Venezuelan Summer League

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This article is about the now-defunct summer baseball league in Venezuela. For the country’s existing summer league, see Venezuelan Major League.
Venezuelan Summer League
SportBaseball
Founded1997; 27 years ago (1997)
Ceased2015; 9 years ago (2015)
No. of teams
  • First season: 6
  • Maximum: 10
  • Final season: 4
CountryVenezuela
Last
champion(s)		VSL Tigers (2015)

The Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was a

Rookie League level within Minor League Baseball
.

History

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

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

1997–2004

Teams during this period were named for the city they operated in.

Single-squad teams

Team City MLB Affiliation Year(s)
VSL Aguirre
Aguirre, Carabobo
  • 2001
  • 2002–2004
VSL Cabudare Cabudare, Lara
  • 1999, 2001
  • 2000
  • 2002
VSL Cagua Cagua, Aragua
  • 1999
  • 2000–2001
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2004
VSL Carora Carora, Lara St. Louis Cardinals & Toronto Blue Jays 2001–2002
VSL Chino Canónico Barquisimeto, Lara
1999
2000
VSL Chivacoa Chivacoa, Yaracuy
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
    		•
    • 1999
    • 2000
    • 2001–2002
    • 2003
    VSL Ciudad Alianza
    		 Los Guayos, Carabobo
  • Boston Red Sox
    		•
    • 1999
    • 2001
    • 2002
    • 2004
    VSL Cocorote Cocorote, Yaracuy
    Florida Marlins & Toronto Blue Jays
    		 2003
    VSL La Pradera La Pradera, Mérida
  • New York Yankees & Los Angeles Dodgers
    		•
    • 1999
    • 2000
    • 2001
    • 2002
    VSL La Victoria La Victoria, Aragua
    		1999
    2000
    VSL Mariara Mariara, Carabobo
    • Tampa Bay Devil Rays
    • Philadelphia Phillies
    		 2001
    2002–2003
    VSL Miranda Miranda, Carabobo
    Tampa Bay Devil Rays & Arizona Diamondbacks & Chicago White Sox
    		 1998
    VSL Montalbán Montalbán, Carabobo Pittsburgh Pirates & Colorado Rockies & Minnesota Twins 1998
    VSL Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello, Carabobo Chicago Cubs & Colorado Rockies 2002
    VSL San Felipe
    San Felipe, Yaracuy
    		1999–2000
    2001–2003
    VSL San Joaquín
    		 San Joaquín, Carabobo
    • 1999
    • 2000–2001
    • 2002
    • 2004
    VSL Venoco Guacara, Carabobo
    		2000
    2001–2003
    VSL Universidad de Carabobo
    		 Maracay, Aragua
    • 1998
    • 1999
    • 2000
    • 2001–2002
    • 2004
    VSL Yaritagua Yaritagua, Yaracuy Baltimore Orioles 2003

    Source:[1]

    Split-squad teams

    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
    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]

    2005–2015

    Teams during this period were named for their affiliated MLB team(s).

    Single-affiliate teams

    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]

    Cooperative teams

    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
    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
    Florida Marlins
    		 Los Guayos, Carabobo 2006
    VSL Twins/Blue Jays Minnesota Twins
    Toronto Blue Jays     		Maracay, Aragua 2006

    Source:[1]

    League champions

    • 1997 – VSL Maracay 2
    • 1998 – VSL Guacara 1
    • 1999 – VSL Chino Canónico
    • 2000 – VSL San Felipe
    • 2001 – VSL Venoco
    • 2002 – VSL Aguirre
    • 2003 – VSL San Felipe
    • 2004 – VSL Tronconero 2
    • 2005 – VSL Astros
    • 2006 – VSL Phillies
    • 2007 – VSL Astros
    • 2008 – VSL Pirates
    • 2009 – VSL Rays
    • 2010 – VSL Pirates
    • 2011 – VSL Rays
    • 2012 – VSL Phillies
    • 2013 – VSL Mariners
    • 2014 – VSL Tigers
    • 2015 – VSL Tigers

    Source:[5]

    MLB alumni

    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.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b c d e f g "Venezuelan Summer League (Foreign Rookie) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
    2. ^ a b Wild, Danny (January 21, 2016). "Venezuelan Summer League closes doors". MiLB.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016 – via Wayback Machine.
    3. ^ Badler, Ben (January 21, 2016). "Venezuelan Summer League Shuts Down". Baseball America. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016 – via Wayback Machine.
    4. ^ McCosky, Chris (January 24, 2016). "Tigers bow out of Venezuelan Summer League". The Detroit News.
    5. ^ Dystra, Sam (October 16, 2014). "VSL playoffs review: Tigers capture title". MiLB.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.

    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Venezuelan_Summer_League&oldid=1221230457"