Tiburones de La Guaira
From BR Bullpen
| Tiburones de La Guaira Guaira Sharks | |
 | |
| League: | Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional |
| Founding: | 1962 |
| First Season: | 1962/1963 |
| City: | La Guaira, Vargas (nominally) Caracas, Distrito Capital (actual) |
| Stadium: | Estadio Universitario de Caracas |
| League Titles: | 7 |
| 1964/1965, 1965/1966, 1968/1969, 1970/1971, 1982/1983, 1984/1985, 1985/1986 | |
| Serie del Caribe Titles: | 0 |
| none | |
| Former Names: | Pampero (1955-1962) |
| Future Names: | |
| President: | Francisco Arocha Hernández |
| General Manager: | Leonardo Campins |
| Manager: | Joey Cora |
The Tiburones de La Guaira are a Venezuelan winter league team that plays in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. The team was founded in 1955 as Pampero and would reamain under that banner until 1962. Even though the team's name suggests that it plays in the coastal city of La Guaira, the team plays at Estadio Universitario de Caracas in Caracas which it shares with the Leones del Caracas.
In 1962 the club's owner industrialist Alexander Hernández sold the team to manager José Antonio Casanova for a symbolic sum of one bolivar. However, Casanova did not have the moeny to support the team and so he needed some financial support. He found this in some coastal businessmen; José Antonio Díaz, Pablo Díaz, Mario Gómez, Manuel Malpica, and Jesús Morales Valarino.
In the team's first season the Tiburones went 23-19 but did not make to the semifinal series. In only the team's third season, they made it to the Finals, which they won versus the Leones. Over the next ten seasons the team won four titles and was a runner-up on three occassions. During the mid-1980s the team also had another string of success, winning three titles in four years. Despite having seven titles the Tiburones have not won a Serie del Caribes. The team was later bought by Guillermo Gómez, Héctor Hoffman, and Pedro Padrón Panza whose son, Pedro Padrón Jr. is the current owner.
The Tiburones have a rivalry with the Leones del Caracas, partly because both teams share the same stadium.
[edit] Retired Numbers
- 11 - Luis Aparicio
- 13 - Oswaldo Guillén
- 14 - Gustavo Polidor
- 15 - Robert Marcano
- 40 - Carlos Martínez
- 41 - Aurelio Monteagudo
[edit] Notable Players
- Luis Aparicio
- John Bateman
- Oswaldo Blanco
- Ángel Bravo
- Al Bumbry
- José Cardenal
- Norman Carrasco
- Paulino Casanova
- Elio Chacón
- Chad Curtis
- Oswaldo Guillén
- Remigio Hermoso
- Enzo Hernández
- José Herrera
- Clint Hurdle
- Pat Kelly
- Marcelino López
- Roberto Marcano
- Carlos Martínez
- Aurelio Monteagudo
- Jessie Orozco
- Gustavo Polidor
- Jim Rooker
- Luis Salazar
- Argenis Salazar
- Luis Mercedes Sánchez
- Darryl Strawberry
- Luis Tiant
- Raúl Pérez Tovar
- Oswaldo Virgil
[edit] External Links
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