Caribbean Series
SportBaseball
Inaugural season1949 (1949)
DirectorJuan Francisco Puello Herrera
Organising bodyCaribbean Professional Baseball Confederation
CountriesColombia
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Panama
Puerto Rico
Venezuela
RegionCaribbean and Latin America
Most recent
champion(s)
Dominican Republic Tigres del Licey
(11 title)
Most titlesDominican Republic Tigres del Licey
(11 titles)
TV partner(s)ESPN
MLB Network
Related
competitions
LPB
LIDOM
LMP
PROBEIS
LBPRC
LVBP
Official websiteseriedelcaribe.net
Current sports event 2023 Caribbean Series

The Caribbean Series (Spanish: Serie del Caribe) is an annual club tournament contested by professional baseball teams in Latin America. The series is normally played in February, after the various winter leagues have ended their national tournaments.

The Dominican Republic has won the most Caribbean Series championships, with Tigres del Licey being the most successful team in the tournament's history. The series has been won by 28 teams from seven different countries. Only two teams have won the tournament two years in a row, the most recent being Criollos de Caguas in 2017–18.

History

The competition was the brainchild of Venezuelan baseball entrepreneur Pablo Morales and Oscar Prieto Ortiz,[1] who devised the idea after seeing the success of the now extinct Serie Interamericana in 1946, which featured the clubs Brooklyn Bushwicks from the United States, Cervecería Caracas from Venezuela, Sultanes de Monterrey from Mexico, and an All-Star team composed of Cuban players.

Inspired by the Serie Interamericana and his experience as a former president of the International Baseball Federation, Morales joined Prieto and presented the idea to baseball representatives of Cuba, Panama, and Puerto Rico during a meeting held in Havana on August 21, 1948.[2] The representatives then agreed to stage a four-country, round-robin tournament 12-game to be known as the Serie del Caribe, to be launched in Cuba from February 20–25 of 1949.

The Series ran annually from 1949 through 1960, with Cuba winning seven times. However, the event was cancelled after Fidel Castro dissolved all professional baseball in Cuba in 1961.[3] It was not until 1970 that the Caribbean Series was revived. Moreover, the 1981 Caribbean Series was not held due to a Venezuelan League player's strike.

The tournament featured the champions of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela for over 40 years. Cuba returned in 2014. Panama returned to host the 2019 edition. Colombia was added for the 2020 edition, replacing Cuba who could not participate due to visa issues. Curaçao was invited as a guest in 2023.[4]

Participants

Key
  •   Member of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation
Country League First edition
 Curaçao Curaçao Professional Baseball League 2024
 Dominican Republic Dominican Professional Baseball League 1970
 Mexico Mexican Pacific League 1971
 Nicaragua Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League 2024
 Panama Panamanian Professional Baseball League[a] 1949
 Puerto Rico Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente 1949
 Venezuela Venezuelan Professional Baseball League[b] 1949

Previous participants

Country League First edition Latest edition
 Cuba Cuban League 1949 1960
Cuban National Series 2014 2019
Cuban Elite League 2023
 Curaçao Curaçao National Championship AA League 2023
 Colombia Colombian Professional Baseball League 2020 2023


Notes

  • a After the 1960 tournament, Panama would not appear in another Caribbean Series until 2019.
  • b Venezuela's LVBP was replaced by the Liga Occidental de Béisbol Profesional for the 1960 tournament

