Leones de Yucatán

Leones de Yucatán
Logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueMexican League (Zona Sur)
LocationMérida, Yucatán
BallparkParque Kukulcán Alamo
Founded1954
League championships5 (1957, 1984, 2006, S2018, 2022)
Division championships10 (1984, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2007, S2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
Former ballpark
ColorsGreen, orange, white
     
OwnershipGrupo ARHE
PresidentErick Ernesto Arellano Hernández
ManagerSergio Omar Gastélum
Websitehttps://www.leones.mx/
Current uniforms
Home
Away

The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team plays its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in 1957, 1984, 2006, 2018, and most recently in 2022.[1]

History

Mexican League debut

The Leones de Yucatán were founded in 1954 under the leadership of Alvaro Ponce Vidiella and Humberto "Beto" Abimerhi Abimerhi. The team's entry to the Mexican League was announced on 5 January 1954. The team nickname is a reference to the name of the beer company built by the Ponce family. The Leones opened the season on 17 April at the newly built Carta Clara Park, hosting the previous season's champions, the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo, and earning an 8–0 victory.[2][3] In its first year in the league, the Leones won 47 games and lost 32, with one tie, and finished in second place to the defending champion Tecolotes. The team ceased play after the 1958 season and the franchise moved to Veracruz in 1959.[4][5]

Second version

After the 1969 season, filmmaker Manuel Barbachano Ponce, moved the Pericos de Puebla franchise to Mérida, renaming it the Leones. In the opening game of the 1970 season on March 18 the Leones beat the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz, 4–1. The franchise remained in Mérida for five seasons and then moved to Villahermosa, Tabasco, when Ariel "Picho" Magaña Carrillo purchased the team.[4]

Third version

The third incarnation of the Lions began in 1979. On 6 April 1978, the Assembly of the Mexican League approved five expansion teams for the 1979 season. One of the expansion teams was awarded to Yucatán.[6]

On 16 March 1979, the Leones officially returned to the Mexican League when they opened the season at the Cafeteros de Córdoba and lost 10–4. The Leones finished fifth in the Southern Division with 62 wins and 69 losses. Rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who later became a star in Major League Baseball, played for the Leones in 1979, winning Rookie of the Year honors that the season.[7] Valenzuela had a win–loss record of 10–12 with an earned run average (ERA) of 2.42 and allowed only 70 walks while striking out 141 batters in 181 innings, catching the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers with whom he would play from 1980 to 1990.

Uniform

Lee Cruz

Team colors are green, orange and white. The home uniform is green pinstripes on white background. Cap insignia includes a ligature of L and Y (team initials).

Rivalries

Piratas de Campeche

Since they began play in the Mexican League in summer 1954, the Lions have had fierce rivalries, first with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and the Mexico City Tigres, and then from 1980 with the Campeche Piratas.

Retired numbers

The Leones have retired the following numbers:[8][9]

Roster

Leones de Yucatán roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

  • -- Xorge Carrillo ∞
  • 71 Francisco del Campo
  • -- Geraldi Díaz
  • 55 Jafet Ojeda
  • 78 Fabián Urbina

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

  • Injury icon 7-day injured list
  • ~ Development list
  • # Rehab assignment
  • ∞ Reserve list
  • ‡ Restricted list
  • § Suspended list
  • † Temporarily inactive list
  • Roster updated March 3, 2026
  • Transactions
  • → More rosters: MiLB • Mexican League

Championships

Season Manager Opponent Series score Record
1957 Cuba Oscar Rodríguez[11] No final series 68–52–2
1984 Cuba Carlos Paz Indios de Ciudad Juárez 4–2 76–56
2006 Dominican Republic Lino Rivera Sultanes de Monterrey 4–1 70–56
2018[a] Mexico Roberto Vizcarra Sultanes de Monterrey 4–3 52–24
2022 Mexico Roberto Vizcarra Sultanes de Monterrey 4–3 58–49
Total championships 5

Baseball Champions League Americas record

Year Venue Finish Wins Losses Win% Manager
2023 Mexico Mérida 3rd 1 2 .333 Mexico Roberto Vizcarra
Total 1 2 .333

Notes

  • a The 2018 season was contested in a two-tournament format known as Spring and Autumn.[12] Yucatán won the Spring tournament.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Leones de Yucatán: cinco estrellas, cinco historias". Diario de Yucatán (in Spanish). 25 September 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Los Leones han rugido durante 41 temporadas". MiLB.com (in Spanish). 22 January 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  3. ^ Silveira, Gaspar (17 April 2024). "Los Leones de Yucatán: 70 años rugiendo". Diario de Yucatán (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Leones de Yucatán cumple 66 años de rugir en la LMB". MiLB (in Spanish). 17 April 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Mexican League (AA) Encyclopedia and History". BaseballReference.com.
  6. ^ "Historia del Club Los Leones en Liga Mexicana". Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  7. ^ "LMB: Fernando Valenzuela, la leyenda del hombre del tirabuzón". MiLB.com (in Spanish). 22 October 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Inauguran los Leones el pabellón de sus inmortales". leones.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  9. ^ "¡Leones cumple 70 años de historia en LMB!". leones.mx (in Spanish). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Leones inmortaliza el legado de Yoanner Negrín, una leyenda melenuda". leones.mx (in Spanish). 24 July 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  11. ^ Morales, Tomás (7 April 2015). "El primer título de los Leones de Yucatán". MiLB.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Es oficial, la LMB tendrá dos torneos en 2018". Esto (in Spanish). 20 July 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Leones de Yucatán, campeones de la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol". Excélsior (in Spanish). Notimex. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leones_de_Yucatan