2007-2008 Cuban National League
From BR Bullpen
The 2007-2008 season was the forty-seventh season of Cuba's national baseball system. The season was noted for its offensive explosion thanks to the introduction of the Mizuno 150 baseball. Several records were set at the plate, most notably by Alexei Bell. Bell, a slugging outfielder for Santiago de Cuba despite his small frame, set new league marks for home runs and RBI. Alfredo Despaigne, another young outfielder, set a new record with 58 extra-base hits. Due to the increase in offense, pitch counts in the league were increased during the season from 100 to 120 to allow starters to work deeper into games.
A couple pitchers also set records in the 2007-2008 Serie Nacional. Yulieski González went 15-0 to set a new record for most consecutive wins in a season, breaking the old standard of 14. Pedro Luis Lazo, meanwhile, set a new career record for Cuban pitchers with his 235th win late in the year; Lazo picked up 9 victories during the season to show he was still productive.
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[edit] Serie Nacional
The 47th Serie Nacional was won by Santiago de Cuba, 4 games to 0, over Pinar del Río. Pinar del Río was a surprise contestant given their .500 regular season performance, but some playoff upsets enabled them to make it to the finals, where they were a heavy underdog and proved to be no match for Santiago de Cuba. It was the third title in four seasons for Santiago de Cuba. Santiago de Cuba was managed by Antonio Pacheco. Rolando Meriño set a new postseason record with 25 RBI in the playoffs and finals; he was named MVP of the playoffs.
Game one of the finals was won by Santiago de Cuba, 8-2. Veteran hurler Norge Vera went the distance and did not allow a run until the 6th, by which point his team was well ahead. 2B Héctor Olivera Jr. went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI to pace a balanced attack. Pinar del Rio turned to Pedro Luis Lazo for game two but Cuba's all-time win leader allowed 7 runs in 6 innings in a 9-2 loss. Catcher Rolando Meriño went 3 for 4 with a homer, 3 runs and 2 RBI while RF Alexei Bell homered twice and drove in four. Santiago de Cuba starter Alberto Bicet was knocked out after one-third of an inning but reliever Yaumier Sánchez allowed only one run in 8 2/3 innings after replacing him to pick up the win.
Meriño drove in 3 runs in a game 3, 10-4 win for Santiago de Cuba. They won it with 6 runs in the 6th. Olivera was 3 for 5 with 2 runs while Pedro Poll doubled twice and drove in two. Santiago de Cuba completed the sweep with a 2-1 pitching duel in game four, the only close contest of the finals. 3B Ronnier Mustelier homered off of Yuniesky Maya in the third to put Santiago ahead, but Pinar tied it in the bottom of the third against Ormari Romero. In the 8th, Olivera reached on a fielder's choice. With Lazo on the hill for Pinar, Olivera stole second and Meriño was walked intentionally. Santiago star Bell singled in Olivera for the winning run. Reinier Roibal was the winning pitcher and Vera got the save.
[edit] Standings
- Bold indicates Zona champion; Italics indicates Serie Nacional champion
[edit] Zona Occidental
| Grupo A | Grupo B | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB | Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB | |
| Pinar del Río | 90 | 45 | 45 | 0.500 | -- | La Habana | 90 | 61 | 29 | 0.678 | -- | |
| Isla de la Juventud | 90 | 40 | 50 | 0.444 | 5 | Industriales | 88 | 53 | 35 | 0.602 | 7 | |
| Matanzas | 90 | 34 | 56 | 0.378 | 11 | Sancti Spíritus | 88 | 48 | 40 | 0.545 | 12 | |
| Metropolitanos | 89 | 28 | 61 | 0.315 | 16.5 | Cienfuegos | 90 | 33 | 57 | 0.367 | 28 | |
[edit] Zona Oriental
| Grupo C | Grupo D | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB | Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB | |
| Villa Clara | 88 | 55 | 33 | 0.625 | -- | Santiago de Cuba | 90 | 61 | 29 | 0.678 | -.- | |
| Ciego de Ávila | 90 | 53 | 37 | 0.589 | 3 | Guantánamo | 89 | 44 | 45 | 0.494 | 16.5 | |
| Las Tunas | 90 | 49 | 41 | 0.544 | 7 | Holguín | 90 | 41 | 49 | 0.456 | 20 | |
| Camagüey | 90 | 35 | 55 | 0.382 | 21 | Granma | 90 | 36 | 54 | 0.400 | 25 | |
[edit] Playoffs
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
| OCC2 | Industriales | 0 | |||||||||||
| OCC4 | Pinar del Río | 3 | |||||||||||
| Pinar del Río | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Occidental | |||||||||||||
| OCC4 | Sancti Spíritus | 3 | |||||||||||
| OCC1 | La Habana | 1 | |||||||||||
| OCC3 | Sancti Spíritus | 3 | |||||||||||
| OCC4 | Pinar del Río | 0 | |||||||||||
| OTE1 | Santiago de Cuba | 4 | |||||||||||
| OTE1 | Santiago de Cuba | 3 | |||||||||||
| OTE4 | Las Tunas | 0 | |||||||||||
| OTE4 | Villa Clara | 2 | |||||||||||
| Oriental | |||||||||||||
| OTE2 | Santiago de Cuba | 4 | |||||||||||
| OTE2 | Villa Clara | 3 | |||||||||||
| OTE3 | Ciego de Ávila | 2 | |||||||||||
[edit] All-Star Game
The twenty-second Juego de las Estrellas (All-Star Game) was held at Guillermón Moncada Stadium. In the game, the Occientales defeated the Orientales by a score of 6 to 5 behind a home run from MVP Yosvani Peraza. The winning pitcher was Alexei Gil and the losing pitcher was Jorge Longa.
[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 Alexei Bell of Santiago de Cuba. Yosvani Perez of Villa Clara was the Series' Rookie of the Year (Novatos del Año). Manager of the Year was Antonio Pacheco of Santiago de Cuba.
All-Stars were C Rolando Meriño (Santiago de Cuba), 1B Yoandy Garlobo (Matanzas), 2B Héctor Olivera Jr. (Santiago de Cuba), SS Yadil Mujica (Matanzas), 3B Yulieski Gourriel (Sancti Spiritus), Bell, OF Alfredo Despaigne (Granma), OF Yoandry Urgellés (Industriales), DH Yosvani Peraza, UT Adonis García (Ciego de Avila), RHP Jonder Martínez (La Habana), LHP Yulieski González (La Habana) and RP Sergio Espinosa (Isla de la Juventud). Gold Glove winners were C Ariel Pestano (Villa Clara), 1B Garlobo, 2B Raiko Olivares (Industriales), SS Eduardo Paret (Villa Clara), 3B Jorge Rodriguez (Cienfuegos), Bell, OF Juan Carlos Linares (La Habana), OF Andy Zamora (Villa Clara) and P Yoelkis Cruz (Las Tunas).
