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Liga Occidental de Béisbol Profesional

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The Liga Occidental de Béisbol Profesional (Western Professional Baseball League) was a baseball circuit that operated between 1954 and 1963 in Maracaibo, the capital city in the Venezuela state of Zulia. The league played their games at the old olympic stadium of Maracaibo.

The LOBP started to operate as a four-team league on December 7, 1954, and was managed by local entrepreneurs under the guidance of George Trautman, an American baseball executive, who also helped the league to join organized baseball to become a professional baseball circuit.

Innovations

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Throughout the years, the league modified the number of games in the schedule and adopted playoffs. A significant innovation came before the 1953–1954 season, when the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and the LOBP agreed to have the clubs with the best records from each circuit meet in a National Championship Series called El Rotatorio (the rotational), organized by the VPBL, which was the first and only in the league's history.

By then, both leagues were short of teams to play the regular season. Accordingly, the Cervecería Caracas and Navegantes del Magallanes teams represented the VPBL, while the Gavilanes and Pastora clubs represented the LOBP. Then, the Pastora team won the VPBL championship and advanced to the 1954 Caribbean Series.

Following an agreement between the two leagues, the interleague playoff games would be played immediately following the 1957–1958 season. As a result, the winning team would represent Venezuela in the 1958 Caribbean Series. The Rapiños de Occidente won the LOBP pennant, while the Industriales de Valencia did the same in the VPBL. After that, the Industriales swept the Rapiños, 4–0, in the best-of-seven series.

In the next playoff series, the Indios de Oriente VPBL champion team defeated the Rapiños, 4–3, and advanced to the 1959 Caribbean Series. Then, the Rapiños returned in 1959–1960 and won the pennant. This time, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season was suspended due to a players' strike, and the Rapiños club was invited to participate in the 1960 Caribbean Series.

Final years

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During its 10 years of existence, the Zulia league confronted many crises, big and small, in that short period. For a time in the late 1950s, a lack of competitive balance seemed to pose the greatest threat to the league.

The beginning of the end came when the 1961–1962 season was cancelled. After that, the league resumed operations in 1962–1963, but the average attendance was less than half what it was in previous years.

Due to economic pressure, the LOBP folded on December 3, 1963, just one month after starting the 1963–1964 season.

Pastora was the only club that participated in all seasons of the league, winning two pennants, while the most successful team was the Rapiños, who collected a total of five titles during its six seasons in the circuit.

List of teams

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Seasons and statistics

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Champion teams in bold

1954–1955

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Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Pastora 20 13 .606   – John Strezza
Cabimas 19 14 .576   1 Clay Bryant
Espadón 14 19 .424   6 Ralston Hunsley  
Gavilanes 13 20 .394   7 Fermín Guerra
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Jim Frey PAS Batting average .370 Bud Podbielan PAS Wins    9
John Malangone   ESP Home runs     7 Barney Schultz GAV Strikeouts     62
Eddie Moore CAB Runs batted in   27 Kenneth Hommel   PAS Earned run average   0.90

1955–1956

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Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Gavilanes 33 21 .611   –   Ernesto Aparicio
Cabimas 32 22 .593   1 Clay Bryant
Pastora 28 26 .519   5 Joe Schultz
Espadón 15 39 .278 18 Ralston Hunsley  
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Joe Altobelli GAV  Batting average  .378 Dave Hoskins
Corky Valentine 		 GAV
PAS		 Wins   11
Don Demeter  
Russell Rac		 CAB
PAS		  Home runs   17 Barney Schultz GAV Strikeouts   62
Russell Rac PAS   Runs batted in   52 Eusebio Pérez GAV Earned run average  2.09

1956–1957

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Note: Espadón did not return and was replaced by Centauros
Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Gavilanes 31 26 .544   – Donald Griffin
Pastora 29 28 .509   2 Frank Baldwin 
Centauros 28 29 .491   3 Bob Wellman
Cabimas 26 31 .456   5 Bill Cronin
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Guilford Dickens  GAV Batting average  .344 Dave Hoskins GAV Wins   14
Bob Wellman CEN Home runs   13 Barney Schultz  GAV Strikeouts   62
Bob Wellman CEN Runs batted in   45 Dave Hoskins GAV Earned run average  1.68

