Mexican League
(Redirected from Liga Mexicana de Béisbol)
The Mexican League is a professional baseball league based in Mexico. In Spanish, the league is known as the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, or LMB. The league currently has 16 teams. The Mexican League is currently a class AAA minor league. While its teams are not affiliated with MLB clubs, some have signed working agreements with MLB teams. The Salon de la Fama honored prominent individuals from the league before its closure.
History[edit]
The Mexican League was founded in 1925 with 5 teams and slowly grew. By the late 30s and 40s, the league was drawing the top players from the Negro Leagues, including Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Martin Dihigo, Ray Dandridge and Willie Wells. Native Mexican talent was almost run out of the league in 1940, when many Cuban and Negro League stars took central stage - only a handful of Mexican players like Angel Castro and Jesús Valenzuela were competitive with the foreign imports. Four Negro Leaguers (Bell, Wild Bill Wright, René González and Alonzo Perry) won Triple Crowns - since then only three other players have won Triple Crowns in the Mexican League (Castro, Ty Gainey and Kit Pellow). In 1946, millionaire owner Jorge Pasquel began luring big-leaguers like Sal Maglie and Max Lanier to Mexico and offered blank contracts to Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, and Ted Williams. While the white Americans who did jump borders added prestige and famous names to the league, they generally were of lesser talent than and could not compete with the league's population of Cuban and Negro League greats. Also, by this time Mexican players were much more prevalent and productive than they had been in the '40-'41 seasons, when Negro Leaguers almost forced them out of the league. Legal action by the American major leagues and salary cuts by the Mexican clubs led to most of the Americans leaving by 1948. With integration the black stars mostly returned north as well, though some stayed south due to the racially tolerant environment.
By 1955, the Mexican League was fading. New owners helped make the league part of Organized Baseball as a AA circuit. Later, it became a AAA league - while the talent was AA on average, the attendance and size of the cities represented were comparable to other AAA circuits. The league tried running two seasons in 2018 but it was a disaster with attendance plummeting.
Current Teams[edit]
Annual Champions[edit]
Cities Represented[edit]
(since 1946)
- Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes:
- Rieleros de Aguascalientes (Aguascalientes Railroaders) 1975-1999, 2004-2007, 2012-pr
- Cancún, Quintana Roo
- Langosteros de Cancún (Cancun Lobstermen) 1998-2005
- Langosteros de Quintana Roo (Quintana Roo Lobstermen) 1996-1997
- Tigres de Quintana Roo (Quintana Roo Tigers) 2007-pr
- Chetumal, Quintana Roo
- Mayas de Chetumal (Chetumal Mayans) 1998
- Chihuahua, Chihuahua
- Dorados de Chihuahua (Chihuahua Goldenmen) 1973-1982, 2007-2010
- Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche
- Delfines de Ciudad del Carmen (Carmen City Dolphins) 2012-2016
- Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua
- Indios de Ciudad Juárez (Ciudad Juarez Indians) 1953, 1973-1984
- Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz
- Azules de Coatzacoalcos (Coatzacoalcos Blues) 1979-1983
- Córdoba, Veracruz
- Cafeteros de Córdoba (Cordoba Coffee Growers) 1972-1979, 1984-1986, 1991-1992, 1998-2003, 2006
- Durango, Durango
- Alacranes de Durango (Durango Scorpions) 1976-1979
- Generales de Durango (Durango Generals) 2017-
- Guadalajara, Jalisco
- Charros de Jalisco (Jalisco Horsemen) 1949-1952, 1964-1975, 1988, 1991-1995
- Mariachis de Guadalajara (Guadalajara Musicians) 2021
- León, Guanajuato
- Bravos de León (Leon Braves) 1979-1980, 1983-1991, 2017-pr
- Mérida, Yucatán
- Leones de Yucatán (Yucatan Lions) 1954-1958, 1970-1974, 1979-pr
