 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| Ceased | 2015 |
| No. of teams |
|
| Country | Venezuela |
| Last champion(s) | VSL Tigers (2015) |
The Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was a professional baseball sports league that operated in Venezuela from 1997 to 2015, primarily in the state of Carabobo. Teams in the league served as academies for Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations, and were classified at the Rookie League level within Minor League Baseball.
The VSL was created in 1997 as an alternative to the Dominican Summer League (DSL) to improve the development of young prospects from Venezuela in their early years in organized baseball. Besides Carabobo, the states of Aragua, Lara and Yaracuy were represented in the league.
Each team had a roster limit of 35 active players, at least 10 of which had to be pitchers. No player on the active list could have more than four years of minor league service. There were no age limits. The league was closed to all MLB Draft eligible players; that is, players from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Exceptions were made for two players from Puerto Rico.[ citation needed ] In addition to Venezuela, players in the league came from Argentina, Colombia, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Sint Maarten.
The regular season champion and runner-up played a best-of-three-games playoff series for the league championship.
The league had six squads in its first season, 1997, via three teams fielding split-squads. [1] By 1999, the league had grown to 10 individual teams, and had nine teams as late as 2007. [1] The league reduced to four teams in 2012, played the next two seasons with five teams, [1] and was again reduced to four teams in 2015. [2] Political instability in the region led to more teams opting out before the 2016 season, resulting in the league shutting down. [2] [3] [4]
After the suspension of the VSL, the semi-pro Bolivarian League remained as the only summer league in Venezuela (though that would cease operations in 2019). Venezuela would go without a fully-professional summer baseball league until 2021, when the Venezuelan Major League was established.
Teams during this period were named for the city they operated in.
Source: [1]
These clubs operated as split-squads, fielding two teams denoted by numbers (e.g. VSL Venoco 1 and VSL Venoco 2).
| Team | City | MLB Affiliation | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VSL Guacara 1&2 | Guacara, Carabobo | Milwaukee Brewers San Francisco Giants Florida Marlins | 1997–1998 |
| VSL Maracay 1&2 | Maracay, Aragua | unknown | 1997 |
| VSL San Joaquín 1&2 | San Joaquín, Carabobo | Los Angeles Dodgers Houston Astros Montreal Expos | 1997–1998 |
| VSL Tronconero 1&2 | Tronconero, Carabobo | Minnesota Twins New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres | 2003–2004 |
| VSL Venoco 1&2 | Guacara, Carabobo | Houston Astros Baltimore Orioles | 2004 |
Source: [1]
Teams during this period were named for their affiliated MLB team(s).
| Team | MLB Affiliation | City | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VSL Astros | Houston Astros | Guacara, Carabobo | 2005–2008 |
| VSL Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals | San Joaquín, Carabobo | 2005–2010 |
| VSL Cubs | Chicago Cubs | Los Guayos, Carabobo | 2013–2015 |
| VSL Mariners | Seattle Mariners | Aguirre, Carabobo | 2005–2014 |
| VSL Mets | New York Mets | Tronconero, Carabobo | 2005–2009 |
| VSL Orioles | Baltimore Orioles | Guacara, Carabobo | 2005 |
| VSL Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies | Tronconero, Carabobo | 2005–2015 |
| VSL Pirates | Pittsburgh Pirates | San Joaquín, Carabobo | 2005–2011 |
| VSL Rays | Tampa Bay Rays | Guacara, Carabobo | 2008–2015 |
| VSL Reds | Cincinnati Reds | Cagua, Aragua | 2005–2006, 2010–2011 |
| VSL Tigers | Detroit Tigers | Los Guayos, Carabobo | 2007–2015 |
Source: [1]
Note that cooperative teams are linked to their respective teams (e.g. VSL Cubs/Twins links to VSL Cubs and VSL Twins).
| Team | MLB Affiliation | City | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VSL Cubs/Twins | Chicago Cubs Minnesota Twins | Maracay, Aragua | 2007 |
| VSL Devil Rays/Reds | Tampa Bay Devil Rays Cincinnati Reds | Guacara, Carabobo | 2007 |
| VSL Marlins/Nationals | Florida Marlins Washington Nationals | Maracay, Aragua | 2005 |
| VSL Orioles/White Sox | Baltimore Orioles Chicago White Sox | Guacara, Carabobo | 2006 |
| VSL Red Sox/Padres | Boston Red Sox San Diego Padres | Los Guayos, Carabobo | 2005 |
| VSL Tigers/Marlins | Detroit Tigers Florida Marlins | Los Guayos, Carabobo | 2006 |
| VSL Twins/Blue Jays | Minnesota Twins Toronto Blue Jays | Maracay, Aragua | 2006 |
Source: [1]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(March 2021) |
Source: [5]
VSL players who have gone on to make MLB appearances include:
Note: team affiliations reflect a player's organization while in the VSL; the player may have reached MLB with a different franchise.
