On a night in Mexico City’s Parque Aztlan that featured a standing ovation for the late Fernando Valenzuela, the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol announced the Cien Anos Siendo del Rey campaign in celebration of the league’s 100th anniversary season.
With LMB president Horacio de la Vega serving as emcee, the league announced that Jonron TV, which streamed the LMB’s games live, will now be known as LMB TV. This will provide a better viewing experience for fans, including integration for so-called “smart TVs.”
Mexico national team manager Benji Gil and coach Vinny Castilla took the stage to announce that the league had reached a new agreement with the Federacion Mexicana de Beisbol, which aims to continue Mexico’s success in international baseball, which includes a third-place finish at the 2023 World Baseball Classic and a title at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.
The 2025 LMB All-Star Game, which will be played at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City, will have a unique format: The LMB All-Stars will face the Mexico national team in a 10-inning game, with each inning honoring a decade of the LMB’s history.
Later on during the event, the LMB’s All-Century Team, chosen by a committee of journalists was announced.
The All-Century catcher is Francisco “Paquin” Estrada, who leads LMB catchers in seasons played (26), games (2,260), throws (12,538), putouts (10,906), assists (1,459) and double plays (161). As a manager, he won titles with the Piratas de Campeche in 1983 and 2004, and another in León in 1990.
At first base, Hector Espino hit 453 home runs in 24 seasons in the LMB, leading the league in home runs four times, winning five batting titles, the most in league history, and hitting .300 or better in 19 seasons.
With 21 seasons in the LMB, Moi Camacho is the All-Century Team second baseman. Camacho played with Torreón, Nuevo Laredo, Puebla, Mexico and Poza Rica, posting a career batting average of .291, 2,110 hits, 185 home runs and 1,169 RBIs over 2,070 games.
All-time LMB home run leader Nelson Barrera, nicknamed “El Almirante”, was picked as the third baseman. He is also the all-time leader in RBIs with 1,928 and ranks second in hits with 2,937, fourth in doubles (464) and sixth in runs scored (1,485). He clubbed 16 grand slams in his career, ironic, considering he wore jersey No. 16.
At shortstop, Jose Luis Sandoval, who played 23 seasons in the LMB got the nod from the committee. His 2,219 games are the most of a shortstop in league history, and he turned 1,731 double plays, also a record. He hit 253 home runs and drove in 1,315 runs in his career.
Outfielders Matias Carrillo, Andres Mora, and Daniel Fernandez were the choices to patrol the grass.
Carrillo, who 22 seasons in the LMB with a batting average of .336, notched 2,531 hits, 330 home runs, drove in 1,554 runs and stole 276 bases with Poza Rica, and the Tigres Capitalinos, Tigres de Angelopolis, and Tigres de Quintana Roo, playing in all three cities the franchise has called home.
Mora is fourth all-time in LMB history in home runs with 419, batting above .300 and had more than 100 hits in 14 seasons. He hit 20 or more home runs 12 times, more than 30 home runs five times, and had five seasons with more than 100 RBIs, playing 22 seasons with Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey, and Saltillo.
Fernandez is the LMB leader in runs scored with 1,837. His 26 seasons with the Diablos Rojos del Mexico and Cordoba and 2,285 games as an outfielder make him No. 1 all-time, and he is third in stolen bases with 479, batted .313 for his career and batted over .300 in 16 of seasons.
Over 21 seasons in the LMB with León, Campeche, Aguascalientes, Monterrey, Yucatán, México, Saltillo and Tijuana, Eduardo Jimenez posted a batting average of .301, 1,758 hits and drove in 1,285 runs in 1,795 games. He was the home run leader with Saltillo in 2000.
Pitcher Ramon Arano is one of the few athletes to have seen action in six different decades, having pitched for 32 seasons in the LMB with Poza Rica, Águila, México, Saltillo, Córdoba, Reynosa, Coatzacoalcos and Tabasco. He holds the records for most wins with 334, starts with 676, complete games with 297, and shutouts (57).
Jesus “Chito” Ríos is the LMB’s all-time leader in strikeouts with 2,549 K’s over 24 seasons. In addition, in 1985 with the Tigres Capitalinos, he threw 26 complete games.
Lefty Alfredo Ortiz won 255 games over 26 seasons in the Mexican Baseball League with the Diablos Rojos de Mexico, Tabasco, Nuevo Laredo, Veracruz, Leon and Puebla. His best season came in 1969 with the Diablos Rojos, when he won 23 games in 33 starts with a 2.26 ERA.
Isidro Marquez, nicknamed “Doctor Suspenso”, saved 301 in 22 seasons from 1985 to 2011 with Tampico, San Luis Potosí, Tigres, Campeche, Tabasco, Veracruz, Reynosa and Minatitlán. He won 97 games and made 850 appearances, pitched 1,143 1/3 innings, struck out 757 and finished with a 3.44 ERA.
Vicente “El Huevo” Romo played 16 seasons in the LMB with the Tigres, Córdoba, Coatzacoalcos, Diablos Rojos del México and Yucatán, winning the Rookie of the Year with the Tigres in 1963. The native of Santa Rosalía, California, finished his career with 182 wins, 52 shutouts and 1,857 strikeouts.
Angel Moreno won more games than any other left-hander in LMB history with 263 over 26 seasons in the LMB with a career ERA of 3.51. He completed 164 games, earned 26 shutouts and struck out 2,255, good for third all-time.
Martin Dihigo, nicknamed “The Master,” was a Cuban pitcher who is currently included in five Halls of Fame. In 1937, he became the first LMB pitcher to throw a no-hitter, and was also the first batter to go 6-for-6. In 1938, he was the LMB batting champion with a .387 average and won the pitching triple crown, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
Salome Barojas played 17 seasons in the LMB, with a record of 115-58. His .665 winning percentage is the second best-figure in league history.
Francisco Campos, nicknamed “Pancho Ponches”, pitched for 25 seasons in the LMB with the Piratas de Campeche and the Sultanes de Monterrey. He finished his career with 200 wins in 494 appearances and struck out 2,181 batters in 3,038 1/3 innings of work.
Jose “Peluche” Peña played 19 seasons with the Tigres, Reynosa, Puebla, Coahuila, Tabasco, Córdoba, Coatzacoalcos, Yucatán, Ciudad Juárez and León. He won 214 games, struck out 1,832, recorded 35 shutouts and had an ERA of 3.09.
The LMB’s All-Century manager is Benjamin“Cananea” Reyes, who won six championships as a manager in the LMB: in 1971 with the Charros de Jalisco, where they bounced back from a 0-3 deficit in the Serie del Rey, and five with the Diablos Rojos. In addition, he was the first Mexican manager to manage in the Major Leagues, leading the Seattle Mariners for two games in 1981 when Maury Wills was suspended.
