Misplaced Pages

#867132

53-662: The Cuban National Series was instituted in replacement of the Cuban League , which had operated since 1878, as in March 1961 the Cuban government abolished professional baseball . The Cuban League typically consisted of four teams; the Cuban National Series has played with more than four teams since its 1965–66 season, peaking at 18 teams from the late 1970s into the early 1990s. The Cuban National Series operated as

106-507: A round-robin tournament , it changed to a bracket tournament in January 1990. In January 1998, the postseason was expanded to eight teams. Instances where a team has won the championship more than once are numbered in parentheses. In seasons that spanned two calendar years, the "Year" column is when the season ended. Cuban League The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside

159-458: A round-robin tournament , with each team playing the other three teams twice each—this was used through the 1988–89 season. In 1989–90 (only), the two division winners faced off in a best-of-seven series to determine a league champion, while the two division runners-up met in a best-of-five series to determine third place. In 1990–91, the postseason format was changed to a bracket tournament , with two semifinal series (each best-of-three) followed by

212-505: A winter league for most of its history, generally playing a regular season stretching from early August until late January. As of 2023, the regular season spans late March to early July. An all-star game is held yearly at midseason. In Havana, most of the top tier players take the field for Industriales , traditionally the strongest team in the league. Other typically strong teams include those from Santiago de Cuba Province , Pinar del Río Province and Villa Clara Province . In March 1982,

265-409: A best-of-seven final series. In 1997–98, the postseason was expanded to eight teams, as division winners plus the next four teams with the best winning percentage advanced to the postseason. A quarterfinal stage was added, contested as best-of-five series. In 2008–2009, the league was reorganized into two eight-team divisions, East and West, with the top four teams from each division qualifying for

318-447: A championship. The Cuban Elite League was initiated to maintain active competition during the winter months. Source: Before the 1985–86 season, champions were decided by final regular-season standings. The 1962–63 and 1971–72 seasons saw two teams finish tied for first, so three-game tie-breaker series were played to determine a champion. A postseason was first played in January 1986, contested by four teams. Initially staged as

371-562: A final series (best-of-seven). In 1991–92, the semifinals were changed to best-of-five to match the MLB's Divisional Series format. In 1992–93, league size reduced from 18 to 16 teams, as Pinar del Río Province and Matanzas Province , each of which had been fielding two teams each, began fielding a single team each. The 16 teams were divided into four groups (divisions) with the top team from each group advancing to postseason play. The postseason consisted of best-of-seven semifinal series followed by

424-552: A fully professional institution. These changes did not occur without opposition and controversy. At least one team owner sold his interest rather than invest in an integrated enterprise. Several of the players from the upper classes moved to amateur leagues, which continued to compete behind walls of racial segregation. The next major change came in 1907 when the Fe team began loading up with black American stars, such as Rube Foster , Home Run Johnson , Pete Hill , and Bill Monroe . Soon

477-711: A modern, new stadium opened in Havana, Gran Stadium (now known as Latin American Stadium ), with a capacity for 35,000 spectators. In the aftermath of the Mexican League 's efforts in 1945 to sign major league players, U.S. organized baseball engaged in an effort to control the flow of players in Cuba and the other Caribbean leagues. This effort culminated in a 1947 agreement between the Cuban League and

530-401: A single table of standings, with the top teams at the end of the regular season advancing to the postseason, thereby ending divisional play. To accommodate the 2013 World Baseball Classic , contested in March, the league took a six-week break after the all-star game of February 3. The league played a shortened 45-game season, with all 16 teams competing in a single table format (doing away with

583-644: A sport played in defiance of Spanish authorities, who viewed this American invention as vaguely secessionist and dangerously violent because of the use of sticks. A ban was issued in 1869, just as the Ten Years' War was starting." Several of the sponsors of early baseball teams were also supporters of the revolutionary cause. A number of ballplayers fought against Spain in the Cuban War of Independence (1895–98), and at least three lost their lives: Emilio Sabourín, Juan Manuel Pastoriza, and Ricardo Cabaleiro. During

