- Tigres del Licey
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Tigres del Licey 
League Dominican Winter League Location Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Ballpark President: FERNANDO RAVELO ALVAREZ Year Founded 1907 League championships 1924, 1929, 1951, 1953, 1959, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, Caribbean Series championships 1971, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 Uniforms 
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Tigres del Licey is a professional baseball team founded in 1907 based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is one of the two franchises of the Capital city of the country, the oldest and one of the most successful teams in the Dominican league, having won 22 Dominican titles and 10 Caribbean Series as of January, 2009. Some of their best players have included Pedro González, Alonso Perry, Manuel Mota, Guayubín Olivo, César Gerónimo, and Elvio Jiménez. Many of the best Dominican players and Major League Baseball players have taken part in the long history of the Tigres, including Tom Lasorda, baseball hall-of-famer who took the team to the 1973 Caribbean World Series title. The Licey logo is a cursive “L”. The team, nicknamed "El Glorioso" has a passionate fan base. Their current main rivals are the Águilas Cibaeñas of Santiago.
Contents
History
Circa 1900, baseball in the Dominican Republic was only a minor pastime, due to the heavy political turmoil surrounding the country back then. But by 1907, baseball was increasing in popularity with two amateur teams ("Ozama" and "Nuevo Club") being the most popular. Licey was the first attempt to team up as an antagonist for these two teams.
The Licey team was founded as the result of a meeting that took place in the house of Vicente María Vallejo, on el Conde Street, in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone, on November 7, 1907. Founder members were: George and Cuncún Pou, Luis and Federico Fiallo, Luis and Pinchán Valejo, Luis Castillo, Salvador Piñeyro, Alvaro Alvarez, Tutú Martínez, Angel and Chichí Mieses, Arturo Perdomo, Bi Sanchez, Virgilio Abreu, Alberto Peña, Arturo Nolasco and Tulio Piña. Many of the founding members of the original team were also part of the first roster.[1]
Over the next 15 years Licey became so dominant that an agreement was made among the three other competing teams (Los Muchachos, San Carlos and Delco Lite) to form a new team, composed of their best players, in order to beat Licey. This team, called "Leones del Escogido" ( Lions of the Chosen one ), still exists and the teams share the same stadium in Santo Domingo.
During what Dominicans call the "first stage" of the country’s baseball history, the game was only played during the day. The game’s “second stage” didn’t begin until dictator Rafael Trujillo built the capital’s Estadio Quisqueya in 1955, a brilliantly designed and built stadium for the time. With the stadium came lights and what is considered the Dominican’s golden age of baseball.[citation needed]
Current standing
Licey has won the "Serie del Caribe" 10 times. In an unusual situation during the 2008 season Licey finished second in the Dominican championship (and would not qualify for the series) but replaced Puerto Rico which was absent (Puerto Rico canceled their winter league for financial reasons). Licey won the series defeating Mexico, Venezuela and their Dominican rival the Aguilas Cibaeñas.
