Tigres de Quintana Roo


The Quintana Roo Tigers, formerly known as the Mexico Tigers are a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team located in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division of the Mexican Baseball League. The Tigres were founded in Mexico City in 1955 and played there through the 2006 season. 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 a competitive and long-standing rivalry known as the Guerra Civil against their former crosstown rivals the Diablos Rojos del Mexico. The Tigres won the Mexican League championship in their inaugural season, an achievement that has never been matched, and was dubbed: "El equipo que nació campeón". The Tigres are a perennial powerhouse and have won 18 division and 12 league championships since their inception.

Franchise history

On April 14, 1955, the Tigres made their debut at the Julio Molina ballpark in Mérida, Yucatán. Their inaugural game represented the determination of entrepreneurs Don Alejo Peralta and Díaz Cevallos to support the sport that by then was submerged in a financial crisis.
The team has won twelve championships to date: 1955, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2015.

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 Avila 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 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 Up
1955Tigres del México2–0Tecolotes de Nvo. Laredo
1956Diablos Rojos del México—Tigres Capitalinos
1960Tigres del México—Águila de Veracruz
1965Tigres del México—Pericos de Puebla
1966Tigres del México4–2Diablos Rojos del México
1982Indios de Ciudad Juárez4–0Tigres Capitalinos
1992Tigres del México4–2Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos
1997Tigres del México4–1Diablos Rojos del México
1999Diablos Rojos del México4–2Tigres Capitalinos
2000Tigres del México4–1Diablos Rojos del México
2001Tigres del México4–2Diablos Rojos del México
2002Diablos Rojos del México4–3Tigres de la Angelopolis
2003Diablos Rojos del México4–1Tigres de la Angelopolis
2005Tigres del Puebla4–2Saraperos de Saltillo
2009Saraperos de Saltillo4–2Tigres de Quintana Roo
2011Tigres de Quintana Roo4–0Diablos Rojos del México
2013Tigres de Quintana Roo4–1Sultanes de Monterrey
2015Tigres 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 inductionReference
Alejo PeraltaOwner1983
Arnoldo "Kiko" CastroSecond baseman1995
Aurelio RodríguezThird baseman1995
Benjamín CerdaThird baseman2007
Beto ÁvilaSecond baseman1971-
Celerino SánchezThird baseman1994-
Felipe MontemayorCenter fielder1983-
Fermín "Burbuja" VázquezSecond baseman2003-
Francisco "Chico" RodríguezShortstop2004-
Francisco MaytorenaPitcher1999-
George BrunetPitcher1999-
Gregorio LuqueCatcher1999-
Guillermo "Memo" GaribayManager1977-
Jack PierceFirst baseman2001-
Jaime CorellaCatcher1991-
José BacheSecond baseman1983-
Leonardo "Leo" RodríguezThird baseman1980-
Lino DonosoPitcher1988-
Miguel SoteloPitcher1985-
Miguel SuarezRight fielder1994-
Miguel Fernández BecerrilCenter fielder1984-
Oscar RodríguezCenter fielder1993-
Roberto MéndezSecond baseman2000-
Rodolfo "Rudy" SandovalCatcher2001-
Ronaldo "Ronnie" CamachoFirst baseman1983-
Sergio RoblesCatcher2006-
Vicente RomoPitcher1992-

Notable players