SERIE DEL CARIBE

From February 2-8, the Serie del Caribe (Caribbean Series) will be played in host country Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.  The four winter league champions from Venezuela, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico will be joined by the Cuban League Serie Nacional champion to play the 57th edition of this important regional baseball tournament.  It's "fiesta time" for baseball fans in these countries.  For baseball lovers all over, a good quality tournament in February is a real treat.

Recent tournaments have seen Mexico, once considered the "Cinderella", winning 3 of the last 4 ( 2011, 2012 and 2014) with Dominican Republic the champ in 2013.  Last year's Series featured very few Major League players with champion Mexico not having any current major leaguers on their roster.  Teams like Venezuela and Dominican Republic don't bulk up with star power so it's not an elite tournament but still very competitive.  Last year the Cuban entry, Villa Clara, seemed over matched at times. This year the Pinar del Rio team has 17 reinforcements to make it look like the Cuban National Team.

Some time ago the 'Serie del Caribe" went through tough financial times.  In 1990 and 1991 it was played in Miami.  The 1990 series was organized by Rick Horrow, a sports venture CEO, and played at the Orange Bowl, resulting in a complete disaster.  The playing field had about a 270 foot left field and the playing surface was in bad shape.  Edgar Martinez, Omar Vizquel, Geronimo Berrroa, Moises Alou were some of the stars that participated.  Felipe Alou led the Dominican team to victory.  The 1991 version of the series was played at Bobby Maduro Stadium and changed it's name to Winterball 1.  Though better than 1990, it still was not a success.  We saw players like Geronimo Berroa, Henry Rodriguez, Melido Perez , Luis Gonzalez and Andujar Cedeño.  The Dominicans also won this time under manager John Roseboro.  Geronimo Berroa was the MVP both years.  I attended all the games both years and while being impressed with the quality of some players, I was very disappointed with the organization and marketing of the event.  Something as important as this Series deserved much better.
 

Mays, Clemente, Buster Clarkson, Bob Thurman, George Crowe  Santurce 1955

There was a time when a lot of big name players took part in these tournaments. Hall of Famers,Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente played in the same outfield for the "Cangrejeros de Santurce" in 1955 at the Universitario de Caracas in Venezuela where they won the Series.  Mays started slow (0 for 13) but then caught fire going 11 for 13 to make the All Star team. The 24 year old Mays was coming off a year of .345 average with 41 HR's and 110 RBI's for the New York Giants in 1954.  Clemente, 20 years old at the time hit a modest .267 and did not make the series All Star team.  He was just establishing himself.  The Series MVP was SS Don Zimmer who hit 3 HR's.  The recently passed Zimmer was on his way to becoming one of the great baseball persons of our time.  Affectionately known as "Popeye", Zimmer was player, field coach, manager and bench coach.  He never drew a paycheck in his life that was not baseball related spanning 65 years.

The great Willie Mays homering at the Universitario de Caracas in 1955  (gettyimages)

The 1995 Senadores de San Juan that represented Puerto Rico in the 95 Series at Hiram Bithorn Stadium is the best collection of
baseball talent to put foot on a Caribbean Series diamond.  The all native Puerto Rican "Dream Team", demolished the opposition outscoring them 49-15 and going undefeated. Rey Sanchez, the regular season batting champion, hit 9th on this star-studded team.  Carlos Delgado C, Carmelo Martinez IB, Roberto Alomar 2B, Carlos Baerga 3B, Rey Sanchez SS, Juan "Igor" Gonzalez LF, Bernie Williams CF, Ruben Sierra RF and Edgar Martinez DH formed this fearsome 9.  Twenty years ago they made Puerto Rico very proud.  This group of players totaled 36 All Star appearances in the Major Leagues.  Only Carmelo Martinez and Rey Sanchez did not make any All Star team despite being good players.

Alomar, Carmelo, Edgar, Sanchez, Sierra, Baerga, Williams, Gonzalez, Delgado ( Dream Team 1995)

This is the same Hiram Bithorn Stadium where Javy Lopez hit a walk off HR off Omar Ajete of the Cuban National Team in 1993 carrying the Senadores de San Juan to a 4-3 victory.  The Cubans had manhandled amateur opposition and this showed that a different dog was in the fight. 

Miguel Tejada, the Bus Driver.

With today's average annual MLB salary around 3.7 million, there is no incentive for players to participate and for organizations to risk their investment in these tournaments.  Miguel Tejada, is one of the few players, even in his prime that was willing to always participate in the winter league and in this tournament.  Called "pelotero de la patria" he is also known as the "bus driver" for when he found men on base he always took them home.

Two of the young players to keep an eye on are:  Maikel Franco of the Dominican team who should soon be playing in Philadelphia and Javier Baez of Puerto Rico, one of the new wave coming to the Chicago Cubs. Baez has scandalous power but a high swing and miss rate.