Caliente de Durango

Caliente de Durango
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
League	Mexican League
Location	Durango, Durango
Ballpark	Estadio Francisco Villa
Established	2024
Colors	Red, black and white
Ownership	Grupo Caliente
Manager	Raúl Chávez
Uniforms
Home Away

Caliente de Durango is a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Durango. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Francisco Villa, with a capacity of 6,000 people. The team was established in 2024 after the former Durango's Mexican League franchise, Generales de Durango, was suspended by the league due to its owner's legal problems. The club debuted in the 2024 Mexican League season.

History

The city of Durango had its first professional baseball team in 1956 when the Alacranes de Durango joined the Mexican Central League, a minor league that served as feeder for the Mexican League. After several years playing in the Mexican Central League, the Alacranes joined the Mexican League in 1976 and played for four seasons, from 1976 to 1979.[1]

Professional baseball returned to Durango in 2017, when the Delfines del Carmen moved to Durango and were renamed as Generales de Durango.[2] The Generales played in the Mexican League until 2023, but were suspended by the league in February 2024 after its owner, Venezuelan businessman Carlos Lazo, was involved in legal problems accused of fraud. Lazo also owned the Reds de la Ciudad de México of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA); the Reds were similarly suspended by the LFA.[3][4]

In March 2024 it was officially announced that a new team, owned by Grupo Caliente, would be joining the Mexican League as a replacement for the Generales. The new franchise would retain the same players that the Generales had before being suspended and would remain in Durango, playing in the Estadio Francisco Villa.[5][6] Luis Borges, the Generales manager, and most of the players remained with the new team.[7][8] The club was presented as Caliente de Durango with red, black and white as its colors, owing to Grupo Caliente's corporate colors.[9] This marked the first time in Mexican professional baseball that a team's name included a corporate sponsor and the decision sparked controversy and mockery amongst fans.[10]

Caliente debuted in the Mexican League on 12 April 2024 against the Saraperos de Saltillo, winning its inaugural game 7–4.[11]

Roster

Caliente de Durango roster

• v
• t
• e

Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 97 Felipe Acosta 30 Octavio Acosta 26 Baltazar Arredondo 31 Víctor Buelna 22 Tiago da Silva -- Félix Doubront 41 Ryan Flores 71 Elniery García 19 Ricardo Hernández 33 Ben Holmes 10 Isaac Jiménez 13 Ozzie Méndez  6 Juan Robles  8 Gonzalo Sañudo 29 Nico Tellache -- Dylan Unsworth 90 Edwyn Valle		Catchers 14 Carlos Garzón  4 Alejandro Urías Infielders  3 Manuel Boscán 16 Victor Márquez 99 J. J. Matijevic 12 James Nelson 59 José Manuel Orozco 24 Michael Robles 23 Juan Rodríguez 27 Javier Sánchez 18 Sam Travis 20 Drew Ward Outfielders  1 Alfredo López 33 Elmer Lopez 45 Manny Olloque 77 Santiago González		Manager 25 Raúl Chávez Coaches -- Antonio Aguilera (batting)  9 Efrén Espinoza (third base) -- Juan Antonio Peña (bullpen) 15 Ignacio Rodríguez (pitching) -- Miguel Torrero (first base) 7-day injured list ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated December 13, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB • Mexican League

References

1. Kerlegand, Enrique (8 November 2016). "Los Alacranes de Durango de 1976 en la LMB". Al Bat (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
2. Cortés, Yesme (27 February 2017). "Nuevos equipos en la LMB aún no están al 100%". El Economista (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
3. "Liga Mexicana de Beisbol suspende a los Generales de Durango por una temporada". Mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). 21 February 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
4. "Carlos Lazo, dueño de los Generales de Durango, es señalado por presunto fraude". Proceso (in Spanish). 18 January 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
5. "Grupo Caliente será el dueño del nuevo equipo de Durango en la LMB". Mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
6. Lastra Guerrero, Gilberto (19 March 2024). "Presentan el nombre, logo y uniforme del equipo de Durango de la LMB". Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
7. Carreón, Raquel (11 April 2024). "El roster oficial de Caliente arderá en el diamante". El Sol de Durango (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
8. "Caliente de Durango: de la incertidumbre a su primera victoria". Revista Fortuna (in Spanish). 18 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
9. "Caliente: Presentan oficialmente a Caliente de Durango". MiLB.com (in Spanish). 20 March 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
10. Hernández, Ismael (14 March 2024). "LMB: Franquicia de Durango ya tiene nombre y provoca burlas de los fans". Al Bat (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
11. "Histórico debut del equipo Caliente de Durango". Séptima Entrada (in Spanish). 13 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.