DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WINS 2021 CARIBBEAN WORLD SERIES
By Guest
Updated: February 11, 2021
By Ismael Nunez
I called my editor, Peter from
“Baseball Reflections” and told him that the 2021 Caribbean World Series was taking place. He stated proudly, “Wow great I thought with Covid 19 hitting a home-run, I thought no series.” Then this reporter’s mother stated proudly, “In Latin America when there is a crisis what better way to entertain the people, than in Music, Food, Baseball.”
This year marked the 63rd edition of the Caribbean World Series. The series took place from January 31 to February 6, 2021 at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mazatlán, Mexico. The six countries participating were: Colombian Professional Baseball League, Dominican Professional Baseball League, Mexican Pacific League, Panamanian Professional Baseball League, Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, and Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.
Yet Aguilas Cibaenas winners of the 2020-21 Dominican Professional Baseball League would end up as champions defeating team Criollos de Caguas Winners of the 2020-21from the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League defeating them by a score of 4-1.
For the Dominican Republic it would there 21st time of winning the Caribbean World Series.
As for Covid 19 according to Wikipedia reported: “Spectators were allowed to attend games, though the stadium only operated at 45% of capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. Face coverings and socially distanced seating guidelines were enforced.”
Despite the restrictions all of LATIN AMERICA was a winner at the CARIBBEARN WORLD SERIES 2021.
Code: Select all
2021 Caribbean Series Standings
W L
Dominican Republic 7 0
Puerto Rico 5 2
Mexico 3 3
Panama 2 4
Venezuela 1 4
Colombia 0 5
The Águilas Cibaeñas achieved their sixth 2021 Caribbean Series championship when they defeated Puerto Rico's champion team, Criollos de Caguas, in a dramatic final game to conclude what was overall a competitive tournament with many possibilities for all participating teams.
Undoubtedly, all eyes on the 2021 Mazatlan Caribbean Series were on four factors: COVID-19, Robinson Canó, Yadier Molina and Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic.
Faced with the criticism at all levels of holding the Caribbean Series at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has the entire world in check, the Caribbean Confederation of Professional Baseball and the Organizing Committee brought the event to a successful conclusion. During the event, there was only one official announcement of a player who tested positive for COVID-19 and two who unofficially were isolated and did not participate.
Canó and Molina, both with more than 15 years of Major League experience, World Series winners and All-Star Game participants, were the top stars who participated in the tournament and showed their humility on and off the field in front of the fans. The Águilas Cibaeñas made their championship historic, both for the team, for the Dominican Republic as a country and for their manager Félix Fermín.
Overall, in front of less than 45% of the total capacity of the Estadio Teodoro Mariscal for each of the games, the first Caribbean Series with three games a day and six teams held in Mexico concluded with an undefeated champion.
Covid-19 and the uncertainty of contagions
Although Mazatlan has not reached the red light, and with well-marked protocols for teams and fans, the Caribbean Series started on January 31 with 5,157 fans at the opening and third game at night according to the official, although videos and photos appeared on social networks denouncing that the protocols were not followed. The event went on without having more than 6,000 fans at a game until the semifinal on Friday night, when 6,509 fans entered and were well distributed in the seats.
The entrance to the stadium was rigorous, taking the temperature of each person who entered, marking the number of gates accredited to the event and even for the players who arrived late, who only had access to the stadium through the bus entrance, as several could not enter through other gates when they were returned, Jonathan Camargo, from the Dominican Republic, was one of them.
Jaime Barría, the pitcher of the Federales de Chiriquí, was the only player who officially tested positive for COVID-19 and he made it public in his social networks.
Pitcher Andres Machado, who was replaced in the roster of Venezuela by Gabriel Lino, and outfielder Rafael Ortega, were isolated in their hotels according to unofficial voices of the confederation, but without being made official by Caribes de Anzoategui, their league, or the confederation.
Robinson Canó and Yadier Molina
The two great figures of the event, Robinson Canó and Yadier Molina, were not only "horses" on the field, but off the field and in front of the fans they demonstrated their humility despite individual Major League careers of more than 15 seasons. And both did not disappoint, as they were named to the Ideal All-Star Team, Canó as a second baseman and Molina as a catcher.
