1959 Caribbean Series

The XI 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.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Scoreboards 2.1 Game 1, February 10 2.2 Game 2, February 10 2.3 Game 3, February 11 2.4 Game 4, February 11 2.5 Game 5, February 12 2.6 Game 6, February 12 2.7 Game 7, February 13 2.8 Game 8, February 13 2.9 Game 9, February 14 2.10 Game 10, February 14 2.11 Game 11, February 15 2.12 Game 12, February 15 3 See also 4 Sources 5 External links

Summary

Cuba won the Series with a 5-1 record in route 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, 17⅔ 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 adittion to Bob Allison (OF), Jim Baxes (3B), Dick Brown (C) and Willy Miranda (SS).

Venezuela, with a low-profile team, came in on an honourable second place after going 4-2. Managed by Kerby Farrell, the offensive 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 five runs, three runs 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 21⅔ 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), Rubén Gómez (P), Victor Pellot Power (2B), José Pagán (3B), José Santiago (P) and Pete Wojey (P).

Panama finished in last place with a 6-0 record, to become the first winless team in Series history. The Coclé club was managed by Lester Peden and received a solitary effort from 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.

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Final standings
	Club	W	L	W/L %	GB
	Cuba	5	1	.833	–
	Venezuela	4	2	.667	1.0
	Puerto Rico	3	3	.500	2.0
	Panama	0	6	.000	5.0

Individual leaders
Player/Club	Statistic
Luis García / VEN Jesús Mora / VEN	Batting average	.417
Norman Cash / VEN	Home runs	2
Norman Cash / VEN	Runs batted in	11
Luis García / VEN	Runs	6
Luis García / VEN Jesús Mora / VEN	Hits	10
Luis García / VEN	Doubles	3
Seven tied	Triples	1
Tony Taylor / CUB	Stolen bases	3
Werner Birrer / VEN Camilo Pascual / CUB	Wins	2
Werner Birrer / VEN	Strikeouts	18
Werner Birrer / VEN	Earned run average	1.25
Ramón Monzant / VEN	Saves	1
Werner Birrer / VEN	Innings pitched	21⅔
Awards
Norman Cash / VEN	Most Valuable Player
Sungo Carrera / CUB	Manager

All-Star Team
Name/Club	Position
Valmy Thomas / PRI	catcher
Rocky Nelson / CUB	first baseman
Tony Taylor / CUB	second baseman
Luis García / VEN	third baseman
Willy Miranda / CUB	shortstop
Jesús Mora / VEN	left fielder
Jackie Brandt / PRI	center fielder
Norman Cash / VEN	right fielder
Werner Birrer / VEN Camilo Pascual / CUB	pitchers
Sungo Carrera / CUB	manager

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)

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)

 

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)

   

Caribbean Series 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 1961 to 1969 - The Series was not held during these years following the dissolution of Cuba's professional league. 1981 - The Series was not held due to a Venezuelan player's strike.