Cuban Serie Nacional

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The Cuban National Series (Spanish: Serie Nacional de Béisbol) is the primary domestic amateur baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the professional Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the series is a part of the Cuban national baseball system.

League Structure[edit]

The serie currently has sixteen teams organized into two zonas (zones), Oriental and Occidental (east and west) , which are in turn split into two grupos (groups). Each of Cuba's 14 provinces has a team as does the special municipality Isla de la Juventud, with Ciudad de La Habana having two clubs, for a total of sixteen teams.

The league has a 90-game schedule which runs from November though April. Each team plays each other team six teams. The season is then followed by a 3-tiered of playoff that culminates in a national championship. An all-star game, between the league's zonas, has been played since the 1997-1998 season, although it had been played in earlier seasons. In the past, the winning team has played versus a teams from the Mexican League. This series has been played each winter since 1962.

Playoffs[edit]

At the end of the regular season in mid-April, the three-round playoffs begin. Eight teams qualify for the playoffs, split into two brackets by zona. The two grupo winners in each zona quaIify along with two wildcard teams, which are the two non-grupo winners with the best records. The first Cuartos de final series, the grupo winner with the best record plays versus the wildcard team with the worst record, while the other in the matchup has the other grupo winner playing the best wildcard team. All series in this round are best-of-seven. The winners meet in the Semifinals to determine the zona champion; this round is best-of- seven. The winners of the Semifinals then play versus each other in the best-of-seven Final to determine the league champion.

Rosters[edit]

Each team is allowed to have thirty players on its roster with nearly all of the players from the team's home province. There are no foreigners allowed in the league, no free agency, and very little player movement as all player contracts are signed with the league rather than the individual team. In rare instances, a player may be granted a transfer in instances, such as family relocation. Salaries range between the equivalent of US$120 and US$175 per month, with an average of US$135, paid in pesos (which unlike the convertible peso has no value outside Cuba). Players at the very top are sometimes rewarded with luxuries from the government, such as homes; although examples of this are few.

The Cuban baseball system is designed as much to develop the nation's athletic talents as to provide entertainment to the public. Children showing athletic promise are sent to sports academies for extensive competitive training and development, with the goal of developing the nation's athletes. Some players are able to make the municipal team and advance through the sport without training in the academies, but those players are exceptional. Although players are amateurs, elite players are subsidized and given special rewards. A problem confronting Cuba's top athletes, however, is the lack of opportunities to compete against the best players in the world. An opportunity for competition against the world's best professional players was finally made available by the World Baseball Classic first held in March 2006.

Current teams[edit]

The Serie Nacional (National Series) currently has sixteen teams, divided into two zonas which are in turn split into two grupos. although as recently as 1992 there were eighteen teams.

Unlike most leagues, Serie Nacional teams have no official nicknames but are instead named for their province, with the exception being Industriales, who are from Havana. However, over the years "unofficial" nicknames and mascots have been attached by local fans or media organizations and are now increasingly found in the Cuban press. It is also common for a team to have more than one nickname simultaneously.

Zona Grupo Team City, Province Stadium First Season
Occidental A Isla de la Juventud Nuevo Gerona, Isla de la Juventud Estadio Cristóbal Labra 1977-1978
Matanzas Matanzas, Matanzas Province Estadio Victoria de Girón 1992-93
Artemisa Artemisa, Artemisa Province Estadio 26 de Julio 2011-12
Pinar del Río Pinar del Río, Pinar del Río Province Estadio Capitán San Luis 1992-1993
B Cienfuegos Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos Province Estadio Cinco de Septiembre 1977-1978
Mayabeque San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Province Estadio Nelson Fernández 2011-12
Industriales Ciudad de La Habana Estadio Latinoamericano 1961
Sancti Spíritus Sancti Spíritus, Sancti Spíritus Province Estadio José Antonio Huelga 1977-1978
Oriental C Camagüey Camagüey, Camagüey Province Estadio Cándido González 1977-1978
Ciego de Ávila Ciego de Ávila, Ciego de Ávila Province Estadio José Ramón Cepero 1977-1978
Las Tunas Las Tunas, Las Tunas Province Estadio Julio Antonio Mella 1977-1978
Villa Clara Santa Clara, Villa Clara Province Estadio Augusto César Sandino 1961
D Granma Bayamo, Granma Province Estadio Mártires de Barbados 1977-1978
Guantánamo Guantánamo, Guantánamo Province Estadio Nguyen Van Troi 1977-1978
Holguín Holguín, Holguín Province Estadio Calixto García Íñiguez 1977-1978
Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba, Santiago de Cuba Province Estadio Guillermón Moncada 1977-1978
The special municipality of Isla de La Juventud was known as Isla de Pinos until 1978, therefore the Isla de la Juventud team played the 1977-1978 season as Isla de Pinos.

