1959 Caribbean Series

1959 Caribbean Series

Tournament details
Country	Venezuela
City	Caracas
Venue	1 (in 1 host city)
Dates	10–15 February
Teams	4
Final positions
Champions	Alacranes del Almendares (2nd title)
Runners-up	Indios de Oriente
Awards
MVP	Norm Cash

The eleventh edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was played in 1959. It was held from February 10 through February 15 with the champions teams from Cuba (Almendares), Panama (Coclé), Puerto Rico (Santurce) and Venezuela (Oriente). The format consisted of 12 games, each team facing the other teams twice. The games were played at UCV Stadium in Caracas, Venezuela, which boosted capacity to 35.000 seats, and the first pitch was thrown by Edgar Sanabria, by then the President of Venezuela.

Summary

Cuba won the Series with a 5-1 record for a fourth straight championship. The Almendares club won for the second time guided by manager Sungo Carrera and led by 1B Rocky Nelson (.320 BA, six RBI), LF Carlos Paula (.462), 2B Tony Taylor (.346, .462 SLG) and RF Sandy Amorós (.333). The pitching staff included starters Camilo Pascual (2-0, 16 strikeouts, 1.50 ERA, 18 innings), Orlando Peña (1-1, 17+2⁄3 innings) Art Fowler (1-0, 1.00, nine innings) and reliever Mike Cuellar (1-0, 0.00). Other players for Cuba included pitchers Tommy Lasorda, Cholly Naranjo and Carlos Pascual in addition to Bob Allison (OF), Jim Baxes (3B), Dick Brown (C), Miguel de la Hoz (2B), Enrique Izquierdo (C), Willy Miranda (SS), Leonardo Posada (OF) and Angel Scull (OF).

Venezuela, with a low-profile team, finished an honourable second place after going 4-2. Managed by Kerby Farrell, the offense was anchored by RF/1B and Series MVP Norman Cash, who finished with a .360 BA (9-for-25), 11 RBI and a .680 SLG. Oriente also received a considerable support from 3B Luis García and LF Jesús Mora, who tied for first place in the batting race with a .417 average (10-for-24). García added six runs, three doubles and slugged .625, while Mora collected four runs and a .583 SLG. Werner Birrer was the top pitcher with a 2-0 record, including a 13-inning victory, a 1.25 ERA and 18 SO in 21+2⁄3 innings. He also set a Series record with 13 innings pitched in a single game (#2), while Cash set a new mark with six RBI in a single game (#8). Other players included Elio Chacón (SS), Jim Owens (P), Ramón Monzant (P) and Jerry Snyder (2B).

Puerto Rico, managed by Ramón Concepción, disappointed with a 3-3 mark to finish in third place. C Valmy Thomas (.381) and 1B Orlando Cepeda (.333) led the attack, while Marion Fricano and Julio Navarro each pitched 1–0 shutouts. Santurce also featured Luis Arroyo (P), Joe Black (P), Jackie Brandt (CF), Orlando Cepeda (1B), Nino Escalera (1B/OF), Rubén Gómez (P), Willie Kirkland (RF), Bob Lennon (LF), Félix Maldonado (LF), Lloyd Merritt (P), José Pagán (3B), Victor Pellot Power (2B), José Santiago (P) and Pete Wojey (P).

Panama finished in last place with a 0-6 record, to become the first winless team in Series history. The Coclé club was managed by Les Peden and benefited from a solid effort by RF Ken Hunt, who hit .304 with five RBI, home run, triple and a .609 SLG. Other players included P Bud Black, IF Owen Friend, SS Pumpsie Green, OF Gail Henley and IF/OF Joe Tuminelli, among others.

Participating teams

Team	Manager
Alacranes del Almendares	Clemente Carreras
Azucareros de Coclé	Les Peden
Cangrejeros de Santurce	Monchile Concepción
Indios de Oriente	Kerby Farrell

Final standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	RF	RA	RD	PCT	GB
1	Alacranes del Almendares	6	5	1	30	8	+22	.833	—
2	Indios de Oriente (H)	6	4	2	31	34	−3	.667	1
3	Cangrejeros de Santurce	6	3	3	20	16	+4	.500	2
4	Azucareros de Coclé	6	0	6	13	36	−23	.000	5

