Naranjas de Villa Clara
| Azucareros de Villa Clara | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Logo | ||||
| Information | ||||
| League | Cuban National Series (East League Group D) | |||
| Location | Santa Clara | |||
| Ballpark | Estadio Augusto César Sandino | |||
| Founded | 1962 | |||
| Nicknames |
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| League championships | 8 (1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1982–83, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2012–13) | |||
| 2009-2010 | 50-39 : Group D classified. Lost to Ciego de Avila in the playoffs. | |||
| Colors | Orange, black and white | |||
| Manager | Ramón Moré | |||
| Current uniforms | ||||
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Villa Clara is a baseball club that plays in the Cuban National Series, representing the province of the same name. Sometimes referred to as the "Naranjas" (Oranges), the club has also been nicknamed the "Azucareros" (Sugar Growers) and the "Leopardos" (Leopards), the latter name dating back to Santa Clara in the Cuban Professional League.
Based in the provincial capital city of Santa Clara, the Azucareros were one of the original four teams to compete in the 1962 Cuban National Series, the first season of Cuban baseball after the Cuban Revolution and the end of the professional Cuban Winter League. Villa Clara was one of the National Series's most successful squads in the 1990s and 2000s, winning three consecutive championships from 1993 to 1995. They also lost the 1996, 2003, 2004 and 2010 finals to the Industriales.
Several Villa Clara players have been members of the Cuba national baseball team in the World Baseball Classic: Ariel Borrero, Luis Borroto, Eduardo Paret and Ariel Pestano were on the roster in the 2006 tournament, while Leonys Martín, Eduardo Paret, Yolexis Ulacia and Pestano were in 2009.