Cuban National Series

Cuban National Series
Sport Baseball
Founded 1961
No. of teams 16
Country Cuba
Most recent champion(s) Ciego de Ávila (2nd Title)
Most titles Industriales (12)
TV partner(s) Tele Rebelde

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

League structure

Since 1993, the league has had 16 teams: one representing each province, and two for the city of Havana. Each team is made up of players from the province it represents.

In Havana, most of the top tier players take the field for Industriales, traditionally the strongest team in the league. Other typically strong teams include those from Santiago de Cuba, Pinar del Río and Villa Clara.

The 90-game regular season stretches from November until February, and culminates with an eight team tournament to decide the league champion.

Since 2008-2009 championship, the Cuban League has been reorganized - qualification is by zones, and not in groups as it has been the last 15 years.

In the 2011-2012 series, there were 17 competing teams, since Havana Province was split into two provinces: Artemisa Province and Mayabeque Province. Thus, the Western League had 9 teams. The Artemisa team were named "Hunters" (Spanish "Cazadores"), and the Mayabeque team "Hurricanes" (Spanish "huracanes").

The Cuban National Series is the beginning of the preparation for all the commitments that the team Cuba has in the summer. The Cuban National Preselection is selected from the Series and Havana is the site for practicing before going to the competition. Sometimes more than one team is selected.

Beginning with the 2012-13 season, the Metropolitanos, long seen as the "farm team" of Havana's other team, powerhouse Industriales, will no longer field a team. This brings the number of competing teams back down to 16.

To accommodate the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the league will take a six week break after the February 3rd All-Star Game. The Series Nacional will play a shortened 45 game season, with all 16 teams competing in a single table format (doing away with the regular two division format). The bottom 8 seeded teams will then play amongst themselves in the consolation round, while the top 8 seeded teams will do the same for the championship.

The designated hitter is used in all games.

West Teams

TeamNicknameLocationStadium
Isla de la JuventudGrapefruit Cutters
(Spanish: Toronjeros)		Nueva GeronaEstadio Cristóbal Labra
MatanzasCrocodiles
(Spanish: Cocodrilos)		MatanzasVictoria de Girón Stadium
Pinar del RíoLowlands
(Spanish: Vegueros)		Pinar del RíoEstadio Capitán San Luis
IndustrialesBlue Lions
(Spanish: Leones Azules)		HavanaEstadio Latinoamericano
CienfuegosElephants
(Spanish: Elefantes)		CienfuegosCinco de Septiembre Stadium
Sancti SpíritusRoosters
(Spanish: Gallos)		Sancti SpíritusJosé Antonio Huelga Stadium
ArtemisaHunters
(Spanish: Cazadores)		GuanajayEstadio de Guanajay
MayabequeHurricanes
(Spanish: Huracanes)		San Jose de Las LajasEstadio Nelson Fernández

East Teams

TeamNicknameLocationStadium
CamagüeyRanchers
(Spanish: Ganaderos)		CamagüeyEstadio Cándido González
Ciego de ÁvilaTigers
(Spanish: Tigres)		Ciego de ÁvilaJosé Ramón Cepero Stadium
Las TunasLumberjacks
(Spanish: Leñadores)		Victoria de Las TunasJulio Antonio Mella Stadium
Villa ClaraOranges
(Spanish: Naranjas)		Santa ClaraEstadio Augusto César Sandino
GranmaHorses
(Spanish: Alazanes)		BayamoMártires de Barbados Stadium
GuantánamoIndians
(Spanish: Indios)		GuantánamoNguyen Van Troi Stadium
HolguínBloodhounds
(Spanish: Sabuesos)		HolguínCalixto García Íñiguez Stadium
Santiago de CubaWasps
(Spanish: Avispas)		Santiago de CubaEstadio Guillermón Moncada

National Series winners

SeriesYearWinning teamManager
1 1962 Occidentales Fermín Guerra
2 1963 Industriales Ramón Carneado
3 1964 Industriales Ramón Carneado
4 1965 Industriales Ramón Carneado
5 1966 Industriales Ramón Carneado
6 1967 Orientales Roberto Ledo
7 1968 Habana Juan Gómez
8 1969 Azucareros / Villa Clara Servio Borges
9 1970 Henequeneros Miguel A. Domínguez
10 1971 Azucareros / Villa Clara Servio Borges
11 1972 Azucareros / Villa Clara Pedro P. Delgado
12 1973 Industriales Pedro Chávez
13 1974 Habana Jorge Trigoura
14 1975 Agricultores Orlando Leroux
15 1976 Ganaderos Carlos Gómez
16 1977 Citricultores Juan Bregio
17 1978 Vegueros José M. Pineda
18 1979 Sancti Spíritus Cándido Andrade
19 1980 Santiago de Cuba Manuel Miyar
20 1981 Vegueros José M. Pineda
21 1982 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes
22 1983 Villa Clara Eduardo Martín
23 1984 Citricultores Tomás Soto
24 1985 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes
25 1986 Industriales Pedro Chávez
26 1987 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes
27 1988 Vegueros Jorge Fuentes
28 1989 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez
29 1990 Henequeneros Gerardo Junco
30 1991 Henequeneros Gerardo Junco
31 1992 Industriales Jorge Trigoura
32 1993 Villa Clara Pedro Jova
33 1994 Villa Clara Pedro Jova
34 1995 Villa Clara Pedro Jova
35 1996 Industriales Pedro Medina
36 1997 Pinar del Río Jorge Fuentes
37 1998 Pinar del Río Alfonso Urquiola
38 1999 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez
39 2000 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez
40 2001 Santiago de Cuba Higinio Vélez
41 2002 Holguín Héctor Hernández
42 2003 Industriales Rey Vicente Anglada
43 2004 Industriales Rey Vicente Anglada
44 2005 Santiago de Cuba Antonio Pacheco
45 2006 Industriales Rey Vicente Anglada
46 2007 Santiago de Cuba Antonio Pacheco
47 2008 Santiago de Cuba Antonio Pacheco
48 2009 Havana Province Esteban Lombillo
49 2010 Industriales German Mesa
50 2011 Pinar del Río Alfonso Urquiola
51 2012 Ciego de Ávila Roger Machado
52 2013 Villa Clara Ramón Moré
53 2014 Pinar del Río Alfonso Urquiola
54 2015 Ciego de Ávila Roger Machado
55 2016 Ciego de Ávila Roger Machado

See also

External links

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