2014-2015 Cuban National League

From BR Bullpen

The 2014-2015 Cuban National League saw one first-time entry in the finals (Isla de la Juventud, who lost a seven-game series to Ciego de Ávila, which was only in their third finals (though they had won the title just three seasons prior).

In game one of the finals, Ciego de Ávila cruised to a 4-0 win as CF Yoelvis Fiss hit a first-inning grand slam off Ulfrido García; while Luis Manuel Suárez turned in a solid relief (0 R in 6 2/3 IP), it was not enough for Isla de la Juventud as Ismel Jiménez (7 IP), Leorisbel Sánchez and Yunier Cano combined on a shutout. In game 2, the series was evened at 1 as Isla de la Juventud won 6-4 behind Jesús Amador over Vladimir García while Héctor Mendoza notched the save. Jorge Luis Barcelán's 2-run homer off García in the 7th gave Isla de la Juventud its first lead and they held on from there.

In the third game, the Tigres of Ciego de Ávila came roaring back with a 5-2 win; 1B Ariel Borrero was 3 for 5 with a homer and Cano got the win over Yoelkis Cruz. Julio Pablo Martínez goes 3 for 5 in a losing cause. The next game, Isla de la Juventud tied it again with a 7-6, 11-inning win; they trailed 4-0 entering the 7th but scored six in the 7th, only to give up two in the 8th before finally winning it in extra innings. Mendoza got the win with 4 innings of relief while Ariel Díaz was handed the defeat; Díaz was the 7th pitcher for the Tigres.

In game 5, Ciego de Ávila again took a one-game lead, winning 4-3, as Jiménez won his second, beating game 2 victor Amador; Alain Sánchez got the save. Dainier Galvez was 4 for 4 for Isla de la Juventud. Game 6 continued the back-and-forth trend as Isla de la Juventud won 5-3, with CF and leadoff man Julio Pablo Martínez putting on a show (3 for 3, 2B, 2 R). Javier Vázquez Juvier got the win while Alain Sánchez lost and Mendoza saved it. That brought it to a game 7, only the 4th time in the past 24 seasons the finals went 7 games. Ciego de Ávila cruised to a 7-2 win, with 2B Raúl González scoring two and driving in two. Postseason MVP Yander Guevara got the win over Cruz.

Standings[edit]

Team Classification Phase Secondary Phase Manager
Matanzas 31-14 24-18 Víctor Mesa
Granma 29-26 24-18 Carlos Martí
Ciego de Ávila 24-21 26-16 Roger Machado
Isla de la Juventud 27-18 21-21 Jose Luis Rodríguez Pantoja
Pinar del Rio 24-21 24-18 Alfonso Urquiola
Industriales 25-20 21-21 Lázaro Vargas
Artemisa 25-20 14-28 Dany Valdespino
Holguín 23-22 13-29 Irochis Bartutis
Sancti Spíritus 22-23 -- Yovani Aragón
Santiago de Cuba 21-24 -- Luis Larduet
Las Tunas 21-24 -- Ermidelio Urrutia
Villa Clara 21-24 -- Ramón Moré Flaquet
Guantánamo 19-26 -- Jorge Prevot
Mayabeque 16-29 -- Rigoberto Madera
Cienfuegos 16-29 -- Jorge Concepción
Camagüey 16-29 -- Esteban Lombillo

Playoffs[edit]

  • Semi-finals
  • Isla de la Juventud 4, Matanzas 2
  • Ciego de Ávila 4, Granma 1
  • Championship Series
  • Ciego de Ávila 4, Isla de la Juventud 3


Leaders[edit]

Bold indicates either wooden bat record or aluminum bat record (1976-1977 to 1998-1999), Italics indicate Serie Nacional record

Where two teams are listed, the player switched teams at the half

Batting[edit]