SECTION 10

#1732782402868

636-445: A year following the end of the 2020–21 season in January 2021, play resumed with a 75-game schedule, all contested within a single calendar year for the first time, as the 2022 season spanned January to June. The change to a summer league schedule was made official, and starting with the 2023 season, the league runs from March to July with a schedule of 75 games per team in the regular season, followed by three playoff rounds culminating in

689-426: Is also considered one of Cuba's premier scuba diving destinations. Cayo Levisa , about two kilometers offshore, is known for its copious black coral and excursions to this cay are afforded by tour agencies based in the province. Another hugely popular location is María la Gorda beach, which boasts many nearby dive sites (as close as 200 m (220 yd) from the beach). An increasing number of tourists also visit

742-533: The Cincinnati Reds for 25 consecutive innings, including a 1-hit, 9-strikeout shutout. In 1910 the Cuban teams beat the World Series champion Philadelphia Athletics , 6 games to 4, leading the embarrassed Commissioner to issue a ban on post-season exhibition games by the reigning World Series champion. During the 1910s a number of white Cuban players began to break into major league ranks, including

795-706: The Colorados Archipelago , a string of cays and isles developed on a reef barrier. The westernmost point of Cuba, Cabo San Antonio , is located on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula , which is a National Park and a Biosphere Reserve . The city was founded by the Spanish as Nueva Filipinas (New Philippines ) in response to an influx of Asian laborers coming from the Philippine Islands to work on tobacco plantations and

848-522: The Cordillera de Guaniguanico , divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and the westerly Sierra de los Órganos . These form a landscape characterised by steep sided limestone hills (called mogotes ) and flat, fertile valleys. One such topographic feature, the Viñales Valley , is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The northern coast opens to the great Gulf of Mexico , and is lined by

901-513: The Cuban National Series , as the government reformed the system to focus on national goals. Pinar del R%C3%ADo Province The Pinar del Río Province is one of the 15 provinces of Cuba . It is at the western end of the island of Cuba . The capital and largest city is Pinar del Río (191,081 pop. in 2022). The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges ,

954-604: The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues to bring top minor league and new major league players to Cuba for winter league play. The next season a second league—the Players' Federation —was formed, consisting largely of players who were outlawed by organized baseball for their play in the Mexican League. This new league, however, proved not to be viable and lasted only one season. Throughout

1007-521: The National League and American League of Major League Baseball before 1969. In the event of a tie at the end of the season, a best-of-three tiebreaker series was played. Source: The 1977–78 season followed the nation's administrative restructuring of the provinces of Cuba , announced in December 1976, resulting in changes to multiple teams within the league. Through the 1991–92 season,

1060-628: The World Baseball Classic and baseball at the Summer Olympics , when contested. Traditionally, the national team, known as Preseleccion , is selected from the Cuban National Series and practices in Havana. Sometimes more than one team can be asked to supply players for international duty as part of the national team, from Cuban National Series teams and recently from the Cuban Elite League . From 2016 to 2019,

1113-629: The 1950s baseball flourished under the new arrangements. Cuba performed very well in the annual Caribbean Series , and also fielded a summer team, the Havana Sugar Kings , at first in the Florida International League , and later in the International League . Stars of the 1950s included Minnie Miñoso, Pedro Formental , Rocky Nelson , Camilo Pascual , Sandy Amorós , and Pedro Ramos . However, with

SECTION 20

#1732782402868

1166-408: The 19th century the Cuban League remained a segregated, whites-only institution. However, black Cubans were developing their baseball skills playing for semi-professional and sugarmill teams. The Cuban War of Independence brought Cuban blacks and whites together in a common cause and created the pressures that ultimately brought integration. The other great legacy of 19th century Cuban League baseball

