Navegantes del Magallanes

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Navegantes del Magallanes
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League: Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional
Founding: 1917
First Season: 1946
City: Valencia, Carabobo
Stadium: Estadio José Bernardo Pérez
League Titles: 13
  1949/1950, 1950/1951, 1954/1955, 1969/1970, 1976/1977, 1978/1979, 1993/1994, 1995/1996, 1996/1997, 2001/2002, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2021/2022
Serie del Caribe Titles: 2
  1970, 1979
Former Names: Magallanes de Catia, Oriente, Orientales
Future Names: {{{Future Names}}}
President: {{{President}}}
General Manager: Luis Blasini
Manager: Willie Romero

The Navegantes del Magallanes are a Venezuelan winter league team that plays in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. The team was founded in 1917 and was one of the original teams in the first LVBP season in 1946. The team has won thirteenchampionships, and is one of the most popular teams in the country (along with Leones del Caracas).

The Navegantes were founded in 1917 as the Magallanes de Catia. The team’s founders were Juan Carratú and Luis Carratú, the Fagre family and Turks Vicente Issa, Eduardo Kalil, Alberto Salomón, and Ricardo Salomón. Once the Liga Nacional de Béisbol was founded in 1927 the Navegantes soon entered the league.

After Venezuela won the 1941 Baseball World Cup, the sport of baseball increased in popularity throughout in the 1940s. In that same year Don Carlos Lavaud bought the team and renamed it as the Navegantes. During this time many new clubs appeared including Cervecería Caracas, Gavilanes, Pastora, and the Royal Criollos. In 1946 a new league was created, the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, with the Navegantes as one of its four charter teams, along with Cervecería, Vargas and Venezuela. During the eight seasons between 1944 an 1950, the Navegantes were champions on two occasions, both over Cervecería, and placed second in two other seasons.

In 1956, Joe Novas and Joe Cruz bought the team renaming them Oriente; seven years later they became Orientales after being purchased by Alfonso Carrasquel and Humberto B. Lozano. The team returned to the moniker of Navegantes del Magallanes for the 1964/1965 season.

Following a down period in the 1980s, the Navegantes have returned as one of the top teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning four titles from 1993 to 2001.

After an 11-year drought, Magallanes, led by 2012 World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval, and former MLB All-Stars Elvis Andrus and Carlos Zambrano defeated Cardenales de Lara 4-3 in the best of 7 final to secure title number 11.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Manager Playoffs
1946 12-18 Manuel Capote / Benito Torrens
1946-47 20-16 Quincy Trouppe
1947-48 16-23 Oscar Estrada / Vidal Lopez
1948-49 17-14 Manuel Capote / Vidal Lopez Runner-up
1949-50 32-14 Lazaro Salazar Champions
1950-51 34-19 Lazaro Salazar Champions
1951-52 28-28 Joe Becker / Lazaro Salazar Runner-up
1952-53 30-27 Lazaro Salazar Runner-up
1953-54 40-37 Lazaro Salazar / Herman Franks Runner-up
1954-55 32-18 Fred Fitzsimmons / Lazaro Salazar Champions
1955-56 22-30 Lazaro Salazar
1964-65 13-37 Sparky Anderson / Alfonso Carrasquel
1965-66 33-28 George Noga Semi-final
1966-67 30-32 George Noga
1967-68 21-39 Les Moss / Lorenzo Fernandez
1968-69 28-32 Napoleon Reyes
1969-70 32-28 Carlos Pascual Champions
1970-71 29-30 Carlos Pascual Runner-up
1971-72 30-31 Carlos Pascual
1972-73 35-37 Carlos Pascual
1973-74 30-30 Jim Frey
1974-75 33-27 Steve Demeter Runner-up
1975-76 30-33 Johnny Lipon Semi-final
1976-77 35-30 Don Leppert Champions
1977-78 28-42 Al Monchak / Cookie Rojas
1978-79 39-31 Cookie Rojas / Willie Horton Champions
1979-80 22-48 Willie Horton / Luis Aparicio
1980-81 16-44 Luis Aparicio / Jim Napier
1981-82 22-43 Jim Williams / Gustavo Gil
1982-83 31-34 Don Leppert
1983-84 31-35 Tommy Sandt Semi-final
1984-85 31-34 Tommy Sandt Semi-final
1985-86 37-28 Tommy Sandt Semi-final
1986-87 27-38 Eddie Watt
1987-88 33-27 Felipe Alou
1988-89 23-37 Felipe Alou
1989-90 33-27 Marv Foley
1990-91 31-29 Rick Down
1991-92 36-23 Rick Sweet
1992-93 34-26 Rick Sweet Runner-up
1993-94 35-25 Tim Tolman Champions
1994-95 32-28 Tim Tolman / Dave Hudgens
1995-96 29-31 Tim Tolman / Gregorio Machado Champions
1996-97 33-17 John Tamargo Champions
1997-98 37-27 John Tamargo / Al Pedrique
1998-99 35-27 Al Pedrique
1999-00 31-31 Phil Regan / Cesar Cedeno Runner-up
2000-01 32-30 Phil Regan Runner-up
2001-02 30-32 Phil Regan Champions
2002-03 18-21 Phil Regan Playoffs cancelled
2003-04 28-34 Phil Regan
2004-05 27-35 Marc Bombard / Gregorio Machado
2005-06 39-23 Rouglas Odor / Al Pedrique
2006-07 36-26 Al Pedrique Runner-up
2007-08 29-33 Al Pedrique / Clemente Alvarez
2008-09 28-35 Nick Leyva / Edgar Alfonzo
2009-10 41-22 Carlos Garcia Runner-up
2010-11 28-35 Frank Kremblas / Dan Radison
2011-12 33-30 Carlos Garcia
2012-13 36-27 Carlos Garcia / Luis Sojo Champions
2013-14 33-30 Luis Sojo / Carlos Garcia Champions
2014-15 32-31 Carlos Garcia Runner-up
2015-16 36-27 Carlos Garcia Runner-up
2016-17 29-34 Carlos Garcia / Omar Malave
2017-18 35-28 Omar Malave Semi-final
2018-19 36-27 Omar Malave / Luis Dorante Semi-final
2019-20 21-21 Enrique Reyes 1st round
2020-21 21-16 Carlos Garcia / Luis Carlos Rivera Semi-final
2021-22 32-17 Willie Romero Champions

Caribbean Series Appearances[edit]

Retired Numbers[edit]

Notable Players[edit]