgers / Pompeyo Davalillo | |
| 1985-86 | 33-32 | John Boles | Runner-up |
| 1986-87 | 33-31 | Bill Plummer | Champions |
| 1987-88 | 33-27 | Bill Robinson | Champions |
| 1988-89 | 39-21 | Bill Plummer | |
| 1989-90 | 32-28 | Phil Regan | Champions |
| 1990-91 | 30-30 | Phil Regan | Runner-up |
| 1991-92 | 26-34 | Phil Regan | |
| 1992-93 | 37-23 | Phil Regan | |
| 1993-94 | 38-22 | Phil Regan | Runner-up |
| 1994-95 | 33-27 | Phil Regan / Pompeyo Davalillo | Champions |
| 1995-96 | 32-28 | Pompeyo Davalillo | |
| 1996-97 | 32-28 | Phil Regan | Runner-up |
| 1997-98 | 35-29 | Phil Regan | Runner-up |
| 1998-99 | 34-28 | Jim Pankovits | Runner-up |
| 1999-00 | 20-42 | John Stearns / Manny Acta | |
| 2000-01 | 26-36 | Manny Acta | |
| 2001-02 | 24-37 | John Tamargo / Carlos Subero | |
| 2002-03 | 23-16 | Tim Tolman | Playoffs cancelled |
| 2003-04 | 33-29 | Omar Malavé | |
| 2004-05 | 39-22 | Omar Malavé | Runner-up |
| 2005-06 | 35-27 | Omar Malavé / Carlos Subero | Champions |
| 2006-07 | 29-33 | Carlos Subero / Carlos Hernández | |
| 2007-08 | 29-34 | Carlos Hernández | |
| 2008-09 | 42-21 | Frank Kremblas | Runner-up |
| 2009-10 | 41-22 | Dave Hudgens | Champions |
| 2010-11 | 35-28 | Dave Hudgens | |
| 2011-12 | 28-35 | Tim Teufel / Rick Sweet | |
| 2012-13 | 35-28 | Rick Sweet / Frank Kremblas | |
| 2013-14 | 34-29 | Dave Hudgens | |
| 2014-15 | 29-35 | Dave Hudgens / Pedro López | |
| 2015-16 | 35-30 | Alfredo Pedrique | |
| 2016-17 | 27-36 | Alfredo Pedrique | |
| 2017-18 | 35-28 | Mike Rojas | |
| 2018-19 | 34-29 | Mike Rojas | Runner-up |
| 2019-20 | 20-22 | Harry Guanchez / Víctor Gárate | 1st round |
| 2020-21 | 15-25 | Víctor Gárate | |
| 2021-22 | 26-23 | José Alguacil | |
| 2022-23 | 36-19 | José Alguacil | Champions |
Caribbean Series Appearances[edit]
- 1953: Last place
- 1957: 3rd place (t)
- 1973: 2nd place (t)
- 1978: 2nd place (t)
- 1980: 2nd place (t)
- 1982: Champions
- 1987: 3rd place (t)
- 1988: Last place
- 1990: 2nd place (t)
- 1995: 3rd place (t)
- 2006: Champions
- 2010: Last place
- 2023: 2nd place
Retired Numbers[edit]
- 1 - Pompeyo Davalillo
- 2 - Víctor Davalillo
- 6 - Gonzalo Márquez
- 8 - Urbano Lugo
- 11 - Luis Aparicio (Retired League Wide)
- 12 - Cesar Tovar
- 14 - José Castillo
- 16 - Alex González
- 17 - Alfonso Carrasquel
- 20 - Antonio Armas
- 23 - Omar Vizquel
- 24 - Henry Blanco
- 25 - Baudilio Díaz
- 26 - Carlos Hernández
- 41 - Andrés Galarraga
- 48 - Víctor Sánchez (Posthumous)
- 53 - Bob Abreu
Notable Players[edit]
- Bob Abreu (16 seasons)
- Jesús Alfaro (15 seasons)
- Jesús Alou
- Mateo Alou
- Antonio "El Potro" Álvarez
- Orlando Arcia
- Oswaldo Arcia
- Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel
- Antonio Armas (18 seasons)
- Dámaso Blanco (5 seasons)
- Henry Blanco (15 seasons)
- José "Carrao" Bracho (6 seasons)
- Alex Cabrera
- Asdrubal Cabrera
- Dagoberto Campaneris
- Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel (8 seasons)
- Carlos Carrasco
- José Castillo (11 seasons)
- Roger Cedeño (10 seasons)
- Jhoulys Chacin
- Omar Daal (12 seasons)
- Pompeyo Davalillo (13 seasons)
- Víctor Davalillo (19 seasons)
- Baudilio Díaz (14 seasons)
- Freddy Fermín
- Wilmer Fields
- Dalmiro Finol
- Andrés Galarraga (13 seasons)
- Adrian Garrett
- Alex González
- Franklin Gutiérrez
- Juan Carlos Gutiérrez
- Jesús Guzmán
- Ken Harrelson
- Ubaldo Heredia (16 seasons)
- Carlos Hernández (15 seasons)
- Leonardo Hernández (6 seasons)
- Jim Hunter
- Pete Koegel
- Josh Kroeger
- Jason Lane
- Urbano Lugo (16 seasons)
- Urbano Lugo Sr. (12 seasons)
- Alejandro Machado
- Gonzalo Márquez (19 seasons)
- Jackson Melian (6 seasons)
- Carlos Méndez (15 seasons)
- Aurelio Monteagudo (5 seasons)
- Orber Moreno
- Teodoro Obregón (6 seasons)
- Luis Peñalver (15 seasons)
- Félix Pérez
- Roberto Petagine (7 seasons)
- José Rondón
- Pete Rose
- John Roseboro
- Marco Scutaro (6 seasons)
- Diego Seguí (10 seasons)
- Eugenio Suárez
- Jose Tartabull (5 seasons)
- Luis Tiant (3 seasons)
- Pablo Torrealba (7 seasons)
- Gleyber Torres
- César Tovar (16 seasons)
- Jesús Marcano Trillo (11 seasons)
- Ugueth Urbina
- Guillermo Vento
- Omar Vizquel (13 seasons)
External Links[edit]
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