1219-526: The Cathedral of San Rosendo, a 19th-century construction), most attractions are to be found in rural or natural settings. A major destination is the Viñales Valley , a karstic depression located in the Sierra de los Organos, north of the town of Viñales . Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 because of its natural beauty and the traditional agricultural techniques which continue to be used in

1272-577: The Cuban League took place in Havana on December 29, 1878. Esteban Bellán , the first Latin American to play professionally in the United States, was captain (playing manager) of Habana while the opposing Almendares was captained by Carlos Zaldo. (Almendares was a suburb just outside old Havana.) Habana won the first game, 21-20. The only other team in the league was Matanzas. In that first season, only four games were scheduled for each team, with

1325-475: The Cuban League was a premier venue for black and white players to meet. Many great African American players competed in Cuba alongside native black and white Cuban stars such as José Méndez , Cristóbal Torriente , Adolfo Luque , and Martín Dihigo . Following the 1959 Cuban Revolution , however, tensions rose with the new Communist government, and in March 1961 the government decreed the abolition of professional baseball. The first game in what became known as

1378-491: The Cuban Revolution in 1959, the days of professional baseball in Cuba were numbered. In March 1961, one month after the end of the 1960–61 Cuban League season, the government decreed the abolition of professional baseball. Many of the professional players became exiles in the United States or other Latin American countries. In Cuba baseball lived on in the form of an amateur Cuban national baseball league including

1431-512: The San Diego hot springs, in search of the health benefits reportedly afforded by the warm sulfur-rich waters there. An additional spectrum of health-related services has also become available at this spa, including massages and mud baths. Download coordinates as: Source: Population from 2022 estimates. Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution. Until 2011 the municipalities of Bahía Honda , Candelaria and San Cristóbal were part of

1484-399: The United States two decades earlier in the National Association of Base Ball Players , which ultimately led to the formation of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players . In Cuba, however, the clubs that wished to remain amateur broke off from the Cuban League. Baseball in Cuba became associated with Cuban identity and nationalism. González Echevarría notes, "Baseball was

1537-547: The United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961. The schedule usually operated during the winter months, so the league was sometimes known as the "Cuban Winter League ." The league generally comprised 3 to 5 teams, and was centered in Havana , though it sometimes included teams from outlying cities such as Matanzas or Santa Clara . Despite its name, it was not the only professional league active in Cuba during that time, nor

1590-604: The Western Army during the Cuban Missile Crisis). Accommodations in and near Viñales have also grown in number in response to growing tourism in the region. In addition to casas particulares (licensed bed and breakfasts in private residences), there are a number of hotels some kilometers from the town. Another major tourist destination in the province was Las Terrazas , a unique model village located 20 kilometer northeast of Soroa and, from 2011, part of

1643-495: The city was renamed Pinar del Río in 1774. The province was founded in 1879. In 1851 the filibustering Lopez Expedition landed in the province in an effort to seize control of the island, but were defeated by the Spanish Army and their leaders executed. Ever since tobacco was discovered by European colonists, the region has relied heavily on tobacco farming, with Pinar del Río producing 70% of Cuba's crop, used to make

Cuban National Series - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-466: The cream of Negro baseball with the best Cuba had to offer, and a few white major leaguers to boot." Only Almendares was able to remain competitive for a while without American reinforcements, relying on its strong core of Cuban-born pitchers including Hall-of-Famer José Méndez , Eustaquio Pedroso, and José Muñoz. As the Cuban League strengthened, it began doing much better in its now regular competitions against major league teams. In 1908 Méndez blanked

1749-558: The cultivation of tobacco and other crops there, the valley is a popular hiking and rock climbing location. Many of the valley's surrounding hills are dotted with caves which may be explored by visitors and spelunking has become another popular activity in the province (a particularly interesting cave is the Cueva de los Portales, beside the Río Caiguanabo, where Che Guevara set up his staff headquarters and dormitory as commander of

