The fifteenth edition of the
Caribbean Series
The Caribbean Series (''Spanish'': ''Serie del Caribe''), also called Caribbean World Series, is the highest tournament for professional baseball teams in Latin America. The tournament location is rotated annually among the countries and is norma ...
(''Serie del Caribe'') was played in . It was held from February 1 through February 6 with the champions teams from
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
(
Aguilas Cibaeñas),
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
(
Algodoneros de Guasave
The Algodoneros de Guasave ( en, Guasave Cotton Growers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Guasave, Sinaloa. They won the league championship in 1972.
The team was purchased in April 2014 by a group of inve ...
),
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
(
Leones de Ponce) and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
(
Tigres de Aragua
The Tigres de Aragua ( en, Aragua Tigers) is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua.
Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares i ...
). The format consisted of 12 games, each team facing the other teams twice. The games were played at
Estadio Quisqueya
Quisqueya Stadium Juan Marichal is a baseball stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is often used as a multi-use stadium. Football club Atlético Pantoja used the venue for their inaugural Caribbean football championship match. The Qu ...
in
Santo Domingo, D.R., which boosted capacity to 14.000 seats, and the first pitch was thrown by
JoaquÃn Balaguer
JoaquÃn Antonio Balaguer Ricardo (1 September 1906 – 14 July 2002) was a Dominican politician, scholar, writer, and lawyer. He was President of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms for that office from 1960 to 196 ...
, by then the
President of Dominican Republic
The president of the Dominican Republic ( es, Presidente de la República Dominicana) is both the head of state and head of government of the Dominican Republic. The presidential system was established in 1844, following the proclamation of th ...
.
Summary
Puerto Rico won the Series with a 5-1 record and was
managed by
Frank Verdi. The Leones de Ponce was in the middle of the pack in runs scored (33), prevailing their strong pitching. The club got a fine offensive performances from 1B and Series Most Valuable Player
Carlos May
Carlos May (born May 17, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, first baseman and designated hitter from 1968 to 1977, most prominently for the Chicago White Sox where he was ...
, who won the batting title with a .455
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(10-for-22), while three of the four series home runs were belted by outfielders
Don Baylor
Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate (" crowding ...
(
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
),
Tommy Cruz
Cirilo "Tommy" Cruz Dilan (born February 15, 1951) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals () and Chicago White Sox (). Cruz batted and threw left-handed. He is the brother of Héctor and José Cru ...
and
Rusty Torres
Rosendo "Rusty" Torres Hernández (born September 30, 1948) is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for five different teams. In an odd coincidence, Torres happened to be in the ...
. The pitching staff posted a collective 1.67
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
, including two
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
s by
Gary Neibauer
Gary Wayne Neibauer (born October 29, 1944) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies from –. Appearing primarily as a relief pitcher, Neibauer went 4–8 during his Major Le ...
(one-hit) and
Daryl Patterson
Daryl Alan Patterson (born November 21, 1943) is a former right-handed baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 12 years from 1965 to 1975, including parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers (1968–197 ...
, and received fine efforts from
Gary Jones (2-0, 0.81 ERA, 11.0
innings pitched), and
Jim Magnuson (1-0, 1.00 ERA). Other significant players in the roster included
Sandy Alomar Sr. (2B),
Bernie Carbo
Bernardo Carbo (born August 5, 1947) is an American former outfielder and designated hitter who played from through for the Cincinnati Reds (1969–72), St. Louis Cardinals (1972–73, 1979–80), Boston Red Sox (1974–76, 1977–78), Milwaukee ...
(OF),
Pat Corrales
Patrick Corrales (born March 20, 1941) is an American former professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1964 to 1973, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds as well as the Philadelphia Phillies, S ...
(C),
José Cruz
José Cruz Dilan (born August 8, 1947) nicknamed Cheo, is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player, coach and baseball front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1970 to 1988, most prominently a ...
