1977-1978 Cuban National League
From BR Bullpen
The 1977-1978 season was the seventeenth season of Cuba's national baseball system.
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[edit] Serie Nacional
The 17th Serie Nacional was won by Vegueros – managed by José Miguel Pineda – with Industriales a game and a half behind. This season marked the hundreth season that top-flight baseball had been played in Cuba, and saw some of the biggest changes in the league since the seventh Serie Nacional ten years earlier.
On the heels of the June 5, 1976 restructuring of Cuba's provinces from six to fourteen and one special municipality, the league added four teams. The eighteen-team league now had at least one team in each of the nations provinces and special municipality – with three provinces (Ciudad de la Habana, Pinar del Río Province, Matanzas Province) receiving with two teams.
The designated hitter rule was also introduced to the Cuban National League – four seasons after Major League Baseball's American League adopted the rule. In pre-season exhibition game between Havana's CDR and MININT amateur clubs, Lázaro Mádam became Cuba's first DH. The expanded league also increased the season length to 51 games, although fewer than half the clubs played a complete schedule.
Cienfuegos' Pedro José Rodríguez again led the league in home runs with 13, while future big leaguer Bárbaro Garbey led the league in runs batted in, knocking home 40 Industriales teammates. Fernando Sánchez of Henequeneros hits for a league-leading .394 average with 43 hits in 109 at bats, a hit short of breaking the serie record of .396. Three pitchers – Maximiliano Gutiérrez (Vegueros), José M. Pedroso (La Habana), Servando Medina (Cienfuegos) – finish the season tied for the league lead with nine wins. Gutiérrez also goes 46.1 innings without allowing a run to set a new record.
[edit] Standings
- Bold indicates Serie Nacional champion
| Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegueros | 50 | 36 | 14 | 0 | 0.720 | -.- |
| Industriales | 51 | 35 | 16 | 0 | 0.686 | 1.5 |
| Camagüey | 51 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 0.588 | 6.5 |
| Forestales | 50 | 29 | 21 | 0 | 0.580 | 7.0 |
| Metropolitanos | 49 | 28 | 21 | 0 | 0.571 | 7.5 |
| Villa Clara | 49 | 28 | 21 | 0 | 0.571 | 7.5 |
| Cienfuegos | 51 | 29 | 22 | 0 | 0.569 | 7.5 |
| Guantánamo | 50 | 28 | 22 | 0 | 0.560 | 8.0 |
| Ciego de Ávila | 49 | 26 | 23 | 0 | 0.531 | 9.5 |
| Citricultores | 51 | 27 | 24 | 0 | 0.529 | 9.5 |
| Granma | 50 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0.500 | 11.0 |
| Santiago de Cuba | 50 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0.500 | 11.0 |
| La Habana | 48 | 21 | 26 | 1 | 0.447 | 13.5 |
| Holguín | 51 | 22 | 28 | 1 | 0.440 | 14.0 |
| Sancti Spíritus | 51 | 20 | 30 | 1 | 0.400 | 16.0 |
| Henequeneros | 47 | 16 | 30 | 1 | 0.348 | 18.0 |
| Las Tunas | 51 | 12 | 37 | 2 | 0.245 | 23.5 |
| Isla de Pinos | 51 | 10 | 41 | 0 | 0.196 | 26.5 |
[edit] Leaders
- Bold indicates either wooden bat record or aluminum bat record (1976-1977 to 1998-1999), Italics indicate Serie Nacional record
[edit] Batting
[edit] Pitching
[edit] Award Winners
The Most Valuable Player (Jugadores más Valiosos) was Fernando Sánchez a outfielder with Henequeneros. The Most Valuable Pitcher (Lanzadores más Valiosos) was Maximiliano Gutiérrez of Vegueros. José Riveira of Villa Clara was the Series' Rookie of the Year (Novatos del Año).
[edit] Series Selectivas
The fourth Series Selectivas was won by Las Villas, managed by the Eduardo Martín. The team defeated Pinar del Río in a best-of- series to break the regular season tie.
[edit] Standings
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Villas | 60 | 35 | 25 | 0.583 | -.- |
| Pinar del Río | 60 | 35 | 25 | 0.583 | -.- |
| Habana | 60 | 33 | 27 | 0.550 | 2.0 |
| Camagüeyanos | 60 | 32 | 28 | 0.533 | 3.0 |
| Matanzas | 60 | 24 | 36 | 0.400 | 11.0 |
| Orientales | 60 | 21 | 39 | 0.350 | 14.0 |
[edit] Playoffs
After Las Villas and Pinar del Río ended the regular season in a tie, a best-of-five series was played to crown a champion. Las Villas won the series, 3 - 2.
[edit] Leaders
[edit] Batting
- Batting Average: .372 - Pedro Jova, Las Villas
- Base Hits: 92 - Pedro Jova, Las Villas
- Runs Scored: 55 - Antonio Muñoz, Las Villas
- Doubles: 15 - Pedro Medina, Habana
- Triples: 5 - Geraldo Iglesias, Pinar del Río
- Home Runs: 28 - Pedro José Rodríguez, Las Villas
- Runs Batted In: 75 - Pedro José Rodríguez, Las Villas
- Stolen Bases: 13 - Sixto Hernández, Las Villas
[edit] Pitching
- Win-Loss Percentage: 0.778 (7 - 2) - Santiago Mederos, Habana
- Games Pitched: 23 - Roberto Ramos, Las Villas
- Complete Games: 11 - Rogelio García, Pinar del Río
- Wins: 10 - Rogelio García, Pinar del Río
- Innings Pitched: 134.1 - Rogelio García, Pinar del Río
- Strikeouts: 111 - Rogelio García, Pinar del Río
- Earned Run Average: 2.21 - Rogelio García, Pinar del Río
[edit] Sources
- (March 17, 2004). "Cronología: 1978 (Spanish)". Radiococo. Radiococo. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- (March 22, 2004). "Tabla de Posiciones de la XVII serie 1978 (Spanish)". Radiococo. Radiococo. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- (November 18, 2005). "Guía Digital 2005-06". Guía Oficial de Béisbol 2005 (Digital). Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educación Física y Recreación. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- Peter C. Bjarkman. A History of Cuban Baseball, 1864–2006. : McFarland, 2007. ISBN 0786428295