1802-465: The famed Cuban cigars that are so prized overseas. Tobacco is grown and harvested in the province, and shipped to Havana where they are rolled into cigars and exported. The best tobacco, used for more expensive cigar brands, is grown in the flat lands of San Juan y Martínez . Tourism is also an important part of the province's economy. Though the town of Pinar del Río (the provincial capital) has some places of cultural and historical interest (such as

1855-455: The first time, with the league split into an upper-half "first division" and lower-half "second division" at the mid-point of the regular season. Division champions were based on end-of-season standings with no postseason. This format was only used for two seasons. In 1985–86, the league created Eastern and Western divisions, each with nine teams, and had the top two teams of each division advance to postseason play. The postseason first consisted of

1908-737: The league champion advanced directly to the Caribbean Series as the Cuban delegate. Representation in the Caribbean Series was transferred to the Cuban Elite League, which plays a winter schedule, following its 2022–23 premiere season. From 1961–62, the inaugural season, through 1976–77, league size increased from just four charter teams to 14 teams, while the length of schedule grew from 27 to 99 games, but then reduced to 39 per team. Champions were decided based on end-of-season standings with no postseason, comparable to

1961-404: The league had 18 teams, as 11 provinces fielded a single team each, three provinces fielded two teams each, and the special administrative area of Isla de la Juventud (originally named Isla de Pinos ) fielded a team. Also, aluminum bats similar to those used in American college baseball debuted, and use of the designated hitter was initiated. In 1983–84, the league divided into divisions for

2014-434: The league was marred by a gambling-related corruption scandal, which saw at least 17 players and coaches suspended and arrested. As of early 2019, baseball players in Cuba received $ 40 per month. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in no 2021–22 season being played. The league serves as the first stage in the selection of players for the Cuba national baseball team for participation in international competitions and for both

2067-419: The league. Led by promoters and entrepreneurs such as Abel Linares and Tinti Molina , the league integrated in 1900 with the admission of an all-black club, San Francisco, and the admission of non-white players to some of the other clubs. When San Francisco easily took the pennant, the other clubs quickly began bidding for the top black players. These changes also marked the recognition of the league's status as

2120-447: The new Artemisa Province . Surrounded by mountains, the village was founded in 1971 as part of rural development and reforestation project which spans 5,000 ha (12,355 acres). As in other parts of the province, there are several hiking trails which weave through the surrounding mountains. Some companies offer guided hiking tours on a daily basis (in some areas, in fact, a guide is mandatory). With around 30 diving sites, Pinar del Río

2173-473: The new sports ministry (Spanish: Dirección General Nacional de Deportes , or DGND). Under Mariné and Galíndez, the league was restored to its former glory and financial stability. Before the 1930s had ended, the league had enjoyed dramatic play from Dihigo, Josh Gibson , Willie Wells , Ray Brown , Roberto (Bobby) Estalella , Lázaro Salazar , Alejandro Carrasquel , Ray Dandridge , and Sam Bankhead . During World War II, travel restrictions cut off most of

Cuban National Series - Misplaced Pages Continue

2226-457: The other teams were also bringing in the Negro league stars, culminating in the 1912 Habana , which easily took the title with a team featuring Hall-of-Famers Joe Williams , John Henry Lloyd , and Pete Hill , as well as Home Run Johnson and Cuban stars Julián Castillo, Carlos Morán, and Luis Padrón. According to González Echevarría, "These teams were clearly of major-league quality, combining

2279-724: The outstanding Cincinnati Reds pitcher Dolf Luque , catcher Mike González , and outfielder Armando Marsans . Black Cuban players competed regularly in the Negro leagues, where Cristóbal Torriente and José Méndez became stars. During the 1920s the Cuban League reached its apex in quality, as top Negro league stars such as Oscar Charleston , Jud Wilson , John Henry Lloyd , Cool Papa Bell , Mule Suttles , Satchel Paige , Bill Foster , and Willie Wells played alongside great Cuban stars such as Martín Dihigo , Cristóbal Torriente , Alejandro Oms , Bernardo Baró, Dolf Luque , and Manuel Cueto . Researchers have estimated that for several seasons

