Mets de Guaynabo (basketball)

Mets de Guaynabo
Founded	1935
Arena	Mario Morales Coliseum; (Capacity: 5,500)
Location	Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Team colors	Blue, Red
Head coach	Raymond Dalmau
Championships	3 (1980, 1982, 1989)
Website	http://www.metsdeguaynabo.com
	Uniforms
Home	Away

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The Mets de Guaynabo (lit. "Guaynabo Mets") are a BSN professional basketball team from Puerto Rico.^[1]

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 musical 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.

[edit] Roster

Mets de Guaynabo roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Nat.	Name	Ht.	Wt.
1.5 !G	4	Puerto Rico !	Rodriguez, Carlos	72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	160 lb (73 kg)
1.5 !G	6	Puerto Rico !	Escalera, Carlos	75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)
1.5 !G	5	Puerto Rico !	Figueroa, Carlos (FA)	72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)
4.0 !F	7	Puerto Rico !	Figueroa, Angel (C)	76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	220 lb (100 kg)
1.5 !G	9	Puerto Rico !	Casiano, Anthony (FA)	72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)
1.5 !G	10	Puerto Rico !	Guzman, Ansel (C)	71 !5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)	170 lb (77 kg)
1.5 !G	11	Puerto Rico !	Ortiz, Andres	73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	175 lb (79 kg)
4.0 !F	13	USA !	Freije, Matt	81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	245 lb (111 kg)
4.0 !F	14	Puerto Rico !	Rivera, Jorge	79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	258 lb (117 kg)
6.0 !C	15	Puerto Rico !	Colon, Luis	82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	265 lb (120 kg)
5.5 !F/C	16	USA !	Braggs, Torraye	80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	240 lb (109 kg)
4.0 !F	18	Dominican Republic !	Sánchez, Sánchez	77 !6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	215 lb (98 kg)
1.5 !G	24	Puerto Rico !	Villegas, Samuel	78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	206 lb (93 kg)
4.0 !F	26	Puerto Rico !	Febres, Arnaldo (FA)	79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	240 lb (109 kg)