Santurce Crabbers (baseball)

Infobox baseball team
Name=Cangrejeros de Santurce
Logo=
League=Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
Founded=1939
Location=Santurce, San Juan
Stadium=Estadio Sixto Escobar (early years), Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium (late 80's) Hiram Bithorn Stadium (until dissolution in 2004)
LeagueChamps=1951, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1991, 1993, 2000
Series=Caribbean World Series
SeriesChamps=1951, 1953, 1955, 1993, 2000
h_c

h_socks=0000aa
h_pattern_b=_baseball
a_c

a_socks=0000aa
a_pattern_b=_baseball
Colors=Very similar to that of the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Santurce Crabbers ( _es. Cangrejeros de Santurce) is a professional baseball team in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico that has been playing for over 70 years. Playing in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League ( _es. LBPRR), the "Cangrejeros" were very successful, winning 12 domestic titles and five Caribbean World Series.

Dissolution of team

In by|2004, after a big decline in attendance in recent years, the Crabbers were sold to journeyman major league baseball player José Valentín. Valentin moved the team to Manatí, with the approval of the mayor of San Juan—causing controversy among fans of the Crabbers. In response, the mayor changed the name of the San Juan Senators to Santurce Crabbers for the 2004-05 season. However, the following season, the new "Crabbers" moved and the team changed its name to the Lobos de Arecibo, leaving Santurce without a baseball team for the first time in the league's history.

Revival

On May 2008, it was announced that the team would resume play for the 2008-09 season, and that the Manati Athenians would be moved back to Santurce, and again become the Santurce Crabbers. As part of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League's restructuring program, Major League Baseball offered to work with its publicity. On July 15, 2008, personel from the league annd Major League Baseball participated in a reunion, where details about the league's merchandising were discussed. [cite web| url=http://vocero.com/noticias.asp?s=Deportes&n=115672| title=Frente a frente hoy Liga Invernal y Grandes Ligas | author=Rafy Rivera| publisher="El Vocero"'| language=Spanish| date=2008-07-15| accessdate=2008-07-15]

Famous players

Some famous Crabbers players include Joshua Gibson, Willard Brown, Bob Thurman, Rubén Gómez, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roger Moret, Juan Pizarro, Frank Robinson, Reggie Jackson, Ron Cey, Don Baylor, Juan Beniquez, Ismael "Trucutu" Oquendo, Iván Calderón and Tony Pérez.

References