Tampere Tigers
 | |
| Full name | Tampere Tigers Baseball Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Stadium | Tampere Tigers Baseball Field, Tampere |
| Chairman |  Mauricio Rosales |
| Manager | Mauricio Rosales (2016–present) |
| League | SM Sarja - Finnish Baseball League & Suomi Sarja - Finnish Baseball First Division |
| 2023 | SM Sarja: Second Place
Suomi Sarja: Second place Softball: N/A Juniors: N/A |
Tampere Tigers is a baseball and softball club from Tampere, Finland. The club competes in the two Finnish Baseball Leagues, Suomi Sarja and SM Sarja. Tampere Tigers were founded in 2004 by Arni Hukari and Lassi Autio. The Tigers have also a female softball team and a juniors program for kids 7-13.
History
[edit]During its first year the team participated in two exhibition tournaments, winning the second one. The team's name, Tigers, comes from the Japanese baseball team Hanshin Tigers.
Season 2005 was the team's first in the Finnish Baseball League. The team had 18 players, and its win-loss record was 4-11. The Tigers finished 5th in the league of 6 teams. In the award ceremony at the end of the season, Tigers’ Tomi Krogerus was elected the Rookie of the year.
Going into the 2006 season, Tigers set their goal to top-3. They finished 5th in the league, although only 2 wins away from meeting their goal. The best part of the season was the apparent development of their players. In 2006, two members of the Tigers were handed federation awards: Tuomo Mesimäki being the Rookie of the year and Niko Wirgentius the Best batter.
Year 2007 was a huge disappointment for the Tigers. They lost a couple of key players, and only managed one win in 12 games. In the Finnish Cup of baseball they advanced to the semifinal only to lose against the reigning 5-in-a-row league champions Espoo Expos. Tigers played many even games, always losing in the final innings due to the lack of experience.2008 was a historical year, 3 years after initiating its participation in the Finnish league, the team qualified for their first postseason playoff. In a best of three series the team was defeated by the 5 time consecutive champions Espoo Expos. The Tigers showed defiance on its first away game when they managed to take a 3-0 lead by the top of the second inning but gradually lost the grip of the game and succumbed in a 6-14 loss. For the second game at home turf, the high speed pitches of Juha-Pekka Niemi and the precision of Tomi Krogerus were not backed up offensively and the team lost the game and the chances of getting to the finals on a shutout game 7-0. In 2009 the team ended the season with a low winning percentage of .185, with Tommi Harala (SS/P) having the best batting average of the league that year at 0.514 and 11 RBI.
Despite having a record number of players in their roster (28) and the best fielding percentage in the entire league (0.923) the team did not manage to balance their winning percentage and ended up with a poor .200 in 2010. Despite this, Tommi Harala with an average of 0.529 won the title of Best batter of the league.
In 2011 the team did not participate in the SM Sarja and instead participated for the first time in the Suomi Sarja (First division) with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie (Games had an inning limit)
The Tigers came back to SM Sarja in 2012. At the end of the season the winning percentage was .250 but Andres Mena with an average of 0.512 was awarded the Best batter of the league.
The winning percentage for season 2013 had an increment at .267 and Andres Mena repeated the title of Best batter of the league with an average of 0.500. Teammate Yoan Martinez finished in third place with an average of .426.
There was a considerable improvement in the team's performance in 2014, the winning percentage rose up to .333 and Yoan Martinez became the best batter of the season with an average of 0.528.
In 2015, the team returned to Suomi Sarja. After ending the season with a positive record, the team qualified to the postseason, their first in this league and second time in its history. A single game final took place in Espoo where the team could not manage to secure the title finishing the season in second place.
In 2016 the Tigers made history and after a second consecutive appearance in the Suomi Sarja finals, they clinched their first title after defeating the City Mets in an exciting final game played in home ground. The team had an almost perfect season, losing only two games and winning 13 in the regular season. A very strong and experienced bullpen and great power in the offensive gave the team their first championship title.
2017 was another historical year for the Tigers. For the first time in its history, the club participated in the two competitive leagues in the country. With a solid offensive team and a great bullpen the team managed to end the SM Sarja season in a historical 3rd place. The team had the most stolen bases in the league and the second best bullpen with an ERA of 5.2. In Suomi Sarja the team clinched the second consecutive title after completing an almost perfect season where they only lost a game. Another historical milestone was accomplished with the establishment of the first softball team in the club with the participation of 9 women. The team had three exhibition games in Tampere.
In 2018 the Tigers showed an improvement in the quality of play. A very strong, record breaking 29 man roaster with great potential. However, luck was not in their favor in terms of results in SM Sarja. Despite a good performance the team lost a lot of games in extra innings and by the minimum difference and that was reflected in their record. The team however managed to qualify for the third time straight to the Suomi Sarja playoffs where they ultimately lost the opportunity to repeat the championship for the third time in a row by losing against their classic rivals Espoo XL5 in the semifinals.
