Charros de Jalisco

The Charros de Jalisco (Jalisco Horsemen) are a professional baseball team who compete in both the Mexican Pacific League (LMP) and the Mexican League (LMB), based in Zapopan, Jalisco, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Their home ballpark is Estadio Panamericano, which has a capacity of 16,500 people.

Charros have existed in various incarnations since 1946, playing in the summer-time Mexican League for much of their existence. The modern franchise played its initial season in the winter Pacific League in 2014–15; originally the Algodoneros de Guasave, it was purchased in April 2014 by a group of investors led by Armando Navarro and moved to Jalisco.

In November 2023, the Charros purchased the Mariachis de Guadalajara, and announced their return to the Mexican League. They will play in both Mexican professional leagues, becoming the second club to do so after the Sultanes de Monterrey.

History
Professional baseball in Guadalajara originated with the Pozoleros de Jalisco, which competed in the now-defunct Central League from 1946 to 1949. From 1952 to 1955, the club competed as the Medias Azules (Blue Socks) in the Liga de la Costa del Pacífico (Pacific Coast League). The team became the Charros in 1949, and competed in both the early Mexican League and the Mexican Pacific League in three stages: 1949 to 1952, 1946 to 1976 and 1991 to 1995.

The second incarnation of the Charros was from 1964 and 1975. This team won Mexican League championships in 1967 and 1971. They played at the Estadio Tecnologico de Béisbol of the University of Guadalajara, which had a capacity of 4,000 spectators.

Origin of the name
The team made a road trip to Chihuahua in its early history. During a stop in a small town, the players bought cowboy hats for protection from the bright sunlight. They were wearing these hats when they arrived at the destination, and were referred to as "charros".

First ballpark
The first home field for the Pozoleros/Charros was the Estadio Municipal in the Analco area, near the Agua Azul park. They played there 1949–52. This ballpark was demolished and replaced by a bus station, which is now a Federal office building.

Mexican League participation
The Charros competed in the Mexican League for twenty-two seasons, in three stints: from 1949 to 1952; from 1964 to 1976; and from 1991 to 1995. The club won two Mexican League championships. The first in 1967, whre they defeated the Broncos de Reynosa in the final under manager Guillermo Garibay. The second title was in and 1971, under manager Benjamín "Cananea" Reyes. They came back from a 0–3 deficit to defeat the Saraperos de Saltillo. Current owner Armando Navarro was vice-president of the club at the time, and he worked closely with Guillermo Cosío Gaona in the club's management.

During the late stages of the franchise in the late 1980s and 1990s, they did some aggressive hiring, including former Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela in 1992. However, the increased popularity of football and the poor condition of the Estadio Tecnológico led to the team's demise.

Mexican Pacific League participation
The Charros participated in the Mexican Pacific League in the 1952–53, 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons. The league was known as the Liga de la Costa del Pacífico at that time.

The Charros returned to the Mexican Pacific League for the 2014–15 season with the acquisition of the Algodoneros de Guasave franchise.

Return to the Mexican League
On 14 November 2023, the Mexican League announced that the Charros bought the Mariachis de Guadalajara franchise and would start playing in the league in 2024.

Mexican Pacific League championships
The Charros have won the Mexican Pacific League Championship once, in the 2018–19 season, when they defeated Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón in six games under manager Roberto Vizcarra.