Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos.
He is not alone.
The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs.
Photo: AP
After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, turned their attention to baseball and many of them appear to have stayed for the long haul.
“We are constantly striving for growth and this season is not going to be different,” league president Horacio de la Vega said. “Our growth has to do with the fact that we are not selling just baseball, but a whole experience.”
In Mexico City, the “baseball experience” happens in the US$160 million Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, which opened in March 2019 and seats 20,000.
Even though the ballpark is small compared with MLB standards, the carnival-like atmosphere stands out.
“This is a special city, where the fans come to each game, whether it is day or night,” Cano said. “As a player, it is a big motivation to see the park full of fans supporting baseball.”
The 42-year-old Dominican, who appeared in eight MLB All-Star Games, played in the US for five franchises, among them the New York Yankees. He was a key player in leading Diablos Rojos to the championship last season and he has agreed to return for a second one.
Through his career, Cano has played for the Dominican Republic’s Estrellas Orientales and competed in several Caribbean Series.
“The atmosphere in Mexico is somewhat like the Caribbean Series, but in there you are playing for your country and it is a short tournament,” Cano said. “Here, it’s a long season and yet the fans are still there every night.”
Last season, the Diablos Rojos topped the average attendance in the league with 11,694, followed by Toros de Tijuana (11,354) and Sultanes de Monterrey (9,092).
Soccer clubs Pachuca (10,713), Santos Laguna (9,421), Mazatlan (9,522) and Juarez (8,980) have worse attendance despite playing in bigger stadiums. The team with the best attendance in Liga MX are Monterrey with 43,544.
“We have a great group of owners, even though they are rivals on the field. Off it they work as allies and share all kinds of things, from how to clean bathrooms, how to have better food courts and even to sell beer,” De la Vega said.
After the World Baseball Classic in 2023, 4.734 million fans set the league attendance record for a season. Last year, the number dipped, but only by 93,000 fans.
“We have been growing steadily and this being a special season, we are aiming for a record 5 million fans in total attendance,” De la Vega said.
The fans are getting younger, too.
Nine years ago, 53 percent of the team’s fans were 55 years or older, and now 74 percent of them are younger than 45, Diablos Rojos president Othon Diaz said, adding that they averaged 3,000 fans per game and now it is up to 11,000.
France’s Kevin Aymoz snatched the men’s title at Skate America on Saturday, winning his first grand prix title with a battling free skate, while short program leader Kazuki Tomono faltered. It was an emotional triumph for Aymoz, who made his grand prix level debut in 2017, with seven prior podium finishes, but no gold. He had struggled with a painful foot injury since a disappointing 10th-place finish at Skate Canada last month. “It was so difficult,” the 28-year-old said. “After Skate Canada I wanted to give up so much and today I’m here and it’s so beautiful to be with my friends competing
A start-up’s entry into prediction market trading is raising fresh questions about the involvement of NBA owners in sports betting. The start-up, Mojo Interactive Inc, was cofounded by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, the owners of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx. Mojo has started trading on the outcome of sports games on the prediction market exchange Kalshi, an arrangement that is now being reviewed by the NBA. Mojo began trading event contracts tied to sports during the NFL season this fall, according to Mojo CEO Vinit Bharara. Mojo has yet to trade on any NBA games, Bharara said in
PORTUGAL LOSE: Ronaldo was sent off in their defeat for elbowing an Ireland player, while England, who are already qualified, defeated Serbia 2-0 to stay perfect Kylian Mbappe and France on Thursday booked a berth at next year’s FIFA World Cup, but Cristiano Ronaldo might be banned from Portugal’s first game there if his team finally win their European qualifying group. Two goals from star striker Mbappe helped two-time champions France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine, but Ronaldo was ejected for the first time in his international career and Portugal have to wait until tomorrow to secure a qualifying spot for the seventh straight time after they were stunned 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin. Midfielder Michael Olise and substitute forward Hugo Ekitike added the
Nigeria’s soccer coach has accused the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) of practicing “voodoo” after his squad’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s FIFA World Cup ended in a penalty shoot-out loss in the African playoff final. DR Congo and Nigeria drew 1-1 after extra-time in the tie in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday and the central Africans won 4-3 on penalties to book a place in inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico in March next year. In his post-match remarks to journalists, coach Eric Chelle said a member of the DR Congo team “did some voodoo, every time, every time, every time.” “That
RSS