Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League

Sport| Baseball
Founded| 1956
No. of teams| 5
Country| Nicaragua
Most recent
champion(s)| Leones de León
(9th title)
Most titles| Indios del Bóer
(9 titles)
Official website| http://lbpn.com.ni/

Bóer

Chinandega

Rivas

León

Tren

class=notpageimage|

Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League team locations

The Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (Spanish: Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional or LBPN), known as the Campeonato Claro for sponsorship purposes, is the professional baseball league of Nicaragua. The league consists of five teams with a 30-game regular season schedule that runs from November to December, followed by a four team playoff round robin; the two best teams advance to a best of seven championship series.

## History

[edit]

See also: Baseball in Nicaragua

Before the formation of the professional league, Nicaraguan baseball had long been played at the amateur level. However, the first club to sign a player to a professional baseball was San Fernando, signing several Cuban players for the 1955. The following year, the entire league embraced professionalism.[1] The Nicaraguan professional league was formed in 1956, with five teams: Indios del Bóer, Cinco Estrellas, San Fernando, León, and Flor de Caña.[2] Inaugurated on March 30, 1956 at the Estadio Nacional Anastasio Somoza (the site of the modern Estadio Nacional Soberanía), the first game was between San Fernando and Bóer. The first season was suspended in September 1956 due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García, but the tournament resumed in March 1957.[3][4][5][6]

The league initially operated on a summer schedule, but was converted to a winter league when it agreed to join organized baseball in 1957. This agreement was facilitated by President Luis Somoza Debayle as part of a resolution between the Nicaraguan league and organized baseball, which accused the league of "raiding" players from Mexican League clubs.[7][8]

The Nicaraguan public's excitement for baseball grew as foreign professional teams and foreign players came to play in their country's winter league circuit. The teams from Bóer and León were the most successful teams in those years with three championships each. Due to economic difficulties, the league had to shut down in 1967, though baseball continued to be played in an amateur format.

Professional baseball was re-established in Nicaragua in 2004. Since then, Bóer has led the league in championships with six, their most recent victory coming in the 2022–23 season.

## Current teams

[edit]

Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded

|
|
|
|

Indios del Bóer | Managua | Estadio Nacional Soberanía | 20,000 | 1905
Tigres de Chinandega | Chinandega | Estadio Efraín Tijerino | 8,000 | 1956
Gigantes de Rivas | Rivas | Estadio Yamil Ríos Ugarte | 6,000 | 2013
Leones de León | León | Estadio Héroes y Mártires | 8,000 | 1939
Tren del Norte | Estelí | Estadio Rufo Marín | 1,200 | 1961

### Defunct teams

[edit]

* Cinco Estrellas
* Orientales de Granada
* Fieras del San Fernando

### Defunct stadiums

[edit]

* Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya
* Estadio Roque Tadeo Zavala, Granada

## Champions

[edit]

Key  †  | Champions also won the Latin American Series that season

|

†  | Champions also won the Interamerican Series that season
Season | Champion | Final
Series | Runners Up | Manager

