Baseball season has come to an end in the Caribbean with the culmination of La Serie del Caribe. This year the Yaquis de Obregon (Mexico) beat the Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic,) in a game that ended up breaking the record for the longest match in the tournament, at seven and a half hours.
The game ended 4-3 after Douglas Clark batted a home run in the 18th inning to give the Mexicans their second crown and seventh to the country in the tournament’s history.
The Leones del Escogido were the favorite after winning five out of six games in the first round, including two victories against the Yaquis. But the Mexican team fought until the end to take the victory.
In previous years, the Dominican team would have won the series, but a change in the format this year allowed the Mexicans a rare opportunity to seize the win. Before there was only one round of games, in which all teams played against each other, and the one with the best record won.
This year a new system includes the same preliminary round, but with the difference being the addition of a final game between the best two teams from pool play.
In this case the Leones went 5-1 and the Yaquis 3-3, while the Navegantes del Magallanes (Venezuela) and Criollos (Puerto Rico) were the two teams eliminated in the first round.
Few teams in the MLB still allow their players to participate in this tournament, and every year there are fewer fans in attendance, which prompted the change in format.
More than 16,000 patrons filled the stands at the Estadio Sonora for the final, while thousands more watched the game on a big screen from the main terrace outside the park.
Mexico has now tied Venezuela and Cuba in seven championships, while Panama has one, Puerto Rico 14 and the Dominican Republic 19. It is also the second time in three years that Mexico has come away with the title.
This year’s edition was held in Hermosillo, Mexico, the tournament being the best way to open the new Stadium Sonora. Next year’s competition will be take place on the island Venezuelan of Margarita, also known as the Pearl of the Caribbean.
This tournament is celebrated each year with the champions from Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. However, as attractive as it sounds, every year the tournament boasts less and less stars.
