The tournament kicked off last night with three matches.
SANTO DOMINGO. The 2025-2026 Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) winter baseball season is dedicated to Juan Marichal, the first Dominican inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. In his honor, the trophy that the six teams will compete for will bear his name, in recognition of his legacy in national and international baseball.
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez, a native of Laguna Verde, Montecristi, is considered one of the most emblematic figures in Dominican baseball. Although his international fame was cemented with the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball, where he won 243 games and was selected to the All-Star Game 10 times, his career also left a significant mark on local baseball.
In Dominican baseball, Marichal made his professional debut with the Leones del Escogido, a team with which he won three national championships and was a fundamental part of a generation that raised the competitive level of the league in the 1960s. His dominance on the mound and his work ethic made him a respected figure by both teammates and rivals.
Throughout his career in LIDOM, he also had brief stints with the Tigres del Licey, though his strongest connection was always with the Escogido. While his time in the league wasn't long, his impact was lasting, and he remained a role model even after his retirement.
This recognition comes after more than seven decades of the tournament's history without a season ever being dedicated to him. During the cup's presentation ceremony, LIDOM President Vitelio Mejía Ortiz offered a public apology for not having paid him this tribute before. "We were surprised to learn that a tournament had never been dedicated to him. Today we rectify that historical oversight," he stated.
The trophy was unveiled at an event led by the CEO of Banco de Reservas, Leonardo Aguilera, who reaffirmed the bank's commitment to Dominican baseball. "This is the fifth consecutive year we have supported the tournament, and doing so in honor of Juan Marichal is a privilege," he stated.
The season kicked off last night with 50 games scheduled per team in the regular season. The final will be played in December, and the playoffs will begin in January. The champion team will represent the Dominican Republic in the 2026 Caribbean Series, bearing the name of a living legend of the mound.
More than a trophy, this season will be a celebration of legacy. Juan Marichal no longer pitches from the mound, but his presence will be felt in every inning, in every play, as a living part of the history that continues to be written in Dominican baseball
