/ Modified sep 28, 2016 4:52 p.m.

Sixth Annual Mexican Baseball Fiesta Gets Underway Thursday

Event strives to re-create in Tucson the environment of Mexico's top league.

Mexican baseball SPOT Action at the 2014 Tucson Mexican Baseball Festival.
Courtesy of Mexican Baseball Fiesta, LLC

Five teams from Mexico's top baseball league will take part in this year's Mexican Baseball Fiesta, taking place at Kino Sports Complex Thursday through Sunday.

The Naranjeros de Hermosillo, Yaquis de Obregón, Águilas de Mexicali, Tomateros de Culiacán, and Cañeros de Los Mochis will take part in the event. A team of major league prospects round out the field.

The event attempts to bring the environment of the games of Mexico's top league to Tucson.

“It’s completely different [from American baseball]," said Francisco Gamez, founder of the Mexican Baseball Fiesta. "So that’s why we invite the people who haven’t been to these games to come up and see the games. Don’t matter if they don’t even like baseball, just to see the fiesta itself.”

Fiesta Practice The Tomateros de Culiacán practice the day before the Mexican Baseball Fiesta gets underway.
Zac Ziegler

Gamez said his organization brought more than just the teams north from Mexico. Food vendors, mascots, bands, DJs and public address announcers are all making the trip to Tucson, too.

Each evening features a doubleheader and music acts. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday's festivities start at 3:00 p.m.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona