| Japan Islanders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Information | |||||
| League | Empire Professional Baseball League | ||||
| Location | Lyon Mountain, New York | ||||
| Founded | 2016 | ||||
| League championships | Zacari Cup (2018) | ||||
| Colors | Blue, red, white | ||||
The Japan Islanders are an independent professional baseball team based in Lyon Mountain, New York, United States. They play in the Empire Professional Baseball League (EPBL), which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
The Puerto Rico Islanders joined the Empire Professional Baseball League for the 2017 season. They played their first season as a traveling team until the league finalized a ballpark and opposing team travel arrangements. [1] In their debut the Islanders fell short of reaching the playoffs by one game. [2]
Tony Rodríguez was hired to manage the Islanders for the 2018 season. [3] The team finished the regular season in second-place with a 27–18 record. [4] On August 12, 2018, the Islanders won the Zakari Cup (EPBL) championship by besting the New York Bucks in the final series. [5] This was the team's first title in two seasons of existence.
After the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the league's 2020 season, the Puerto Rico Islanders were renamed the Japan Islanders and made into a team with a roster of Japanese players. The team mostly serves as a traveling team playing against the other EPBL teams in New York State, occasionally playing as the home team in Lyon Mountain.
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Atanasio "Tony" Pérez Rigal is a Cuban-American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and third baseman from 1964 through 1986, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1970 and 1976. He also played for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies.
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The Vaqueros de Bayamón was a professional baseball club which played from 1974 through 2003 in the Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico. The Vaqueros joined the league as a replacement team for the departed Senadores de San Juan. They were based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and played their home games at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium.
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