Interamerican Series

"Serie Interamericana" redirects here. For the association football tournament, see Copa Interamericana.
Not to be confused with Inter-American League.
Interamerican Series
Founded1946
Abolished1965
RegionNorth America (1946—50)
South America
Caribbean
Number of teams4
Related competitionsCaribbean Series
Last championsNicaragua Cinco Estrellas
(1st title)
Most successful club(s)United States Buffalo All-Stars
(2 titles)

The Interamerican Series (Spanish: Serie Interamericana) was an international club baseball tournament that brought together independent and winter league teams in North America and the Caribbean. Held from 1946 to 1950 and from 1961 to 1965, it was the precursor to the modern Caribbean Series.

History

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The Interamerican Series was the initiative of Venezuelan businessman Jesús Corao.[1] It came in the wake of Venezuela hosting the 1944 and 1945 Amateur World Series, the Serie Monumental that saw American Negro league all-stars play Venezuelan clubs,[2] and the ensuing professionalization of the sport in the country, in the form of the Venezuelan League.[3]

The inaugural series included Venezuelan champions Cerveceria Caracas, Industriales de Monterrey of the Mexican League,[3] the Havana Cubans of the Florida International League (alternatively, the "All-Cubans"),[4][3] and the Brooklyn Bushwicks, an independent semi-pro team managed by John Antonelli, with former and future Major League stars like Tony Cuccinello, Whitey Ford, and Hank Borowy.[5][3] The 1946 tournament was notable for being the place where major league scout Joe Cambria signed Chico Carrasquel, then playing for Caracas.[6] In 1947, the Bushwicks were replaced by the Buffalo All-Stars, a team of International League players managed by Buffalo Bisons manager Paul Richards.[7][8][9] The series was suspended after 1950, as focus shifted to the Caribbean Series.

The series was resurrected in 1961 as a result of the Cuban Revolution; MLB Commissioner Ford C. Frick ruled that American major leaguers were barred from playing in Havana, which effectively scuttled the plans for the 1961 Caribbean Series.[10] Instead, the new Serie Interamericana would replace the slot filled by the now-dissolved Cuban League with the champion of Panamanian League, with the host nation also sending an extra team. The first edition was held in Caracas, but then shifted to San Juan and Panama City. In 1964, the champion of the Nicaraguan League became the fourth team, after Venezuela opted to instead play an interleague series against the Dominican Republic.[11]

The series struggled economically, due to the absence of Cuba as well as of the Dominican Republic, which itself was wracked in political turmoil and had been sanctioned by the Organization of American States since 1960.[11]

Editions

[edit]
Year Host Champions Runners-up 3rd place 4th place Ref.
1946 Venezuela Caracas
Oct. 18 – Nov. 13 		United States Brooklyn Bushwicks
(9–3) 		Cuba Havana Cubans
(6–6) 		Mexico Industriales de Monterrey
(5–7) 		Venezuela Cerveceria Caracas
(4–8) 		[12][13][14]
1947 Venezuela Caracas
Sept. 13 – Oct. 5 		United States Buffalo All-Stars
(6–4) 		Venezuela Cerveceria Caracas
(5–5) 		Cuba Cuban All-Stars
(4–6) 		— [15]

[16][7][17]

1948 Venezuela Caracas
Sept. 17 – Oct. 8 		United States Buffalo All-Stars
(7–2) 		Venezuela Cerveceria Caracas
(6–3) 		Puerto Rico Puerto Rico
(3–6) 		Cuba All Cubans
(2–7) 		[18][19]
1949 Venezuela Caracas
Oct. 18 – Nov. 13 		United States New York Stars
(6–3) 		Cuba All Cubans
(5–3) 		Puerto Rico Puerto Rico
(4–3) 		Venezuela Cerveceria Caracas
(1–7) 		[20]
1950 Venezuela Caracas
Sept. 7 – Oct. 1 		Venezuela Cerveceria Caracas Cuba All Cubans Puerto Rico Senadores de San Juan United States New York Black Yankees [21]
Not held from 1950 to 1961
1961 Venezuela Caracas
Feb 10 – 16 		Venezuela Industriales de Valencia Venezuela Rapiños de Occidente Puerto Rico Senadores de San Juan Panama Cerveza Balboa
1962 Puerto Rico San Juan
Feb 6 – 14 		Puerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce
(8–1) 		Venezuela Leones del Caracas
(5–4) 		Puerto Rico Indios de Mayagüez
(4–5) 		Panama Marlboro
(1–8) 		[22]
1963 Panama Panama City
Feb 8 – 14 		Panama Chiriquí-Bocas
(5–2) 		Nicaragua Indios del Bóer
(4–3) 		Puerto Rico Indios de Mayagüez
(3–3) 		Venezuela Industriales de Valencia
(1–5) 		[23]
1964 Nicaragua Managua
Feb 8 – 14 		Nicaragua Cinco Estrellas
(5–1) 		Puerto Rico Senadores de San Juan
(3–3) 		Panama Marlboro
(3–3) 		Nicaragua Orientales de Granada
(1–5) 		[24][25]