Stat Leader Team Number Notes
Batting Average Alfredo Despaigne Granma .406
Runs Scored Roel Santos Granma 85
Base Hits José Adolis García Ciego de Ávila 110
Doubles Adrián Moreno Granma 25
Triples Yusniel Ibáñez Cienfuegos-Isla de la Juventud 9
Home Runs Urmani Guerra Granma 21
Runs Batted In Urmani Guerra Granma 76
Base-on-Balls Roel Santos Granma 79
Intentional Base-on-Balls Ariel Borrero Villa Clara-Ciego de Ávila 29
Hit-by-Pitch Dainier Gálvez Isla de la Juventud 19
Strikeouts José Adolis García Ciego de Ávila 67
Sacrifice Hit Dainier Gálvez
Alfredo Rodríguez
Isla de la Juventud
Isla de la Juventud
22
Sacrifice Fly Alexander Malleta Industriales 8
Stolen Bases Yurisbel Gracial Matanzas 24

Pitching[edit]

Stat Leader Team Number Notes
Wins Lázaro Blanco Granma 14
Win-Loss Percentage Cionel Pérez Matanzas .778 7-2
Earned Run Average Cionel Pérez Matanzas 2.06 87 1/3 IP
Innings Pitched Alberto Bicet Santiago de Cuba-Industriales 149
Games Pitched Adrián Sosa Matanzas 41
Games Started Lázaro Blanco Granma 24
Games Relieved Adrián Sosa Matanzas 41
Complete Games Yosvani Torres Pinar del Rio 4
Shutouts Yosvani Torres
Yander Guevara
Jonder Martínez
Pinar del Rio
Ciego de Ávila
Matanzas
2
Hits Allowed Alberto Bicet Santiago de Cuba-Industriales 151
Strikeouts Darién Núñez Las Tunas-Isla de la Juventud 108
Base-on-Balls Darién Núñez Las Tunas-Isla de la Juventud 76
Intentional Base-on-Balls Israel Sánchez Artemisa 14
Hit Batters Yusmel Velázquez Holguín 30
Saves José A. García Artemisa 21

All-Star Game[edit]

On December 28, 2014, the 2014-2015 All-Star Game took place at Estadio Martires de Barbados in Bayamo, Granma. The attendance was 10,000. The Occidentales won, 9-4, thanks to a five-run sixth. Lourdes Gourriel Jr. was the big star, going 3 for 5 with a homer and four RBI, while first basemen Alex Malleta and Yunier Mendoza combined for four hits for the victors. Cionel Pérez got the win despite two runs in his lone inning while Norge Ruiz took the defeat.

Award Winners[edit]

The Most Valuable Player (Jugadores más Valiosos) was Alfredo Despaigne of Granma. Alfredo Rodríguez of Isla de la Juventud was the Series' Rookie of the Year (Novatos del Año).

Offensive and Pitching All-Stars were C Yosvani Alarcón (Las Tunas-Artemisa), 1B Yordanis Samón (Granma), 2B Dainier Gálvez (Isla de la Juventud), SS Adrián Moreno (Granma), 3B Michel Enríquez (Isla de la Juventud), LF Urmari Guerra (Granma), CF Roel Santos (Granma), RF Yadiel Hernández (Matanzas), DH Alfredo Despaigne (Granma), RHP Lázaro Blanco (Granma), LHP Yoanni Yera (Matanzas) and RP Danny Aguilera (Isla de la Juventud).

Gold Glove awards went to C Yulexis la Rosa (Villa Clara-Granma), 1B Luis Rivera (Isla de la Juventud), 2B Michael González (Mayabeque-Artemisa), SS Alfredo Rodríguez (Isla de la Juventud), 3B Jefferson Delgado (Matanzas), OF Dairon Blanco (Camagüey-Industriales), OF Orlando Lavandera (Mayabeque-Ciego de Avila), OF Liván Monteagudo (Sancti Spíritus-Artemisa), UT Luis Yander la O (Santiago de Cuba-Matanzas) and P Yander Guevara (Ciego de Avila).

Roger Machado was named Manager of the Year.

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