Season 2019 was marked by a historical achievement. For the first time in Club's history the Tigers made it to the SM Sarja finals. With a very talented team and finishing in first place in the regular season on batting average, Slugging and On Base percentage the team managed to qualify to the best of 5 series against Espoo Expos. The experience on these instances and the spot on performance of the Expos bullpen made it impossible for the Tigers to claim their first title and end up losing the series 1-3. Meanwhile in Suomi Sarja, the team managed to qualify for their 5th consecutive postseason appearance. In the best of three series the team failed to win a game and ended up losing the series 0-2 in a series where despite their good production of runs, their bullpen did not respond as well as it had been responding during the regular season. In the end, Tigers concluded 2019 with a silver + silver season, a historical one.
Season 2020 was an unusual one. The Tigers finished the regular SM Sarja season in first place for the first time in their history with a record 12 - 2 and a winning percentage of .857. The club however decided to resign from the SM Sarja league while the Final series was underway in protest for alleged irregularities in the way the Baseball Federation managed the league. The allegations included: special rules to automatically suspend players, provocations from members of the federation online and from the bleachers and scheduling final games in the opponent's field. A new Federation Board was brought up in 2020 and investigations were promised. In Suomi Sarja, the team full of new players ended the season in third place.
In season 2021 the Club made history after winning the SM Sarja championship for the first time since their foundation, becoming Finnish National Champions after defeating the Espoo Expos three games to one in the Finals. With the same structure of players from the previous year plus the incorporation of key come-backs, the team managed to dominate their rivals and secured the first place in the regular season and win the final series. Another historical achievement was made when the Tigers Softball won the Championship game against the Helsinki Sandstorm to crown themselves as Finnish National Champions. Both teams automatically gained a spot in the European tournaments. The Suomi Sarja (Fat Lizard league) team finished the season in second place, after finishing the regular season in first place and losing the final series 0-2 against Espoo XL5.
2022 was a record breaking for the Tigers in SM Sarja with a winning record of 14-1. The team ended in first place in the regular season but failed to defend their championship and lost the final series 0-3 against Espoo Expos. In Suomi Sarja, the team ended in third place after failing to qualify to the finals in the last game of the regular season. In 2022 the team made history by participating in the European Cup Qualifiers in Kutno, Poland representing Finnish baseball for the first time.
In 2023 the Tigers participated again in Superbaseball (Former SM Sarja), Fat Lizard League (former Suomi Sarja) and internationally in the European Cup Qualifiers in Budapest. The highlight of the year was the first international win for Tigers 24-11 against Sofia Leaders from Bulgaria. In the local front, both teams managed to qualify to the finals after finishing their regular season in first place but could not win the final series and end up losing the Fat Lizard final series 0-2 and the Superbaseball final series 2-3 after being in the lead 2-0. A diminished physical condition and small roster influenced their performances at the end of the season. The highlight in Finland was the 11 winning streak in Superbaseball.
Players 2023
[edit]A combination of experienced players and talented young faces have brought strength and confidence to the team.
Official list of players
[edit]
Roynet Perez- Andres Mena
- Jose Mesa
- Sergio Fernandez
Luis Noyola
Mauricio Rosales
Niko Mäki- Gabriel Rosell
Willys Reyes- Einieri Mainegra
- Jose Gonzales
- Tommi Harala
Juan Carlos Mendez- Henri Santala
- Corey Niemi
- Adunais Perez
- Juha-Pekka Niemi
- Miikka Aaltonen
- Jyri Portin
- Janne Ylänkö
- Janne Pihlajaniemi
- Luis Diaz
- Israel Perez
- Christopher Lopez
- Eduardo Megret
- Raynel Corporan
- Tuomas Virtanen
- Faith Jepkogei
- Samuel Figueroa
On DL:
Pasi Tulonen
Managers
[edit]The Tigers have had a great selection of managers and coaches. Working together with the Club's board, their main objectives have always been the development of new talents and building up a competitive team for each season.
- 2004 Lassi Autio
- 2005 Lassi Autio
- 2006 Lassi Autio
- 2007 Oliver Paredes
- 2008 Tuomo Mesimäki
- 2009 Lassi Autio
- 2010 Aki Ropo
- 2011 Lassi Autio
- 2012 Aki Ropo
- 2013 Andres Mena
- 2014 Luis Noyola
- 2015 Lassi Autio
- 2016 Mauricio Rosales
- 2017 Mauricio Rosales
- 2018 Mauricio Rosales
- 2019 Mauricio Rosales
- 2020 Mauricio Rosales
- 2021 Mauricio Rosales
- 2022 Mauricio Rosales
- 2023 Mauricio Rosales
Former or not currently active players
[edit]Throughout its history, the team has had an array of extra ordinary players. Some are still active in other teams in Finland and some are playing overseas. Some of the players have had previous experience playing baseball while some others learned to play in the club.
