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The Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was a professional baseball sports league that operated in Venezuela from 1997 to 2015, primarily in the state of
Carabobo , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Carabobo'' , image_map = Carabobo in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_ ...
. Teams in the league served as academies for Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations, and were classified at the Rookie League level within Minor League Baseball.


History

The VSL was created in 1997 as an alternative to the Dominican Summer League (DSL) to improve the development of young prospects from Venezuela in their early years in organized baseball. Besides
Carabobo , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Carabobo'' , image_map = Carabobo in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_ ...
, the states of Aragua, Lara and Yaracuy were represented in the league. Each team had a roster limit of 35 active players, at least 10 of which had to be pitchers. No player on the active list could have more than four years of minor league service. There were no age limits. The league was closed to all MLB Draft eligible players; that is, players from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Exceptions were made for two players from Puerto Rico. In addition to Venezuela, players in the league came from Argentina,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...
, Dominican Republic,
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Sint Maarten. The regular season champion and runner-up played a best-of-three-games playoff series for the league championship. The league had six squads in its first season, 1997, via three teams fielding split-squads. By 1999, the league had grown to 10 individual teams, and had nine teams as late as 2007. The league reduced to four teams in 2012, played the next two seasons with five teams, and was again reduced to four teams in 2015. Political instability in the region led to more teams opting out before the 2016 season, resulting in the league shutting down.


Teams


1997–2004

Teams during this period were named for the city they operated in.


Single-squad teams

Source:


Split-squad teams

These clubs operated as split-squads, fielding two teams denoted by numbers (e.g. VSL Venoco 1 and VSL Venoco 2). Source:


2005–2015

Teams during this period were named for their affiliated MLB team(s).


Single-affiliate teams

Source:


Cooperative teams

Note that cooperative teams are linked to their respective teams (e.g. VSL Cubs/Twins links to VSL Cubs and VSL Twins). Source:


League champions

* 1997 – VSL Maracay 2 * 1998 – VSL Guacara 1 * 1999 – VSL Chino Canónico * 2000 – VSL San Felipe * 2001 – VSL Venoco * 2002 – VSL Aguirre * 2003 – VSL San Felipe * 2004 – VSL Tronconero 2 * 2005 – VSL Astros * 2006 – VSL Phillies * 2007 – VSL Astros * 2008 – VSL Pirates * 2009 – VSL Rays * 2010 – VSL Pirates * 2011 – VSL Rays * 2012 – VSL Phillies * 2013 – VSL Mariners * 2014 – VSL Tigers * 2015 – VSL Tigers Source:


