The Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) is a baseball tournament celebrated annually with representatives from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and México. This year, the series will take place in Hermosillo, México, from February 1 thru 7.
The participants of this edition are the Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico), the Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic), and the Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón (México), which are the champions of their respectives winter leagues. The only representative that remains undecided is the one from Venezuela, where the Navegantes del Magallanes and the Cardenales de Lara are disputing the championship of the league of Venezuela.
The Winter Leagues are affiliated with the MLB.
The 2013 edition of the Caribbean Series will present a new format that includes a final game to be played by the two teams with the best records after six games, two against each team. This format is a novelty since in the past series there was not a final match; instead the team with the best record after six games was proclaimed the champion. The justification for the establishment of this format is mainly to provide a sense of sport fairness to the event. The format will be utilized for at least the next four years.
The reigning champion of the series is the Leones del Escogido, so they are looking to become the two-times champion of the Caribbean Series. It is for sure that they will not have an easy task since all of the participating teams can add some of the best players from their leagues. The Mexican team added to their roster thirteen players to the team. Also, this is the third consecutive time they will participate in the series, having been the champions in 2011.
Many of the players that will be in the field are players with experience in the Major League Baseball or current players in the MLB, like Hanley Ramírez.
Historically, the Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic are the team with the most championships with ten. At the countries’ level, the Dominicans are the kings of the Caribbean Series with nineteen championships, followed by Puerto Rico with fourteen championships. This clearly shows why baseball is the most important sport in the Dominican Republic and, until the last decade, in Puerto Rico. Venezuela has seven championships and México six.
Baseball is a sport that wakes up the passion of its Latin-American fans. Each team will travel to Hermosillo with a mission, win the 2013 Caribbean Series. Will the Leones del Escogido repeat as champions of the series? Will the Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón reconquer the championship after winning it in 2011? Will the Criollos de Caguas win to end the twelve-year drought Puerto Rico has without been champions? Will the team from Venezuela be victorious in the tournament?
We will have to wait and see, but without a doubt the 2013 Caribbean Series will make us enjoy of good baseball. Let the action begin!
