Vegueros de Pinar del Río (English: Pinar del Río Tobacco Growers) is a baseball team in the

Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. For most ...

. Based in the western city of

Pinar del Río Pinar del Río is the capital city of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. With a population of 191,081 (2022), it is the List of cities in Cuba, 10th-largest city in Cuba. Inhabitants of the area are called ''Pinareños''. History Pinar del Río was ...

, the Vegueros are historically one of the more successful teams in the Cuban National Series, winning ten championships, most recently in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

. It is also the only Cuban team to win a

Caribbean Series The Caribbean Series ( Spanish: ''Serie del Caribe'') is an annual club tournament contested by professional baseball teams in Latin America. It is organized by the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation. The series is normally played in ...

in the National Series era (post-1961).

History

Vegueros were founded in 1969, and were one of the most successful teams in the early years of the National Series, considered along with

Industriales Industriales is a professional baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Located in Cerro, La Habana, it is known as the only team representing the country’s capital, Havana. Industriales is historically the most successful team in the Nat ...

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

and Villa Clara. They won their first title in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

and would do so five more times in the next decade, including back-to-back wins in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

and

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

and playoff wins in

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

and

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

. In 1986, the first year that the Cuban champion was determined by playoffs, Vegueros sensationally lost in extra innings against Industriales. Prior to the 1992-93 Cuban National Series, two teams competed in the province of

: Forestales (also known as Pinar del Río during some seasons) and Vegueros. A 1992–1993 contraction of the league, in which eight teams were eliminated, caused Vegueros and Forestales to be combined into a single team. In 2015, Pinar del Río won the

, becoming the first Cuban winner since 1960.

Roster

Past stars

*Pitchers:

Omar Ajete Omar Ajete Iglesias (born 31 July 1965) is a Cuban former baseball pitcher who starred for Pinar del Río of the Cuban National Series, and the Cuban national team. Career Ajete was born on 31 July 1965 in San Juan in the Cuban province of Pin ...

, Jesús Bosmenier, Faustino Corrales, Reinaldo Costa, Rogelio García, Jesús Guerra,

Pedro Luis Lazo ---- Pedro Luis Lazo Iglesias (born May 15, 1973 in Pinar del Río Province, Cuba) is a top pitcher in Cuban baseball. He is used predominantly as a reliever in international competition, although he is a starter in the Cuban National Series, w ...

Juan Carlos Oliva Juan Carlos Oliva Fornos (born 4 January 1965) is a Spanish football manager. Football career Born in Mequinenza, Province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Oliva started coaching at an early age, his beginnings being in amateur football. In 2005 he arrived ...

, Félix Pino, Julio Romero, Emilio Salgado *Infielders:

Giraldo González Giraldo Arango González (29 May 1958 – 28 August 2021) was a Cuban baseball player and coach. Biography Born in Los Palacios, González made his debut in the XVIII Cuban National Series, 1978-1979, as a shortstop for Vegueros de Pinar del Rí ...

, Félix Iglesias, Carmelo Pedroso, Alexei Ramirez, Alfonso Urquiola,

Omar Linares Omar Linares Izquierdo (born October 23, 1967) is a Cuban former professional baseball third baseman, first baseman and coach. He played for the Cuba national baseball team as well as professionally for Vegueros de Pinar del Río of the Cuban ...

*Catchers:

Juan Castro Juan Gabriel Castro (born June 20, 1972), is a Mexican professional baseball coach and former infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Philade ...

*Outfielders:

Luis Giraldo Casanova Luis Giraldo Casanova Castillo (born December 5, 1956) is a former baseball player in the Cuban National Series who had a successful career in international tournaments. Casanova's teams won many titles in Cuban league play, and he led the league ...

, Jose Enrrique Camejo, Lázaro Madera

Emigrants

Several Pinar del Río players have left Cuba for the North American Major Leagues. *

José Contreras José Ariel Contreras Camejo (born December 6, 1971) is a Cubans, Cuban former professional baseball pitcher, who played in the Cuban National Series (CNS), Major League Baseball (MLB), and internationally for the Cuban national baseball team. ...

(pitcher) *

Alay Soler Alain "Alay" Soler (born October 9, 1979) is a former baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets in . Soler attended high school at Espa Armani Arenado and played baseball for four years. He graduated from Nancy ...

(pitcher) * Juan Miranda (infielder) *

Danys Báez Danys Báez González (; ; born September 10, 1977) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball pitcher. Báez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Balt ...

(pitcher) *

Alexei Ramírez Alexei Fernando Ramírez Rodriguez (born September 22, 1981) is a Cuban former professional baseball shortstop. He has played for the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays in MLB and Pinar del Río (baseball), Pinar del Rio ...

(outfielder) * Yosvany Madera (catcher)

References

Baseball teams in Cuba Pinar del Río Baseball teams established in 1992 1992 establishments in Cuba {{Cuba-baseball-team-stub