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B a s e b a l l
M e x i c o
Monday,
March 8, 2021
FERNANDO
RODNEY TO PITCH FOR TIJUANA IN
2021
One
of Major League Baseball's most prominent closers of the past two
decades will
be shooting his virtual arrows south of the border in 2021. Fernando
Rodney has
signed a one-year contract to pitch for the Tijuana Toros this summer.
Rodney
is coming to the Mexican League of the heels of 17 seasons in MLB,
although he
didn't pitch during the 2020 season. His 2019 campaign (an 0-5 record
with two
saves and a 5.66 ERA for Oakland and Washington) was nothing to write
home
about, although the Nats did win the World Series that fall, but the
5'11”
right-hander had 25 saves and a 3.09 ERA in 43 outings for Minnesota in
2018
before a trade that August sent him to the A's, who used him as a setup
man for
Blake Treinan.
Rodney
made his major league debut for Detroit on May 4, 2002, tossing the
final 1.1
innings of a 3-2 loss at Minnesota. He pitched for the Tigers through
the 2009
season, when he was elevated to the closer role by manager Jim Leyland
after
bouncing between MLB and Class AAA the previous seven years. While his
2-5
record and 4.40 ERA were unimpressive, he posted 37 saves in 72 outings
and
finally had a foothold in the big leagues at age 31. However, his
odyssey was
just beginning.
Since
signing as a free agent with the Angels for $11 million over two years,
Rodney
pitched for ten MLB teams between 2010 and 2019. He appeared in three
All-Star
Games (2012, 2014 and 2016), led the American League in saves with 48
for
Seattle in 2014 and averaged 25 saves per season during the decade
while
appearing in the postseason five times, so there were definitely
successes
along the way.
However,
Rodney and the strike zone have not always seen eye-to-eye (a career
4.5 walks
per 9 innings) and breaths in the stands were often held because a
Rodney
appearance was like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: Fans never knew
what they
were gonna get. His saves were accompanied by his pantomime archer's
motion
sending an imaginary arrow skyward, along with thousands of sighs of
relief
from home crowds.
Drama
and walks aside, Rodney's overall body of work in 951 games as a major
league
pitcher has been generally positive. He compiled an unimpressive career
record
of 48-71, but his 327 saves rank 17th all-time among MLB
hurlers,
his 3.80 earned-run average was creditable and he averaged just under
one
strikeout per inning (8.8 K's per 9). He won't be landing in
Cooperstown, but
the Dominican has been of of baseball's most effective and entertaining
relief
pitchers over the past decade. And now he's taking his talents south of
the
border.
The
Toros open training camp in Tijuana on April 20 while their regular
season
begins May 21 at Parque La Junta in Nuevo Laredo against the Dos
Laredos Tecolotes.
VIRUS
“TRAFFIC LIGHTS” TO BE USED FOR UPCOMING LMB SEASON
With the Mexican League season a
little more than 10 weeks aways, both league and team officials are
keeping
close tabs on the federal government's virtual Wuhan Virus-related
“traffic
light” system to plan game presentations for the 2021 schedule. At this
point,
only one of the Liga's 18 teams could be considered in the clear to
proceed
full speed ahead for their home schedule.
According to Miguel Boada Najera of
the Septima Entrada website, neither the LMB nor any of its
teams have
announced whether fans will be allowed in their respective ballparks
(or what
percentage of seats may be occupied) after the season opens May 20. The
silence
is understandable, given the fluid nature of the pandemic, but the
unsettled
situation is making it nearly impossible for teams to make plans moving
forward. Instead, each club is having to create several different
scenarios to
address whatever limitations they'll have to deal with during the
season.
The “traffic light” system is based
on four stages: A Red light means that only essential activities will
be
allowed in states or cities with that designation, meaning there will
be no
baseball played. An Orange light will allow limited non-essential
activities,
meaning that baseball games might be played but behind closed doors
with no
fans in ballparks. A Yellow light allows all activities to resume with
limited
public participation, so a set percentage of seats would be allowed to
be
occupied in stadiums during games. Finally, a Green light lifts all
restrictions on activities and numbers allowed to watch live games,
although
some precautionary measures would remain in place.
The good news for the Mexican League
is that as of March 1, none of its teams are in a Red Light zone,
meaning all
scheduled games could take place if the season were to start today. The
bad
news is that only one franchise, the Campeche Piratas, are operating in
a Green
light zone and able to play at home in front of full capacity at
Estadio Nelson
Barrera, one of the Liga's smallest facilities with 6,000 seats.
That means the other 17 LMB
franchises are within Yellow or Orange light zones. The eleven Yellow
light
zone teams are Aguascalientes, Dos Laredos, Durango, Guadalajara, Leon,
Monclova, Quintana Roo, Saltillo, Tijuana, Union Laguna and Veracruz.
The six
Orange light zone franchises facing
tighter restrictions at home are Mexico City, Monterrey, Oaxaca,
Puebla,
Tabasco and Yucatan. However, all those franchises are operating in
conditions
apart from each other and each will have to be evaluated on a
case-by-case
basis.
Despite the overall uncertainty, the
Mexican League has to be somewhat heartened over the possibility of all
of its
18 teams playing their full 66-game regular season schedules even if no
(or
limited numbers of) fans are allowed in the stands, which the LMB says
will not
prevent games from taking place this year.
In 2020, the LMB said that paying
fans were necessary for many, if not most, of their teams to operate
without
drowning in seas of red ink. While statements from the league office in
Mexico
City can often be taken with a grain of salt, it's hard to dispute that
one.
Most Mexican League franchises are unprofitable and without any
large-scale
sponsorships or media contracts, attendance at home games is critical
because
such teams generate the vast majority of their revenue from in-park
ticket,
concessions and merchandise sales. Whether it's opening the gates and
not
making enough money for expenses or keeping the gates closed and not
making any
money at all, neither option is an attractive one.
