Colombian Professional Baseball League
The Colombian Professional Baseball League (Spanish: Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a four-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseason. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series.
 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1948 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | Colombia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Vaqueros de Monteria (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Caimanes de Barranquilla (11 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | Claro RCN |
| Related competitions | Caribbean Series |
| Official website | lpbcol.com |
History
Colombian Professional Baseball League is commonly divided into three eras: from 1948 to 1958, from 1979 to 1988, and from 1993 to the present.
Professional baseball in Colombia has its origins in 1948, when two foreign teams — the Havana Sugar Kings of the Florida State League, and Chesterfield of the Panamanian League — played an exhibition series against the Colombian national team. Shortly thereafter, business interests in Cartagena created the country's two first professional teams: Torices of Cartagena and Indios of Cartagena. Indios would go on to be the league's most successful club in its early years, winning seven championships.[1]
The league added two teams for the 2010–11 season, both in non-traditional baseball markets in the country's central regions: Potros, based in Medellín, and Águilas, based in the capital of Bogotá. Additionally, the Toros moved from Sincelejo to Cali for economic reasons. These changes were reversed in the 2012–13 season, after Toros moved back to Sincelejo and the two expansion teams folded.
The league again added two new expansion teams for the 2019–2020 season: Gigantes de Barranquilla and Vaqueros de Montería. Vaqueros went on to become league champions in their inaugural season. They would also become the first team to represent Colombia in the Caribbean Series, after the LPB made its debut in the tournament's 2020 edition (replacing the Cuban National Series, which could appear due to visa issues).[2]
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the LPB established a "bubble" format for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, with all games being played in Barranquilla. The pandemic also saw both Leones and Toros withdraw from the league. Gigantes were expected to fold after the 2021–22 season, but managed to return the next year.[3]
For the 2022–23 season, the league announced it was considering adding an expansion team in Bolívar.[3] This was confirmed in September, when it was announced that the expansion team would be placed in Cartagena. Getsemaní Leones de La Trinidad, founded in 1933 as an amateur team, had petitioned to join the league for over a year, but their entrance was delayed by COVID-19.[4][5] However, before the start of the season, the league announced that both Getsemaní and Gigantes would not play due to financial difficulties; instead, Toros returned after a two-year absence, keeping the league at four teams.[6] In 2023, the league announced that Leones and Gigantes would return for the 2023-24 season, bringing the number of teams back to six.[7]
International competition
In 2004, the Colombian Professional Baseball League was provisionally accepted into the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation, but were not allowed to participate in the Caribbean Series until the level of play and the quality of baseball facilities improved.
In the 2022 Caribbean Series, Caimanes became the first Colombian team to win the championship, defeating the Dominican Republic's Gigantes del Cibao.
Despite this victory, controversy ensued when the Colombian league was again denied full membership into the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CPBC).[8]
On April 22, 2023, it was announced that LPB would not participate in the 2024 Caribbean Series; it was dropped from the tournament along with Cuba's Elite League and Panama's PROBEIS league. The Colombian Baseball Federation said that the league refused to pay a $200,000 participation fee to enter as a guest, alleging that it had previously been promised full membership into the CPBC.[9]
Partnerships
The league is televised by Cultiva Entertainment.[10] The league had an affiliation with the Yuma Scorpions of the Golden Baseball League for the 2009 season.[11]
Ownership
The league is owned by the Renteria Foundation, a charity run by former Major League Baseball shortstop Édgar Rentería.[12] In addition, players such as former Major League Baseball shortstop Orlando Cabrera have owned teams.[13]
Format
The league has five teams around the country. The season is played from October to January.[14] The top four teams at the end of the regular season, a first round robin phase of 50 games per team, advance to another round-robin (12 games for every team) with the two best teams contesting a best-of-seven final series to determine the league champion.[15]
Teams and stadiums
Six teams from the country's Caribbean region compete in the league.
