Panamanian Professional Baseball League Explained

Probeis
Sport:Baseball
Founded:1946
Country:Panama
Teams:3
Champion:Federales de Chiriquí
(2nd title)
Most Champs:Cerveza Balboa
(7 titles)
Ceo:Guy Nacchio
Director:Lauren Flores
Tv:Sertv
Sponsor:+Movil
Related Comps:Caribbean Series

The Panamanian Professional Baseball League (Spanish; Castilian: Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá|links=no, or LPBP), commonly known as Probeis, is a professional baseball winter league consisting of three teams based in Panama. Originally founded in 1946, the league has run in its current form since 2011.

Since 2019, the league's winner takes part in the Caribbean Series.

History

1948–72

Though amateur baseball has existed on the isthmus of Panama, the first professional baseball game in the country was played on January 3, 1946 between Cervería Nacional and Chesterfield; Panamanian President Enrique Adolfo Jiménez threw out the first pitch. The Panamanian Professional Baseball League joined Organized Baseball in 1948 and operated continuously until 1972.[1]

The league's champion team played in the Caribbean Series in its first stage from 1949 through 1960, before Fidel Castro dismantled the Cuban Winter League and replaced it with a new amateur circuit.

The Carta Vieja Yankees were of the most distinguished clubs in the circuit, winning five league titles between 1950–58 and also capturing the 1950 Caribbean Series, to become the only Panamanian team to a win a Caribbean Series in the 20th century.[2] [3] Throughout its 12-year history, the team featured players as Wayne Blackburn, Chet Brewer, Webbo Clarke, Jim Cronin, Jerry Davie, Carl Duser, Marion Fricano, Milt Graff, Bill Harris, Spook Jacobs, Connie Johnson, Spider Jorgensen, Héctor López, Bobby Prescott, Humberto Robinson, Jean-Pierre Roy, Pat Scantlebury, Billy Shantz, Joe Tuminelli and Jim Umbricht, among others.[2]

The 1960s saw Panama enter a period of economic and political instability that forced private companies to withdraw support for professional sports teams. The Panamanian league merged with the Nicaraguan league for the 1961–62 season, after no local sponsors could be found; that season, Panama's Marlboro and Cerveza Balboa played against Nicaragua's Bóer and Cinco Estrellas.[4] In 1965, the league decided to play with only Panamanian players, as a means of cutting league costs; that ended up lowering the quality of the play, leading to deep economic crises that ended with the collapse of the league after the 1971-72 season.

Probeis era

A new professional baseball league started the 2001–02 season as Probeis (Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá), but it lasted only one season. Four teams participated during the 2001–02 season: Canaleros de Panamá, Macheteros de Azuero, Roneros de Carta Vieja and Tiburones Atlas de Panamá Oeste. Carta Vieja was the champion team, while Olmedo Sáenz won the batting title (.331) and Miguel Gómez was the best pitcher (5-0).[5] [6]

By 2010, executives with the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball restarted the Panamanian league as LPB (Spanish; Castilian: Liga Profesional de Béisbol|links=no), but with poor logistics and little financial support, the LPB lasted only one season.

Despite the failure of LPB, professional baseball returned, as Probeis, in 2011. Roneros Carta Vieja won their second Probeis title in 2011-12.[7] [8] In 2012–13, Caballos de Coclé won their first title and Javier Castillo was selected as MVP with a .397 batting average. Caballos de Coclé as champion represented Panama in the first Latin American Series held in Veracruz, Mexico, reaching third place. Industriales de Herrera replaced Diablicos de Azuero for the 2012 tournament.[9] [10]

Teams

Team City Stadium Capacity Founded
Astronautas de los Santos 7,000 2019
Águilas Metropolitanas 27,000 2014
Federales de Chiriquí 8,500 2019

LPBP teams (1946–72)

Many of the teams folded after less than a decade of existence. Only Carta Vieja, Cerveza Balboa, and Chesterfield/Marlboro survived more than ten years.

The 1961–62 season was played with two Nicaraguan clubs, Indios del Bóer and Cinco Estrellas, in a merged league. In addition, the 1962–63 season was made up of four completely new teams: Chiriquí-Bocas, Central Provinces, Colon, and Panama. All of these teams lasted only a single season.[11]

The Carta Vieja, Chesterfield, Comercios, and Marlboro teams represented Panama City, while Spur Cola was based in Colon. The Azucareros and Cerveza Balboa teams were sponsored from the cities of Aguadulce and Balboa, respectively. Most of the games were played at Estadio Olímpico de Panamá in Panama City.[2]

Champion teams

Key
Champions also won the Caribbean Series that season
width=40px align=center style="background-color:#FBCEB1"Champions also won the Interamerican Series that season

Original LPBP (1946–72)

SeasonChampion
1946–47General Electric
1948–49 Refresqueros de Spur Cola
1949–50 Carta Vieja Yankees
1950–51 Refresqueros de Spur Cola
1951–52
1952–53 Chesterfield Smokers
1953–54
1954–55
1955–56 Chesterfield Smokers
1956–57 Cerveza Balboa
1957–58
1958–59 Azucareros de Coclé
1959–60 Cigarilleros del Marlboro
1960–61 Cerveza Balboa
1961–62 Cigarilleros del Marlboro
1962–63 Chiriquí-Bocas
1963–64 Cigarilleros del Marlboro
1964–65 Cerveza Balboa
1965–66 Ron Santa Clara
1966–67 Cerveza Balboa
1967–68 Cerveza Balboa
1968–69 Cerveza Balboa
1970–71 Cerveza Balboa
1971–72 Guardia Nacional
No professional baseball from 1972 to 2001

Probeis era (2001–02, 2011–present)

SeasonChampion
2001–02Roneros de Carta Vieja
No professional baseball from 2002 to 2011
2011–12 Roneros de Chiriquí
2012–13 Caballos de Coclé
2013–14 Indios de Urracá
2014–15
2015–16 Nacionales de Panamá
2016–17 Panamá Metro
2017–18
2018–19 Toros de Herrera
2019–20 Astronautas de Chiriquí
2020–21 season cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
2021–22
2022–23 Federales de Chiriquí
2023–24 Federales de Chiriquí

External links

Notes and References

  1. The Rise of the Latin American Baseball Leagues, 1947–1961 - Lou Hernandez. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2011. Format: Softcover, 412 pp. Language: English.
  2. The Rise of the Latin American Baseball Leagues
  3. http://www.critica.com.pa/archivo/historia/f13-29.html Carta Vieja, Rey del Caribe
  4. News: Panama-Nicaragua: Merged Circuit Will Play Sked in Two Countries . The Sporting News . 18 October 1961.
  5. Web site: Sports&Health Magazine – La llama del béisbol profesional en Panamá vuelve a brillar con el torneo PROBEIS. (Spanish)
  6. Diamonds around the Globe: The Encyclopedia of International Baseball – Peter C. Bjarkman. Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. Format: Hardcover, 656 pp. Language: English.
  7. http://www.enazuero.com/noticias-de-enazuerocom/beisbol/2060-conoce-los-rosters-de-los-equipo-de-probeis 2011 Probeis Rosters
  8. https://archive.today/20130629214847/http://www.masbien.com/deportes/3536-roneros-ganan-a-diablicos-y-se-coronan-campeones-de-probeis-2011 2011 Final Game
  9. http://probeispanama.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=3 Probeis Teams 2012
  10. http://www.prensa.com/impreso/deportes/probeis-va-siempre/140850 Probeis 2012
  11. News: Eberenz . Leo . Panama League Back To Four Clubs; Flynn Heads Circuit . The Sporting News . October 13, 1962.