Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá

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(Redirected from Panama Winter League)

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The Panama Professional League (Spanish: Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá or Probeis) began in the 1940s and the league champions participated in the Caribbean Series from 1949 through 1960. The Panamanian club won its only title in 1950 behind Chet Brewer.

Panama's league, which never could measure up to the top winter circuits, played the 1961-62 season in a merger with Nicaragua's league. Both nations then went back to playing on their own. Nicaragua pulled the plug on its league after 1967, and Panama limped on for several more years, finally shutting down in 1972 after its number of teams and schedule had steadily diminished.

The circuit was briefly revived in 2001-2002, with the backing of Major League Baseball. Olmedo Saenz nearly won a Triple Crown, edging Carlos Lee for the batting title. Joe Atkins had won a Triple Crown in 1951, as had Hector Lopez in 1954.

The league did not secure funding for the 2002-03 season, and winter ball entered another dormant period in Panama. It was back as of 2011, however; Dodgers farmhand Blake Smith was the MVP. In 2019, the Caribbean Series were moved to Panama at the last moment due to political unrest in Venezuela. For the occasion, a sixth team, representing the Panama Professional League, was added to the tournament. The Toros de Herrera had a veritable Cinderella story, winning the whole tournament, only the second time a team from the country had won the event. That development greatly strengthened Panama's long-standing call to be readmitted in the annual tournament on a permanent basis.

The league cancelled it's season in 2020-2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but still entered a team in the 2021 Caribbean Series. The team was made up of players who were on team rosters at the start of the season.

Current Teams[edit]

Team English Stadium City
Águilas Metropolitanas Metropolitian Eagles Estadio Nacional Rod Carew Panama City
Astronautas de Los Santos Los Santos Astronauts Estadio Roberto "Flaco Bala" Hernández Las Tablas
Federales de Chiriquí Chiriquí Federals Estadio Kenny Serracín Chiriqui
Toros de Herrera Herrera Bulls Estadio Rico Cedeño Chitré, Herrera

League Champions[edit]

First Era[edit]

Team won the Serie del Caribe
Year Champion
1948-49 Spur Cola
1949-50 Carta Vieja
1950-51 Spur Cola
1951-52 Carta Vieja
1952-53 Chesterfield
1953-54 Carta Vieja
1954-55 Carta Vieja
1955-56 Chesterfield
1956-57 Balboa
1957-58 Carta Vieja
1959-59 Cocle
1959-60 Marlboro
1960-61 Balboa
1961-62 Marlboro
1962-63 Chiriqui-Bocas
1963-64 Marlboro
1964-65 Balboa
1965-66 Santa Clara
1966-67 Balboa
1967-68 Balboa
1968-69 Balboa
1969-70 Season Cancelled
1970-71 Balboa
1971-72 National Guard

Second Era[edit]

Year Champion
2001-02 Roneros de Chiriquí

Current Era[edit]

Team won the Serie del Caribe
Year Champion Manager Runner-up
2011-12 Roneros de Chiriquí Einar Diaz Diablicos de Azuero
2012-13 Caballos de Coclé Luis Ortiz Industriales de Herrera
2013-14 Indios de Urraca Julio Mosquera Caballos de Coclé
2014-15 Caballos de Coclé Luis Ortiz Águilas Metropolitanas
2015-16 Nacionales de Panamá Olmedo Sáenz Águilas Metropolitanas
2016-17 Panamá Metro Rodrigo Merón Nacionales de Panamá
2017-18 Caballos de Coclé Julio Mosquera Bravos de Urracá
2018-19 Toros de Herrera Manuel Rodriguez Águilas Metropolitanas
2019-20 Astronautas de Chiriquí Julio Mosquera Federales de Chiriquí
2020-21 Season cancelled
2021-22 Astronautas de Los Santos Raul Domínguez Federales de Chiriquí

Related Sites[edit]