1987-1988 Cuban National League
From BR Bullpen
The 1987-1988 season was the twenty-seventh season of Cuba's national baseball system.
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[edit] Serie Nacional
The 27th Serie Nacional was won by Vegueros – their third in four years – under manager Jorge Fuentes. The Pinar del Río team went 5 – 1 in the league's playoffs, despite faceing two teams with winning precentaegs over .800 - La Habana and Santiago de Cuba, both of whom went 3 – 3. The club, with stars such as Omar Ajete, José Cano, Luis Giraldo Casanova, Juan Castro, Faustino Corrales, Reinaldo Costa, Rogelio García, Giraldo González, Omar Linares, and Lázaro Madera, seems to be invincible and primed for a dynasty.
Pedro Luis Rodríguez of La Habana is the top hitter, leading the league in average (.446, 87-195), hits (87), runs scored (59), and doubles (17). Rodríguez's batting average is 20 points higher than Omar Linares's record from two years earlier. Vegueros's Rogelio García wins his final ERA title with a 2.21 ERA (20 earned runs in 81.1 innings). Henequeneros slugger Lázaro Junco leads all hitters with 25 home runs while Luis Ulacia of Camagüey steals 26 base, one more than Industriales’ Germán Mesa.
[edit] Standings
- Bold indicates Zona champion; Italics indicates Serie Nacional champion
[edit] Zona Occidental
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Habana | 48 | 39 | 9 | 0.813 | -.- |
| Vegueros | 48 | 35 | 13 | 0.729 | 4.0 |
| Industriales | 48 | 34 | 14 | 0.708 | 5.0 |
| Henequeneros | 48 | 26 | 22 | 0.542 | 13.0 |
| Metropolitanos | 48 | 22 | 26 | 0.458 | 17.0 |
| Cienfuegos | 48 | 22 | 26 | 0.458 | 17.0 |
| Forestales | 48 | 18 | 30 | 0.375 | 21.0 |
| Isla de la Juventud | 48 | 10 | 38 | 0.208 | 29.0 |
| Citricultores | 48 | 10 | 38 | 0.208 | 29.0 |
[edit] Zona Oriental
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago de Cuba | 48 | 40 | 8 | 0.833 | -.- |
| Camagüey | 48 | 29 | 19 | 0.604 | 11.0 |
| Granma | 48 | 29 | 19 | 0.604 | 11.0 |
| Villa Clara | 48 | 25 | 23 | 0.521 | 15.0 |
| Las Tunas | 48 | 22 | 26 | 0.458 | 18.0 |
| Ciego de Ávila | 48 | 20 | 28 | 0.417 | 20.0 |
| Sancti Spíritus | 48 | 20 | 28 | 0.417 | 20.0 |
| Holguín | 48 | 17 | 31 | 0.354 | 23.0 |
| Guantánamo | 48 | 14 | 34 | 0.292 | 26.0 |
[edit] Playoffs
The playoffs consisted of the top two teams from each zona playing in a six-game "round robin" against each other, with two games against each other. Vegueros won five games to take the championship
| Team | Zona | G | W | L | WPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegueros | Occidental - Second | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Santiago de Cuba | Oriental - First | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| La Habana | Occidental - First | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| Camagüey | Oriental - Second | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0.167 |
[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 Pedro Luis Rodríguez a catcher with La Habana. The Most Valuable Pitcher (Lanzadores más Valiosos) was Rogelio García of Vegueros. Teófilo Pérez of Camagüey and Alexander Ramos of Isla de la Juventud were the Series' Rookie of the Year (Novatos del Año).
[edit] Series Selectivas
The fourteenth Series Selectivas was won by Pinar del Río, managed by the Jorge Fuentes.
[edit] Standings
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinar del Río | 63 | 40 | 23 | 0.635 | -.- |
| Habana | 63 | 39 | 24 | 0.619 | 1.0 |
| Serranos | 63 | 36 | 27 | 0.571 | 4.0 |
| Las Villas | 63 | 35 | 28 | 0.556 | 5.0 |
| Mineros | 62 | 27 | 35 | 0.435 | 12.5 |
| Camagüeyanos | 63 | 26 | 37 | 0.413 | 14.0 |
| Matanzas | 62 | 25 | 37 | 0.403 | 14.5 |
| Agropecuarios | 63 | 23 | 40 | 0.365 | 17.0 |
[edit] Leaders
[edit] Batting
- Batting Average: .430 - Lourdes Gourriel, Las Villas
- Base Hits: 91 - Germán Mesa, Habana
- Runs Scored: 69 - Orestes Kindelán, Serranos
- Doubles: 22 - Luis Alvarez, Mineros
- Triples: 6 - Germán Mesa, Habana
- Home Runs: 28 - Orestes Kindelán, Serranos
- Runs Batted In: 68 - Omar Linares, Pinar del Río
- Stolen Bases: 35 - Victor Mesa, Las Villas
[edit] Pitching
- Win-Loss Percentage: 0.818 (9 - 2) - José Alemán, Serranos
- Games Pitched: 32 - Enrique Cutiño, Serranos
- Complete Games: 10 - René Arocha, Habana
- Wins: 10 - Lázaro Valle, Habana
- Innings Pitched: 134.1 - Enrique Cutiño, Serranos
- Strikeouts: 106 - René Arocha, Habana
- Earned Run Average: 3.18 - Orlando Hernández, Habana
[edit] Sources
- (March 17, 2004). "Cronología: 1988 (Spanish)". Radiococo. Radiococo. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- (March 22, 2004). "Tabla de Posiciones de la XXVII serie 1988 (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
