Baseball in Cuba

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Baseball in Cuba
Baseball de Cuba, Peter Bjarkman -Use the Translator to covert from Spanish to English.
Newspaper Coverage of Baseball in Cuba - JIT -Use the Translator to covert from Spanish to English.
Other Newspaper Coverage of Baseball in Cuba -Use the Translator
Cuban Baseball Federation - in Spanish -Use the Translator
Cuban baseball primer - by Joe Connor
Cuba: Player Smuggling (2007) - Chris Francesceni reports that a top sports agent was charged with smuggling Cuban baseball players into the US by way of speed boats piloted by a drug smuggler.

Cubano's Page (Cuban baseball expert). He is available for your questions and posted

Email Cubano (Cuban baseball expert)

John Holway's Page (esteemed and widely published Negro Leagues expert). He is available for your questions and posted articles right here on BaseballGuru.com that are not available anywhere else! Find out about Holway's new works in progress... Get autographed copies of his books.

Email John Holway (The Negro League Insider)

Cuban Baseball The Other Half of Baseball History by John Holway Who Have Been the Top Players in Cuba in the Castro Era?  by Jim Albright

Roberto Barcelo, on the organization of Cuban baseball.

CUBAN BASEBALL STRUCTURE (Before 2008)

BY CUBANO

The Cuban Baseball Structure can be divided in two eras, before and after 1959. Before 1959, Cuba had a professional winter league. Anyone interested in this era can access the following link courtesy of Cesar Lopez of Cuban ball: cubanball.com

After 1959, Cuban baseball structure, number of teams and their names, has changed several times. The current structure has the Cuban National League and the Cuban Super League.

The two most important leagues in Cuba are the National League and the Super League.

The National League

It starts on November and ends in April. It consists of 90 games. All teams play each other. There are 16 teams.

The first places in each groups advance to the playoff. The two teams with the best records advances to the playoffs too. So you may have one group having 3 teams in the playoffs and one group having just one. The team with the best record plays the team with the worst record among the two non first place teams. Ex: In the 44 Cuban National Series, Pinar del Rio Cigar Makers was the only team from Group 1 that advanced to the playoff. In Group 2, Industriales Lions, Havana Cowboys and Santi Spiritus Roosters advanced.

Winners play for the league championship. The winner of each league plays for the Cuban crown. Current champion 44 national league 2004-05: Las Avispas de Santiago de Cuba (Wasps), Second place: Los Vaqueros de la Havana (Cowboys).

The National league is divided in two: West and East

West League:

Group 1
Los Toronjeros de la Isla de La Juventud (Grapefruit Croppers)
Los Vegueros de Pinar del Rio (Cigar Makers)
Los Cocodrilos de Matanza (Cocodriles)
Los Guerreros Metropolitanos (Metropolitan Warriors)

Group 2
Los Leones de Industriales (Havana Lions) The New York Yankees of Cuba!
Los Camaroneros de Cienfuegos (Shrimps)
Los Gallos de Santi Spiritus (Roosters)
Los Vaqueros de la Havana (Cowboys)

East League:

Group 3
Los Naranjas de Villa Clara (Orange Growers)
Los Alfareros de Camaguey (Ceramists)
Los Tigres de Ciego de Avila (Tigers)
Los Magos de las Tunas (Magicians)

Group 4
Los Alazanes de Gramma (Sorrels)
Las Avispas de Santiago de Cuba (Wasps)
Los Sabuesos de Holguin (Hounds)
Los Indios de Guantanamo (Indians)

Cuban Super League

Runs from April to May after the National league. The Super league only has 4 teams: Occidentales (Westeners), Havana, Centrales (Centrals) and Orientales (Easteners). It consists of 30 games. Players from this league are eligible for "The Cuban National team".

Occidentales gets players from Isla de La Juventud Grapefruit Croppers, Pinar del Rio Cigar Makers and Matanza Cocodriles.

Havana gets players from Industriales Lions, Havana Cowboys and Metropolitanos Warriors.

Centrales gets players from Cienfuegos Shrimps, Villa Clara Orange Growers, Camaguey Ceramists, Santi Spiritus Roosters and Ciego de Avila Tigers.

Orientales gets their players from Las Tunas Magicians, Gramma Sorrels, Santiago de Cuba Wasps, Holguin Hounds and Guantanamo Indians.

Other Leagues

All teams are represented in the junior categories with one team. Every category has a national tournament. The following are the different categories in Cuban baseball:

Category 9-10 years old
Category 11-12 years old
Category 13-14 years old
Category 15-16 years old
Category Junior

Provincial:

Every province in Cuba has their own championship tournament before the start of The National League.

Developmental League:

Runs after the Provincial leagues and before the National League. It is where young prospects polish their skills. Cuba has 14 provinces and one municipality. Havana, the capital, has two teams. Therefore, there are 16 teams. Players from this league don't have too much of a chance to make the roster from their respective province. This league ends at the beginning on November.

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