(OF),
Jackie Hernández
Jacinto Hernández Zulueta (September 11, 1940 – October 12, 2019)Dipaola, Jerry.Ex-Pirates SS Jackie Hernandez, member of 1971 World Series champs, dies, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 16, 2019. was a Cuban professional baseball play ...
(SS),
José Ortiz (OF),
Santiago Rosario
Santiago Rosario (July 25, 1939 – September 6, 2013) was a first baseman and corner outfielder who played briefly for the Kansas City Athletics during the season. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Rosario batted and threw left handed. He was born ...
(PH) and
Chris Zachary (P).
Dominican Republic and Venezuela finished tied for second place with a 3-3 mark.
The Dominican's Aguilas Cibaeñas squad was piloted by
Ozzie Virgil Sr.
Osvaldo José Virgil Pichardo (born May 17, 1932) is a former professional baseball player and coach who was the first Dominican to play in Major League Baseball. He was a utilityman who played in MLB between 1956 and 1969 for the New York / S ...
Other than
Secundino Almonte (five-hit shutout),
Gene Garber
Henry Eugene Garber (born November 13, 1947) is an American former professional baseball sidearm relief pitcher who played for four Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations from to .
Playing career
Garber was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirate ...
(1-1, 2.57 ERA) and
Ed Acosta (1-0, 4.97), the pitching staff was inconsistent at times. Two hitters carried much of the offensive weight, RF
César Cedeño
César Cedeño Encarnación (born February 25, 1951) is a Dominican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1970 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where ...
(.348 BA) and LF
Adrian Garrett (one home run, four RBI). The team also featured Ps
Charlie Hough
Charles Oliver Hough (; born January 5, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) knuckleball pitcher and coach who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and Florida Marlins from 1970 to 1994.
Pla ...
,
Juan Jiménez and
Ray Newman; C
Charlie Sands; IFs
Julián Javier
Manuel Julián (Liranzo) Javier (born August 9, 1936), better known as Julián Javier oo-lee-AN hah-vee-ER is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. Called ''Hoolie'' by his teammates, he was also nicknamed "The Phantom" by Tim McCarver ...
,
Winston Llenas,
Ted MartÃnez
Teodoro Noel MartÃnez Encarnación (born December 10, 1947) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, and Los Angeles Dodgers ...
and
Frank Taveras, and OFs
César Cedeño
César Cedeño Encarnación (born February 25, 1951) is a Dominican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1970 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where ...
,
Gene Clines and
Sam MejÃas
Samuel ElÃas MejÃas '' ay-hee'-ahs' (born May 9, 1952) is a former backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the St. Louis Cardinals (1976), Montreal Expos (1977–78), Chicago Cubs (1979) and Cincinnati Reds (1979 ...
.
The Venezuelan Tigres de Aragua debuted in the tournament, being guided by manager/second baseman
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline Carew (born October 1, 1945) is a Panamanian former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman, second baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins ...
(.400 BA, .500 SLG); C
Faustino Zabala (.333 BA, .476 SLG) and SS
Dave Concepción
David Ismael Concepción Benitez (born June 17, 1948) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National Lea ...
(.348 BA, /435 SLG). The pitching support came from
starters Alan Closter (2-0, 3.38 ERA, nine
strikeouts in 13 IP)
Earl Stephenson
Chester Earl Stephenson (born July 31, 1947) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The left-hander was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft and played for the Cubs (1971), Milwaukee Brewers (1972), and Ba ...
(1-0, 0/0.00 ERA, 13
strikeouts in 10 IP) and
Milt Wilcox
Milton Edward Wilcox (born April 20, 1950) is an American former baseball pitcher. He pitched for 16 years in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds (1970–1971), Cleveland Indians (1972–1974), Chicago Cubs (1975), Detroit Tigers (1977â ...
(1-1, 1.76 ERA, 14 SO), and
closer Roberto Muñoz (0-1, three
saves in five games). The Venezuelan club also featured players as Ps
Aurelio Monteagudo
Aurelio Faustino Monteagudo Cintra (; November 19, 1943 – November 10, 1990), nicknamed "Monty", was a right-handed screwball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball. He was the son of former big-leaguer René Monteagudo.
