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RA12

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RA12
Information
LocationGobernador Piñero, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Founded2020 (2020)
Folded2024 (2024)
Former league(s)Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC)
Former ballparksHiram Bithorn Stadium
ColorsRoyal blue, navy blue, crimson, white
       
OwnershipRoberto Alomar
ManagerJosé Muñoz

RA12 was a Puerto Rican professional baseball team based in San Juan. It competes in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC). Between its inception in 2020 and its final season in 2023–24, the team played its home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

The team's founder, owner and namesake was Hall of Fame Puerto Rican professional baseball player Roberto Alomar.[1] It was intended to serve as a development team for young Puerto Rican players.[2]

The team finished in last place in each of its four seasons in the league. In 2024, Alomar revived the Senadores de San Juan in LBPRC and discontinued RA12.

History

[edit]

In 2017, Robert Alomar and his father, Sandy, were watching a game in the LBPRC and lamented the lack of young, Puerto Rican players in the league. Alomar had been 17 years old when he debuted in the league under manager Felipe Alou and credited that experience with helping him reach Major League Baseball at 20 years old.[3]

In June 2020, Alomar approached the leadership of the LBPRC about adding an expansion team to the league. On June 10, Juan A. Flores Galarza, president of the LBPRC, announced that the league's board of directors had unanimously approved the admission of Alomar's team, to be named RA12[1] after Alomar's initials and the uniform number he wore as a player. Its logo featured a silhouette of Alomar celebrating a home run in the 1992 World Series.[2]

Alomar's stated goal in forming RA12 was to "serv[e] the youth of Puerto Rico." The following month, he joined the board of directors of the LBPRC. He said he felt the league needed "to be the foundation of player development in Puerto Rico."[2]

The team was to begin play that December in the COVID-shortened 2020–21 season with Alex Cintrón as manager, Ricky Bones as pitching coach and Roberto's brother, Sandy Alomar Jr., as bench coach.[1] José Muñoz and Carlos Baerga also joined the coaching staff.[3][4] In late October, Cintrón announced that he would not be able to manage the team due to health concerns.[5] He was subsequently replaced in that role by Andy González.[6] Sandy Alomar Sr. was named RA12's general manager.[4] The team filled out its roster by staging tryouts throughout Puerto Rico.[3]

In its inaugural season, RA12 finished in last place in the standings with a record of 2–16 and last in most statistical categories including runs, runs allowed, hits, hits allowed, walks and walks allowed. However, the team's batters were also 5.8 years younger on average than those of the league's three other teams and its pitchers were 4.3 years younger on average.[7] In spite of its statistical record, Alomar described the season as a success. He reiterated that his intent was to give young players the chance to play professional baseball against high-level talent.[4]

2021–22

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RA12 opened the 2021–22 season with Juan López as manager but replaced him in November with Eduardo Galarza after an eight-game losing streak.[8] Their record improved in their second season to 8–24 and they remained the youngest team in the league on average by several years.[9]

2022–23

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In 2022–23, RA12 fielded its first 30-year-old player and its first Major Leaguer, infielder Yadiel Rivera.[10] Rivera finished second on the team and in the league in batting average to 26-year-old catcher Rubén Castro. Castro's .305 batting average was the lowest to lead the league since Wil Cordero's .304 average in the 1992–93 season.[11] In spite of the success of Castro and Rivera, RA12 was the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention[12] and finished in last place with a 14–36 record.[13]

2023–24

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One week into the 2023–24 season, after a 1–3 start, RA12 announced that manager Eduardo Galarza would be replaced by José Muñoz.[14] Colorado Rockies top prospect, Dominican infielder Adael Amador, appeared in 21 games with RA12 in 2023–24.[15] For the fourth season in a row, the team finished in last place.[16] On June 9, 2024, Adael Amador made his Major League debut and became the first RA12 alumnus to do so.[17]

After the end of the 2023–24 season, it was reported that RA12 would be renamed the Senadores de San Juan.[18] Although the Senadores were owned by Roberto Alomar and played their home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, they otherwise had little in common with RA12. The 2024–25 Senadores had a new general manager in Alex Cintrón and fielded older, non-Puerto Rican players such as José Abreu.[19][20]

Season-by-season records

[edit]
Season-by-season records
Season Regular-season Postseason Ref.
Record Win % League GB Record Win % Result
2020–21 2–16 .111 4th 12 0—4 .000 Lost in the first round to Criollos de Caguas [7]
2021–22 8–24 .250 5th 13+1⁄2 — — — [9]
2022–23 14–36 .280 6th 17 — — — [13]
2023–24 11–29 .275 6th 14 — — — [16]
Totals 35–105 .250 — — 0–4 .000 — —

References

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  1. ^ a b c Rojas, Enrique (10 July 2020). "'RA12' de Roberto Alomar debutará en torneo invernal de PR". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). ESPN. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar to launch expansion club in Puerto Rican pro league LBPRC". World Baseball Softball Confederation. July 14, 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Gammons, Peter (January 14, 2021). "Roberto Alomar creates program to give back to Puerto Rico". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Davidoff, Ken (14 January 2021). "Inside Roberto Alomar's plan to develop baseball talent in Puerto Rico". New York Post. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  5. ^ Rodriguez, Ruben A. (20 October 2020). "Alex Cintrón no podrá dirigir en la liga invernal al club RA12 por motivos de salud". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Completada la plantilla de RA12 con nombramiento de Andy González" (in Spanish). SinCensuraDeportivaPR. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b "2020-21 Puerto Rican Winter League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  8. ^ "RA12 reemplaza a Juan 'Yunque' López de la dirección del equipo". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 23 November 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  9. ^ a b "2021-22 Puerto Rican Winter League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  10. ^ "2022-23 RA12 Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Rubén Castro hizo historia al ser el primer campeón bate simultáneo en la Doble A y la LBPRC". www.noticel.com (in Spanish). January 5, 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  12. ^ "P.R.: RA12 queda eliminado pese a su triunfo ante Mayagüez". MLB.com (in Spanish). Major League Baseball. Associated Press. December 21, 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  13. ^ a b "2022-23 Puerto Rican Winter League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Cambio de dirigente en RA12: nombran interinamente a José "Chepito" Muñoz". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 10 November 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  15. ^ Harding, Thomas (February 15, 2024). "From pink hair to hits: Adael Amador's invite to Major League camp". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  16. ^ a b "2023-24 Puerto Rican Winter League". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  17. ^ Saunders, Patrick (9 June 2024). "Rockies' Adael Amador a big hit in his major league debut". The Denver Post. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Los Senadores de San Juan regresarán al béisbol invernal de la mano de Roberto Alomar". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 30 May 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Abreu joins Alomar-backed team in Puerto Rico". ESPN.com. ESPN. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  20. ^ "2024-25 Senadores de San Juan Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
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