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caimanes de Barranquilla | Barranquilla | Estadio Édgar Rentería | 12,000 | 1984 |
| Gigantes de Cartagena | Cartagena | Estadio Once de Noviembre | 12,000 | 2019[lower-alpha 1] |
| Leones de Santa Marta[lower-alpha 2] | Santa Marta | Estadio Once de Noviembre | 12,000 | 2003[lower-alpha 3] |
| Tigres de Cartagena | Cartagena | Estadio Once de Noviembre | 12,000 | 1996 |
| Toros de Sincelejo | Sincelejo | Estadio 20 de Enero | 10,000 | 2003 |
| Vaqueros de Montería | Montería | Estadio 18 de Junio | 7,300 | 2019 |
Former teams
- Gigantes de Barranquilla (2019–2022)
- Potros de Medellín (2010–2011)
- Águilas de Bogotá (2010–2011)
- Willard de Barranquilla (1953–1983)
- Vanytor de Barranquilla (1953–1958)
- Torices de Cartagena (1948–1988)
- Indios de Cartagena (1948–2002)
Colombian baseball stadiums
| Nº | Stadium | City | Capacity | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Once de Noviembre | Cartagena de Indias | 12,000 | Tigres de Cartagena-Indios de Cartagena |
| 2 | Estadio 20 de Enero | Sincelejo | 10,000 | Toros de Sincelejo-Rancheros de Sincelejo |
| 3 | Estadio Edgar Renteria | Barranquilla | 8,000 | Caimanes de Barranquilla – Eléctricos de Barranquilla – Vaqueros de Barranquilla |
| 4 | Estadio Luis Alberto Villegas | Medellín | 8,000 | Potros de Medellín – Pumas de Antioquia |
| 5 | Miguel Chávez del Valle | Cali | 4,500 | Azucareros del Valle |
| 6 | Estadio 18 de Junio | Montería | 4.500 | Leones de Montería |
| 7 | Estadio Distrital Hermes Barros Cabas | Bogotá | 2,700 | Águilas de Bogotá/Metropolitanos de Bogotá |
| 8 | Wellingwourth May | San Andrés | 2,000 | Piratas de San Andrés |
| 9 | Rafael Naar | Turbaco | 1,200 | None |
| 10 | Estadio Rafael Hernández Pardo | Santa Marta | – | Tiburones de Santa Marta |
| 11 | Júlio Silva Bolaño | Ciénaga | 3,000 | None |
| 12 | Luis Támara Samudio | Tolú | 1,000 | None |
Champions
| Season | Champion |
| 1948 | Indios de Cartagena |
| 1949 | Filtta de Barranquilla |
| 1950 | Indios de Cartagena |
| 1951 | Filtta de Barranquilla |
| 1952 | Indios de Cartagena |
| 1953 | Torices de Cartagena |
| 1953–54 | Torices de Cartagena |
| 1954–55 | Willard de Barranquilla |
| 1955–56 | Indios de Cartagena |
| 1956–57 | Kola Román de Cartagena |
| 1957–58 | Vanytor de Barranquilla |
| No professional baseball from 1958 to 1979 | |
| 1979–80 | Indios de Cartagena |
| 1980–81 | Indios de Cartagena |
| 1981–82 | Café Universal de Barranquilla |
| 1982–83 | Café Universal de Barranquilla |
| 1983–84 | Cerveza Aguila de Barranquilla |
| 1984–85 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 1987–88 | Indios de Cartagena |
| No professional baseball from 1988 to 1993 | |
| 1993–94 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 1994–95 | Rancheros de Sincelejo |
| 1995–96 | Tigres de Cartagena |
| 1996–97 | Rancheros de Sincelejo |
| 1997–98 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 1998–99 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 1999–00 | Vaqueros de Barranquilla |
| 2000–01 | Season cancelled due to financial concerns |
| 2001–02 | Eléctricos de Barranquilla |
| 2002–03 | Eléctricos de Barranquilla |
| 2003–04 | Tigres de Cartagena |
| 2004–05 | Tigres de Cartagena |
| 2005–06 | Tigres de Cartagena |
| 2006–07 | Tigres de Cartagena |
| 2007–08 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2008–09 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2009–10 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2010–11 | Season cancelled due to cold weather |
| 2011–12 | Toros de Sincelejo |
| 2012–13 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2013–14 | Tigres de Cartagena |
| 2014–15 | Leones de Montería |