Series

YearVenueChampionManagerRecord
1949Cuba HavanaCuba Alacranes del Almendares  Fermin Guerra6–0
1950Puerto Rico San JuanPanama Carta Vieja Yankees  Wayne Blackburn  5–1
1951Venezuela CaracasPuerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce  George Scales5–1
1952Panama Panama CityCuba Leones del Habana  Mike González5–0
1953Cuba HavanaPuerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce (2)  Buster Clarkson5–0
1954Puerto Rico San JuanPuerto Rico Criollos de Caguas  Mickey Owen4–2
1955Venezuela CaracasPuerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce (3)  Herman Franks5–1
1956Panama Panama CityCuba Elefantes de Cienfuegos  Oscar Rodríguez5–1
1957Cuba HavanaCuba Tigres de Marianao  Napoleón Reyes5–1
1958Puerto Rico San JuanCuba Tigres de Marianao (2)  Napoleón Reyes (2)4–2
1959Venezuela CaracasCuba Alacranes del Almendares (2)  Clemente Carreras5–1
1960Panama Panama CityCuba Elefantes de Cienfuegos (2)  Tony Castaño6–0
1961–1969None held
1970Venezuela CaracasVenezuela Navegantes del Magallanes  Carlos Pascual7–1
1971Puerto Rico San JuanDominican Republic Tigres del Licey  Manny Mota6–0
1972Dominican Republic Santo DomingoPuerto Rico Leones de Ponce  Frank Verdi5–1
1973Venezuela CaracasDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (2)  Tommy Lasorda5–1
1974Mexico HermosilloPuerto Rico Criollos de Caguas (2)  Bobby Wine4–2
1975Puerto Rico San JuanPuerto Rico Vaqueros de Bayamón  José Pagán5–1
1976Dominican Republic Santo Domingo & Santiago  Mexico Naranjeros de Hermosillo  Cananea Reyes5–1
1977Venezuela CaracasDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (3)  Buck Rodgers6–0
1978Mexico MazatlánPuerto Rico Indios de Mayagüez  Rene Lachemann5–1
1979Puerto Rico San JuanVenezuela Navegantes del Magallanes (2)  Willie Horton5–1
1980Dominican Republic Santo DomingoDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (4)  Del Crandall4–2
1981None held
1982Mexico HermosilloVenezuela Leones del Caracas  Chico Carrasquel5–1
1983Venezuela CaracasPuerto Rico Lobos de Arecibo  Ron Clark5–1
1984Puerto Rico San JuanVenezuela Águilas del Zulia  Rubén Amaro5–1
1985Mexico MazatlánDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (5)  Terry Collins5–1
1986Venezuela MaracaiboMexico Águilas de Mexicali  Cananea Reyes (2)4–2
1987Mexico HermosilloPuerto Rico Criollos de Caguas (3)  Ramón Avilés5–2
1988Dominican Republic Santo DomingoDominican Republic Leones del Escogido  Phil Regan4–2
1989Mexico MazatlánVenezuela Águilas del Zulia (2)  Pete Mackanin5–1
1990United States MiamiDominican Republic Leones del Escogido (2)  Felipe Alou5–1
1991United States MiamiDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (6)  John Roseboro5–0
1992Mexico HermosilloPuerto Rico Indios de Mayagüez (2)  Pat Kelly5–1
1993Mexico MazatlánPuerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce (4)  Mako Oliveras5–2
1994Venezuela Puerto la CruzDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (7)  Casey Parsons5–1
1995Puerto Rico San JuanPuerto Rico Senadores de San Juan  Luis Meléndez6–0
1996Dominican Republic Santo DomingoMexico Tomateros de Culiacán  Francisco Estrada5–1
1997Mexico HermosilloDominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas  Mike Quade4–2
1998Venezuela Puerto la CruzDominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas (2)  Tony Peña6–0
1999Puerto Rico San JuanDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (8)  Dave Jauss5–2
2000Dominican Republic Santo DomingoPuerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce (5)  Mako Oliveras (2)6–0
2001Mexico CuliacánDominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas (3)  Félix Fermín4–2
2002Venezuela CaracasMexico Tomateros de Culiacán (2)  Francisco Estrada (2)  5–1
2003Puerto Rico CarolinaDominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas (4)  Félix Fermín (2)6–1
2004Dominican Republic Santo DomingoDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (9)  Manny Acta5–1
2005Mexico MazatlánMexico Venados de Mazatlán  Juan José Pacho5–1
2006Venezuela Valencia and MaracayDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (10)  Rafael Landestoy 6–0
2007Puerto Rico CarolinaDominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas (5)  Félix Fermín (3)5–1
2008Dominican Republic SantiagoDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (11)  Héctor de la Cruz5–1
2009Mexico MexicaliVenezuela Tigres de Aragua  Buddy Bailey5–1
2010Venezuela Margarita IslandDominican Republic Leones del Escogido (3)  Ken Oberkfell5–1
2011Puerto Rico MayagüezMexico Yaquis de Obregón  Eddie Díaz4–2
2012Dominican Republic Santo DomingoDominican Republic Leones del Escogido (4)  Ken Oberkfell (2)4–2
2013Mexico HermosilloMexico Yaquis de Obregón (2)  Eddy Díaz (2)4–3
2014Venezuela Margarita IslandMexico Naranjeros de Hermosillo (2)  Matías Carrillo4–2
2015Puerto Rico San JuanCuba Vegueros de Pinar del Río  Alfonso Urquiola3–3
2016Dominican Republic Santo DomingoMexico Venados de Mazatlan (2) Juan José Pacho6–0
2017Mexico CuliacánPuerto Rico Criollos de Caguas (4) Luis Matos3−3
2018Mexico GuadalajaraPuerto Rico Criollos de Caguas (5) Luis Matos (2)4−2
2019Panama Panama CityPanama Toros de Herrera Manuel Rodríguez4−1
2020Puerto Rico San JuanDominican Republic Toros del Este Lino Rivera6−1
2021Mexico MazatlánDominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas (6) Félix Fermín (4)7−0
2022Dominican Republic Santo DomingoColombia Caimanes de Barranquilla José Mosquera5−1
2023Venezuela Caracas and La GuairaDominican Republic Tigres del Licey (12) Jose Offerman6−3

Championship games

Starting with the 2013 Caribbean Series, a championship game was introduced where the two teams with the best win–loss record from the round-robin first stage would meet to determine the champion. In 2013 the first round consisted of 12 games and each team faced the other teams twice, one as home club and the other as an away team; from 2014 on, with the return of Cuban teams to the tournament, the first stage was changed to a round robin of 10 games where each team faced the other teams once.

