For the third consecutive fall, a winter ball exhibition is coming to Citi Field, the home of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.
All-Star teams from the Dominican Republic’s Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana and Puerto Rico’s Liga Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente will face off at Citi Field on Saturday, November 15, in a game played in honor of Dominican infielder Robinson Cano, who played for both the Mets and New York Yankees during an 18-year MLB career.
Cano told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas that it would be his last game in New York. The entire Dominican roster will wear No. 24 in Cano’s honor.
“I can’t wait to see all the Latinos who have supported me throughout my career, especially my beloved Dominican compatriots,” Canó said in a press release on the Mets’ website.
The game marks the third consecutive season that there has been a exhibition game featuring teams from the Caribbean at Citi Field in November. In November 2023, LIDOM’s Aguilas Cibaenas and Tigres del Licey faced off in a three-game exhibition series, while in November 2024, the two teams played a single exhibition game in Flushing.
“I’m so excited to host this special celebration of Caribbean baseball at Citi Field. The energy in the stadium will be spectacular,” said Mets owner Alex Cohen in a statement on the team’s Spanish website. “Queens will be rocking that day. I hope everyone can join us and bring their Latin pride!”
“It’s a great honor for me to be part of this exciting matchup between two sister nations that share a similar culture and, above all, a deep and unique passion for baseball,” said Erick Almonte, president of the National Federation of Professional Baseball Players of the Dominican Republic, the union representing LIDOM players.
“This Dominican Republic versus Puerto Rico matchup in New York means a lot to our Association and our members. It began in 2005 as an experiment between two sister leagues joining forces for a common goal: to bring joy through a first-class, high-quality show to our Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic,” said Yamil Benitez, the president of the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Players Association. “Today, with great excitement, after much work with FENAPEPRO and the great New York Mets organization, we will be able to bring our Caribbean warmth to New York City. This coming November, the Latino community, especially the Puerto Rican and Dominican communities living in New York City, will experience a great celebration of Caribbean baseball presented by our winter league players.”
Photo: Members of The Águilas Cibaeñas celebrate going undefeated and winning the inaugural Titanes of the Carabian series at Citi Field on November 12, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
