Plenty of Nothing

2023 Serie del Caribe

 Alex Carrasquel was the first Venezuelan to play in the Major Leagues, pitching for the Washington Senators from 1939 to 1945. Source.

It's the 2023 Serie del Caribe. For the first time there are eight participating countries: Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela (host), Cuba and Curaçao. This calls for two baseball stadiums: Estadio La Rinconada in Caracas and Estadio Forum de La Guaira in La Guaira.

The teams are:

For Colombia, Vaqueros de Montería. Last year was the first time a Colombian team won the series.

Cuba sends Agricultores de Los Tunas y Granma. Cuban teams have won the series eight times. Their last appearance was in 2019.

Curaçao is here for the first time. The Dutch island has been home to a AA baseball league since 1975. Wikipedia lists 16 Major League players from Curaçao. And a team from Willemstad, Curaçao won the 2004 Little League World Series. Curaçao is represented by WildCats KJ74 who have won their league 17 times.

The Dominican Republic is represented by Tigres del Licey, the most successful team in the history of this series. Teams from the Dominican Republic have won the Serie del Caribe 21 times in total, Tigres del Licey taking ten pennants, Águilas Cibaeñas six, Leones del Escogido four, and Senadores de San Juan one.

Mexico sends Cañeros de Los Mochis. Mexican teams have won the series nine times, most recently in 2016.

Panama has won twice, in 1950 and 2019. This year's Panamanian entrants are Federales de Chiriquí who make their first appearance in the Serie del Caribe.

Puerto Rican teams have won the series sixteen times, including 2017 and 2018. Cangrejeros de Santurce and Criollos de Caguas have each won five times. This year's Puerto Rican team is Indios de Mayagüez who won the Serie del Caribe in 1978 and 1992.

Venezuelan teams have won it seven times, most recently in 2009. This year they are represented by Leones del Caracas, who won in 1982 and 2006.

Together the eight leagues comprise 51 teams: Mexico's Pacific League has 10, Venezuela's league 8, Curaçao's 7, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba 6 each, and Panama and Colombia 4 each.

[The final game, February 10th: Tigres del Licey 3 - 0 Leones del Caracas]

Previous coverage of the Serie del Caribe in Plenty of Nothing:

2022, when Ciamanes de Barranquilla won;

2021, when Águilas Cibaeñas won;

2020, when Toros del Este won;

2019, when Toros de Herrara won;

2018, when Criollos de Caguas won.

Yatuka Enatsu

Yutaka Enatsu, who wore the perfect number 28, is much discussed in Yoko Ogawa's mathematical novel The Housekeeper and the Professor.  Source.

Pieces of Autostade

Thetford Mines' baseball stadium is made of sections of the old Montreal Autostade. Source.

2022 Serie del Caribe

Juan Marichal. Source.

The 2022 Serie del Caribe baseball tournament is underway now (January 28 to February 3) at the Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The teams are:

For Puerto Rico: Criollos de Caguas

Los Criollos have won the tournament 5 times.

For Panama: Astronautas de los Santos

For Colombia: Ciamanes de Barranquilla

For Venezuela: Navegantes del Magallanes

Navegantes won the tournament twice in the Seventies.

For the Dominican Republic: Gigantes del Cibao

For Mexico: Charros de Jalisco

[Series final: Ciamanes de Barranquilla 4 - 1 Gigantes del Cibao.]

Previous Plenty of Nothing coverage:

2021, when Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic won.

2020, when Toros del Este of the Dominican Republic won.

2019, when Toros de Herrara of Panama won.

2018, when Criollos de Caguas of Puerto Rico won.

The venues for the next five editions of the Serie del Caribe have been announced. The 2024 Serie del Caribe will be played at the Marlins' stadium in Miami, Florida.

Guardian of Traffic

Cleveland's major league baseball club takes its new name from the figures on the nearby Hope Memorial Bridge. Source.

2021 Serie del Caribe

Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mazatlán. Source.

The 2021 Serie del Caribe is on, running from January 31 to February 6 at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Mexico has hosted the tournament fifteen times before, Mazatlán five, most recently in 2005.

The stadium is named after Teodoro Mariscal, first president of the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, which was formed in 1945.

