The ninth annual Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta will return to Kino Stadium Thursday night, giving baseball-crazy Southern Arizonans and those from Sonora and beyond a chance to watch Mexican Pacific League teams as they prepare for their seasons.
This year’s series comes with a twist. The Mesa Solar Sox, an Arizona Fall League team comprised of some of the best minor-league prospects in baseball, will take on the Aguilas de Mexicali on Saturday night. The Solar Sox replace the UA baseball team, which canceled in August citing “scheduling limitations” related to the NCAA’s limits on when fall practices can begin.
No matter: The fiesta is geared around the Mexican winter league teams, and the resulting vibe and feel at Kino Stadium reflects it. This year’s event will again have the music and mascots that make the league unique. La Brissa will perform banda music along the third-base line during Thursday night’s game between the Naranjeros de Hermosillo and Tomateros de Culiacan. Thursday is also “Thirsty Thursday,” with $1 beers being sold between 4 and 6:30 p.m.
The combination of good baseball, discounted beer and live music should make for a memorable first night, fiesta founder and president Mike Feder said.
“Every day, we have a minimum of two or three bands,” Feder said. “La Brissa ... they’re one of the hottest bands in Sonora.”
The Naranjeros and Tomateros, meanwhile, are two of the Mexican Pacific League’s traditional powers.
“This is like the Red Sox and the Yankees,” Feder said.
Hermosillo will play Culiacan on Thursday night while La Brissa performs banda music down the third base line.
Friday is kids night, with free tickets for those ages 6-16 available at Eegee’s. Sunday’s games start at 3 p.m.; it’s family day, with $10 vouchers available at Vantage West Credit Union.
Tickets start at $6 for kids, seniors, military and college students; they’re $10 and $15 for adults.
The fiesta includes familiar faces to baseball fans. Former big-leaguer Vinny Castilla, a Mexican legend, manages the Hermosillo team. He is assisted by Erubiel Durazo, an Amphitheater High School and Pima College standout who won a World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Culiacan is managed by Benji Gil, another former big-leaguer. Two of Mexicali’s coaches, Trenidad Hubbard and Bronswell Patrick, are former Tucson Toros.
The AFL’s Solar Sox are managed by former big-league catcher Mike Rabelo. Their roster is comprised of prospects from the Angels, Cubs, Athletics, Tigers and Indians organizations — including Jo Adell, the No. 1 prospect in the Angels’ system. Former UA first baseman Alfonso Rivas, a prospect in the A’s organization, is also on the Solar Sox roster.
The event has expanded in the years since Feder and partner Francisco Gamez, a former Mexican league pitcher, came up with a series that would connect Mexican fans and some of their favorite teams.
This year’s fiesta began at the sparkling new Las Vegas Ballpark and has stopped at Mesa’s Sloan Park and at War Memorial Stadium in Nogales, Arizona.
“And that’s all in a three-week period,” Feder said. “We now have more teams from Mexican winter league than ever.”
