Guaynabo Mets
Encyclopedia
The Mets de Guaynabo are a BSN professional basketball
team from Puerto Rico
.
The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo
. At first, they had to play at a local gymnasium in Isla Verde
, a San Juan
area somewhat far from Guaynabo.
The Mets were coached by legendary National Team and Olympic Coach Julio Toro.
The Mets were a force in Puerto Rican
basketball during the 1980s. With such players as Fico Lopez
, Mario Morales
, José Sosa, Earl Brown, Jose Santos, [Gustavo Santos], Papiro Leon, Papote Agosto and many more, the Mets won championships in 1980, 1982 and 1989, while reaching the finals in 1981, 1983, and 1985. The reached the playoffs every year during that decade.
The Mets were able to acquire Jose and Gustavo Santos from the Rio Piedras Cardinals whom they had defeated the previous year in the Superior Basketball league semi finals. 5 players for two arguably the largest trade in PR basketball history. The Mets were reborn with the Santos trade and looked to their minor league for future stars Papiro Leon, Fico Lopez, Papote Agosto.
So dominant and young was this team, that a dynasty was born, the Mets reached the finals in 4 consecutive years winning two championships. All of their players were below the age of 25, with teenagers shoring up the bench. The PR federation had to break up this team by introducing a draft and new rule that a team can only protect "6" players thus breaking up the powerful Mets.
In 1983, their new home, the Mario Morales Coliseum
, was inaugurated. Apart from the Mets' home games, the coliseum is also used for boxing
, roller derby
and music
al acts. It features a large painting of Morales on the entrance.
The Mets reached the finals again in 1990 and 1993, losing both times to the Ponce Lions
.
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 from 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...
.
The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo is a municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas; south of Cataño; east of Bayamón; and west of San Juan...
. At first, they had to play at a local gymnasium in Isla Verde
Isla Verde, Puerto Rico
Isla Verde is a District of Carolina located east of Santurce next to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport above the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge...
, a San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
area somewhat far from Guaynabo.
The Mets were coached by legendary National Team and Olympic Coach Julio Toro.
The Mets were a force in Puerto Rican
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...
basketball during the 1980s. With such players as Fico Lopez
Federico Lopez
Federico López Camacho was a Puerto Rican basketball player. He was a member of the Guaynabo Mets....
, Mario Morales
Mario Morales
Mario Morales , aka "Quijote" Morales, for his ability to conquer both scoring and team championships in the Puerto Rican BSN league, is one of Puerto Rico's most famous basketball players.-Professional career:...
, José Sosa, Earl Brown, Jose Santos, [Gustavo Santos], Papiro Leon, Papote Agosto and many more, the Mets won championships in 1980, 1982 and 1989, while reaching the finals in 1981, 1983, and 1985. The reached the playoffs every year during that decade.
The Mets were able to acquire Jose and Gustavo Santos from the Rio Piedras Cardinals whom they had defeated the previous year in the Superior Basketball league semi finals. 5 players for two arguably the largest trade in PR basketball history. The Mets were reborn with the Santos trade and looked to their minor league for future stars Papiro Leon, Fico Lopez, Papote Agosto.
So dominant and young was this team, that a dynasty was born, the Mets reached the finals in 4 consecutive years winning two championships. All of their players were below the age of 25, with teenagers shoring up the bench. The PR federation had to break up this team by introducing a draft and new rule that a team can only protect "6" players thus breaking up the powerful Mets.
In 1983, their new home, the Mario Morales Coliseum
Mario Morales Coliseum
Mario Morales Coliseum is an indoor sporting arena located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The coliseum opened in 1983 and is named after renowned basketball player Mario Morales....
, was inaugurated. Apart from the Mets' home games, the coliseum is also used for boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al acts. It features a large painting of Morales on the entrance.
The Mets reached the finals again in 1990 and 1993, losing both times to the Ponce Lions
Ponce Lions (basketball)
The Leones de Ponce are a BSN basketball team based in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The Lions are one of the BSN's most successful franchises, having won a total of twelve championships...
.