The Japan Breeze team announced on July 29 that former Venezuelan professional player Alex Ramirez would be the manager for the 2025 Caribbean Series in Mexicali, Mexico, at Estadio Nido de los Águilas during the 2024-25 season.
@Ramichan3 が監督として率いるチーム
Japan Breeze（ジャパンブリーズ）は
2025年カリビアンシリーズ メキシコ大会に
日本を代表して参加、プレーします⚾️アジア諸国初の参加となる国際大会への
招聘にあたって、7月29日記者発表会を実施！今後もチームの活動などお知らせします📢 pic.twitter.com/M24C1q3ulD
— Japan Breeze広報アカウント｜2025年メキシコ開催カリビアンシリーズ参戦日本代表チーム (@Japanbreeze2024) July 29, 2024
Ramirez will join the Japan Breeze staff, which includes Toma Irokawa as general manager and Kenji Sato as operating officer.
Ramirez is also the CEO and founder of the Japan Breeze team, according to the Hollywood Reporter Japan.
Ramirez, 49, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and played 13 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, with the Yakult Swallows/Tokyo Yakult Swallows from 2001-07, the Yomiuri Giants from 2008-11, and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars from 2012-13.
During his career in Japan, Ramirez won the CL MVP twice from 2008-09, was an
Eight-time All-Star from 2002-03 and 2007-12, won a Japan Series championship twice in 2001 and 2009, won the 2008 CLCS MVP, a four-time Best Nine Award winner in 2003 and from 2007-09, won the CL batting title in 2009, led the CL in RBI three times in 2003, 2007, and 2008, and led the CL in home runs in 2003.
He played in 1,744 games in NPB and batted .301 with 7,152 plate appearances, 2,017 hits, 328 doubles, 12 triples, 380 home runs, 1,272 RBI, 20 bases swiped, 308 walks, 1,259 strikeouts, and a .859 OPS.
After playing, Ramirez managed the Yokohama DeNA BayStars from 2016-20.
Ramirez helped the Yokohama DeNA Baystars reach the 2017 Japan Series against the Pacific League champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks after they finished the regular season third at 73-65-5 and 14.5 games behind the first-place Hiroshima Toyo Carp at 88-51-4.
During Ramirez’s second season as manager, the Yokohama DeNA Baystars lost six games to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Ramirez was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023 and is the first Latin-born player in their country’s HOF.
Ramirez played three seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Indians from 1998-2000 and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 28, 2000.
Ramirez played 135 games in three seasons in the MLB while batting .259 and 350 plate appearances, smacking 86 hits, 17 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 48 RBI, three stolen bases, 15 walks, 78 strikeouts, and a .730 OPS.
The Japan Breeze team is also part of the Asian Breeze organization, which has its headquarters in Oro Valley, Ariz., and Tomizawa, Taihaku-ku, Sendai City, Japan.
The Asian Breeze organization began in 2019 and played its first season in 2020 during spring training against MLB organizations at the complex level prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It played four full seasons before the start of the 2024-25 winter league season.
The Asian Breeze plays its regular season in the middle of the calendar year and also plays against minor league prospects in MLB spring training camp at the beginning of each year.
The Japan Breeze roster for the 2025 Caribbean Series will include players from the NPB minor leagues, the Japan independent leagues, current free agents, and players playing in independent professional leagues globally.
According to Yahoo Japan News, the Japan Breeze has confirmed that former MLB player Robinson Cano is interested in joining the organization as a reinforcement for the 2025 Caribbean Series.
Former MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer played for the Asian Breeze in March before signing with the Diablos Rojos del Mexico before the 2024 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol regular season and joining Cano.
2025 Caribbean Series Information:
The Estadio Nido de los Águilas is home to the Aguilas de Mexicali of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico.
The 2025 Caribbean Series will be from January 31 until the championship game on February 7.
The other countries competing at the 2025 Caribbean Series will be the winners of the leagues in the Dominican Republic (LIDOM), Venezuela (Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional), Puerto Rico (Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente), and host nation Mexico (Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico).
The leagues in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic are part of the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional de Caribe, which organizes the Caribbean Series.
The Japan Breeze organization is the first team from Japan to participate in the CBPC’s 76th anniversary and the 67th year of the Caribbean Series.
This will be the first time a professional organization from Asia will play as an invitee at a club event in the Western Hemisphere.
The first year that an invitee participated in the Caribbean Series was the 2013-14 Cuba Serie Nacional champion Naranjas de Villa Clara at Estadio Nueva Esparta in Margarita Island, Porlamar, Venezuela for the 2014 event.
The last time the Caribbean Series was in Mexicali was in 2009, when Tigres de Aragua from the LVBP won the event under current manager Buddy Bailey while going 5-1 when the event was based on overall record and the Total Quality Balance run differential rule before the playoff format, which started at the 2013 tournament in Hermosillo, Mexico with the first year of the championship game going 18 innings with the Yaquis de Obregon of LAMP beat the Leones del Escogido of LIDOM 4-3.
The Estadio Nido de los Águilas seats 20,000 for baseball games and has been open since 1976 in the organization’s first year.
2025 Caribbean Series Schedule
All Games Will Be Televised On ESPN Deportes
All Caribbean Series Games Will Be Played At Estadio Nido de los Águilas
Friday, Jan 31
Venezuela vs Dominican Republic – 1:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET
Puerto Rico vs Mexico – 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, February 1
Dominican Republic vs Japan – 12:50 p.m PT/3:50 p.m. ET
Mexico vs Venezuela – 5:50 p.m. PT/8:50 p.m. ET
Sunday, February 2
Japan vs Puerto Rico – 12:50 p.m. PT/3:50 p.m. ET
Dominican Republic vs Mexico – 5:50 p.m. PT/8:50 p.m. ET
Monday, February 3
Venezuela vs Puerto Rico – 12:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET
Mexico vs Japan – 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, February 4
Puerto Rico vs Dominican Republic – 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET
Japan vs Venezuela 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday, February 5: Semifinals
Semifinal 1: 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET
Semifinal 2: 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, February 6
Third place game: 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET
Friday, February 7
Final: 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET
Photo Credit: Cleveland Indians outfielder Alex Ramirez warms up after ariving early at spring training camp at Chain O’Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, FL, 18 February. The first official day of training camp is 20 February. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Tony RANZE (Photo by TONY RANZE / AFP) (Photo credit should read TONY RANZE/AFP via Getty Images)