1957–1958

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Note: Rapiños replaced Gavilanes
Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Rapiños 30 13 .698   – Ira Hutchinson
Pastora 21 21 .500  9½ Johnny Temple  
Cabimas 19 23 .452 10½ Bill Cronin
Centauros 14 29 .326  16 Bob Wellman
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Paul Smith PAS Batting average   .368 Robert Smith PAS Wins   9
Billy Queen CEN Home runs   15 Tom Flanigan RAP Strikeouts 104
Jim Greengrass   PAS Runs batted in   35 Barry Latman   RAP Earned run average  1.40

1958–1959

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Note: Gavilanes returned as a replacement for Centauros
Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Rapiños 28 25 .528   – Les Moss
Pastora 27 26 .509   1 Duane Pillette  
Gavilanes 26 26 .500 1½ Red Kress
Cabimas 21 30 .412   6 Pete Reiser
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Sammy Miley   PAS Batting average   ..357 Dave Hoskins   RAP Wins   12
Billy Queen GAV Home runs    11 Larry Sherry CAB Strikeouts 138
Billy Queen GAV Runs batted in    40 Dave Hoskins RAP Earned run average   2.27

1959–1960

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Classified teams in bold
Regular season
standings		 W L PCT GB Managers
Rapiños 18 13 .581   –   Les Moss
Gavilanes 14 17 .452   4   Jim Fanning
Pastora 14 17 .452   4   Leslie Peden  
Cabimas 13 18 .419   5   Bill Harris
Postseason
First round
Best of twelve series		 W L PCT GB Second round
Best of seven series		 W L PCT GB
Pastora
Rapiños
Gavilanes		 7
7
4		 5
5
8		 .583
.583
.333		   –
  –
  3		 Rapiños
Pastora		 4
2		 2
4		 .667
.333		   –
  2
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Al Grunwald PAS Batting average   .336 Ted Bowsfield   RAP Wins   14
Norman Cash   RAP Home runs   14 Ed Hobaugh RAP Strikeouts    135
Norman Cash RAP Runs batted in   38 Bill Harris CAB Earned run average   2.27

1960–1961

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Notes:
Cabimas and Gavilanes did not return
The new Maracaibo club folded during the midseason
Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Rapiños 30 25 .545   – Les Moss
Pastora 26 30 .464  4½  Joe Schultz
Maracaibo   8 16 .333  n/a Preston Gómez  
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Camilo Carreon   PAS Batting average  .303 Don Rudolph   PAS Wins   12
Harry Watts PAS Home runs   12 Ed Rakow MCB
RAP		 Strikeouts  185
Harry Watts PAS Runs batted in   37 Ed Rakow MCB
RAP		 Earned run average  1.29

1961–1962

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  • The season was cancelled

1962–1963

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Note: Cardenales debuted while Cabimas returned
Classified teams in bold
Regular season
standings		 W L PCT GB Managers
Rapiños 21 12 .636   –   Les Moss
Cardenales 16 15 .516   4   Earl Weaver
  Joe Schultz
Pastora 15 18 .484   6  Frank Lucchesi 
Cabimas 12 18 .387   8  Johnny Werhas  
Postseason
Best of 16 series W L PCT GB
Rapiños 12   4 .750   –
Cardenales   9   7 .563   3
Pastora   2 14 .125 10
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Deacon Jones   RAP Batting average  .420 Fritz Ackley   RAP Wins   11 
Deacon Jones RAP Home runs   15 Bill Phillips RAP Strikeouts 152
Deacon Jones RAP Runs batted in   49 Fritz Ackley RAP Earned run average  2.47

1963–1964

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Shortened season
standings		 W L PCT GB Managers
Cardenales 14   3 .824  n/a Rodolfo Fernández  
Pastora   8   9 .471  n/a Jimmy Brown
Cabimas   7 10 .411  n/a Dalmiro Finol
Rapiños   6 13 .316  n/a Antonio Briñez
Batting and Pitching statistics
Batter Team Stat Tot Pitcher Team Stat Tot
Danny Morejón CAR Batting average  .391 Luis Tiant CAR Wins    6
Héctor Cárdenas 
Bob Taylor		 CAR
PAS		 Home runs    3 Luis Tiant CAR Strikeouts   81
Danny Morejón CAR Runs batted in   18 Luis Tiant CAR Earned run average  0.67

Sources

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  • Gutiérrez, Daniel; Alvarez, Efraim; Gutiérrez (h), Daniel (2006). La Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela. LVBP, Caracas. ISBN 980-6996-02-X
  • Gutiérrez, Daniel; González, Javier (2006); Records de la Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. LVBP. ISBN 978-980-6996-01-4
  • Nuñez, José Antero (1994). Serie del Caribe de la Habana a Puerto La Cruz. JAN Editor. ISBN 980-07-2389-7
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