MEX PAC
ANNNOUNCES 2020-21 SEASON GOLD GLOVE WINNERS
The Mexican Pacific League office in
Guadalajara has announced the nine winners of its Gold Glove Awards for
the
recently-concluded 2020-21 season. Three of the players played for
Hermosillo
while two others toiled for two-time champions Culiacan. Mexicali,
Obregon,
Guasave and Monterrey each placed one member among the LMP's leading
leather
men.
Pitcher:
JAVIER
SOLANO (Mexicali)
To
look at him,
few would expect veteran Javier Solano to be a top fielder. Although
he's been
one of the Mex Pac's most effective pitchers for years, Solano bears a
physical
resemblence to former Detroit Tigers hurler Mickey Lolich or Salon de
la Fama
member George Brunet (neither of whom were considered svelte).
Still, Solano helped himself by handling all 23 chances that came his way over 12 starts last winter for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Three other pitchers were flawless as well, but Solano got the nod by leading the quartet with 86 innings pitched.
Catcher:
ALEXIS
WILSON (Culiacan)
The
Los Mochis
native spent six years in the St. Louis organization and was invited to
the
Cardinals training camp last spring, but was never a starter before his
release
from Class A Peoria last May. When the 24-year-old Wilson took over for
injured
vet Ali Solis last winter, there were questions as to whether he was up
to the
task.
Although
Wilson
only hit .231 for Culiacan in 46 games, he turned in a .997 fielding
percentage
with one error in 352 chances behind the plate while reportedly earning
interest from MLB organizations, so at least some questions were
answered.
First
Base: EFREN NAVARRO (Culiacan)
A
former MLBer
who appeared with the Angels, Tigers and Cubs between 2011 and 2018 (as
well as
NPB's Hanshin Tigers) after some solid minor league seasons in which he
was a
PCL All-Star in 2013, Navarro gave the champion Tomateros a .246
average with
13 doubles and six homers last winter.
He
gave Culiacan
solid defense at first base over 50 games as well, with just two errors
in 426
chances for a .996 fielding percentage. Navarro also won a PCL Gold
Glove in
2011 while playing for Salt Lake.
Second
Base: CARLOS SEPULVEDA (Obregon)
Sepulveda
is a
former Cubs farmhand who was signed by the Dodgers and assigned to AA
Tulsa
heading into spring training this year. The Monclova native has not
been a
strong hitter north of the border but hit .305 with 13 doubles and 12
steals
for Obregon last winter.
However,
it was
his glovework that garnered him the most attention in the Mex Pac.
Sepulveda
committed only one error in 231 chances over 51 games for the Yaquis
for a .996
fielding percentage, turning 35 double plays along the way, after eight
miscues
with a .964 percentage in 2019-20.
Third
Base: EMMANUEL AVILA (Guasave)
Avila
spent his
first four years of pro ball in the White Sox farm system before
debuting with
his hometown Los Mochis Caneros in 2009-10. He's since been an infield
mainstay
in both the LMP and LMB, where he topped the .300 mark every year
between 2013
and 2019 and played in four All-Star Games during that span.
Avila
hit .279
last season for Guasave, his fourth Mex Pac stop. In the field, the
32-year-old
led all LMP third sackers with a .964 fielding average, handling 134 of
139
chances cleanly. He's also a proficient shortstop and played second
base early
in his career.
Shortstop:
JASSON ATONDO (Hermosillo)
Ever
since
debuting at 19 with Campeche of the Mexican League in 2015, Atondo has
been a
guy who can be plugged in at second, third or shortstop and give his
team a
good performance. After playing sporadically for Hermosillo over three
winters,
he hit .351 and was the LMP's Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, then
batted .331
for the Piratas in 2019.
Playing 52 games at shortstop for the Naranjeros in 2020-21, Atondo had four errors in 228 chances for a .982 fielding percentage to augment his .268 batting average.
Left
Field: NORBERTO OBESO (Hermosillo)
Obeso
was an
outfielder in the Blue Jays system for five years (and a 2015 All-Star
pick
with Toronto's Dominican Summer League affiliate), but elected free
agency
earlier this winter.
He
became a starter for his hometown Orangemen in 2018-19 and
had his best winterball season yet last season, batting .329 with 10
doubles
under manager Juan Navarrete.
Able to play both corner outfield slots, Obeso had a .994 fielding percentage in 81 chances over 44 games in left field for the Naranjeros.
Center
Field: JOSÉ
CARDONA (Hermosillo)
Cardona
turned a
lot of heads for his play in the Caribbean Series with Culiacan last
month, but
he'd been playing well all season before the Tomateros picked him up as
a
reinforcement. The speedy ex-Rangers minor leaguer hit .279 for
Hermosillo and
stole 16 bases in 17 attempts during the regular season.
He was just as good in center field, with just one bobble in 154 chances over 52 games for a .994 fielding percentage. Possessed with a good arm, Cardona added five assists and took part in three double plays. He'll play for Leon in the LMB this summer.
Right
Field: PAULO
ORLANDO (Monterrey)
One
of five
Brazilians to appear in MLB, the member of the 2015 World Champion
Royals is
better known for his hitting (.302 with 24 doubles for Kansas City in
2016) and
backed that up with a .308 average and eight homers this winter,
including a
.323 mark for the Sultanes after coming over in a trade with Obregon.
Orlando,
a
former soccer player who began playing baseball at 12, turned in a
solid season
on defense as well. He played 50 games in right field and went
120-for-121 on
total chances to finish with a .992 fielding percentage. He'll play for
Dos
Laredos this summer.