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Avispas de Santiago de Cuba is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series based in Estadio Guillermón Moncada in Santiago de Cuba. The Avispas (Wasps) are historically one of the most successful teams in the National Series, the main domestic competition in post-revolutionary Cuban baseball. The team is similar to the Boston Red Sox in MLB in the sense that they have fans all over the country, and are the eternal rivals of Industriales, the New York Yankees of Cuban baseball. The traditional rivalry on the baseball diamond also represents the rivalry between the two cities dating back to the era when Cuba was a colony of Spain two centuries ago. The Super Classic of the Cuban National Series between EB Santiago de Cuba and Industriales takes place six times per season.
Alazanes de Granma is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series, based in the eastern province of Granma. Until the 2016-2017 season, the Alazanes were a frequent contender, but had never advanced to a National Series final. However, in 2017 Granma not only made it to the Cuban National Series final, but swept Ciego de Ávila to win the series, breaking a 40-year record of being seen as underdogs who could not compete with dominant powerhouse teams.
The Cuban National Series is the primary domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system.
The 44th Cuban National Series was won by Santiago de Cuba over Havana. Industriales, who had the best regular season record, were eliminated in the first round by Sancti Spíritus.
In the 19th season of the Cuban National Series, Santiago de Cuba won its first title, edging Villa Clara, Forestales, and Vegueros, each of which finished within two games of the champion. The league's 18 teams and 51-game schedule remained unchanged from the prior season.
The 24th Cuban National Series saw Vegueros of Pinar del Río Province win the title, outdistancing Camagüey by seven games. The Vegueros roster included notable players Luis Casanova, Omar Ajete, and Omar Linares. Forestales, also from Pinar del Río, again finished atop the second division.
The silver jubilee 25th season of the Cuban National Series was the first to feature a scheduled postseason, as the first-place and second-place teams from each of the new Eastern and Western divisions qualified for a round-robin tournament to determine the league champion. The 18 teams in the league remained unchanged from recent seasons, but each team's regular-season schedule was reduced from 75 games to 48 games.
The 32nd season of the Cuban National Series saw a slight contraction of the league. Two of the Cuban provinces that had been fielding two teams each since the 1977–78 season, Pinar del Río Province and Matanzas Province, began fielding one team each. Vegueros and Forestales became the Pinar del Río team, while Henequeneros and Citricultores became the Matanzas team. Ciudad de La Habana Province continued to field two teams, Industriales and Metropolitanos.
The 33rd Cuban National Series saw further dominance from the previous year's group winners: Pinar del Río, Industriales, Villa Clara and Santiago de Cuba. Among them, only Pinar del Río won its group by fewer than seven games, in a 65-game season.
Santiago de Cuba won its third straight Cuban National Series crown, under manager Higinio Vélez.
The 39th Cuban National Series was marked by Santiago de Cuba's remarkable postseason run to win its second straight National Series. Under the direction of manager Higinio Vélez, the Avispas won eleven straight games in the playoffs, sweeping Camagüey, Granma and finally Pinar del Río.
The 31st season of the Cuban National Series again featured a four-team postseason bracket tournament, with the semifinal round increased to best-of-five series. Two-time defending champion Henequeneros of Matanzas Province advanced to the championship series, but lost to Industriales of Havana in five games. The league makeup of 18 teams, each with a 48-game schedule, was unchanged from recent seasons. This was the final time the league fielded 18 teams.
The 26th Cuban National Series was the second season the league held a postseason round-robin tournament to determine a champion. The four teams that qualified were the same as in the prior season: Vegueros from Pinar del Río Province, Industriales of Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Villa Clara. Vegueros captured the championship by winning five of their six postseason games. The league's 18 teams and 48-game regular-season schedule were unchanged from the prior season.
In the 27th season of the Cuban National Series, Vegueros, from Pinar del Río Province, repeated as champions. La Habana and Santiago de Cuba both won at least 80% of their regular-season games, but Vegueros, with an all-star lineup including Luis Casanova and Omar Linares, prevailed in the postseason. Camagüey advanced to the four-team round-robin tournament for the first time, but lost all but one of their games. The 18 teams within the league, each playing a 48-game regular-season schedule, remained unchanged from recent seasons.
In the 29th season of the Cuban National Series, the postseason format was changed. The league directly matched its two division winners in a best-of-seven series for the league championship, while the two division runners-up played a best-of-five series for third place. A four-team round-robin tournament had previously been used, since the 1985–86 season. The 18 teams of the league, and the regular-season schedule of 48 games, remained unchanged.
The 30th season of the Cuban National Series featured a postseason bracket tournament for the first time, with the top two teams from each division qualifying. Semifinals were played as best-of-three series, followed by a best-of-seven final series. Both semifinals were won by division runners-up, with Henequeros then defeating Camagüey to repeat as league champions. The 18 teams of the league were unchanged from recent seasons, as was each team's regular-season schedule of 48 games.
The 46th season of the Cuban National Series saw perennial powers Industriales and Santiago de Cuba meet in the playoff final, where the Avispas won the title, 4-2.
The 47th Cuban National Series was won by the defending champion Santiago de Cuba over Pinar del Río, who made it to the finals despite an even regular season record. Santiago had the best regular season record along with La Habana, who lost in the first round.
The 48th Cuban National Series was won by La Habana over Villa Clara. Ciego de Ávila, who had the best regular season record, lost in the semifinals. Defending champion Santiago de Cuba were ousted in the first round.
Yaima Ortiz Charro is a retired Cuban volleyball player and model who competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She won a bronze medal with the Cuban national team in the 2004 Olympics.
References
- ↑ "Las 40 primeras Series Nacionales". Granma (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 27, 2014.