Whitey Ford played for Venados de Mazatlán the winter of 1948-49. The first Serie del Caribe was held in February 1949 in Cuba, but there was no Mexican team in it that year.

This year the participating countries are: Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia. The teams are:

Mexico: Tomateros de Culiacan. These guys have won the tournament twice.

Dominican: Águilas Cibaeñas. These guys have won the tournament five times.

Venezuela: Caribes de Anzoategui.

Puerto Rico: Crillolos de Caguas. These guys have won the tournament five times.

The Panamanian league did not play this last year, so they're sending a national team. Their manager is a Cuban, Alfonso Urquiola.

Colombia: Ciamanes de Barranquilla.

"In Mazatlan" by War.

[Final, February 6th: Águilas Cibaeñas 4 - 1 Crillolos de Caguas]

2020 Serie del Caribe

Hiram Bithorn. Source.

This year's Serie del Caribe began February 1st and runs 'til February 7th. The host country is Puerto Rico, and the games take place at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan. That's the home field of Cangregeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican league. Hiram Bithorn (1916-51) was the first Puerto Rican to play in the Major Leagues.

The tournament goes forward despite the Puerto Rican earthquakes of January 6th to 11th, which were centered on the south side of the island.

The teams are:

Cardenales de Lara (Venezuela)

Tomateros de Culiacán (Liga Mexicana del Pacifico)

Toros del Este (Dominican Republic)

Astronautas de Chiriquí (Panama)

Vanqueros de Montería (Colombia)

Cangregeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico)

Leñadores de Las Tunas, 2019 champions of the Cuban league, should have been included, but the Cubans have been left out this year over some kind of visa bullshit.

Cangregeros de Santurce have won the Serie del Caribe five times -- in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1993 and 2000. Tomateros de Culiacán won in 1996 and 2002.

[The final, Feb 7: Cardenales de Lara vs Toros del Este.] [Toros del Este win 9 - 3.]

Expos Home Opener 1969

The Montreal Expos played their first home game on this date in 1969, beating the Cards 8 - 7. Source. Stats.

2019 Serie del Caribe

Estadio Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez in Basquisimeto, Venezuela, where this year's series is not happening. Source.

It's la Serie del Caribe 2019. The teams are: Leñadores de Las Tunas (Cuba), Estrellas Orientales (Dominican Republic), Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico), Cardenales de Lara (Venezuela), Toros de Herrara (Panama) and Charros de Jalisco (Mexico).

The games take place at the Estadio Nacional Rod Carew in Panama City. Venezuela was to have been this year's host, but between the disputed presidential election and the hyperinflation it seemed better to relocate. Which is good of the Panamanians because originally they weren't even invited. This is their first involvement since 1960.

The tournament begins today and goes till February 10th.

Cangrejeros are the only one of this year's participants to have won the series before. They've done it five times: in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1993 and 2000.

Leñadores are lumberjacks, estrellas orientales are eastern stars, cangrejeros are crabbers. Cardenales are cardinals, the bird not the papal elector. Toros are bulls, and charros are horsemen.

[Toros de Herrara beat Leñadores de Las Tunas 3 - 1 in the final. It's Panama's first Caribbean Series championship since 1950.]

Venezuelans are using the country's money, the bolivar, as craft paper. Source.

Caribbean Series 2018

Estadio Panamericano in Zapopan, Mexico, near Guadalajara. Source.

It's the 2018 Caribbean Series, the baseball tournament contested each February by the champions of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, and the Pacific League of Mexico. It has been going on since 1949, but who ever talks about it in the North?

This year's teams are: Alazanes de Granma (Cuba), Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico), Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico), Águilas Cibaeñas (Dominican), and Caribes de Anzoátegui (Venezuela). These clubs have won their national leagues within the past few days. The Puerto Rican league held a hurricane-shortened season.

Each team plays each other once in a round robin. The top four move on the semifinals. The final is February 8th. All games are played at Estadio Panamericano, home of los Charros de Jalisco of the Pacific League.

Águilas Cibaeñas have won the series five times; Criollos de Caguas have won four times, including last year; Tomateros twice. The Dominican Republic is historically the most successful country, followed by Puerto Rico.

[Criollos beat Águilas 2 - 0 in the final.]