| 2015–16 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2016–17 | Leones de Montería |
| 2017–18 | Leones de Montería |
| 2018–19 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2019–20 | Vaqueros de Montería |
| 2020–21 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2021–22 | Caimanes de Barranquilla |
| 2022–23 | Vaqueros de Montería |
Championships by team
| Rank | Team | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caimanes de Barranquilla | 12 | 1984–85, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
| 2 | Indios | 7 | 1948, 1950, 1952, 1955–56, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1987–88 |
| 3 | Tigres de Cartagena | 6 | 1995–96, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2013–14 |
| 4 | Leones de Montería | 3 | 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18 |
| 5 | Filtta de Barranquilla | 2 | 1949, 1951 |
| 5 | Willard de Barranquilla | 2 | 1953, 1954–55 |
| 5 | Café Universal de Barranquilla | 2 | 1981–82, 1982–83 |
| 5 | Rancheros de Sincelejo | 2 | 1994–95, 1996–97 |
| 5 | Eléctricos de Barranquilla | 2 | 2001–02, 2002–03 |
| 5 | Vaqueros de Montería | 2 | 2019-20, 2022–23 |
| 10 | Torices de Cartagena | 1 | 1953–54 |
| 10 | Kola Román de Cartagena | 1 | 1956–57 |
| 10 | Vanytor de Barranquilla | 1 | 1957–58 |
| 10 | Cerveza Aguila de Barranquilla | 1 | 1983–84 |
| 10 | Vaqueros de Barranquilla | 1 | 1999–00 |
| 10 | Toros de Sincelejo | 1 | 2011–12 |
Notes
- Gigantes did not play in the league in 2022-23 season
- Founded as the Leones de Cartagena (2003–2015), before relocating to Montería as the Leones de Montería (2008–2015), and relocating to Santa Marta in 2015
- Leones did not play in the league from the 2020-21 to 2022-23 seasons.
References
- "El béisbol de Colombia: todo lo que necesitas saber al respecto" (in Spanish). La FM. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- "What Colombia has to offer in the Caribbean Series – LatinAmerican Post".
- "Esto es lo que se sabe del béisbol profesional colombiano 2022–2023" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- "Getsemaní hace swing para el béisbol profesional" (in Spanish). El Universal. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- "El béisbol colombiano tiene listo su calendario y un nuevo equipo, Getsemaní" (in Spanish). Peloteros Colombia. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- "Solo cuatro equipos pudieron inscribirse a la Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano 2022/23" (in Spanish). Nov 9, 2022.
- "Liga Profesional de Béisbol: confirmados los seis equipos para la edición 23/24" (in Spanish). Antena 2. 22 August 2023.
- "Liga colombiana molesta por carta rechaza su ingreso a Confederación" (in Spanish). Diario Libre. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- Edward Gonzaga. "Por no pagar 200 mil dólares, Colombia se perderá la Serie del Caribe 2024" (in Spanish). Diario AS.
- "Hispanic PR Wire – CULTIVA Entertainment announces exclusive marketing agent relationship with the Colombian League of Professional Baseball". www.hispanicprwire.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- "- Break – YumaSun". Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- Adams, David. "Edgar Renteria Online". www.edgarrenteria.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- "Edgar Renteria and Orlando Cabrera do not get along these days – Big League... – MLB – Yahoo! Sports". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- LCBP Official Site http://teamrenteria.info/teamrenteria/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1148&Itemid=262 Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Official website (in Spanish)