Source: CBPC
(H) Hosts

Scoreboards

Game 1, February 10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	5	0
WP: Rubén Gómez (1-0)   LP: Orlando Peña (0-1)

Game 2, February 10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	7	2
Venezuela	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	14	1
WP: Werner Birrer (1-0)   LP: Stanley Arthur Wall (0-1)

Game 3, February 11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	4	11	1
Panama	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	2
WP: Camilo Pascual (1-0)   LP: Bud Black (0-1)

Game 4, February 11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	5	13	1
Venezuela	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	6	10	1
WP: Marcelino Sánchez (1-0)   LP: Pete Wojey (0-1) Home runs: PRI: Orlando Cepeda (1) VEN: Norman Cash 2 (2)

Game 5, February 12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	3	0	2	1	0	0	3	0	0	9	16	3
Panama	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	2
WP: Marion Fricano (1-0)   LP: Alberto Osorio (0-1)

Game 6, February 12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	4	3	11	12	2
Venezuela	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	2
WP: Art Fowler (1-0)   LP: Ramón Monzant (0-1) Home runs: CUB: Tony Taylor (1) VEN: None

Game 7, February 13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1
Cuba	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	X	1	7	1
WP: Orlando Peña (1-0)   LP: Lloyd Merritt (0-1)

Game 8, February 13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	4	1	0	0	6	0	2	0	1	14	22	2
Panama	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	13	1
WP: Dave Hoskins (1-0)   LP: Richard Donnelly (0-1) Home runs: VEN: None PAN: Ken Hunt (1)

Game 9, February 14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	0
Cuba	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	X	5	8	0
WP: Mike Cuellar (1-0)   LP: Pete Meza (0-1)

Game 10, February 14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	5	10	1
Puerto Rico	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	7	2
WP: Werner Birrer (2-0)   LP: Rubén Gómez (1-1)

Game 11, February 15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	3	3
Cuba	2	0	0	0	0	2	3	1	X	8	10	1
WP: Camilo Pascual (2-0)   LP: Jim Owens (0-1) Notes: It was the fourth win by Pascual in his Series career, surpassing the previous record of three wins set by Agapito Mayor in 1949.

Game 12, February 15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	X	1	4	1
WP: Julio Navarro (1-0)   LP: Bud Black (0-2)

Statistics leaders

Statistic	Player	Team	Total
Batting average	Luis García	Indios de Oriente	.417
	Jesús Mora	Indios de Oriente
Home runs	Norm Cash	Indios de Oriente	2
Runs batted in	Norm Cash	Indios de Oriente	11
Runs	Luis García	Indios de Oriente	6
Hits	Luis García	Indios de Oriente	10
	Jesús Mora	Indios de Oriente
Doubles	Luis García	Indios de Oriente	3
Triples	Seven tied		1
Stolen bases	Tony Taylor	Alacranes del Almendares	3
Wins	Babe Birrer	Indios de Oriente	2
	Camilo Pascual	Alacranes del Almendares
Earned run average	Babe Birrer	Indios de Oriente	1.25
Strikeouts	Babe Birrer	Indios de Oriente	18
Saves	Ramón Monzant	Indios de Oriente	1
Innings pitched	Babe Birrer	Indios de Oriente	21+2⁄3

Awards

Tournament Awards

Award	Player	Team
MVP	Norm Cash	Indios de Oriente
Best manager	Clemente Carreras	Alacranes del Almendares

All Star Team

Position	Player	Team
First base	Rocky Nelson	Alacranes del Almendares
Second base	Tony Taylor	Alacranes del Almendares
Third base	Luis García	Indios de Oriente
Shortstop	Willy Miranda	Alacranes del Almendares
Left field	Jesús Mora	Indios de Oriente
Center field	Jackie Brandt	Cangrejeros de Santurce
Right field	Norm Cash	Indios de Oriente
Catcher	Valmy Thomas	Cangrejeros de Santurce
Pitcher	Babe Birrer	Indios de Oriente

See also

• Ballplayers who have played in the Series

Sources

• Antero Núñez, José. Series del Caribe. Jefferson, Caracas, Venezuela: Impresos Urbina, C.A., 1987.
• Gutiérrez, Daniel. Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela – 1895-2006 . Caracas, Venezuela: Impresión Arte, C.A., 2007.

External links

• Official site
• Latino Baseball
• Series del Caribe, Las (Spanish)