MLB alumni

VSL players who have gone on to make MLB appearances include: * José Altuve (HOU) * José Alvarado (TBR) * Wladimir Balentien (SEA) *
Asdrúbal Cabrera Asdrúbal José Cabrera (; born November 13, 1985) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Ra ...
(SEA) * Ramón Cabrera (PIT) *
Ezequiel Carrera Ezequiel Manuel Carrera Reyes (born June 11, 1987) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Toronto Blue Jays. Profess ...
(TOR) *
Yonny Chirinos Yonny Enrique Chirinos Mejias (born December 26, 1993) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Minor league career Chirinos signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for $10,000 as an in ...
(TBR) *
Argenis Díaz Argenis Díaz (born February 12, 1987) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. Playing career Boston Red Sox Díaz was signed by the Boston Red Sox orga ...
(BOS) *
Elías Díaz Elías David Díaz Soto (born November 17, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Díaz has also represented the Colombia nat ...
(PIT) *
Félix Doubront Félix Antonio Doubront oo-bront'(born October 23, 1987) is a Venezuelan pitcher for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athlet ...
(BOS) * Luis Durango (SDP) *
Sergio Escalona Sergio Luis Escalona Rodríguez (born August 3, 1984), is a Venezuelan professional baseball relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies () and Houston Astros () and is currently pitching in the Venezue ...
(PHI) *
Eduardo Escobar Eduardo José Escobar (born January 5, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball third baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks a ...
(CWS) *
Víctor Gárate Víctor J. Gárate (born September 25, 1984) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and in Chine ...
(HOU) * Avisail García (DET) *
Severino González Severino Yunier González (born September 28, 1992) is a Panamanian professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015 and 2016. Baseball career Philadelphia ...
(PHI) *
Mayckol Guaipe Mayckol Guaipe (; born August 11, 1990) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners. Career Seattle Mariners Guaipe was signed by the Seattle Mariners as an undrafted f ...
(SEA) * Jesús Guzmán (SEA) * César Hernández (PHI) * Oscar Hernández (TBR) *
Dilson Herrera Dilson José Herrera García (born March 3, 1994) is a Colombian professional baseball second baseman for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
(PIT) *
Edgar Ibarra Edgar Alexander Ibarra (born May 31, 1989) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in two games for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball in 2015. Career Minnesota Twins Ibarra began his professional ...
(MIN) *
Gregory Infante Gregory Alexander Infante (born July 10, 1987) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. Professional career Chicago White Sox Infa ...
(CWS) *
Dixon Machado Dixon Javier Machado Moreno (born February 22, 1992) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop in the Houston Astros organization. He made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Detroit Tigers and has also played for the Chicago Cubs and San Fran ...
(DET) *
Jean Machi Jean Manuel Machi (born February 1, 1982) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners. He was with the Gia ...
(PHI) * Germán Márquez (TBR) * David Martínez (HOU) * Yoervis Medina (SEA) * Diego Moreno (PIT) * Omar Narváez (TBR) * Ángel Nesbitt (DET) *
Lester Oliveros Lester Jesus Oliveros Blanco (born May 28, 1988) is a Venezuelan professional baseball relief pitcher for the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. He ...
(DET) * José Ortega (DET) * Hernán Pérez (DET) * Erasmo Ramírez (SEA) * Wilking Rodríguez (TBR) *
Bruce Rondón Bruce Rondón (born December 9, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and from 2015 through 2017 and for the ...
(DET) *
Josmil Pinto Josmil Oswaldo Pinto (born March 31, 1989) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers. Career Minnesota Twins Pinto signed as an international ...
(MIN) * José Quintana (NYM) *
J. C. Ramírez Juan Carlos Ramírez (born August 16, 1988) is a Nicaraguans, Nicaraguan professional baseball pitcher for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamon ...
(SEA) * Felipe Rivero (TBR) * Miguel Rojas (CIN) *
Jorge Rondón Jorge Leonardo Rondón Hernandez (born February 16, 1988) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Color ...
(STL) *
Rómulo Sánchez Rómulo Ignacio Sánchez Oviedo (born April 28, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the ...
(PIT) * Eduardo Sánchez (STL) * Eugenio Suárez (DET) *
Rubén Tejada Rubén Darío Tejada (born October 27, 1989) is a Panamanian professional baseball infielder for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, ...
(NYM) *
Ronald Torreyes Ronald Alcides Torreyes (born September 2, 1992) is a Venezuelans, Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Phil ...
(CIN) *
Wilfredo Tovar Wilfredo José Tovar Soto (born August 11, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets. Ca ...
(NYM) *
Luis Valbuena Luis Adan Valbuena (November 30, 1985 – December 6, 2018) was a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder. He played eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 2008 through 2018, for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Chicago ...
(SEA) * Felipe Vázquez (TBR) *
Brayan Villarreal Brayan Rene Villarreal (born May 10, 1987) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. He is 6'0" tall and weighs 170 pounds. Minor league career V ...
(DET) Note: team affiliations reflect a player's organization while in the VSL; the player may have reached MLB with a different franchise.


References


External links


Official website
archived March 2016 via Wayback Machine
VSL Encyclopedia and History
at Baseball-Reference.com {{Professional Baseball Venezuelan Summer League Minor league baseball leagues Baseball leagues in Venezuela Sports leagues established in 1997 Sports leagues disestablished in 2015 1997 establishments in Venezuela 2015 disestablishments in Venezuela Defunct baseball leagues