Liga Mexicana del Pacifico To Begin Season on October 11th

The Liga Mexicana del Pacifico (LMP) is set to begin another season of winter baseball in western Mexico.  Opening day is the 11^th of October with a game between last year’s Champion Venados de Mazatlan and the runner up Aguilas de Mexicali to be held in Mazatlán

Good Food at LMP Stadiums

Winter baseball in Mexico, and the LMP specifically, has been around, in some form or another, since 1947. Last year fans spun the turnstiles at a rate of 9,500 per game for a yearly total of 2,968,000, an increase of 12%. That number makes the LMP the best attended minor league outside of the US. They had more “fanaticos” per game than the 16 team Mexican summer league.

The fans took advantage of the cooler winter weather to watch their hometown heroes hit, pitch and field their way toward the LMP Championship and a chance to represent Mexico in the Serie Caribe. Last year the Venados de Mazatlan, representing Mexico,  won the Serie Caribe without losing a game.

Several notable Major Leaguers have played in the LMP. Cy Young Award winner Fernando Valenzuela, Vinny Castilla and Pedro Guerrero to name just a few.

The LMP season consists of 68 games divided into two halves of play. The first half is 35 games long and teams are awarded points based on their record. There are tie breakers such as runs scored to determine points for the half. The second half consists of 33 games with points awarded in a similar fashion.

6 of the 8 teams in the LMP make the playoffs.

A strange thing about the LMP is that after the season, the players on the eliminated teams can be “drafted” by the teams in the playoffs. This phenomenon occurs after the first and second round eliminations too.

A top player for the last place regular season team could find himself on the championship club and playing for Mexico in the Serie Caribe.

How does a 6 team playoff system work you ask? The six teams play a best-of-seven first round series with the three winners advancing to the semifinal round. Of the three losing teams in the first round, the team with the best record advances to the semifinal round. The “best loser” team cannot face the team that eliminated them in the first round. Last year’s champion Venados de Mazatlan came from the “best loser” category.

All playoff rounds are a best-of-seven format. The higher seeded team gets the first 2 games at home, travels for games 3-5 and returns home for games 6 and 7 if necessary.

The LMP is made up of 8 teams. The Charros de Jalisco (Guadalajara), Venados de Mazatlan, Tomateros de Culiacan, Caneros de Los Mochis, Mayos de Navojoa, Yaquis de Obregon, Naranjeros de Hermosillo and the Aguilas de Mexicali.

The stadiums are loud, filled with music and food and packed with dedicated fans who cheer for their team with enthusiasm and pride. Experiencing a game in this atmosphere is fun and exciting.

If you live in or around one of these cities, take a day or two to see what “Beisbol” in Mexico is all about. You won’t be disappointed.