The Senadores de San Juan franchise, managed by Ricky Rivera, won in five games over the Cangrejeros de Santurce on January 12 and shut out their in-city rivals, 2-0, in 10 innings at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They advance to the 2024-25 Liga de Beisbol Roberto Clemente best-of-seven championship series and will play the winner of the Criollos de Caguas or the Indios de Mayagüez semifinal series.
The Indios de Mayaguez came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, ending the regular season at 24-16. The No. 2 seed, Cangrejeros de Santurce, went 21-19, the No. 3 Senadores de San Juan ended the year at 21-19, and the No.4 Criollos de Caguas snuck into the semifinals with their record at 20-20.
The Indios de Mayaguez are leading the best-of-seven semifinals series 3-2 over the Criollos de Caguas. The Indios de Mayaguez won 5-4 in 10 innings on January 12 over the Criollos de Caguas at home at Estadio Isidoro García, with Anthony Garcia smacking a two-out game-winning ground ball single into center field off Criollos de Caguas relief pitcher Angel Reyes, and scored Bryan Torres to make it one win away from the 2024-25 LBPRC championship series.
Senadores de San Juan starting pitcher Julian Garcia threw six innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts with 34 pitches while creasing 29 strikes.
Cangrejeros de Santurce starting pitcher Jhonathan Díaz chucked seven innings, allowing two hits, one walk, five strikeouts, and no earned runs while flaming 31 strikes for 36 pitches.
Senadores de San Juan first baseman Brantley Bell cracked a solo home run into the left-center field bleachers off of relief pitcher Jose Mesa Jr. in the top of the 10th inning to skid the scoreless game with a 1-0 lead.
Cangrejeros de Santurce manager Omar Lopez went to his bullpen shortly after and called on relief pitcher Zack Leban to replace Mesa. Jr., who had given up a one-out double to right field from Ruben Castro.
A few moments later, Senadores de San Juan first baseman Jan Hernandez drilled an RBI ground ball single through the six hole, scoring Kenen Irizarry to extend the lead to 2-0.
Senadores de San Juan relief pitcher Alexander Castro would get Juan Centeno to strikeout swinging for the final out of the game to help the organization reach the LPBRC championship series after not being in the league for their hiatus time frame for the last 13 seasons, which to led being expelled in the 2011-12 season.
The Senadores de San Juan was founded in 1938 in the first year of the Puerto Rico Winter League and were renamed in the 1984-85 season as the Metros de San Juan, a name that they used until they renamed the team back in the 1993-94 winter league season.
The Senadores de San Juan organization remained in operation until it was sold to Puerto Rican entrepreneur Benjamin Rivera after the 2003-04 season.
All the logistics from how the sale was completed to the Senadores de San Juan were based on an article from the Puerto Rico Herald that was sourced from the Associated Press outlet in Maracaibo, Puerto Rico, on August 25, 2024: https://puertoricoherald.com/issues/2004/vol8n35/Media1-en.html
From what the article stated on that time frame with the Senadores de San Juan sale: In two weeks, Josue Vega, ex-owner of the former team known as the Arecibo Lobos, should own the San Juan Senadores professional baseball team.
“I think that in two weeks, the sale of the Senadores will be complete,” Vega said in a radio interview. “Everything is ready for the sale.”
Vega said that the current owner of the team and on the staff of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Carlos Baerga, had almost reached an agreement to sell the Senadores.
“All shares of the Senadores are going to be mine,” he said.
Vega sold his team several years ago to Baerga, who moved them to Bayamon, but he did not have the support of his fans.
Vega said he would take the team to Arecibo because the fans were not supportive.
Vega said he received $125,000 from Baerga, part of the $500,000 he agreed to pay to buy the Lobos.
“The amount of money for the sale of Arecibo was left out,” he said.
He estimates that the Senadores franchise is worth $1.6 million, but he did not specify how much he will pay Baerga for the San Juan team.
He said that to complete the sale, Baerga would remain with the team as a player.
The original San Juan Senadores played in Carolina after they were bought by entrepreneur Benjamin Rivera, who didn’t have success operating it.
Another San Juan team, the Santurce Cangrejeros, will become the Manati Atenienses in November after being bought by Chicago White Sox player Jose Antonio “Tony” Valentin.
*All from what the Puerto Rico and AP article stated from the link above at that time frame.
Ownership With Senadores Franchise Being Brought Back For 2024-25 Season:
The Senadores returned under Alomar’s ownership as a rebranding from his RA12 team, which competed from 2020-24. Alomar created the RA12 team as a development team for lower MLB-affiliate prospects and professional free agents to play on in their first expansion season in the shortened 2020- 21 COVID-19 Pandemic season, which started in December.
Many managerial and front office decisions were made during the four seasons of operation, ending the RA12 first season with their record in last place at 2-16. The RA12 team did not have a winning season in all four seasons in the LBPRC and finished with a 35-105 record after the 2024-24 winter league season before Alomar rebranded the organization back to the Senadores de San Juan.