- Mexico City, Distrito Federal
- Diablos Rojos del Mexico (Mexico City Red Devils) 1946-pr
- Tigres de México (Mexico City Tigers) 1955-2001
- Minatitlán, Veracruz
- Petroleros de Minatitlán (Minatitlan Oilers) 1992-1995, 2007-2013
- Potros de Minatitlán (Minatitlan Colts) 1996-1997
- Monclova, Coahuila
- Acereros de Monclova (Monclova Steelers) 1980, 1982-2014
- Acereros del Norte (Northern Steelers) 2015-pr
- Mineros de Coahuila (Coahuila Miners) 1974-1979
- Monterrey, Nuevo León
- Industriales de Monterrey (Monterrey Industrials) 1946-1949, 1989-1994
- Sultanes de Monterrey (Monterrey Sultans) 1950-pr
- Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
- Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (Nuevo Laredo Owls) 1946, 1949-1959, 1976-1984, 2008-2010
- Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (Two Laredos Owls) 1985-2003, 2018-pr (shared with Laredo, TX)
- Oaxaca, Oaxaca
- Guerreros de Oaxaca (Oaxaca Warriors) 1996-pr
- Poza Rica, Veracruz
- Petroleros de Poza Rica (Poza Rica Oilers) 1958-1983, 1996-1997, 2006
- Puebla, Puebla:
- Angeles de Puebla (Puebla Angels) 1976-1980, 1985-1987
- Pericos de Puebla (Puebla Parrots) 1946-1948, 1960-1969, 1972-1975, 1993-1995, 2000-pr
- Tigres de México (Mexico Tigers) 2002
- Tigres de la Angelopolis (Angelopolis Tigers) 2003-2006
- Reynosa, Tamaulipas
- Bravos de Reynosa (Reynosa Braves) 1972-1976
- Broncos de Reynosa (Reynosa Broncos) 1963-1971, 1980-1982, 1995-2003, 2009-2014
- Broncos de Tamaulipas (Tamaulipas Broncos) 2015-16
- Sabinas, Coahuila
- Piratas de Sabinas (Sabinas Pirates) 1971-1973
- Saltillo, Coahuila
- Saraperos de Saltillo (Saltillo Sarape Makers) 1970-pr
- San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche
- Piratas de Campeche (Campeche Pirates) 1980-pr
- San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
- Tuneros de San Luis (San Luis Cactus Pear Growers) 1946-1952, 1986-1991, 2004-2006
- Tampico, Tamaulipas
- Alijadores de Tampico (Tampico Lightermen) 1946-1948, 1971-1979, 1983-1985
- Tijuana, Baja California
- Potros de Tijuana (Tijuana Colts) 2005-2008
- Toros de Tijuana (Tijuana Bulls) 2004, 2014-pr
- Toluca, México
- Truchas de Toluca (Toluca Trouts) 1980, 1984
- Torreon, Coahuila
- Algodoneros de Torreon (Torreon Cotton Dealers) 1946, 1949-1953, 1993-2002
- Algodoneros de Union Laguna (Union Laguna Cotton Dealers) 1970-1981, 1985-1992, 2018-pr (shared with Gómez Palacio, Durango)
- Vaqueros Laguna (Laguna Cowboys) 2003-2017 (shared with Gómez Palacio, Durango)
- Veracruz, Veracruz
- Azules de Veracruz (Veracruz Blues) 1946-1951
- Rojos del Águila de Veracruz (Veracruz Red Eagles) 1949-1957, 1959-1974, 1979-1986, 1992-1995, 1999-2017, 2021
- Villahermosa, Tabasco
- Cardenales de Tabasco (Tabasco Cardinals) 1975
- Ganaderos de Tabasco (Tabasco Cattlemen) 1986-1989, 1998-1999
- Olmecas de Tabasco (Tabasco Olmecs) 1990-1997, 2000-pr
- Plataneros de Tabasco (Tabasco Banana Growers) 1977-1985
Further Reading[edit]
- G. Richard McKelvey: Mexican Raiders in the Major Leagues: The Pasquel Brothers vs. Organized Baseball, 1946, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2006.
- Pedro Treto Cisneros: The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics
- John Virtue: South of the Color Barrier: How Jorge Pasquel and the Mexican League Pushed Baseball Toward Racial Integration, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2008.
Feeder League The Liga Norte de Sonora is a league used by the Mexican Baseball League as a feeder league to get players.
External Links[edit]
| Minor Leagues | ||||||
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| AAA | AA | A-Advanced | A | Rookie | Rookie Academy | |
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| Related Articles: Independent Leagues | NAPBL | Organized Baseball | ||||||
| Related Categories: Ballparks | Coaches | Executives | Leagues | Managers | Owners | Players | Teams | Umpires | ||||||
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