Caguas Creoles (basketball)
Encyclopedia
The Criollos de Caguas are a BSN basketball
team based in Caguas
, Puerto Rico
.
of baseball
. Unlike their baseball counterparts, however, the basketball Criollos did not enjoy a wild and steady success, instead settling for moderate success.
The Criollos, with Cayey's
native Willie Melendez and Caguas native Willie Quiñones on their side, reached the semi-finals in 1984. Melendez was traded to the Polluelos de Aibonito the following season, however, and The Criollos then went on a downward spiral, going 12-21 in 1986, 7-23 in 1987, 9-24 in 1988 and 10-20 in 1989. Quinones, although the Criollos only once posted a winning record with him as a player, always refused to be traded as he declared over and over again that he would only play for his hometown's team. He is a member of the exclusive group of basketball players that have scored 5,000 or more points in Puerto Rican basketball history, 5,000 points being a coveted number because of the relatively small number of games played each year (from 30 to 33 games per season).
In 1987, Caguas Mayor Angel O. Berrios
took over as team owner. In the 1990s, a Criollos revival began, and he hired such players as Luis Allende and Orlando 'Guayacan' Santiago. The Criollos reached the semi-finals again in 2002, and got to the playoffs in 2003, losing in the first round.
The Criollos decided not to play during the 2005 BSN season, partly because of economical reasons, but the team returned for the 2006 season and won the tournament for the first time in their history after beating the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the finals.
The Criollos entered the league's "Super 6" semifinals. They remained with possibilities of earning advancing until the final stages of the phase, gathering 20 points. On June 10, 2008, one of the team's games was cancelled when the league suspected that one of the Captains' players was playing against the league's rules.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Caguas
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
History
The Criollos professional basketball team began to play during the 1976 season, joining their counterparts the CriollosCriollos de Caguas
The Criollos de Caguas are a baseball team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League. Based in the city of Caguas, they have won 15 domestic titles and three Caribbean World Series....
of baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Unlike their baseball counterparts, however, the basketball Criollos did not enjoy a wild and steady success, instead settling for moderate success.
The Criollos, with Cayey's
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
native Willie Melendez and Caguas native Willie Quiñones on their side, reached the semi-finals in 1984. Melendez was traded to the Polluelos de Aibonito the following season, however, and The Criollos then went on a downward spiral, going 12-21 in 1986, 7-23 in 1987, 9-24 in 1988 and 10-20 in 1989. Quinones, although the Criollos only once posted a winning record with him as a player, always refused to be traded as he declared over and over again that he would only play for his hometown's team. He is a member of the exclusive group of basketball players that have scored 5,000 or more points in Puerto Rican basketball history, 5,000 points being a coveted number because of the relatively small number of games played each year (from 30 to 33 games per season).
In 1987, Caguas Mayor Angel O. Berrios
Ángel O. Berríos
Ángel O. Berríos was a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico. An engineer of profession, Berríos became the 22nd mayor of Caguas for the first time in 1973, after winning the 1972 elections, as a member of the Popular Democratic Party .Berrios was defeated in the 1976 elections by the New Progressive...
took over as team owner. In the 1990s, a Criollos revival began, and he hired such players as Luis Allende and Orlando 'Guayacan' Santiago. The Criollos reached the semi-finals again in 2002, and got to the playoffs in 2003, losing in the first round.
The Criollos decided not to play during the 2005 BSN season, partly because of economical reasons, but the team returned for the 2006 season and won the tournament for the first time in their history after beating the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the finals.
The Criollos entered the league's "Super 6" semifinals. They remained with possibilities of earning advancing until the final stages of the phase, gathering 20 points. On June 10, 2008, one of the team's games was cancelled when the league suspected that one of the Captains' players was playing against the league's rules.