2332-604: The postseason, and all playoff series contested as best-of-seven. In 2011–2012, there were 17 competing teams, as the then-La Habana Province was split into Artemisa Province and Mayabeque Province . Thus, the West division had nine teams, including the two new clubs. The league returned to 16 teams beginning with the 2012–13 season when the Metropolitanos (long seen as a farm club of the powerhouse Industriales) were disbanded after nearly four decades of play. In 2012–13,

2385-408: The quality of play in the Cuban League probably equaled that of the major leagues. Following the death in 1930 of Cuban League owner Abel Linares , the economic depression of the early 1930s, and the 1933 political uprising that overthrew President Gerardo Machado , the Cuban League found itself in difficult circumstances. The 1933–34 season was cancelled, and when it returned the following season it

2438-401: The regular two division format). The bottom eight seeded teams then played amongst themselves in the consolation round, while the top eight did the same for the championship. In 2014, the consolation round format for the midseason was officially adopted, effectively making it a de facto wild card game with the winners having a chance to make it to the postseason. After no games were played for

2491-414: The season lasting through February. Habana won the first championship with a record of 4-0-1. Early baseball in Cuba, as in the United States, was an amateur sport first organized by gentlemen's athletic clubs. Games were played on Sundays and were typically preceded by a picnic and followed by a dance. A unique feature of early Cuban baseball is that teams played with 10 players per side. The tenth player

2544-625: The supply of U.S. players. However, Cuba's own talent flourished as players such as Manuel (Cocaína) Garcia , Alejandro Crespo , Silvio García , and Claro Duany starred. After the war, attendance flourished as several exciting pennant races took place, especially the 1946–47 campaign, which many consider to be the greatest pennant race in Cuban League history. American players, such as Dick Sisler , Lou Klein , Max Lanier , and Sal Maglie , returned to Cuba and participated alongside new Cuban stars such as Orestes (Minnie) Miñoso , Connie Marrero , Julio Moreno , and Sandalio (Sandy) Consuegra . In 1946

2597-437: The zone qualification format was dropped in favor of a phase qualification system. All teams played 45 games in a "classification phase". The top eight ranked teams from this phase moved on to the "qualification phase" to determine playoff participants. In 2016–17, the number of teams in the qualification phase was dropped to six. In 2020–21, the phase format was removed from the league, and the league determined qualifiers based on

2650-423: Was a "right shortstop", playing halfway between the first and second bases. By the mid-1880s, the best-known players were becoming celebrities and baseball began to become professional, as players jumped from team to team and Americans were sometimes brought in as reinforcements. The gradual development of professionalism that took place in Cuba during the 1880s and 1890s echoed the development of professionalism in

2703-486: Was it always the most popular; Peter C. Bjarkman argues that amateur play drew far more interest due to its reach outside the capital. However, the Cuban League did join Major League Baseball 's National Association in 1947, becoming the first Latin American league to join the fold of " Organized Baseball ". The league became racially integrated in 1900, and during the first half of the 20th century

SECTION 50

#1732782402868

2756-581: Was the enduring rivalry between Habana and Almendares. This rivalry began before the formation of the Cuban League and survived after its end, lasting for nearly a century. Growing up in Havana (and, indeed, in much of Cuba) meant choosing between Habana and Almendares. The year 1900 brought fundamental change to the Cuban League. In the aftermath of the Cuban War of Independence and the Spanish–American War , pressures mounted for racial integration of

2809-451: Was without American players or some of the biggest Cuban-born stars, such as Martín Dihigo . Gradually, though, the league regained its strength. Fulgencio Batista , who effectively ruled Cuba as dictator from 1933 onwards, considered the disarray of the Cuban League to be a national disgrace, and appointed fellow army officer Ignacio Galíndez as commissioner of professional baseball. He also named his aide-de-camp , Jaime Mariné , to head

#867132