List of former players
[edit]- Yendrys Serrano Williams Kelly Remberto Martinez Niklas Palander Santeri Heino Toni Kemppainen Sakari Keskitalo Duviel Fernandez Harvey Fernandez Severi Lehtimäki Tuomo Vestola
Simon Visser Cassie Andersen Anssi Rämä Riku Sjöroos Tuomas Lemmetty Markus Blommendahl Jarkko Vilkkilä Otto Nojonen Jarkko Juutilainen Tomi Krogerus Tommi Harala Arni Hukari Akira Ropo Aki Ropo Toni Sjöman Oliver Paredes Juha Kurki Mikko Salmensuo Mauno Ahlgren Jarmo Rintala Aarne Juutilainen Olli Mehtonen Klaus Tamminen Niko Wirgentius Tuomo Mesimäki Abel Maranon 
Julian Hasegawa Ton Sjöman Jyrki Nummenmaa Samuli Ikola Tomi Karppinen Kari Harjunniemi Jarkko Kettunen 
Carlos Ardila Tommi Tuominen Juha Antikainen Alberto Martinez Tommi Sakki Victor Viloria Simopekka Vänskä 
Marc Phillipe Tomi Mäntymaa Tuomas Miskala Jarkko Mällinen Harri Moisio Edvin Suarez Konsta Eskelinen Otto Eskelinen Victor Maso Antony De la Cruz Atro-Matti Puruskainen Heikki Valkama Toivo Aaltonen Dayron Lester Markku Tikka Teemu Takala Antti Kiviniemi Markus Kailanto 
Don Kilpela Jake Binney Markku Tikka Henri Virinsalo Juuso Valkeala Jarmo Rintala Jarkko Vilkkilä Mikko Helin Joni Holmberg Dennys King Roope Korhonen Mikko Siltanen Samuel Kivi 
Narender Kumar Rafael Espinal 
Gilberto Ruiz Silvio Guarat Jeremi Rannikko Riku Katajamäki Eemi Huhtinen Jani Aaltonen Wilmer Wilson Elwin Rosario Yoan Martinez 
Martin Magris Lassi Autio Silvio Quevedo Teo Scheepstra 
Tauno Koppel Camilla Lehtimäki Roberto Martinez Sidney Kitchen Vicente Herrera Heidi Rimpi Yuber Fajardo Petteri Peijonen Tuomas Virtanen Patrick Carney Christian Camacho - Some of the players in this list become available and return to the team to play in a particular season while some others have already retired from the sport.
Statistics
[edit]Tigers SM Sarja record (Including post season)
[edit]
| Year | Games | Win | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 15 | 4 | 11 |
| 2006 | 12 | 4 | 8 |
| 2007 | 12 | 1 | 11 |
| 2008 | 14 | 4 | 10 |
| 2009 | 16 | 3 | 13 |
| 2010 | 15 | 3 | 12 |
| 2012 | 12 | 3 | 9 |
| 2013 | 15 | 4 | 11 |
| 2014 | 15 | 5 | 10 |
| 2017 | 16 | 9 | 7 |
| 2018 | 16 | 6 | 10 |
| 2019 | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| 2020 | 17 | 12 | 5 |
| 2021 | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| 2022 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| 2023 | 17 | 13 | 4 |
| Total | 250 | 115 | 128 |
Tigers Suomi Sarja record
[edit]| Year | Games | Win | Tie | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 |
| 2016 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| 2019 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| 2020 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 2021 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 2023 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 128 | 86 | 5 | 38 |
Post-season record
[edit]
The team won its first final in 2016.
2008:
SM Sarja playoff
Lost playoff series 0-2 vs Espoo Expos
2015:
Suomi Sarja final
Lost single final game 14-5 vs Espoo XL5
2016:
Suomi Sarja Final
Win single final game 8-5 vs Helsinki City
Note: In 2017 there was no post-season scheduled. The team won the title by winning more games (14) than the rest of the teams in the regular season
2018:
Suomi Sarja Playoffs
Win wildcard game 15-5 vs Nokia White Sox
Lost final series 0-2 vs Espoo XL5
2019:
Suomi Sarja final series
Lost final series 0-2 vs Espoo XL5
SM Sarja final series
Lost final series 1-3 vs Espoo Expos
2020:
SM Sarja final series
Lost final series 0-3 vs Espoo Expos (Forfeiting games 2 and 3)
2021:
SM Sarja final series
Win final series 3-1 vs Espoo Expos
Suomi Sarja final series
Lost final series 0-2 vs Espoo XL5
Softball Championship game
Win final game 14-9 against Helsinki Sandstorm
2022:
SM Sarja final series
Lost final series 0-3 vs Espoo Expos
2023:
SM Sarja final series (Superbaseball)
Lost final series 2-3 vs Espoo Expos
Titles
[edit]- 2016: Suomi Sarja Champions
- 2017: Suomi Sarja Champions
- 2021: SM Sarja Champions
- 2021: Softball National Champions
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Finnish Baseball Federation (info, scores, statistics)
https://finland.wbsc.org/en/events/2022-sm-sarja/teams