José Antonio Casanova (February 18, 1918 – July 8, 1999) was a
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
and
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
in
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 ...
n
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
. He batted and threw right handed.
[ (Spanish)]
Born in
Maracaibo
)
, motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal")
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,
Zulia
Zulia State ( es, Estado Zulia, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 3,704,404, the largest population among Venezuela's states. It ...
, Casanova is regarded as the most successful manager in Venezuelan baseball history. A five-time championship manager, he also led his teams to several international titles in a career that spanned more than three decades.
[
Casanova started his professional career in unaffiliated Venezuelan first division league in 1937, playing for the Centauros, Vencedor, Cardenales and Cervecería clubs, managing also Cervecería to a title in 1943, before joining the ]Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year.
History Early years
Baseball exp ...
in its inaugural season of .
During this stint he also played for the Venezuela national baseball team
The Venezuela national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de Venezuela'') is the national team of Venezuela. It is currently ranked sixth in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, directly behind the US and ahead ...
that captured the 1941 Amateur World Series
The 1941 Amateur World Series was the fourth Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (which titled it the Baseball World Cup as of the 1 ...
championship in Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. , in which he won the AWS Most Valuable Player honors.
He then launched a fruitful managing career in the VPBL through the 1966 season, winning four titles with the Cervecería Caracas
The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...
(1947–1948), Leones del Caracas
The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...
(1952) and Tiburones de la Guaira
The Tiburones de La Guaira ( en, La Guaira Sharks) are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in the city of La Guaira, they play their home games in Estadio Fórum La Guaira and have won seven national champions ...
(1964).[ Overall, he posted a 436–402 record for a .520 ]winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
.[Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela]
In addition, he guided the Venezuelan team that clinched championships in the Baseball World Cup
The Baseball World Cup was an international tournament where national baseball teams from around the world competed. It was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). Along with the World Baseball Classic, it was one of two activ ...
in 1944 and 1945,[ as well as the team that won gold medal at the ]1959 Pan American Games
The 1959 Pan American Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, United States between August 28 and September 7, 1959.
Host city selection
One city initially submitted a bid to host the 1959 Pan American Games that was recognized by the Pan Ame ...
held in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
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.[ Besides this, he served as manager for the Venezuelan Military Academy team during 29 years. A baseball park in Caracas is named after him.][
In 2003, José Antonio Casanova was enshrined into the ]Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The Salón de la Fama y Museo del Béisbol Venezolano (in English, the ''Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum'') is a nonprofit institution operated by private interests, which was founded on April 18, 2002, thanks to the vision of Carlos ...
as part of their first class. He was inducted as well in the Hall in 2006, when the entire 1941 AWS Champion Team was honored. Then, in 2015 he earned a third induction when the 1959 PanAm Games Champion Team was enshrined.[
]
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casanova, Jose Antonio
1918 births
1999 deaths
Baseball managers
Caribbean Series managers
Cervecería Caracas players
Sportspeople from Maracay
Sportspeople from Maracaibo
Venezuelan baseball players