The Mexican Baseball League’s 2022 season gets underway later this week with Acereros de Monclova hosting Generales de Durango for a three-game series beginning Friday at Estadio de Beisbol Monclova. The Acereros (Spanish for “Steelers”) have gotten attention from fans on social media, many of them flabbergasted by the amount of big-league talent on their Opening Day roster.
Without even checking to verify, it’s safe to assume none of the other 17 teams at Mexico’s highest level of professional baseball boast a former World Series MVP (Giants great Pablo Sandoval), a Cy Young winner (Bartolo Colon, miraculously still pitching at 48 years old), a Gold Glove recipient (Josh Reddick) and former A’s and Astros slugger Chris Carter, who led the National League in home runs as recently as 2016.
The Mexican League, as observed by John Rocker avatar Kenny Powers on Season 2 of HBO’s Eastbound and Down, has often been a safe haven for fading stars not quite ready to give up on their dreams, flocking south of the border in a last-ditch effort to prolong their struggling careers. Given the lower stakes, players are also afforded a level of anonymity in Mexico, allowing them to maintain a living playing the sport they love without having to answer for their past sins.
That’s certainly the case for former Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, exiled from MLB since a domestic violence scandal brought his big-league career to an abrupt end in 2019. Bruce Maxwell fled to Mexico under similar circumstances following his arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (he would later plead guilty to a lesser charge, receiving two years probation for disorderly conduct), though he did appear in 18 minor-league games for Double-A Richmond (Giants) and Triple-A Syracuse (Mets) last season.
You’ll notice Monclova is managed by former Mets skipper Mickey Callaway, who was fired from the Angels and subsequently suspended two years for sexual harassment allegations dating back to his time with Cleveland, where he served as pitching coach under Terry Francona. Other players and coaches of note include Danny Espinosa, who slugged 98 homers over eight seasons with Washington, Anaheim, Seattle and Tampa Bay, Scott Van Slyke of Dodgers fame and hitting coach Julio Franco, a three-time All-Star and former AL batting champ for the Texas Rangers.
The Acereros, who won their lone title in 2019, reached the playoffs with a 35-31 record last season, winning their first-round series over Saraperos de Saltillo before bowing out to the eventual champion, Toros de Tijuana, in the quarterfinals.
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