Former MLB Puerto Rican great Alex Cintron was named the Senadores de San Juan general manager on July 12, 2024.
In the first season back, the magical run continues after the downfall time frame of the Senadores de San Juan organization with a possible run into the annual-year tournament, the historic Caribbean Series.
Does history repeat itself in international baseball for the Senadores de San Juan to make it to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico for the 2025 Caribbean Series at Estadio Nido de los Águilas from January 31-February 7 if they win the 2024-25 LBPRC best-of-seven championship series?
In a few more weeks, the baseball world will find out what awaits the Senadores de Juan franchise.
El Nido de los Águilas is home to the Aguilas de Mexicali of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico.
Rundown of Championship For Senadores de San Juan:
The Senadores de San Juan have reached the Caribbean Series in 1985, 1990, 1994, and 1995, and they have won the Puerto Rico Winter League championships in 1984-85, 1989-90, 1993-94, and 1994-95.
The Senadores de San Juan also won PRWL titles in 1945-46, 1951-52, 1960-61, and 1963-64 and appeared in the 1952 Caribbean Series in Panama City, Panama.
30th Anniversary of 1995 Senadores de San Juan Caribbean Series Championship Team:
This season in the franchises’ first-year back is the 30th Anniversary of the 1995 Caribbean Series team that had Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar and Edgar Martinez alongside a powerhouse of Major League Baseball talent with Carlos Delgado, Bernie Williams, Ruben Sierra, Carlos Baerga, Juan González, Roberto Hernández, Carmelo Martínez, and Rey Sánchez. The 1995 Caribbean Series was hosted at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
The 1995 Senadores de San Juan Dream Team was honored on December 12, 2024, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium before they played the Cangrejeros de Santurce.
Edgar Martinez, Alomar, Sierra, Delgado, Baegra, Williams, and many of the former players and coaching staff were all in attendance on December 12, 2024, the night the 1995 Senadores de San Juan team was honored alongside beating the Cangrejeros de Santurce 7-5.
Under manager Luis Melendez, a former MLB player, the 1995 Senadores de San Juan team went 6-0 in the Caribbean Series.
Alomar led the tournament in batting average, hitting .560 and having 10 RBI. Williams hit three home runs, and Bones had two wins.
Alomar was named the 1995 Caribbean Series MVP while stealing two bases, scoring nine runs, and having a .840 slugging percentage. Edgar Martinez batted .375 with nine RBI. Williams had a .417 batting average and a .875 slugging percentage. Gonzalez hit .375 with a .667 slugging percentage. The Senadores de San Juan pitching staff with Doug Brocali went 1-0 and posted a 1.00 ERA, and Jose Alberro went 1-0, appearing four games without allowing an earned run.
Williams and Gonzalez were inducted into the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame in 2015, alongside Baerga and Alomar in 2011. The Caribbean Series Hall of Fame inducted Edgar Martinez in 2007 and Carmelo Martinez in 2004.
The third day of pool play at the 1995 Caribbean Series, with the Senadores de San Juan playing the Azucareros del Este, can be watched online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCWCpQFED6Q.
The Caribbean Series was based on the best record in the tournament from 1949-60 and in the second edition from 1970-2012 before the 2013 Caribbean Series in Estadio Fernando Valenzuela in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, when it was the last time that all the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe teams in LAMP, LIDOM, LVBP, and LBPRC played in before the 2013-14 Cuban Serie Nacional champion, the Naranjas de Villa Clara appeared in the 2014 Caribbean Series at Estadio Nueva Esparta in Margarita Island, Porlamar, Venezuela.
The only other Puerto Rico club teams that have won the Caribbean Series from the PRWL and LBPRC are the Cangrejeros de Santure in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1993, and 2000, the Criollos de Caguas in 1954, 1974, 1987, 2017 and 2018, the Indios de Mayagüez 1978 and 1992, the Leones de Ponce in 1972 the Vaqueros de Bayamón in 1975 and the Lobos de Arecibo in 1983 outside of the Senadores de San Juan franchise with one in 1995.
2024-25 LBPRC Postseason and Caribbean Series Information:
The 2024-25 LBPRC regular season stat leaders are listed on the league’s website: https://www.ligapr.com/. Live in-game box scores are located at https://www.mlb.com/es/ligas-invernales/scores.
The 2024-25 LBPRC best-of-seven semifinals, with the Criollos de Caguas facing the Indios de Mayaguez, will take place on January 14 at 6:21 p.m. EST at Estadio Yldefonso Solá Morales in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
No confirmed dates have yet been announced for the LBPRC championship series.
The 2024-25 LBPRC playoffs will be streamed on Youtube.
The winner of the 2024-25 LBPRC regular season will play in the 2025 Caribbean Series against the winners of the host nation LAMP, Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional, Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana, and one invitee with the Japan Breeze team that will appear in the tournament for the first time.
The LAMP, LVBP, LIDOM, and LBPRC are all part of the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe (CBPC).
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
