Tomateros de Culiacán
The Tomateros de Culiacán (English: Culiacán Tomato Growers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League. Based in Culiacan, Sinaloa. The Tomateros have won twelve domestic titles and two Caribbean World Series, in 1996 and in 2002. The team was founded in 1965 as part of the Sonora-Sinaloa League.
| Tomateros de Culiacan | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| League | Mexican Pacific League | ||||
| Location | Culiacan, Sinaloa | ||||
| Ballpark | Estadio Tomateros (2015–present) | ||||
| Year founded | 1970 | ||||
| Nickname(s) | Los Guindas | ||||
| League championships | (12) 1966–67, 1969–70, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2019-20 | ||||
| Caribbean Series championships | (2) 1996, 2002 | ||||
| Former ballparks | Estadio General Ángel Flores (1965–2015) | ||||
| Colors | Maroon, white | ||||
| Ownership | Héctor Ley López | ||||
| Manager | Benji Gil | ||||
| General Manager | Mario Valdez | ||||
| Website | www | ||||
History
Professional baseball in Culiacán dates back to 1945, when the first team was created the Tacuarineros. This club played in the now-defunct Liga de la Costa del Pacífico (Pacific Coast League). Tomateros de Culiacán was founded in 1965 and started playing in the Liga de la Costa (Coastal League), this league is also now defunct.[1]
2001–2002 season
The 2001–2002 season was a gold year not only for the Tomateros, but also for México, as they won the 2002 Caribbean Series held at Caracas, Venezuela with big leaguers as Rodrigo López, Oliver Perez, Luis Ayala, José Silva and Benji Gil, as well as with Adán Amezcua, who earned Series MVP honors.
Honours
Mexican Pacific League championships
The Tomateros have won 12 Mexican Pacific League Championships. Their most recent one came in the 2019–20 season, when they defeated Venados de Mazatlán in seven games under manager Benji Gil.
| Season | Manager | Opponent | Series score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Vinicio García | [note 1] | 55–33–1 | |
| 1969–70 | Vinicio García | Cañeros de Los Mochis | 4–2 | 36–27–1 |
| 1977–78 | Raúl Cano | Cañeros de Los Mochis | 4–2 | 42–31–1 |
| 1982–83 | Francisco Estrada | Naranjeros de Hermosillo | 4–2 | 37–33–1 |
| 1984–85 | Francisco Estrada | Águilas de Mexicali | 4–3 | 37–34–1 |
| 1995–96 | Francisco Estrada | Venados de Mazatlán | 4–1 | 29–27–2 |
| 1996–97 | Francisco Estrada | Naranjeros de Hermosillo | 4–2 | 38–24 |
| 2001–02 | Francisco Estrada | Venados de Mazatlán | 4–2 | 41–27 |
| 2003–04 | Francisco Estrada | Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón | 4–1 | 38–30 |
| 2014–15 | Benji Gil | Charros de Jalisco | 4–1 | 38–30 |
| 2017–18 | Benji Gil | Mayos de Navojoa | 4–3 | 39–29 |
| 2019–20 | Benji Gil | Venados de Mazatlán | 4–3 | 43–32 |
Caribbean Series championships
The Tomateros have won the Caribbean Series twice in 1996 and 2002, both under Francisco Estrada.
| Year | Manager | Record |
|---|---|---|
 | Francisco Estrada | 5–1 |
 | Francisco Estrada | 5–1 |
2020 Caribbean Series roster
| Roster Mexico Caribbean Series 2020 | |||||||||
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Roster
| Tomateros de Culiacán roster | |||||||||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Notable players
Notes
- The champion was the team placed first in the standings at the end of the season.
References
- "Historia de los Tomateros de Culiacán" (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 October 2019.