The 2011 season in the Spanish Division de Honor starts this weekend, kicking of the European Baseball year. Let’s take a quick look at the ten teams:
CB Sant Boi
CB Sant Boi heavily invested into its roster last winter and accomplished the big goal, winning the Spanish championship thanks to an impressive 33-3 record. They still had a relatively busy winter, making a bunch of roster changes. Luis Silva has taken over from Francesco Despaigne as manager. Lowuin Sacramento is supposed to strengthen the pitching staff, which has lost Junior Guerra, Jose Estebin Cruz and Juan Guanchez. Alex Hernandez is replacing Jose Luis Salazar behind the plate. First basemanJose Luis Riera (FC Barcelona) and outfielder Gaspard Fessy (retired) have left too. Infielders Daniel Adolfo Fernandez and Stefano Pistocchi add depth to the roster. Especially the loss of pitchers Guerra, Cruz and Guanchez is tough. It is going to be interesting if the new guys will be able to replace these three hurlers in an adequate way.
FC Barcelona
During the Copa Catalunya the FC Barcelona already showed that they want the title in 2011, winning all four preseason games, including two against reigning champion CB Sant Boi. Last year they finally were able to beat the Tenerife Marlins, but were passed by Sant Boi in the standings, finishing in second place with a 31-5 record, two games behind first place. Delio Miguel Martinez, Pedro Pablo Belmonte and Orlando Diaz are not coming back. Ricardo Hernandez, Jose Luis Salazar, Jose Luis Riera, Pau Sancho and Cole Yanco Rancoll are supposed to replace them. The FC Barcelona again will fight for the championship.
Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz
For the first time after five consecutive championships, the Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz didn’t win the title in the Division de Honor last year. A 28-8 record only was good enough for third in the standings, five games behind first place. Afterwards they secured their European Cup ticket for 2010 by winning the Copa del Rey. During the winter we heard thatIvan Granados, Javier Flores, Franklin Tavarez and Jorge Balboa are not coming back. On the other hand Yoel Hernandez and Dewis Navarro return from Danesi Nettuno. Former U21 national teamer and Minnesota Twins farmhand Yancarlo Franco will play for the Marlins this year. They also try to lure starting pitcher Miguel Rizo to Puerto Cruz, who was suspended the past two years. But despite the losses of key players, the Tenerife Marlins will have a strong team on the field in 2011.
Baseball Navarra
Baseball Navarra with manager Miguel Erroz really challenged the top three, CB Sant Boi, FC Barcelona and the Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz in 2010, but in the end they still had to settle for fourth place. They won 23 of the 36 games and later also reached the final of the Copa de Rey, where they lost to the Marlins and missed out on the opportunity to play in the European Cup this June. They are retaining most of the roster from last year with some prospects coming from the youth teams in Arga and Irabia and hope to continue to compete on the same level as the top three. There are only a few changes at the foreign player spots. The big one is Adolfo Gonzalez replacing Larry Infante at shortstop.The goal for the season is the qualification for the Copa del Rey, which will be played in Pamplona in August.
San Inazio Bilbao
In comparison to 2009 San Inazio Bilbao dropped out of the top four last season, finishing in fifth place with an even 18-18 record. Especially games against Sant Boi, Barcelona, Tenerife and Navarra ended usually with a loss (3-13 record vs. top four). The biggest subject on the agenda this winter was the renovation of the ballpark in Bilbao. Transaction wise we didn’t hear that much. Former minor leaguer Tony Granadillo followed the path of Dirimo Chavezand joined Mr. Cocker HCAW in the Dutch Hoofdklasse. The Venezuelan Jose Romero is strengthening the San Inazio pitching staff this year. Catcher Javier Flores is coming from Tenerife. Kelvin Marianucci and Ruben Cabrera will return for another season in Bilbao.
Astros Valencia
After basically not winning anything in 2008 and 2009, the Astros Valencia showed major improvements on the field and left last place to move into a solid sixth place with a 16-20 record. Last year’s key import John Scott Dunn will not return, but this year’s won’t disappoint either. Former minor leaguer Aaron Hornostaj is coming from the Rouen Huskies, Bobby Carrington from Sparta/Feyenoord Rotterdam. Pedro Pablo Belmonte is coming from the FC Barcelona. Additionally the Spanish prospects Franklin Tavarez and Adrian Porres will bolster the lineup at offense and defense. All on top is the fact that their best offensive player Kevin Malone will be back. The Astros really could make major strides towards the top four or even more this year.
CB Viladecans
The Spanish record champion had a similar season like a year before, concluding 2010 with a 15-21 record in seventh place. They were kind of in nowhere land, having a big cushion towards the bottom three, but never had a shot at the top four too. They had a quite winter. Fabian Marques andMiguel Valdes will not come back. Returning Denny de Jesus Nino is accompanied by a fellow former Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguer with Carlos Luis Amaro Alejo.
Halcones de Vigo
After just nine wins in 36 games and an eighth-place finish last year Halcones de Vigo worked hard this winter to improve the team for the upcoming season. Former Spanish national teamer Manuel Garcia is replacing Diego Torres as manager. Additionally they announced that they are bringing back Ángel Virgüez and Alejandro Carillo, who already were with the club two seasons ago, and the signing of two former professional Venezuelans. Domingo Morillo and Jose Navas are supposed to provide reinforcement from the foreign player spots. Other imports are Ronny Materano, Marco Marques and Riccardo Burgazzi. Now they have to show, translating these roster changes into a jump into the standings.
CD Pamplona
Club Deportivo Pamplona finished in ninth place in the final standings in the Division de Honor last year. Six wins in 36 games weren’t enough to leave the bottom third of the standings. They tried to improve the team during the winter with two 25-year-old Venezuelan players, which played in the minor leagues in the past. Alexis Fumero returns for a second season with Pamplona after 2009. He had played for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization before. The right-handed pitcher also is going to have a new battery mate behind the plate, as former Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer Isaac Palencia joins CD.
Sevilla Red Sox
The Sevilla Red Sox are the new team in the Spanish Division de Honor, replacing the relegated El Llano from Gijon. They earned the promotion thanks to a 28-4 overall record in the Primera Division. We haven’t heard much from the Red Sox this winter and we have to wait and see how they will fare in this year’s campaign. However as usually promoted teams are always considered as the heavy underdog. Kelvin Almonte, Marfi Lopez De Leon and Roger Max Manrique will be the import players.