Career
Monte ...
and
Pablo Torrealba; IFs
Brant Alyea,
César Gutiérrez
César Dario Gutiérrez oo-te-er'-rez(January 26, 1943 – January 22, 2005), also nicknamed "Cocoa", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants in the 1967 and ...
and
Luis Salazar
Luis Ernesto Salazar Garcia (born May 19, 1956) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball from 1980 to 1992 as a third baseman and outfielder for the San Diego Padres (1980–84, 19 ...
, and OFs
Ted Ford
Theodore Henry Ford (born February 7, 1947) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers from 1970 to 1973. He is the grandfather of Darren Ford, who debuted with the San Franc ...
,
Pat Kelly and
César Tovar
César Leonardo Tovar (July 3, 1940 – July 14, 1994), nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins (–), Philadelphia Phillies (), ...
.
Mexico was represented by the Algodoneros de Guasave and finished last at 1-5. The hapless Mexicans were piloted by
Vinicio (Chico) GarcÃa, as the team scored the fewest runs (12) and set a series record for most consecutive shutouts (2).
Thor Skogan did an excellent job, pitching a five-hit shutout in Game 2 and losing a 1-0 decision in Game 9, after allowing just one hit and one unearned run. 3B
Celerino Sánchez (.333) and OF
Ramón Montoya Ramón Montoya (November 2, 1879, Madrid, Spain – July 20, 1949, Madrid, Spain), Flamenco guitarist and composer.
Born into a family of Gitano (Romani) cattle traders, Ramón Montoya used earnings from working in the trade to purchase his first g ...
(.312) led the attack for an otherwise weak offense. Were also included in the roster
Héctor Espino
Héctor "El Niño" Espino (6 June 1939 – 7 September 1997) was a Mexican professional outfielder, first baseman and manager. He has been called "The Mexican Babe Ruth". Born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Espino he played from 1960 through 1984 in b ...
(IF),
Al Hrabosky
Alan Thomas Hrabosky (; born July 21, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, and Atlanta Braves. As of 2022, he is the ...
(P),
Sergio Robles (C) and
Aurelio RodrÃguez
Aurelio RodrÃguez Ituarte, Jr. (December 28, 1947 – September 23, 2000), sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexicans, Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League Baseball, Major League career ...
(IF)
----
Scoreboards
Game 1, February 1
Game 2, February 1
Game 3, February 2
Game 4, February 2
Game 5, February 3
Game 6, February 3
Game 7, February 4
Game 8, February 4
Game 9, February 5
Game 10, February 5
Game 11, February 6
Game 12, February 6
See also
*
Ballplayers who have appeared in the Series
Sources
*Antero Núñez, José. ''Series del Caribe''. Impresos Urbina, Caracas, Venezuela.
*Araujo Bojórquez, Alfonso. ''Series del Caribe: Narraciones y estadÃsticas, 1949-2001''. Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Sinaloa, Mexico.
*Figueredo, Jorge S. ''Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878 - 1961''. Macfarland & Co., United States.
*González EchevarrÃa, Roberto. ''The Pride of Havana''. Oxford University Express.
*Gutiérrez, Daniel. ''Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela'', Caracas, Venezuela.
External links
Official siteLatino Baseball
{{Caribbean Series , state=collapsed
Caribbean Series
The Caribbean Series (''Spanish'': ''Serie del Caribe''), also called Caribbean World Series, is the highest tournament for professional baseball teams in Latin America. The tournament location is rotated annually among the countries and is norma ...
Caribbean Series
International baseball competitions hosted by the Dominican Republic
1972 in Dominican Republic sport
Caribbean Series
The Caribbean Series (''Spanish'': ''Serie del Caribe''), also called Caribbean World Series, is the highest tournament for professional baseball teams in Latin America. The tournament location is rotated annually among the countries and is norma ...
Sports competitions in Santo Domingo
20th century in Santo Domingo