| Villa Clara | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Cuban National Series (Group, Eastern) | ||||
| Location | Santa Clara | ||||
| Ballpark | Estadio Augusto César Sandino | ||||
| Year Founded | 1961 | ||||
| Nickname(s) | Naranjas (Oranges), Azucareros (Sugar-makers) | ||||
| League championships | 1968–1969, 1970–1971, 1971–1972, 1982–1983, 1992–1993, 1993–1994, 1994–1995 (7) | ||||
| Last season |
50-39 (4 Group, Eastern) classified Playoffs =Play off; Lost to Ciego de Avila (baseball) |
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| Manager | Eduardo Martín Saura | ||||
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Villa Clara is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Based in Santa Clara, the Naranjas (Orange) or Azucareros (Sugar-makers) have been one of the league's most successful squads over the last 30 years, winning championships in 1983, as well as three year run from 1993, 1994 and 1995. They also lost the 1996, 2003, 2004 and 2010 finals to Industriales. Orange, White and Black are their colors, although they have three differents colors the Orange is what represent them, though teams like Sancti Spíritus Gallos also have Orange uniforms. Four Villa Clara players (Ariel Borrero, Luis Borroto, Eduardo Paret and Ariel Pestano) were on Cuba's roster at the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Four Villa Clara players (Eduardo Paret, Ariel Pestano, Leonys Martín and Yolexis Ulacia) were on Cuba's roster at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
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Villa Clara was known as the Azucareros (sugar-makers) at that time there were Provincias of Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and Villa Clara all as one single team. The name Azucareros (sugar-makers) was to represent the workers of all Sugar Mills of Cuba. Under the name Azucareros (Sugar-makers) won three championships (1969) (1971) (1972). After the separation of the teams Villa Clara became (Las naranjas mecánica) or (Las naranjas explosivas) which are other nicknames (but not official), with the new change Villa Clara won the series in (1983) led by Eduardo Martín Saura and three consecutive years(1993) (1994) (1995) led by Pedro Jova.
Several Villa Clara players have left Cuba to try to play in the Major Leagues.
| West League | East League |
| Group A Isla de la Juventud | Matanzas Metropolitanos (Havana) | Pinar del Río |
Group C Camagüey | Ciego de Ávila Las Tunas | Villa Clara |
| Group B Cienfuegos | La Habana Province Industriales (Havana) | Sancti Spíritus |
Group D Granma | Guantánamo Holguín | Santiago de Cuba |
| Defunct teams: Agricultores | Azucareros | Citricultores | Forestales | Ganaderos | Granjeros Henequeneros | Mineros | Occidentales | Oriente/Orientales | Vegueros |
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| Seasons: 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970-71 | 1971-72 | 1972-73 | 1973-74 | 1974-75 | 1975-76 | 1976-77 | 1977-78 | 1978-79 | 1979-80 | 1980-81 | 1981-82 | 1982-83 | 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | |