Mets de Guaynabo (basketball)

Mets de Guaynabo
Founded 1935
Arena Mario Morales Coliseum
(Capacity: 5,500)
Location Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Team colors Blue, Red          
Head coach Raymond Dalmau
Championships 3 (1980, 1982, 1989)
Website http://www.metsdeguaynabo.com
Uniforms
Home
Away

The Mets de Guaynabo (lit. "Guaynabo Mets") are a BSN professional basketball team from Puerto Rico.[1]

The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo. At first, they had to play at a local gymnasium in Isla Verde, a San Juan area somewhat far from Guaynabo.

The Mets were coached by legendary National Team and Olympic Coach Julio Toro.

The Mets were a force in Puerto Rican basketball during the 1980s. With such players as Fico Lopez, Mario Morales, José Sosa, Earl Brown, Jose Santos, [Gustavo Santos], Papiro Leon, Papote Agosto and many more, the Mets won championships in 1980, 1982 and 1989, while reaching the finals in 1981, 1983, and 1985. The reached the playoffs every year during that decade.

The Mets were able to acquire Jose and Gustavo Santos from the Rio Piedras Cardinals whom they had defeated the previous year in the Superior Basketball league semi finals. 5 players for two arguably the largest trade in PR basketball history. The Mets were reborn with the Santos trade and looked to their minor league for future stars Papiro Leon, Fico Lopez, Papote Agosto. So dominant and young was this team, that a dynasty was born, the Mets reached the finals in 4 consecutive years winning two championships. All of their players were below the age of 25, with teenagers shoring up the bench. The PR federation had to break up this team by introducing a draft and new rule that a team can only protect "6" players thus breaking up the powerful Mets.

In 1983, their new home, the Mario Morales Coliseum, was inaugurated. Apart from the Mets' home games, the coliseum is also used for boxing, roller derby and musical acts. It features a large painting of Morales on the entrance.

The Mets reached the finals again in 1990 and 1993, losing both times to the Ponce Lions.

Roster

Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt.
G 4 Rodriguez, Carlos 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg)
G 6 Escalera, Carlos 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
G 5 Figueroa, Carlos (FA) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
F 7 Figueroa, Angel (C) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg)
G 9 Casiano, Anthony (FA) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg)
G 10 Guzman, Ansel (C) 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg)
G 11 Ortiz, Andres 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg)
F 13 Freije, Matt 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg)
F 14 Rivera, Jorge 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 258 lb (117 kg)
C 15 Colon, Luis 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 265 lb (120 kg)
F/C 16 Braggs, Torraye 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg)
F 18 Sánchez, Sánchez 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg)
G 24 Villegas, Samuel 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 206 lb (93 kg)
F 26 Febres, Arnaldo (FA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 240 lb (109 kg)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Bobby Porrata
  • Jim Apicella
Athletic trainer(s)
  • Pedro Ortiz
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: 2010-12-10

References

  1. ^ http://bsnpr.com/equipos/index.asp?e=14&serie=4&liga=1&anio=2010

External links