Cocodrilos de Matanzas

Cocodrilos de Matanzas
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Current uniforms
Home Away

Matanzas are a baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Based in Matanzas Province, the Cocodrilos were formed after the dissolution of Henequeneros and Citricultores, two teams from Matanzas. The Cocodrilos have struggled to enjoy the success of their predecessors.

History

Long before the Yumurine players wore the Gothic M of Matanzas on their flannels in that year of 1967, the name of such an illustrious city had already adorned the official history of winter tournaments in the mythical campaign of 1878–79.

Like that modest combined at the beginning of the circuit in the nineteenth century, the Matanzas of the 60s and 70s, was not the most competitive. Never, stars of the mood of Wilfredo Sánchez, his brother Fernando, Rigoberto Rosique, Tomás Soto, Evelio Hernández, Edwin Walters, Alfredo García, Gaspar Pérez, Luis Fernández, Ernesto William Alfonso or the brothers Félix and Reinaldo Isasi, could they unify their forces in a single gang to defend the walls of the Athens of Cuba.

And while Matanzas stoically endured his permanence at the bottom of the pond until his total disappearance towards the mid-1970s, Henequeneros, the other squad of the land of crocodiles, adorned his souvenir closet with a trophy in the 1969 campaign -70.

In the early 1990s, the winter series competition system was reorganized for the eighth time. After 19 years of absence, a team reappeared with the name of Matanzas. Although, this second version of the squad in the amateur era was also not very prolific in terms of collective results.

Matanzas won the Cuban National Series championship pennant in 2020, defeating Camagüey in the finals, clinching 4-2 overall in 6 games out of seven.

Current roster

• Catchers: Andrys Perez Garcia, Ariel Martinez Marrero, Jesus Daniel Olivera Leon
• Infielders: Yurisbel Gracial Garcia, Jefferson Delgado Castañeda, Yasiel Santoya Zulueta, Bárbaro Erisbel Arruebaruena Escalante, Aníbal Medina Pérez, Sandy Menocal, Yariel Duque Salgado
• Outfielders: Eduardo Blanco Díaz, Willian Luis Campillo, Juan Miguel Martínez Mesa, Javier Camero Rodríguez, Yoisnel Camejo Delgado, Ariel Sánchez, Roberto Alvarez Cardenas
• Pitchers: Yoanni Yera Montalvo, Jonder Martínez Martínez, Yaniel Blanco Portal, David Mena Jústiz, Naykel Yoel Cruz Saldivar, Armando Dueñas Moré, Ramón Licor Rodríguez, Andy Quesada Coto, Reinier Rivero Estrada, Haykel Parra Limonta

Team records

CNS No	Season	Winner	Runner Up	3rd Place	Matanzas	Manager
49	2009-10	Industriales	Villa Clara	Habana	14th	Wilfredo Menendez
50	2010-11	Pinar del Rio	Ciego de Avila	Cienfuegos	14th	Wilfredo Menendez
51	2011-12	Ciego de Avila	Industriales	Matanzas	3rd	Victor Mesa
52	2012-13	Villa Clara	Matanzas	Santi Spiritus	2nd	Victor Mesa
53	2013-14	Pinar del Rio	Matanzas	Industriales	2nd	Victor Mesa
54	2014-15	Ciego de Avila	Isla de la Juventud	Matanzas	3rd	Victor Mesa
55	2015-16	Ciego de Avila	Pinar del Rio	Matanzas	3rd	Victor Mesa
56	2016-17	Granma	Ciego de Avila	Matanzas	3rd	Victor Mesa
57	2017-18	Granma	Las Tunas	Matanzas	3rd	Victor Figueroa
58	2018-19	Las Tunas	Villa Clara	Santi Spiritus	16th	Victor Figueroa
59	2019-20	Matanzas			1st (Series Champion)	Armando Ferrer

Notable players

• Felix Isasi (second baseman)
• Rigoberto Rosique (outfield)
• Wilfredo Sanchez (outfield)
• Jorge Luis Valdez (pitcher)
• Lazaro Junco (outfield)
• Julio German Fernandez (first baseman)
• Juan Manrrique (catcher)
• Jose (pepito) Estrada (outfield)
• Yadiel Hernandez (outfield)
• Yoandry Garlobo (outfield)
• Michel Abreu (first baseman)
• Amaury Casañas (outfield)
• Guillermo Heredia (outfield)