|
|
|
|

1956 | Season suspended due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García
1957 | Leones de León |  |  |
1957–58 | Leones de León (2) | 4–2 | Cinco Estrellas | Wilfredo Calviño
1958–59 | Oriental | 4–3 | Indios del Bóer | Roberto Fernandez Tapanes
1959–60 | Leones de León (3) | 4–1 | Cinco Estrellas | Julio Moreno
1960–61 | Season canceled due to extreme weather[9]
1961–62 | Cigarilleros del Marlboro[a] | 4–2 | Indios del Bóer | Stanford Graham
1962–63 | Indios del Bóer | 2–1 | Leones de León | Tony Castaño
1963–64 | Cinco Estrellas † | 4–2 | Oriental | Wilfredo Calviño
1964–65 | Indios del Bóer (2) | 4–2 | Round robin[b] | Calvin Byron
1965–66 | Indios del Bóer (3) | 4–1 | Leones de León | Calvin Byron
1966–67 | Cinco Estrellas (2) | 4–3 | Indios del Bóer | Julio Moreno
No professional baseball from 1967 to 2004
2004–05 | Leones de León (4) | 4–3 | Tigres de Chinandega | Noel Areas
2005–06 | Tigres de Chinandega | 4–2 | Fieras de San Fernando | Jorge Fuentes
2006–07 | Indios del Bóer (4) | 4–0 | Leones de León | Noel Areas
2007–08 | Indios del Bóer (5) | 4–2 | Fieras de San Fernando | Lourdes Gourriel
2008–09 | Season suspended
2009–10 | Leones de León (5) | 4–1 | Oriental de Granada | Roger Guillén
2010–11 | Indios del Bóer (6) | 4–1 | Tigres de Chinandega | Noel Areas
2011–12 | Indios del Bóer (7) | 4–2 | Tigres de Chinandega | Julio César Sanchez
2012–13 | Tigres de Chinandega (2) | 4–2 | Oriental de Granada | Germán Mesa
2013–14 | Gigantes de Rivas | 4–1 | Indios del Bóer | Manny Collado
2014–15 | Indios del Bóer (8) | 4–2 | Gigantes de Rivas | Javier Colina
2015–16 | Gigantes de Rivas (2) † | 4–3 | Oriental de Granada | Germán Mesa
2016–17 | Tigres de Chinandega (3) † | 4–1 | Gigantes de Rivas | Len Picota
2017–18 | Tigres de Chinandega (4) † | 4–1 | Gigantes de Rivas | Len Picota
2018–19 | Leones de León (6) † | 4–1 | Tigres de Chinandega | Sandor Guido
2019–20 | Leones de León (7) | 4–1 | Tigres de Chinandega | Sandor Guido
2020–21 | Gigantes de Rivas (2) | 4–2 | Tigres de Chinandega | Joel Fuentes
2021–22 | Leones de León (8) | 4–3 | Gigantes de Rivas | Sandor Guido
2022–23 | Indios del Bóer (9) | 4–2 | Gigantes de Rivas | Joel Fuentes
2023–24 | Gigantes de Rivas (3) | 4–2 | Tren del Norte | Germán Mesa
2024–25 | Leones de León (9) | 4–3 | Tren del Norte |

### Championships by team

[edit]

Rank | Team | Wins | Years

|
|
|

1  | Indios del Bóer | 9  | 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2022–23
2  | Leones de León | 9  | 1957, 1957–58, 1959–60, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2024-25
3  | Tigres de Chinandega | 4  | 2005–06, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18
4  | Gigantes de Rivas | 3  | 2013–14, 2020–21, 2023–24
5  | Cinco Estrellas | 2  | 1963–64, 1966–67
6  | Oriental  | 1  | 1958–59
Cigarilleros del Marlboro[a] | 1961–62

## International competition

[edit]

From its inception, the Nicaraguan professional league sought to participate in international club competition. It hosted a tournament billed as the Serie Panamericana, or Pan-American Series, in 1958, inviting the champions of the Colombian and Mexican Pacific Leagues.[11] This tournament, won by Leones de León, was a success; Nicaraguan organizers hoped it would allow them to join the Caribbean Series, but such an invitation was not forthcoming.[12]

The LPBN did participate in the Interamerican Series three times[a] in the 1960s, while the Caribbean Series was suspended. It hosted the 1964 edition, which was won by Cinco Estrellas.

Nicaragua was an inaugural member of the Latin American Series, winning the tournament four times in the 2010s.

The LPBN would not participate in the Caribbean Series until 2024, when it was invited to participate in the tournament in Miami.[13] Their entry was controversial, because it was alleged that the regime of Daniel Ortega offered $1 million to the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation to secure the participation in the tournament.[14][15]

### Interamerican Series champions

[edit]

Season  | Winner

|

1964 | Cinco Estrellas

### Latin American Series champions

[edit]

Season  | Winner

|

2016 | Gigantes de Rivas
2017 | Tigres de Chinandega
2018 | Tigres de Chinandega
2019 | Leones de León

## Individual leaders by year

[edit]

### Hitting

[edit]

