1950 Caribbean Series

The II edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was held from February 21 through February 27 of 1950. It featured the champion baseball teams of Cuba, Alacranes del Almendares; Panama, Carta Vieja Yankees; Puerto Rico, Criollos de Caguas, and Venezuela, Navegantes del Magallanes. The format consisted of 12 games, each team facing the other teams twice, and the games were played at Sixto Escobar Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Summary

The Series had to go more than the scheduled 12 games when both Panama and Puerto Rico teams ended with a similar 4-2 record. Panama clinched the title after beating Puerto Rico in a tiebreaker game. The Panamanian team, who entered the series as underdog, was led by manager/outfielder Wayne Blackburn, pitcher Chet Brewer (2-0), and third baseman Joe Tuminelli, who hit two home runs with seven runs batted in as he received Series MVP honors. The champion team also counted with pitchers John Fitzgerald, Tony Jacobs, Jean-Pierre Roy and Pat Scantlebury; catchers Roy Easterwood and Stan Andrews; second baseman Spook Jacobs, and outfielder Ted Cieslak.

Puerto Rico was led by manager/outfielder Luis Rodríguez Olmo, who hit .292, and pitcher Luis Arroyo (2-0), who posted a 1.72 ERA and allowed eight hits in 15⅔ innings. Other significant players in the roster included outfielder Willard Brown (.348), pitchers Wilmer Fields (1-0, one HR) and Rubén Gómez, and first baseman Vic Power.

Even with the Cubans heavily favored to win the Series, they only went 3-3. The team was managed by catcher Fermín Guerra, and included Andrés Fleitas, Al Gionfriddo, Conrado Marrero, Willy Miranda, René Monteagudo and Roberto Ortiz. Slugger Héctor Rodríguez led the hitters with a .474 batting average (9-for-19), while pitcher Bob Hooper ended 2-0.

The hapless Venezuelan team was managed by outfielder Vidal López and finished with a 1-5 record, being outscored 14-22, while losing by one run in three of their five defeats. López paced the offense with a team-high four RBIs, leading also the Series in doubles (4) and tying Guerra and Monteagudo for 4th in RBIs. The roster included Alex Carrasquel, Chico Carrasquel, Pete Coscarart, Terris McDuffie, Bob Griffith, Jim Pendleton and Chucho Ramos, while the team's only victory came behind a strong pitching effort from starter Santiago Ullrich in the opener.

Final standings


Country	Club	W	L	W/L %	Managers
Panama	Carta Vieja Yankees *	5	2	.714	Wayne Blackburn
Puerto Rico	Criollos de Caguas	4	3	.571	Luis Olmo
Cuba	Alacranes de Almendares	3	3	.500	Fermin Guerra
Venezuela	Navegantes del Magallanes	1	5	.167	Vidal López
* Won the title in a tiebreaker game

Individual leaders
Player/Club	Statistic
Héctor Rodríguez/CUB	Batting average	.474
Joe Tuminelli/PAN	Home runs	2
Joe Tuminelli/PAN	Runs batted in	6
Luis Arroyo/PUR Chet Brewer/PAN Bob Hooper/CUB	Victories	2
Awards
Joe Tuminelli/PAN	Most Valuable Player
Wayne Blackburn/PAN	Manager

Scoreboards

Game 1, February 21


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	7	0
Venezuela	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	x	3	11	1
WP: Santiago Ullrich (1-0) LP: Pat Scantlebury (0-1) Home runs: PAN: Joe Tuminelli (1) VEN: None

Game 2, February 21


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	1
Puerto Rico	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
WP: Dan Bankhead (1-0) LP: Conrado Marrero (0-1)

Game 3, February 22


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
Cuba	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	x	2	5	3
WP: Bob Hooper (1-0) LP: Mel Himes (0-1)

Game 4, February 22


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	3	8	3
Panama	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	x	4	8	1
WP: Jean-Pierre Roy (1-0) LP: Cecil Kaiser (0-1)

Game 5, February 23


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	1	0	1	0	0	5	1	0	8	7	4
Panama	0	1	0	1	3	0	2	0	2	9	11	2
WP: Chet Brewer (1-0) LP: Conrado Marrero (0-2) Home runs: CUB: None PAN: Joe Tuminelli (2)

Game 6, February 23


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	4	3
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	6	1
WP: Luis Arroyo (1-0) LP: Terris McDuffie (0-1) Home runs: VEN: Luis García (1) PUR: Wilmer Fields (1)

Game 7, February 24


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	0	0	0	0	1	0	1		0	2	7	2
Panama	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	x	4	6	1
WP: Dick Burgett (1-1) LP: Alex Carrasquel (0-1)

Game 8, February 24


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	2	6	12	0
Cuba	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	4
WP: Wilmer Fields (1-0) LP: Octavio Rubert (0-1) Home runs: PUR: None CUB: Héctor Rodríguez (1)

Game 9, February 25


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	3	0	0	2	0	1	1	2	9	9	4
Venezuela	1	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	5	8	1
WP: Vicente López (1-0) LP: Bob Griffith (0-1) Home runs: CUB: Roberto Ortiz (1) VEN: None

Game 10, February 25


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	1	0	0	2	0	1	1	0	0	5	8	0
Puerto Rico	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	2
WP: Forrest Jacobs (1-0) LP: Dan Bankhead (1-1)

Game 11, February 26


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	3
Cuba	0	1	0	0	0	7	0	0	x	8	7	3
WP: Bob Hooper (2-0) LP: Jean-Pierre Roy (1-1) Home runs: PAN: None CUB: Fermín Guerra (1)

Game 12, February 26


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	6	0
Venezuela	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	6	3
WP: Luis Arroyo (2-0) LP: Terris McDuffie (0-2) Home runs: PUR: None VEN: Gene Markland (1)

Tiebreaker Game, February 27


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	6	0	2	0	1	0	0	9	10	1
Puerto Rico	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	7	0
WP: Chet Brewer (2-0) LP: Dan Bankhead (1-2)

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