Carabobo State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, located in the north of the country, about two hours by car from Caracas. The state capital city is Valencia, which is also the country's main industrial center. The state's area is 4,369 km2 (1,687 sq mi) and as of the 2011 census, had a population of 2,245,744.
The Dominican Summer League Red Sox, often called the DSL Red Sox, are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball, playing in the foreign Dominican Summer League. The team, classed as a Rookie League franchise, plays at the El Toro Complex in the Dominican Republic.
Héctor Luis Rondón is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Rondón signed as an international free agent with the Cleveland Indians in 2004.
Mauricio Antonio Robles, is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Detroit Tigers on April 1, 2006. Robles pitched for Venezuela at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players deemed to have the most impact on their teams' performances in each of the two respective League Championship Series that comprise the penultimate round of the MLB postseason. The award is given separately for a player in both the American League Championship Series and the National League Championship Series. It has been presented in the National League (NL) since 1977, and in the American League (AL) since 1980. Dusty Baker won the inaugural award in 1977 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Frank White won the first AL award in 1980 with the Kansas City Royals. The ten Hall of Famers to win LCS MVPs include Roberto Alomar, George Brett, Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson, Kirby Puckett, Ozzie Smith, Willie Stargell, John Smoltz, Iván Rodríguez, and Mariano Rivera.
The 2010 Major League Baseball season began April 4, with the regular season ending on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. The National League ended a 13-game winless streak with a 3–1 victory. Due to this result, the World Series began October 27 in the city of the National League Champion, the San Francisco Giants, and ended November 1 when the Giants defeated the American League Champion Texas Rangers, four games to one.
The Venezuelan Summer League Reds, or VSL Reds, was a Minor League Baseball affiliated team of the Cincinnati Reds and based in the city of Valencia, Carabobo in Venezuela.
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since 1976, and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since 1990. The 82nd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 12 with the National League defeating the American League for the second straight year, by a score of 5–1. As had been the case since 2003, the league winning that game had home field advantage in the World Series. Accordingly, the World Series began on October 19, and ended on October 28, with the St. Louis Cardinals winning in seven games over the Texas Rangers.
The Dominican Summer Pirates 2 or DSL Pirates 2 was briefly the second Dominican Summer League team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates and were based in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic from 2012 to 2013.
Hernán Alejandro Pérez is a Venezuelan professional baseball utility player in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals. He has also played in the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles. Pérez was signed by the Tigers as a non-drafted free agent in 2007, and has seen time at every position on the field except for catcher.
Bruce Rondón is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and from 2015 through 2017 and for the Chicago White Sox in 2018. Rondón's fastball has exceeded 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
The 2015 Major League Baseball season began on April 5 with a Sunday night game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and ended on November 1 with the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series. This was Rob Manfred's first season serving as Commissioner of Baseball.
José Gregorio Rondón Hidalgo is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals.
José Antonio Alvarado is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Alvarado previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays, having signed there as an international free agent in 2012. Alvarado made his major league debut in 2017.
The 2019 Major League Baseball season began on March 20, while the regular season ended on September 29. It was the 150th anniversary of professional baseball, dating back to the 1869 foundation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The postseason began on October 1. The World Series began October 22 and ended October 30 with the Washington Nationals defeating the Houston Astros in seven games to win their first World Series championship. The entire schedule was released on August 22, 2018.
José Enrique Azócar is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder in the San Diego Padres organization. He made his MLB debut in 2022.
The Venezuelan Summer League Red Sox, sometimes called the VSL Red Sox, were a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), playing in the foreign Venezuelan Summer League (VSL). The team, classed as a Rookie League franchise, operated between 1999 and 2005. The VSL itself operated from 1997 to 2015.
The 2022 Major League Baseball season (MLB) was originally scheduled to begin on March 31 and end on October 2. The 2021–22 lockout caused the season to be delayed by one week, starting on April 7. The regular season ended on October 5. The start of the season was delayed by a lockout of players, which commenced on December 2, 2021, following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). On March 10, 2022, MLB and the MLBPA reached a deal on a five-year CBA, with Opening Day being held on April 7, and a full 162-game schedule played. Under the new CBA, universal designated hitter was adopted, the postseason was expanded to 12 teams, and the regular season tie-breaker game was eliminated. In November 2021, the Cleveland Indians announced their new team name, the Cleveland Guardians. The 2022 MLB All-Star Game was held on July 19 and hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
| National teams | |
|---|---|
| Competitions | |
| Honors | |
| Hosted events | |
| Defunct competitions | |