Season  |  | Player  | Team  |  |  | Player  | Team  |  |  | Player  | Team  |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | Batting average |  | Home Runs |  | RBI
2004–05 |  | Adolfo Matamoros | Chinandega | .378 |  | Luis Iglesias | Chinandega | 4 |  | Marlon Abea | San Fernando | 33
Marlon Abea | San Fernando | 4
2005–06 | Bárbaro Cañizares | Bóer | .352 | Michel Abreu | Bóer | 14 | Wilson Batista | Chinandega | 42
2006–07 | Justo Rivas | León | .377 | Clyde Williams | Bóer | 16 | Clyde Williams | Bóer | 40
2007–08 | Ofilio Castro | San Fernando | .351 | Luke Gorsett | Chinandega | 6 | Danilo Sotelo | San Fernando | 32
Jimmy Hurts | San Fernando | 6
Marcos Sánchez | San Fernando | 6
2009–10 | Jimmy González | Granada | .363 | Lenín Aragón | Bóer | 6 | Lenín Aragón | Bóer | 38
Edgard López | León | 38
2010–11 | José Campusano | Bóer | .363 | Brian Nichols | León | 10 | Manuel Mejía | Bóer | 37
2011–12 | Renato Morales | Granada | .387 | Esteban Ramírez | Chinandega | 12 | Wuillians Vasquez | Bóer | 51
2012–13 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | .416 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | 13 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | 56
Ramón Flores | Chinandega | 13
2013–14 | Wuillians Vasquez | Chinandega | .351 | Ronald Garth | Granada | 8 | Esteban Ramírez | Chinandega | 35
2014–15 | Yurendell DeCaster | Rivas | .368 | Rudy Van Heydoorm | Rivas | 6 | Ramón Flores | Rivas | 38
2015–16 | Jonel Pacheco | Chinandega | .427 | Juan C. Torres | Granada | 6 | Ronald Garth | Chinandega | 30
2016–17 | Wuillians Vasquez | Rivas | .407 | Wuillians Vasquez | Rivas | 11 | Wuillians Vasquez | Rivas | 55
2017–18 | Javier Robles | Bóer | .354 | Curt Smith | Chinandega | 6 | Elmer Reyes | Rivas | 34
2018–19 | Elmer Reyes | Bóer | .360 | Juan Silverio | Bóer | 6 | Juan Silverio | Bóer | 19
2019–20 | Ofilio Castro | León | .409 | Alvaro Gonzalez | Chinandega | 10 | Elian Miranda | Chinandega | 31
Alvaro Gonzalez | Chinandega | 31
2020–21 | Ronald Garth | León | .400 | Cheslor Cuthbert | Rivas | 9 | Héctor Gómez | Tren | 41
Willy García | Tren | 9
2021–22 | Alay Largo | Tren | .424 | Willy García | Tren | 11 | Alay Largo | Tren | 45
2022–23 | Manuel Geraldo | Bóer | .355 | Manuel Geraldo | Bóer | 7 | Manuel Geraldo | Bóer | 31
2023–24 | Omar Mendoza | Chinandega | .358 | Jesus Lopez | Chinandega | 8 | Omar Mendoza | Chinandega | 29

### Pitching

[edit]

Season  |  | Player  | Team  |  |  | Player  | Team  |  |  | Player  | Team  |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | ERA |  | Win–loss record |  | Strikeouts
2004–05 |  | Julio Raudez | San Fernando | 1.46 |  | Julio Raudez | San Fernando | 10–3 |  | Miguel Pérez | León | 99
2005–06 | Wilton López | León | 1.34 | Julio Raudez | Chinandega | 10–0 | Devern Hansack | León | 89
2006–07 | José Luis Sáenz | San Fernando | 1.96 | Wilton López | León | 8–2 | Willy Lebrón | San Fernando/León | 89
2007–08 | Wilton López | León | 1.45 | Diego Sandino | San Fernando | 10–0 | Juan Figueroa | Bóer | 60
2009–10 | Wilfredo Amador | León | 1.95 | Wilder Rayo | León | 7–2 | Melvin Cuevas | Granada | 57
2010–11 | Carlos Estrella | Granada | 1.19 | Rodney Rodríguez | Granada | 8–5 | Rodney Rodríguez | Granada | 93
2011–12 | Eric Blackwell | León | 2.75 | Wilder Rayo | León | 8–3 | Juan Figueroa | Granada | 74
2012–13 | Wilder Rayo | León | 2.06 | Juan Figueroa | Granada | 7–1 | Juan Figueroa | Granada | 79
2013–14 | Carlos Estrella | Rivas | 1.62 | Carlos Téller | Bóer | 7–0 | Santos Hernandez | Granada | 71
2014–15 | Rodney Rodríguez | Bóer | 2.29 | Paul Estrada | Chinandega | 8–1 | Rodney Rodríguez | Bóer | 58
2015–16 | Austin Davis | Bóer | 1.12 | Roger Luque | Granada | 5–2 | Paul Estrada | Rivas | 52
Abraham Elvira | Chinandega | 52
2016–17 | Gustavo Martínez | Granada | 1.95 | José Rosario | Rivas | 7–1 | Frankie de la Cruz | Granada | 58
2017–18 | Jorge Bucardo | Bóer | 1.56 | Manauris Baez | Bóer | 5–0 | Paul Estrada | Bóer | 49
2018–19 | Luis Angel Mateo | León | 3.29 | Jorge Bucardo | León | 3–0 | Luis Angel Mateo | León | 35
2019–20 | Isaac Silva | León | 2.59 | Carlos Sano | Chinandega | 4–0 | Carlos Sano | Chinandega | 37
2020–21 | Leónardo Crawford | Rivas | 2.65 | Willy Paredes | León | 6-1 | Alexander Santana | Chinandega | 47
2021–22 | Bryan Torres | Rivas | 0.81 | Ronald Medrano | Rivas | 5-0 | Pedro Fernández | Chinandega | 71
2022–23 | Edgard Martinez | Tren | 2.22 | Yeudy García | Bóer | 5-0 | Ronald Medrano | Rivas | 57
2023–24 | Yeris Gonzalez | Chinandega | 1.69 | Luis Ramirez | Tren | 6-2 | Joanner Negrin Perez | León | 42

