The Tigres de Quintana Roo (English: Quintana Roo Tigers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won 12 championships: 1955, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2015.
The Tigres were founded in Mexico City in 1955 as the Tigres del México (English: Mexico Tigers), and played there through the 2001 season. After a brief stint in Puebla as the Tigres de la Angelópolis, the team relocated to Cancún. The team was founded by industrial businessman Alejo Peralta, and was long owned by his son, Carlos Peralta. The team was purchased by an ownership group including Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in 2017.
They have rivalry known as the (Civil War) against their former crosstown rivals the Diablos Rojos del México. The Tigres won the Mexican League championship in their inaugural season, an achievement that was dubbed: "" (). The Tigres have won 18 division and 12 league championships since their inception.
Franchise history On 14 April 1955, the Tigres made their debut at the Julio Molina ballpark in Mérida, Yucatán under manager George Genovese.
In 1966, the Tigres toured Japan, losing all their 13 games played against Japanese teams.
Tigres Capitalinos The Tigres played in Mexico City from its inception until 2001, when the team moved to Puebla City. The team was known as Tigres del México or Tigres Capitalinos. During these years, the team played at the Parque del Seguro Social and later at the Foro Sol, starting in 2000, after the Parque del Seguro Social was demolished in order to build a shopping mall.
On their last two seasons in Mexico City, the Tigres won back to back championships, defeating rivals Diablos Rojos del México.
Move to Puebla In 2002, the team moved to Puebla and changed its name to Tigres de la Angelópolis.
50th anniversary season In commemoration of their first 50 years of competition, an alternate logo was designed in 2005. The Tigres played their 50th season relying only on Mexican players, making the championship more significant. Furthermore, the 2005 season was named "Ing. Alejo Peralta" in memory of the Tigres' founder and father of the then-owner.
New home for 2007 At the end of the 2006 season, the club's president, Carlos Peralta, announced that the team would move to the city of Cancún, Quintana Roo. The team was renamed the Quintana Roo Tigres, and began play in Beto Ávila Stadium.
Carrillo and Vizcarra era (2009–present) For the 2009 season, Enrique "Che" Reyes was replaced by Matías Carrillo as manager. Carrillo, a former major league player for the Florida Marlins, had been a successful player for Tigres from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s having won five championships as player. The Tigres continued to be a competitive squad under Carrillo and reached the 2009 final series, but lost to Saraperos de Saltillo. It was two years later, in 2011, when the team reached the final once more, this time facing their perennial rival: the Diablos Rojos del Mexico.
2011 championship In 2011, the Tigres and Diablos would play their eighth finals series against each other since 1966. The Tigres entered the 2011 series as an underdog. Nevertheless, the best-out-of-seven series ended with a 4–0 sweep against Diablos before a sell-out crowd (with a large presence of Tigres supporters) at Foro Sol.
2013 championship Despite injuries to key Tigres players, the team won its eleventh championship against the Sultanes de Monterrey, 4–1, in a best-out-of-seven series.
Championship games
SeasonChampionSeriesRunner up1955Tigres del México2–0Tecolotes de Nvo. Laredo1956Diablos Rojos del México—Tigres Capitalinos1960Tigres del México—Águila de Veracruz1965Tigres del México—Pericos de Puebla1966Tigres del México4–2Diablos Rojos del México1982Indios de Ciudad Juárez4–0Tigres Capitalinos1992Tigres del México4–2Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos1997Tigres del México4–1Diablos Rojos del México1999Diablos Rojos del México4–2Tigres Capitalinos2000Tigres del México4–1Diablos Rojos del México2001Tigres del México4–2Diablos Rojos del México2002Diablos Rojos del México4–3Tigres de la Angelopolis2003Diablos Rojos del México4–1Tigres de la Angelopolis2005Tigres del Puebla4–2Saraperos de Saltillo2009Saraperos de Saltillo4–2Tigres de Quintana Roo2011Tigres de Quintana Roo4–0Diablos Rojos del México2013Tigres de Quintana Roo4–1Sultanes de Monterrey2015Tigres de Quintana Roo4–1Acereros del Norte
Logos and colors
Roster
Retired numbers
Mexican Baseball Hall of Famers The following Hall of Famers played and/or managed for the Tigres.
NamePositionYear of inductionReferenceAlejo Peralta Owner1983 Arnoldo "Kiko" CastroSecond baseman1995 Aurelio RodríguezThird baseman1995 Benjamín CerdaThird baseman2007 Beto Ávila Second baseman 1971Celerino Sánchez Third baseman 1994Felipe Montemayor Center fielder 1983Fermín "Burbuja" Vázquez Second baseman 2003Francisco "Chico" Rodríguez Shortstop 2004Francisco Maytorena Pitcher 1999George Brunet Pitcher 1999Gregorio Luque Catcher 1999Guillermo "Memo" Garibay Manager 1977Jack Pierce First baseman 2001Jaime Corella Catcher 1991José Bache Second baseman 1983Leonardo "Leo" Rodríguez Third baseman 1980Lino Donoso Pitcher 1988Miguel Sotelo Pitcher 1985Miguel Suarez Right fielder 1994Miguel Fernández Becerril Center fielder 1984Oscar Rodríguez Center fielder 1993Roberto Méndez Second baseman 2000Rodolfo "Rudy" Sandoval Catcher 2001Ronaldo "Ronnie" Camacho First baseman 1983Sergio Robles Catcher 2006Vicente Romo Pitcher 1992
Notable players
Julio Franco (First Baseman) Tyler Herron (1986-2021) (Pitcher) Fernando "el Pulpo" Remes (Shortstop) Ismael Valdez (Pitcher) Pablo Ortega (Pitcher) Karim García (Outfielder) Jorge Cantú (Infielder) Daryle Ward (First baseman/Outfielder)
References
External links