Former Teams[edit]

League Champions[edit]

Championships by Team[edit]

Yearly Results[edit]

Serie Year(s) Teams Champion Manager Record Playoffs Second Place
I 1962 4 Occidentales Fermín Guerra 18 - 9 (0.667) none Azucareros
II 1962-1963 4 Industriales Ramón Carneado 16 - 14 (0.533) 2 - 1 (0.667) Orientales
III 1963-1964 4 Industriales Ramón Carneado 22 - 13 (0.629) none Occidentales
IV 1964-1965 4 Industriales Ramón Carneado 25 - 14 (0.641) none Occidentales
V 1965-1966 6 Industriales Ramón Carneado 40 - 25 (0.615) none Orientales
VI 1966-1967 6 Orientales Roberto Ledo 36 - 29 (0.554) none Industriales
VII 1967-1968 12 La Habana Coco Gómez 74 - 25 (0.748) none Industriales
VIII 1968-1969 12 Azucareros Servio Borges 69 - 30 (0.697) none Industriales
IX 1969-1970 12 Henequeneros Miguel Ángel Domínguez 50 - 16 (0.758) none Mineros
X 1970-1971 12 Azucareros Pedro Pérez Delgado 49 - 16 (0.754) none La Habana
XI 1971-1972 12 Azucareros Servio Borges 52 - 14 (0.788) 2 - 1 (0.667) Mineros
XII 1972-1973 14 Industriales Pedro Chávez 53 - 25 (0.679) none La Habana
XIII 1973-1974 14 La Habana Jorge Trigoura 52 - 26 (0.667) none Constructores
XIV 1974-1975 14 Agricultores Orlando Leroux 24 - 15 (0.615) none Vegueros
XV 1975-1976 14 Ganaderos Carlos Gómez 29 - 9 (0.763) none Metropolitanos
XVI 1976-1977 14 Citricultores Juan Bregio 26 - 12 (0.684) none Vegueros
XVII 1977-1978 18 Vegueros José Miguel Pineda 36 - 14 (0.720) none Industriales
XVIII 1978-1979 18 Sancti Spíritus Cándido Andrade 39 - 12 (0.765) none Villa Clara
XIX 1979-1980 18 Santiago de Cuba Manuel Miyar 35 - 16 (0.686) none Villa Clara
XX 1980-1981 18 Vegueros José Miguel Pineda 36 - 15 (0.706) none Villa Clara
XXI 1981-1982 18 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes 36 - 15 (0.706) none Citricultores
XXII 1982-1983 18 Villa Clara Eduardo Luis Martín 41 - 8 (0.837) none Citricultores
XXIII 1983-1984 18 Citricultores Tomás Soto 52 - 23 (0.693) none Industriales
XXIV 1984-1985 18 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes 57 - 18 (0.760) none Camagüey
XXV 1985-1986 18 Industriales Pedro Chávez 37 - 11 (0.771) 6 - 0 (1.000) Vegueros
XXVI 1986-1987 18 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes 34 - 13 (0.723) 5 - 1 (0.833) Santiago de Cuba
XXVII 1987-1988 18 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes 39 - 9 (0.813) 5 - 1 (0.833) Santiago de Cuba
XXVIII 1988-1989 18 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez 29 - 19 (0.604) 5 - 1 (0.833) Industriales
XXIX 1989-1990 18 Henequeneros Gerardo Junco 37 - 11 (0.771) 4 - 2 (0.667) Santiago de Cuba
XXX 1990-1991 18 Henequeneros Gerardo Junco 33 - 15 (0.688) 6 - 1 (0.857) Camagüey
XXXI 1991-1992 18 Industriales Jorge Trigoura 36 - 12 (0.750) 7 - 1 (0.875) Henequeneros
