Indios de Cartagena (Cartagena Indians) were a baseball team active in the Colombian Professional Baseball League. Founded in the league's inaugural 1948 season by Juan González Cornet, the team was one of the most successful in Colombian baseball.
History
Indios was the first professional baseball team in Colombia, founded in March 1948 by Juan González Cornet and sponsored by Cigarillos Piel Roja ( Redskin Cigarettes); it gained its name from Pielroja's mascot, a stereotypical North American Indian. Indios was crowned champion of the inaugural 1948 season. During this era, Indios was the "criollo" team, made up of all-Colombian players, as opposed to other teams including its crosstown rival Torices that used foreign players. The team won three more titles in the so-called first era of Colombian baseball, the last in 1955–56, before the league ceased operations in 1958.
When Colombian professional baseball started again in 1979, Indios returned and immediately won two championships back to back, in 1980 and 1981. During this period, it was headlined by "Los Ñatos" (The Snub-Nosed Ones), shortstops Orlando Ramírez and Carlos Velázquez. Indios won their last title in the 1987–88 season, though that would be the last season of professional baseball until the mid-1990s.
After the professional league was reformed, several teams briefly assumed the Indios name, starting the 1996–97 season and going until 2001–02 season. Jolbert and Orlando Cabrera bought the Tigres de Cartagena team and briefly renamed them the Indios in 2007–08, but the franchise would return to the Tigres name the following year. Tigres changed their name to Indios again for the 2016–17 season, maintaining the same management and players, but again reversed the decision after one season.
Record Indios de Cartagena season-by-season record Season Finish Won Lost Win % GB Postseason Manager 1948 1st 11 7 Juan González Cornet 1949 3rd 15 12 5.5 Juan González Cornet 1950 1st 32 17 Juan González Cornet 1951 2nd 16 14 2 Juan González Cornet 1952 1st 29 13 Juan González Cornet 1953 3rd 21 31 14 Juan González Cornet 1953–54 2nd 33 27 1 Lost in Finals (Torices) 4–1 Juan González Cornet 1954–55 4th 25 39 15 Missed playoffs Antonio Ruiz 1955–56 2nd 33 32 6 Won in Finals (Vanytor) 4–0 Gaspar del Monte 1956–57 4th 26 40 11 Missed playoffs Gaspar del Monte 1957–58 4th 22 38 13 Missed playoffs Quincy Trouppe 1979–80 4th 18 32 13.5 Won Finals (Torices) 4–2 José Martínez 1980–81 2nd 34 26 1 Won Finals (Olímpica) 4–3 Rigoberto Mendoza 1981–82 5th 18 42 20 Missed playoffs Rigoberto Mendoza 1982–83 5th 23 41 16 Missed playoffs 1983–84 4th 26 34 13 Missed playoffs 1984–85 3rd 27 33 11 Lost in Finals (Cafe Universal) 4–2 Wilfredo Calviño 1987–88 1st 29 20 Won Finals (Rancheros) 4–1 Curtis Wallace 1999–2000 1st 14 13 Lost in Finals (Vaqueros) 4–2 Dan Norman 2000–01 4th 11 19 9.5 Missed playoffs Remy Hermoso 2007–08 3rd 25 28 8 Lost in Finals (Caimanes) 4–0 Nilson Robledo 2016–17 4th 16 25 6.5 Missed playoffs Jolbert Cabrera
Notable players
Carlos Rodríguez Joe Lonnett Seth Morehead Horace Garner Orlando Ramírez Reggie Williams Mariano Duncan Carlos Velázquez Vance Lovelace Orestes Destrade José González Mark Funderburk Dan Norman Chadwick Tromp Jolbert Cabrera
References