Records

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No-hitters (2)

Similarly-named tournaments

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Several other tournaments in the 1950s and '60s shared the "Interamerican Series" name, though historical records are spotty. A best-of-five series played in 1951 between the Sinton Plymouth Oilers, a U.S. semi-pro team from Sinton, Texas, and Mexico's Sultanes de Monterrey, was referred to as the Interamerican Series. This tournament was organized by the International Baseball Congress, led by former MLB Commissioner Happy Chandler.[28] Another club tournament titled Pan American Series in 1958, but also referred to as the Interamerican Series, was held in Managua in 1958, between the Venados de Mazatlán of the Mexican Pacific League, Leones de León of the Nicaraguan League, and Vanytor de Barranquilla of the Colombian League.[29]

The Dominican Republic organized a tournament in 1965 that is sometimes referred to as the final edition of the Interamerican Series, inviting Venezuela and Puerto Rico.[11] Major league stars like Roberto Clemente and Felipe Alou participated, but the series ended prematurely.[11] The trophy was not formally awarded, though it is still owned by the Dominican team, Águilas Cibaeñas.[30]

References

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  1. ^ "La Interamericana: el embrión de la Serie del Caribe". Playoff Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  2. ^ González and Ruiz, p. 389—91
  3. ^ a b c d "El Béisbol en Venezuela: Serie Interamericana, semilla de la Serie del Caribe". La Gran Aldea (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Venezuela Series Opens". The Sporting News. Oct 30, 1946. p. 28 – via SABR.
  5. ^ "John Antonelli". Society for American Baseball Research.
  6. ^ a b González and Ruiz, p. 428
  7. ^ a b "Buffalo Stars". St. Louis Sporting News. Sep 24, 1947. p. 37 – via SABR.
  8. ^ "More Baseball". The Tribune. Sep 25, 1947.
  9. ^ "Paul Richards' Stars Go to Venezuela for Games". The Sporting News. Sep 22, 1948. p. 21 – via SABR.
  10. ^ "Caracas Grabs Latin Title Set, Cuban Loop Out". The Sporting News. 11 January 1961. p. 21. Retrieved 20 February 2024 – via SABR.
  11. ^ a b c d Tony Piña Cámpora. "2". SERIE DEL CARIBE – HISTORIA DE LA CONFEDERACIÓN (PDF) (in Spanish). pp. 19–22.
  12. ^ "Venezuelan Play Fades With Razz For Bushwicks". The Sporting News. Nov 27, 1946. p. 16 – via SABR.
  13. ^ "BUSHWICKS BEATEN, 8–7; Bow to Monterrey in Opener of 4-Nation Series at Caracas". The New York Times. Oct 19, 1946.
  14. ^ "Bushwicks Top Cuba for Title". The New York Times. Nov 13, 1946.
  15. ^ "U.S. Team Wins At Venezuela". The Sporting News. Oct 22, 1947. p. 24 – via SABR.
  16. ^ "Surkont Pitches Win in Venezuela". Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Sep 14, 1947.
  17. ^ "Surkont Pitches Six-Hit Triumph". Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Oct 4, 1947.
  18. ^ "U.S. STARS TRIUMPH, 9–5; Buffalo Takes Inter-American Baseball Series at Caracas". The New York Times. Oct 11, 1948.
  19. ^ "Buffalo Stars win International Tourney". Buffalo Courier-Express. Oct 11, 1948.
  20. ^ "U.S. Wins in Venezuela". The Sporting News. Oct 19, 1949. p. 30 – via SABR.
  21. ^ "Venezuelan Series Under Way". The Sporting News. Sep 27, 1950. p. 35 – via SABR.
  22. ^ "Crabbers Top Latin Title 4th Time in 14 Years". The Sporting News. Feb 21, 1962. p. 37 – via SABR.
  23. ^ "Panama Wins Latin Crown on Lizondro's Five-Hitter". The Sporting News. Feb 23, 1963. p. 41 – via SABR.
  24. ^ "Estrellas Cops Latin Title Behind Top-Notch Hurling". The Sporting News. Feb 22, 1964. p. 27 – via SABR.
  25. ^ Adolfo Miranda Sáenz (2009). Polémico testimonio (in Spanish). p. 123. ISBN 9789992408179.
  26. ^ "Consuegra Pitches No-Hitter". The Sporting News. Oct 5, 1949. p. 52 – via SABR.
  27. ^ Thomas E. Van Hyning (1995). Puerto Rico's Winter League: A History of Major League Baseball's Launching Pad. McFarland & Company. p. 232. ISBN 0786401281.
  28. ^ "Industrial Baseball Outlook: Semi-Pro Roundup". Industrial Sports Journal. 13 (2): 12, 46. March 15, 1952.
  29. ^ "Pan American Series Opens in Managua, 13,500 attend". The Sporting News. Feb 19, 1958. p. 31 – via SABR.
  30. ^ Tony Menendez (Jan 16, 2023). "La Serie Interamericana Fue Serie de Campeones del Caribe". El Hogar del BaseballLatino.

Bibliography

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