The Dominican Robinson Canó, of the Red Devils champions of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB), does not feel like a 42 -year -old veteran who goes through the end of his professional career, but, at his age, he continues to play the ball with the emotion of a rookie.
“I continue with the same energy as my 25. I effort and I mentally prepare to never feel tired,” explained the 2009 World Series with the New York Yankees.
The discipline with which Canó has remained more than two decades organized baseball has allowed him to be the leader of the devils who last year broke a 10 -year drought without a title to confirm as the most winners of the LMB with 17 trophies.
That 2024 Canó was chosen as the “most valuable player” of the campaign, after being the batting champion, at the end of .431, the sixth highest figure for a monarch of the offensive in the history of the circuit.
The Quequeyano led the LMB in unstoppable (141), third in total bases (209), fifth in doubles (26) and sixth races produced (77).
The old Mets player then was 41 years old. Now, with 42, and after winning the Caribbean series last February with the lions of the chosen Dominicans, it maintains a high level that allowed him to be summoned to his second game of stars in the LMB.
He will also participate in his first home run derby, in which he intends to validate his numbers of the season, in which he has a percentage of .359, with 83 hits connected on 231 times that he has stopped in the batting box.
In addition, he adds 18 doubles, 7 homers and has driven 48 companions to the plate, the second best figure in the Red Devils, only behind the 51 of Julián Ornelas.
Canó’s role has changed in the reds, now there are few times that covers the second base, it is more common to see it only as designated batter.
Along with this, he plays the role of being one of the costume leaders and a ‘coach’ for the American Lorenzo Bundy, scarlet handle.
“It’s like a ‘coach’. Share by WhatsApp with your classmates the analyzes you make of rival pitchers, tell them which are the favorite shipments and tendencies of the pitchers, ”Bundy told EFE.
Canó intends in the star game to give a show to the fans of the Reds, since the Alfredo Harp Helú stadium will host the match in which the LMB figures will be measured to the Mexican National Team on Sunday, June 29.
A day before, the Dominican will try to conquer the home run derby, in a park where the ball flies a lot for being at 2,240 meters above the sea level of Mexico.
Vinny Castilla will command Mexico
Vinny Castilla will be the manager who will command the Mexico team that will face the figures of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) on Sunday, in the star game of the summer circuit.
In a press release, the competition announced that Benjamín Gil, the original coach, will not be in the match for “family matters” and that instead of it will appear in the ‘Dugout’ Castilla, who is part of his coaching staff in the World Baseball Classic in 2026.
The chosen players are all of the LMB, among which Wilmer Ríos, one of the best Mexican pitchers in recent years; and Julián Ornelas and Juan Carlos Gamboa, of the Red Devils Champions of Mexico.
It will be the first time that a combined LMB figures is measured to the Mexican National Team, which is ready for next year’s world classic.
The 26 players of the star team are headed by the Dominicans Robinson Canó and Francisco Mejía, of the Devils; and the Esmil Rogers pitcher, from El Águila de Veracruz, all monarchs from this year’s Caribbean series.
There are also Venezuelans Alexi Amarista, from the Warriors of Oaxaca; and Junior Guerra, of the Tecos de the two Laredos.
This year’s star game is part of the celebrations of the Centenary Year of the LMB and will be played at the Harp Helú stadium in Mexico City, headquarters of the Red Devils.
On the other hand, Horacio de la Vega, president of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB), hoped that the game of Sundays on Sunday, in which the Mexican team will be measured to a combined competition figures, serves the national team in preparation for the World Classic.
“We hope that this star game will impulse the selection to the World Baseball Classic of the year, in which we hope to have great results,” said the leader, one of the main members of the National Baseball Selections Committee.
The Mexico team will face the LMB figures to end the weekend celebrations of the Summer Circuit Star, which will begin this Friday.
The Ball Tri will be directed by Vinny Castilla, a local baseball legend, replacing Benjamín Gil, the Mexico manager in the World Classic next year.
Gil, who in 2023 led Mexico to a historic third place in the classic, will not be in the match for “personal issues”, so the baton passed to Castilla, who is part of his coaching staff by 2026.
“It is a super important week, particularly on June 28, which is when the 100 years of the Mexican Baseball League are commemorated. We expect a great show,” added De la Vega.
