Caguas Vs. Mayaguez: at stake the scepter supremacy in the history of winter baseball

It was only a matter of time before the confrontation in the final series between the Mayagüez Indians and the Caguas Creoles could materialize in this unique winter season of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League.

And starting today, this clash will have an additional ingredient of importance: defining the most winning team in league history.

The two most winning winter baseball franchises – with 18 championships each – will be face to face today at the start of the final series to a maximum of seven games in a series in which the Creoles will be using as their home the Hiram Bithorn stadium and not Pedro Montañez de Cayey.

They will face for the thirteenth time in final series. The first occasion was in the 1947-1948 season and the last in 2013-2014. Caguas has won seven of these 12 confrontations.

The first challenge will take place at the Bithorn by a decision taken yesterday by the management of the Creoles, who 80 years ago won their first championship in the league, said historian Jordi Colom Prim.

Right-back José de León, who has a 4-1 record so far this season – including the semi-final – will be the opener of the first clash for the ninth of the Turabo. The Indians had not yet decided their initial pitcher at the close of this edition. The series will be played without rest days and all matches will start at 6:00 pm

“We are ready. We hope to be able to give a good show and that baseball can be played,” Jesús ‘Motorita’ Feliciano, general manager of the Creoles, told The New Day.

“Everyone was looking forward to this series. Regardless of the team, we’ve all had a long wait to meet the Puerto Rican champion. The important thing is that there is baseball and that our league was able to resolve all the situations in the past few weeks.” , Feliciano said in reference to the delay in the semifinal series of the Indians and Manatees due to cases of COVID-19.

Caguas, led by Ramón Vázquez, dominated the regular series with a mark of 14-4 and in the semifinals To sweep the new RA12. Meanwhile, Mayagüez, led by Luis Matos, finished 13-5 and did the same with Manatí’s Athenians.

“

Everyone was waiting for this series. Regardless of the team, we’ve all had a long wait to meet the Puerto Rican champion. The important thing is that there is baseball and that our league was able to solve all the situations in the past weeks.

”

They now face the two big favorites in a series that promises to be the quality of players from both teams.

“Everyone knows that Mayagüez has a terrible native talent. We know it will not be an easy series, but we have been preparing since mid-October waiting for tomorrow (today) to arrive. We are well prepared physically and mentally. We will put together a good show knowing that Mayagüez is going to give the best of it, “added Feliciano, the set of players to play for the last time on January 7.

The Creoles reach the final strengthened with the acquisitions of the Major League receiver, Víctor Caratini, and the veteran Yadier Molina, claimed in the draw for the eliminated teams. In three games, Molina beat the Athenians 12-3.

“We know that the entry of Molina will be a great contribution for our team and for the final series. We could see it in the semifinals, the way he competed in his turns. That was one of the things that it caught our attention. We know he’s ready and he’s physically fit, ”Feliciano said of the receiver who joined the Athenians in the B semi-final.

“We are very happy with the two players we acquire for the final series.”

For their part, the Indians claimed pitcher Joel Huertas of RA12.

“I still trust my native core with the acquisitions we made of the guys they were. But as I always mention games are not won on paper, but on the field. That’s the message we’re bringing you from the first day because with all the adversities we have gone through instead of going backwards, on the contrary we come stronger every day “, said, meanwhile, the leader Matos to The New Day when talking about the series.

The particular series in the regular series tied at three.

“

We all hope it’s a quiet series that is just baseball. Let no one get hurt by anything that happens. Let it be decided on the playing field

”

“We have a bunch of veterans who have already been in these final series. That experience is very important.”

The Creoles have players like Vimael Machín, Reymond Fonts, Jonathan Morales, Johneshwy Fargas (the Most Valuable of the regular) and veteran Héctor Santiago, among others.

Meanwhile, the Indians have in their squad Kennys Vargas, Henry Ramos, Danny Ortiz, TJ Rivera and Emmanuel Rivera, who comes from an incredible show in his series against Manatí with 13 runs towed in four games.

“As the boys said these two teams are good and have a lot of experience in the years they have had in the league in the final,” noted forward Emmanuel Rivera, for his part.

In turn, Rivera is confident that the final will run smoothly, referring in particular to some incidents that arose during the regular season between the two sides.

Even in the last game of the regular season, leader Matos ordered to give-2 bass by intentional balls to Jonathan Morales without out and without anyone to base when disputing the batting title, a fact that caused discomfort in the Creole side and in the player himself.

“We all hope it’s a quiet series that is just baseball. That no one gets hurt by something that happens. That it’s decided on the field of play,” Rivera said.

For his part, Matos did not abound about the series of incidents and comments on social media merely pointing out that “the best word is the one that is not said.”

“I’m not talking about problems. I’m about people doing things on the ground. Those who want to put things on the networks or in newspapers this is their problem,” Matos concluded.