XXXII 1992-1993 16 Villa Clara Pedro Jova 42 - 23 (0.646) 8 - 3 (0.727) Pinar del Río
XXXIII 1993-1994 16 Villa Clara Pedro Jova 43 - 22 (0.662) 8 - 5 (0.615) Industriales
XXXIV 1994-1995 16 Villa Clara Pedro Jova 44 - 18 (0.710) 8 - 2 (0.800) Pinar del Río
XXXV 1995-1996 16 Industriales Pedro Medina 41 - 22 (0.651) 8 - 2 (0.800) Villa Clara
XXXVI 1996-1997 16 Pinar del Río Jorge Fuentes 50 - 15 (0.769) 8 - 0 (1.000) Villa Clara
XXXVII 1997-1998 16 Pinar del Río Alfonso Urquiola 56 - 34 (0.622) 11 - 5 (0.688) Santiago de Cuba
XXXVIII 1998-1999 16 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez 46 - 44 (0.511) 11 - 7 (0.611) Industriales
XXXIX 1999-2000 16 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez 62 - 28 (0.689) 11 - 0 (1.000) Pinar del Río
XL 2000-2001 16 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez 55 - 35 (0.611) 11 - 4 (0.733) Pinar del Río
XLI 2001-2002 16 Holguín Héctor Hernández 55 - 35 (0.611) 11 - 6 (0.647) Sancti Spíritus
XLII 2002-2003 16 Industriales Rey Vicente Anglada 66 - 23 (0.742) 11 - 2 (0.846) Villa Clara
XLIII 2003-2004 16 Industriales Rey Vicente Anglada 52 - 38 (0.578) 11 - 4 (0.733) Villa Clara
XLIV 2004-2005 16 Santiago de Cuba Antonio Pacheco 55 - 35 (0.611) 11 - 2 (0.846) La Habana
XLV 2005-2006 16 Industriales Rey Vicente Anglada 56 - 34 (0.622) 11 - 7 (0.611) Santiago de Cuba
XLVI 2006-2007 16 Santiago de Cuba Antonio Pacheco 57 - 32 (0.640) 11 - 6 (0.647) Industriales
XLVII 2007-2008 16 Santiago de Cuba Antonio Pacheco 61 - 29 (0.678) 11 - 0 (1.000) Pinar del Río
XLVIII 2008-2009 16 La Habana Esteban Lombillo 57 - 33 (0.633) 12 - 4 (0.750) Villa Clara
XLVIV 2009-2010 16 Industriales Germán Mesa 47 - 43 (0.522) 12 - 6 (0.667) Villa Clara
L 2010-2011 16 Pinar del Río Alfonso Urquiola 50 - 39 (0.562) 12 - 6 (0.667) Ciego de Ávila
LI 2011-2012 17 Ciego de Ávila Roger Machado 54 - 42 (0.563) 12 - 6 (0.667) Industriales
LII 2012-2013 16 Villa Clara Ramón Moret 24 - 21 (0.533) 8 - 2 (0.800) Matanzas
LIII 2013-2014 16 Pinar del Río Alfonso Urquiola 52 - 35 (0.598) 8 - 5 (0.615) Matanzas
LIV 2014-2015 16 Ciego de Ávila Roger Machado 50 - 37 (0.575) 8 - 4 (0.667) Isla de la Juventud
LV 2015-2016 16 Ciego de Ávila Roger Machado 54 - 32 (0.628) 8 - 3 (0.727) Pinar del Río
LVI 2016-2017 16 Granma Carlos Martí 50 - 40 (0.556) 8 - 3 (0.727) Ciego de Ávila
LVII 2017-2018 16 Granma Carlos Martí 49-39 (0.557) 8 - 4 (0.667) Las Tunas
LVIII 2018-2019 16 Las Tunas Pablo Alberto Civil 51 - 39 (0.567) 8 - 2 (0.800) Villa Clara
LIX 2019-2020 16 Matanzas Armando Ferrer 52 - 38 (0.578) 7 - 3 (0.700) Las Tunas
LX 2020-2021 16 Granma Carlos Martí 48 - 27 (0.640) 11 - 6 (0.647) Matanzas

Further Reading[edit]

  • Michael Lewis: "Commie Ball: A Journey to the End of the Revolution", Vanity Fair, July 2008.