The Brooklyn Bushwicks were an independent, semi-professional baseball team that played its games almost totally in Dexter Park in Queens from 1913 to 1951. They were unique at their time for fielding multi-ethnic rosters . They played what amounts to exhibition games against barnstorming Negro league teams, minor league baseball teams, and other semi-pro teams. The Bushwicks were owned by Max Rosner , who hired many former major league players to play on his club, including Dazzy Vance and others. Many of the famous players of the time came to play exhibitions at Dexter Park including Jackie Robinson , Dizzy Dean , Hank Greenberg , Joe DiMaggio , Satchel Paige , Whitey Ford , Babe Ruth , Lou Gehrig , and Joe Medwick . Until he became friends with Rosner, Ruth demanded upfront payments in cash before agreeing to personal appearances. The DiMaggio picture was taken during his debut year with the Yankees.
17-587: The Bushwicks played in the inaugural Interamerican Series in Caracas , Venezuela in 1946, winning the tournament. The great black stars, Josh Gibson , Cool Papa Bell and many others often opposed the Bushwicks. The team appeared on New York City television and on radio as well. The team's picture appeared in three different Spalding Guides . A book on the Bushwicks by Thomas Barthel titled, "Baseball's Peerless Semipros: The Brooklyn Bushwicks of Dexter Park,"
34-418: A 30-game regular season schedule that runs from November to December, followed by a four team playoff round robin; the two best teams advance to a best of seven championship series. Before the formation of the professional league, Nicaraguan baseball had long been played at the amateur level. However, the first club to sign a player to a professional baseball was San Fernando, signing several Cuban players for
51-620: A team of International League players managed by Buffalo Bisons manager Paul Richards . The series was suspended after 1950, as focus shifted to the Caribbean Series . The series was resurrected in 1961 as a result of the Cuban Revolution ; MLB Commissioner Ford C. Frick ruled that American major leaguers were barred from playing in Havana, which effectively scuttled the plans for the 1961 Caribbean Series. Instead,
68-744: The Venados de Mazatlán of the Mexican Pacific League , Leones de León of the Nicaraguan League , and Vanytor de Barranquilla of the Colombian League . The Dominican Republic organized a tournament in 1965 that is sometimes referred to as the final edition of the Interamerican Series, inviting Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Major league stars like Roberto Clemente and Felipe Alou participated, but
85-649: The Dominican Republic . The series struggled economically, due to the absence of Cuba as well as of the Dominican Republic, which itself was wracked in political turmoil and had been sanctioned by the Organization of American States since 1960. No-hitters (2) Several other tournaments in the 1950s and '60s shared the "Interamerican Series" name, though historical records are spotty. A best-of-five series played in 1951 between
102-743: The Serie Monumental that saw American Negro league all-stars play Venezuelan clubs, and the ensuing professionalization of the sport in the country, in the form of the Venezuelan League . The inaugural series included Venezuelan champions Cerveceria Caracas , Industriales de Monterrey of the Mexican League , the Havana Cubans of the Florida International League (alternatively,
119-557: The "All-Cubans"), and the Brooklyn Bushwicks , an independent semi-pro team managed by John Antonelli , with former and future Major League stars like Tony Cuccinello , Whitey Ford , and Hank Borowy . The 1946 tournament was notable for being the place where major league scout Joe Cambria signed Chico Carrasquel , then playing for Caracas. In 1947, the Bushwicks were replaced by the Buffalo All-Stars ,
136-509: The 1955. The following year, the entire league embraced professionalism. The Nicaraguan professional league was formed in 1956, with five teams: Indios del Bóer , Cinco Estrellas , San Fernando, León , and Flor de Caña . Inaugurated on March 30, 1956 at the Estadio Nacional Anastasio Somoza (the site of the modern Estadio Nacional Soberanía ), the first game was between San Fernando and Bóer. The first season
153-638: The Sinton Plymouth Oilers, a U.S. semi-pro team from Sinton, Texas , and Mexico's Sultanes de Monterrey , was referred to as the Interamerican Series. This tournament was organized by the International Baseball Congress , led by former MLB Commissioner Happy Chandler . Another club tournament titled Pan American Series in 1958, but also referred to as the Interamerican Series, was held in Managua in 1958, between
170-484: The league of "raiding" players from Mexican League clubs. The Nicaraguan public's excitement for baseball grew as foreign professional teams and foreign players came to play in their country's winter league circuit. The teams from Bóer and León were the most successful teams in those years with three championships each. Due to economic difficulties, the league had to shut down in 1967, though baseball continued to be played in an amateur format. Professional baseball
187-466: The new Serie Interamericana would replace the slot filled by the now-dissolved Cuban League with the champion of Panamanian League , with the host nation also sending an extra team. The first edition was held in Caracas, but then shifted to San Juan and Panama City. In 1964, the champion of the Nicaraguan League became the fourth team, after Venezuela opted to instead play an interleague series against
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#1732790321886204-574: The series ended prematurely. The trophy was not formally awarded, though it is still owned by the Dominican team, Águilas Cibaeñas . Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League The Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (Spanish: Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional or LBPN ), known as the Campeonato Claro for sponsorship purposes, is the professional baseball league of Nicaragua . The league consists of five teams with
221-616: Was a success; Nicaraguan organizers hoped it would allow them to join the Caribbean Series , but such an invitation was not forthcoming. The LPBN did participate in the Interamerican Series three times in the 1960s, while the Caribbean Series was suspended. It hosted the 1964 edition, which was won by Cinco Estrellas . Nicaragua was an inaugural member of the Latin American Series , winning
238-535: Was an international club baseball tournament that brought together independent and winter league teams in North America and the Caribbean. Held from 1946 to 1950 and from 1961 to 1965, it was the precursor to the modern Caribbean Series . The Interamerican Series was the initiative of Venezuelan businessman Jesús Corao. It came in the wake of Venezuela hosting the 1944 and 1945 Amateur World Series ,
255-553: Was published in 2009. This article related to sports in New York City is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a baseball team in New York is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Negro league baseball team article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Interamerican Series The Interamerican Series (Spanish: Serie Interamericana )
272-720: Was re-established in Nicaragua in 2004. Since then, Bóer has led the league in championships with six, their most recent victory coming in the 2022–23 season. From its inception, the Nicaraguan professional league sought to participate in international club competition. It hosted a tournament billed as the Serie Panamericana, or Pan-American Series, in 1958, inviting the champions of the Colombian and Mexican Pacific Leagues . This tournament, won by Leones de León ,
289-545: Was suspended in September 1956 due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García , but the tournament resumed in March 1957. The league initially operated on a summer schedule, but was converted to a winter league when it agreed to join organized baseball in 1957. This agreement was facilitated by President Luis Somoza Debayle as part of a resolution between the Nicaraguan league and organized baseball, which accused
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