YearVenueChampionResultRunner-upManager
2013 Mexico Hermosillo Mexico Yaquis de Obregón 4–3 (18) Dominican Republic Leones del Escogido Dominican Republic Eddie Díaz
2014 Venezuela Isla de Margarita Mexico Naranjeros de Hermosillo 7–1 Puerto Rico Indios de Mayagüez Mexico Matías Carrillo
2015 Puerto Rico San Juan Cuba Vegueros de Pinar del Río 3–2 Mexico Tomateros de Culiacán Cuba Alfonso Urquiola
2016 Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Mexico Venados de Mazatlán 5–4 Venezuela Tigres de Aragua Mexico Juan José Pacho
2017 Mexico Culiacán Puerto Rico Criollos de Caguas 1–0 (10) Mexico Águilas de Mexicali Puerto Rico Luis Matos
2018 Mexico Guadalajara Puerto Rico Criollos de Caguas 9–4 Dominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas Puerto Rico Luis Matos
2019 Panama Panama City Panama Toros de Herrera 3–1 Cuba Leñadores de Las Tunas Panama Manuel Rodríguez
2020 Puerto Rico San Juan Dominican Republic Toros del Este 9–3 Venezuela Cardenales de Lara Puerto Rico Lino Rivera
2021 Mexico Mazatlán Dominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas 4–1 Puerto Rico Criollos de Caguas Dominican Republic Félix Fermín
2022 Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Colombia Caimanes de Barranquilla 4-1 Dominican Republic Gigantes del Cibao Colombia José Mosquera
2023 Venezuela Caracas and La Guaira Dominican Republic Tigres del Licey 3−0 Venezuela Leones del Caracas Dominican Republic José Offerman

Championships by team

RankTeamWinsYears
1 Dominican Republic Tigres del Licey 11 1971, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2023
2 Dominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas 6 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2021
3 Puerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce 5 1951, 1953, 1955, 1993, 2000
Puerto Rico Criollos de Caguas 1954, 1974, 1987, 2017, 2018
5 Dominican Republic Leones del Escogido 4 1988, 1990, 2010, 2012
6 Cuba Tigres de Marianao 2 1957, 1958
Cuba Alacranes del Almendares 1949, 1959
Cuba Elefantes de Cienfuegos 1956, 1960
Venezuela Navegantes del Magallanes 1970, 1979
Venezuela Águilas del Zulia 1984, 1989
Puerto Rico Indios de Mayagüez 1978, 1992
Mexico Tomateros de Culiacán 1996, 2002
Venezuela Leones del Caracas 1982, 2006
Mexico Yaquis de Obregón 2011, 2013
Mexico Naranjeros de Hermosillo 1976, 2014
Mexico Venados de Mazatlán 2005, 2016
17 Panama Carta Vieja Yankees 1 1950
Cuba Leones del Habana 1952
Puerto Rico Leones de Ponce 1972
Puerto Rico Vaqueros de Bayamón 1975
Puerto Rico Lobos de Arecibo 1983
Mexico Águilas de Mexicali 1986
Puerto Rico Senadores de San Juan 1995
Venezuela Tigres de Aragua 2009
Cuba Vegueros de Pinar del Río 2015
Panama Toros de Herrera 2019
Dominican Republic Toros del Este 2020
Colombia Caimanes de Barranquilla 2022

Championships by country

RankCountryWinsYears
1  Dominican Republic 22 1971, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2020, 2021, 2023
2  Puerto Rico 16 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2017, 2018
3  Mexico 9 1976, 1986, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016
4  Cuba 8 1949, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 2015
5  Venezuela 7 1970, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1989, 2006, 2009
6  Panama 2 1950, 2019
7  Colombia 1 2022

Undefeated teams

No.TeamRecordYears
3 Dominican Republic Tigres del Licey 6–0
6–0
5–0
1971
1977
1991
2 Puerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce 6–0
6–0
1953
2000
2 Dominican Republic Águilas Cibaeñas 6–0
7–0
1998
2021
1 Cuba Alacranes del Almendares   6–0 1949
1 Cuba Leones del Habana 5–0 1952
1 Cuba Elefantes de Cienfuegos 6–0 1960
1 Puerto Rico Senadores de San Juan 6–0 1995
1 Venezuela Leones del Caracas 6–0 2006
1 Mexico Venados de Mazatlán 6–0 2016

See also

Notes

  1. Salón de la Fama y Museo del Béisbol de Venezuela Exaltados 2008 – Oscar Prieto Ortiz Archived 31 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish).
  2. Bjarkman, Peter (1994). Baseball with a Latin Beat: A History of the Latin American Game. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-89950-973-0.
  3. "Historia Serie del Caribe". LVBP.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  4. Rojas, Enrique (13 May 2022). "Oficial: Cuba y Curazao jugarán en próxima Serie del Caribe en Caracas 2023". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 June 2023.

Sources

  • Antero Núñez, José. Series del Caribe. Jefferson, Caracas, Venezuela: Impresos Urbina, C.A., 1987.
  • Gutiérrez, Daniel. Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela – 1895–2006. Caracas, Venezuela: Impresión Arte, C.A., 2007.
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