The Tigres del Licey, the Santo Domingo team that had finished the regular series in third place, won the right to represent the DR in the Caribbean Series on Friday evening, 29 January, to a full house of some 23,000 fans. The Series went to eight games, as the city rival teams Leones del Escogido and the Tigres del Licey battled each other game after game. The Licey defeated the Escogido Lions thanks to a four-run rally in the ninth inning, winning 10 to 7. The Licey had been tagging 6-7. Russell Branyan was the hero of the evening, batting a home run with three men on base. The series was described as the most exciting of the 16 championships won by the Licey in the history of Dominican baseball. Ronnie Belliard was chosen the MVP, of the series. The Licey, the Dominican team with most championships, had not won a championship since 1993-94. In Puerto Rico, the Licey seeks to win its 12th Caribbean Series championship. The Caribbean League has been playing since 1970. The Caribbean Series opens Tuesday, 2 February with games until a winner is chosen on 8 February. Manny Aybar, the pitcher with the best record this season, will start for the Licey Tigers against the Venezuela in the opening game of the Caribbean Series in San Juan, Puerto Rico, announced team manager Dave Jauss. The Licey celebrated yesterday, with a long caravan of blue-flag bearing fans that paraded along the Avenida del Puerto, John F. Kennedy, 27 de Febrero, Avenida Duarte and Malec?n avenues. The Caribbean series opens Tuesday, 2 February at through 8 February. The Licey roster in Puerto Rico is as follows: Catchers are: Henry Mercedes, Jorge Brito and Kelly Ramos. Infielders: Luis Ota?ez, David Ortiz, Luis Castillo, Adrian Beltr?, Neifi P?rez, Ronnie Belliard, D’Angelo Jim?nez. Outfield: Luis Polonia, Manny Mart?nez, Juan Encarnaci?n, Israel Alc?ntara. Pitchers: Manuel Aybar, Dar?o Peerez, Miguel Batista, Ram?n Ortiz, Jim Dedrick, Estevan Yan, H?ctor Almonte, Anthony Chavez. Yorkis Peerez, F?lix Heredia, Valerio de los Santos and Pedro Mart?nez Aquino. Team manager Rafael Landestoy.