## See also

[edit]

* Germán Pomares Championship, Nicaragua's summer baseball league
* Latin American Series
* Serie de las Américas
* Baseball awards#Nicaragua

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c The Nicaraguan league merged with the Panamanian Professional Baseball League for the 1961–62 season. That year, the champion was Marlboro, a Panama-based team.
2. ^ The 1964–65 playoffs were held in a round-robin format, as all four clubs finished the regular season with an identical record. Leon and Cinco Estrellas both tied for second, going 3–3 in the round-robin playoffs[10]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Nicaraguan fans riding clouds over feats of American players". The Sporting News. 15 January 1958.
2. ^ "EL SABADO SE INICIA EN NICARAGUA EL CAMPEONATO PROFESIONAL DE BEISBOL" (in Spanish). La Prensa Libre. 1 March 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
3. ^ "DECLARADO DESIERTO CAMPEONATO DE BEISBOL PROFESIONAL EN NICARAGUA" (in Spanish). Diario de Costa Rica. 30 September 1956. p. 15. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
4. ^ "EL DOS DE MARZO SE INAUGURA EL CAMPEONATO PROFESIONAL DE BEISBOL NICARAGÜENSE" (in Spanish). La República. 27 February 1957. p. 19. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
5. ^ "El Beisbol Profesional de Nicaragua". 1800beisbol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
6. ^ Layton Revel; Luis Munoz. "Forgotten Heroes: Silvio Garcia" (PDF). Center for Negro League Baseball Research: 22.
7. ^ "Peace Pact Putting Nicaragua in O.B." The Sporting News. 12 June 1957.
8. ^ "Relación de los Rasgos de personalidad y el bajo rendimiento en jugadores de béisbol de la Liga Juvenil en el Reparto Antenor Sandino de León, febrero-julio" (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 10. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
9. ^ "Floods, Weak Economy Chill Nicaraguan League Hopes". The Sporting News. 16 November 1960. p. 32.
10. ^ "Grant Jackson's No Hitter Helps Boer Grab Title". The Sporting News. 13 February 1965. p. 25.
11. ^ "Colombia, Mexico sending champs to Managua series". The Sporting News. February 12, 1958. p. 25. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
12. ^ "Pan-American title captured by Nicaragua". The Sporting News. February 26, 1958. p. 26. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
13. ^ Enrique Rojas (July 24, 2023). "¿Por qué Colombia se quedó fuera de Serie Caribe 2024?". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish).
14. ^ "Colombia no va a la Serie del Caribe por diferencias en pago" (in Spanish). Diario Libre. 25 April 2023.
15. ^ "El régimen garantiza un millón de dólares para que Nicaragua participe en Serie del Caribe 2024". Despacho 505. 24 April 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Liga de Beisbol Profesional Nacional official website

* v
* t
* e

Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League

Teams|

* Indios del Bóer
* Tigres de Chinandega
* Leones de León
* Tren del Norte
* Gigantes de Rivas
* Cinco Estrellas

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Nicaraguan Sports Hall of Fame inductees

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