Famous players and managers
- Luis Castillo
- Ramon "Dumbo" Fernandez
- Jose Offerman
- Ronnie Belliard
- Pedro Martínez
- Tommy Lasorda
- Manny Mota
- Rico Carty
- George Bell
- Tony Fernández
- Joaquín Andújar
- Ramón Martínez
- Alejandro Pena
- Henry Rodriguez
- César Gerónimo
- Rafael Landestoy
- Orel Hershiser
- Steve Garvey
- Tony Oliva
- Mike Piazza
- Bob Gibson
- Al Hrabosky
- Steve Yeager
- Bobby Valentine
- John Wetteland
- Jesús Alou
- John McNamara
- Grady Little
- Mike Scioscia
- Mickey Hatcher
- John Roseboro
- Terry Collins
- José Rijo
- Doug Rau
- Steve Howe
- Buck Rodgers
- Del Crandall
- Leon Durham
- Pedro Gonzalez
- Alonzo Perry
- Diomedes Olivo
- Federico Olivo
- Alex Rodriguez
- Charlie Hough
- Pedro Borbon
- Rick Rhoden
- Rick Sutcliffe
- Mike Norris
- Edgar Rentería
- Bill Russell
- Darrin Fletcher
- Kelly Gruber
- Teodoro Martinez
- Dave Stewart
- John Tudor
- Joe Ferguson
- Mark McGwire
- Terry Steinbach
- Eric Plunk
- Felix Jose
- Tony Phillips
- Willie Wilson
- Juan Guzmán
- Sid Fernandez
- Eric Byrnes
- Mark Bellhorn
- Mariano Duncan
- José Canseco
- Kurt Bevacqua
- Bruce Bochte
- Jim Lefebvre
- Kevin Kennedy
- Luis Pujols
- Chico Walker
- John Patterson
- Steve Sparks
- Vladimir Guerrero
- José Guillén
- Timo Pérez
- Pascual Pérez
- Mélido Pérez
- Carlos Pérez
- Félix Rodríguez
- Salomon Torres
- Jose Mesa
- Ramon Ortiz
- Manny Aybar
- José Jiménez
- Jorge Sosa
- Carlos Pena
- Aramis Ramirez
- Deivi Cruz
- D'Angelo Jimenez
- Von Joshua
- Clete Boyer
- Dave Hansen
- Alex Ochoa
- Rudy Law
- Alberto Martinez
- Jim Beauchamp
- Butch Hobson
- Mark Little
- Cristian Guzman
- Byron Browne
- Mike Torrez
- Pedro Astacio
- Reggie Cleveland
- Andy Abad
- Ubaldo Jimenez
- Anderson Hernández
- Chuck Carr
Final Series and championships
Season Champion Manager Sub-Champion 1924 Tigres del Licey Charles A. Dore Leones del Escogido 1929 Tigres del Licey Charles A. Dore Leones del Escogido 1951 Tigres del Licey Félix Delgado Leones del Escogido 1953 Tigres del Licey Oscar Rodríguez Águilas Cibaeñas 1958-59 Tigres del Licey Joe Schultz Leones del Escogido 1963-64 Tigres del Licey Vernon Benson Águilas Cibaeñas 1969-70 Tigres del Licey Billy Muffet Águilas Cibaeñas 1970-71 Tigres del Licey Fred Hatfield Leones del Escogido 1972-73 Tigres del Licey Tom Lasorda Estrellas Orientales 1973-74 Tigres del Licey Tom Lasorda Águilas Cibaeñas 1976-77 Tigres del Licey Buck Rodgers Águilas Cibaeñas 1979-80 Tigres del Licey Del Crandall Estrellas Orientales 1982-83 Tigres del Licey Manny Mota Águilas Cibaeñas 1983-84 Tigres del Licey Manny Mota Águilas Cibaeñas 1984-85 Tigres del Licey Terry Collins Azucareros del Este 1990-91 Tigres del Licey John Roseboro Leones del Escogido 1993-94 Tigres del Licey Casey Parsons Águilas Cibaeñas 1998-99 Tigres del Licey Dave Jauss Leones del Escogido 2001–2002 Tigres del Licey Bob Geren Águilas Cibaeñas 2003–2004 Tigres del Licey Manny Acta Gigantes del Cibao 2005–2006 Tigres del Licey Rafael Landestoy Águilas Cibaeñas 2008–2009 Tigres del Licey Jose Offerman Gigantes del Cibao Lanie Mota
See also
- Professional baseball in the Dominican Republic
- Caribbean World Series
External links
Notes and references
Cited references
- ^ Foundation of the Tigres Del Licey (Spanish): http://www.licey.com/fundacion.asp
Dominican Winter Baseball League Águilas Cibaeñas (Santiago) • Toros del Este (La Romana) • Estrellas Orientales (San Pedro de Macorís)
Gigantes del Cibao (San Francisco) • Leones del Escogido (Santo Domingo) • Tigres del Licey (Santo Domingo)Categories:- Baseball teams in the Dominican Republic
- Sports clubs established in 1907
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