1951 Caribbean Series

Template:Short description Template:Infobox international baseball tournament The third edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was played in 1951. The Series inauguration on February 21 was delayed due to heavy rain and it was held from February 22 through February 26, including two double-headers on February 25, featuring the champion baseball teams of Cuba, Leones del Habana; Panama, Spur Cola Colonites; Puerto Rico, Cangrejeros de Santurce, and Venezuela, Navegantes del Magallanes. The format consisted of 12 games, each team facing the other teams twice, and the games were played at Cervecería Caracas Stadium in Caracas, Venezuela.

Summary

The Puerto Rico team won the Series with a 5-1 record and was managed by George Scales. Their only defeat came from Cuba. The team was led by OF Luis Rodríguez Olmo, who was named Most Valuable Player after hitting .423 (11-for-26) with three home runs and nine RBI. Other contributions came from pitchers Pantalones Santiago (two complete-game wins), Rubén Gómez (two wins, one save), 1B George Crowe (.333, one grand slam, 7 RBI), and SS Stan Breard (.423, seven runs, 4 doubles, 8 RBI). Also in the Puerto Rican roster were Jim Gilliam (2B), Buster Clarkson (3B), Bob Thurman (OF) and Willard Brown (OF).

Managed by Mike González, Cuba finished in second place with a 4-2 mark. 1B Lorenzo Cabrera led the Series hitters with an astronomical .619 batting average (13-for-23), while the pitching staff was led by Adrián Zabala (2-0), Hoyt Wilhelm (1-1) and Bill Ayers (1 win, 1 save). Also included in the roster were Sandy Amorós (OF), Pedro Formental (OF), Bert Haas (3B), Spider Jorgensen (2B), Ed Mierkowicz (OF), Jiquí Moreno (P) and Carlos Pascual (P).

Venezuela was managed by Lázaro Salazar and finished 2-4, with both victories over Panama. The team was led by 1B René González, who hit .316 (6-for-19), including two doubles, two home runs and a Series-leading 11 RBI. Pitcher José Bracho posted a 1-0 record and a 0.71 earned run average in 12+2⁄3 innings pitched, helping himself with the bat while hitting .500 (3-for-6) with a double, one run and four RBIs. Other significant players in the roster included Luis García (3B), Vidal López (LF), Jim Pendleton (SS), Chucho Ramos (1B) and Ken Staples (C), as well as pitchers Frank Biscan, Julio Bracho, Alex Carrasquel and Clem Labine.

Panama ended with a 1-5 mark and was managed by catcher León Kellman. The team's only victory came behind a strong pitching effort from starter Connie Johnson over the Cuban team, while 1B Archie Ware paced the offense in average (.348), hits (8) and RBI (4).

Participating teams

Team	Manager
Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce	Template:Flagicon George Scales
Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana	Template:Flagicon Mike González
Template:Flagicon Navegantes del Magallanes	Template:Flagicon Lázaro Salazar
Template:Flagicon Spur Cola Colonites	Template:Flagicon León Kellman

Final standings

Scoreboards

Game 1, February 22

Team	Template:Linescore/style | 1	Template:Linescore/style | 2	Template:Linescore/style | 3	Template:Linescore/style | 4	Template:Linescore/style | 5	Template:Linescore/style | 6	Template:Linescore/style | 7	Template:Linescore/style | 8	Template:Linescore/style | 9	Template:Linescore/style | R	Template:Linescore/style | H	Template:Linescore/style | E
Puerto Rico	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	6	0	13	18	0
Cuba	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	1
Template:Br separated entries Game 2, February 22 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Panama 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0   2 5 2 Venezuela 0 0 0 0 4 3 3 0 x 10 8 2 Template:Br separated entries Game 3, February 23 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Cuba 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1   2   8 4 Panama 3 0 0 2 5 0 2 0 x 12 16 1 Template:Br separated entries Game 4, February 23 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Puerto Rico 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 2 8   5 3 Venezuela 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 1 2 7 11 2 Template:Br separated entries Game 5, February 24 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Panama 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 7 3 Puerto Rico 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 8 3 Template:Br separated entries Game 6, February 24 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Cuba 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 3 9 10 0 Venezuela 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1   9 2 Template:Br separated entries Game 7, February 25 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Cuba 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4   7 0 Puerto Rico 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 10 1 Template:Br separated entries Game 8, February 25 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Venezuela 0 4 3 0 0 4 2 0 0 13 14 3 Panama 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0   2   5 2 Template:Br separated entries Game 9, February 25 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Panama 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 Cuba 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 x 2 7 2 Template:Br separated entries Game 10, February 25 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Venezuela 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 6 2 Puerto Rico 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 1 x 6 9 0 Template:Br separated entries Game 11, February 26 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Puerto Rico 3 0 2 3 0 4 0 x x 12 8 0 Panama 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 x x   1 6 2 Template:Br separated entries Game 12, February 26 Team Template:Linescore/style | 1 Template:Linescore/style | 2 Template:Linescore/style | 3 Template:Linescore/style | 4 Template:Linescore/style | 5 Template:Linescore/style | 6 Template:Linescore/style | 7 Template:Linescore/style | 8 Template:Linescore/style | 9 Template:Linescore/style | R Template:Linescore/style | H Template:Linescore/style | E Venezuela 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 x x 5 6 1 Cuba 3 0 0 0 1 3 x x x 7 9 0 Template:Br separated entries Statistics leaders Statistic Player Team Total Batting average Template:Flagicon Lorenzo Cabrera Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana .615 Home runs Template:Flagicon Luis Olmo Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce 3 Runs batted in Template:Flagicon René González Template:Flagicon Navegantes del Magallanes 11 Runs Template:Flagicon Stan Breard Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce 8 Hits Template:Flagicon Lorenzo Cabrera Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana 13 Doubles Template:Flagicon Stan Breard Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce 4 Triples Template:Flagicon Sandy Amorós Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana 1 Template:Flagicon Jim Gilliam Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Template:Flagicon Bob Thurman Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Stolen bases Template:Flagicon Charles Douglas Template:Flagicon Spur Cola Colonites 3 Wins Template:Flagicon Rubén Gómez Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce 2 Template:Flagicon José Santiago Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Template:Flagicon Adrián Zabala Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana Awards Tournament Awards Award Player Team MVP Template:Flagicon Luis Olmo Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Best manager Template:Flagicon George Scales Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce All Star Team Position Player Team First base Template:Flagicon Lorenzo Cabrera Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana Second base Template:Flagicon Spook Jacobs Template:Flagicon Spur Cola Colonites Third base Template:Flagicon Jimmy Dicks Template:Flagicon Navegantes del Magallanes Shortstop Template:Flagicon Stan Breard Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Left field Template:Flagicon Pedro Formental Template:Flagicon Leones del Habana Center field Template:Flagicon Luis Olmo Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Right field Template:Flagicon Bob Thurman Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Catcher Template:Flagicon Güigüí Lucas Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce Pitcher Template:Flagicon José Santiago Template:Flagicon Cangrejeros de Santurce See also Ballplayers who have played in the Series References Sources Antero Núñez, José. Series del Caribe. Jefferson, Caracas, Venezuela: Impresos Urbina, C.A., 1987. Gutiérrez, Daniel. Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela – 1895-2006 . Caracas, Venezuela: Impresión Arte, C.A., 2007. External links Official site Latino Baseball Series del Caribe, Las (Spanish)