Although he batted just .192 in seven games, Molina was able to carry the pitching in three games in the regular round to lead Puerto Rico to the Final, where they lost in a great duel 4-1 to the Dominican Republic. He hit a pair of doubles, delighted the fans with a home run and drove in three runs.
For his part, Canó started off hot with six hits and three passports in his first 12 plate appearances, and ended up batting .368 in six games played, with seven hits -- all singles -- one run batted in, six passports and only one strikeout in 19 legal innings. Fans sought them out and at all times received their attention from both players, to get their signatures on balls, cards and other items.
Águilas Cibaeñas and Dominican Republic
On the field, there was only one protagonist, the Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic, once again led by Félix Fermín, who perfectly won the championship with a heart-stopping victory in the semifinal.
The Aguilas are the first team to win the series undefeated with a 7-0 record, the Dominican Republic as a country leagues successive titles for the first time in 2007 and 2008 and leaves alive a streak of 12 consecutive victories.
Félix Fermín made history by breaking the record of most wins for a manager in the Caribbean Series with 28, passing the 22 of the Mexican Francisco "Paquín" Estrada and the Puerto Rican Mako Oliveras, and he is the first with 7-0 in a single game.
For the first game in their territory in the 2022 Caribbean Series, the Dominican Republic will be looking for another record they own: 13 consecutive victories with the last five of Toros del Este in 2020 and the seven of Aguilas in 2021.
Total attendance
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an atypical Caribbean Series in Mexico, where there is always a full house at the main game every night. This time the maximum capacity of 45% allowed at the Teodoro Mariscal Stadium - 7,200 people - did not even reach its limit.
Admissions for the night game each day were 5,157 on day one, 5,584 on day two, 4,915 on day 3, 5,029 on day 4, 5,520 on day 5, 6,509 in the semifinal and dropped to 4,003 in the Final.
Attendance per day was 7,800 on January 31, 8,368 on February 1, 9,381 on February 2, 6,925 on February 3, 8,684 on February 4, 10,385 on February 5 in the semifinal and 4,003 on February 7 in the Final.
A total of 55,546 fans attended the 18 games of the series, an average of 3,085.8 per game. For the first game in the five days of the three games played, the best entry was recorded on day 1 with 761, and for the second game the best entry was on day 3 with 4,066.
Players of Águilas Cibaeñas of Dominican Republic celebrate after winning the Final game
of Serie del Caribe 2021 between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic
Caribbean Series: The Dynamic Finale
By Oscar Kropifko
February 8, 2021
n a classic matchup seen before and certain to be seen again, the representatives of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico met in the championship game of the Caribbean Series Saturday night.
Easily the best two clubs in Mazatlan, the Cibao Eagles and Caguas Creoles finished first and second in the round-robin opening pool, advanced out of the semifinals over the Federals and Tomato Growers, and met for the title.
A Pitcher’s Duel in Early Innings
The Caribbean Series finale began as a defensive contest, with both team’s starters pitching well, fielders backing them up deftly, and a home plate umpire keen to call low fastballs as strikes. Caguas’ Hector Hernandez (one earned run, two hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts) and Cibao’s Cesar Valdez (one earned run, four hits, two walks, three strikeouts) demonstrated commanding stuff through four innings before losing their goose eggs in the fifth.
Runs Scored
The Creoles nearly scored first, advancing runners to second and third on a well-placed sacrifice bunt in the top of the third. MLB veteran Yadier Molina stepped up to the plate with two outs, but he popped out to right, failing to bring his teammates home. He would go hitless in the game. In the fifth, Caguas made good on its earlier threat, as Jarren Duran singled in Juan Centeno after his own hit and advancing on a wild pitch. Johan Camargo evened the score for the Eagles with a home run to left in the bottom of the inning.
In the sixth inning, Caguas fell victim as an unfortunate limitation of the series took its toll. Always conscious of pitch count, Hernandez was removed in favor of reliever Anthony Maldonado, who promptly surrendered two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. Juan Lagares and Ronald Guzman drove in the runs with a double and single, respectively. Guzman added insurance in the eighth with a home run off Fernando Cruz to guarantee a Caribbean Series victory.
Ramon Torres continued his excellent performance in the series, going two for three with a walk and a run scored. He finished with a .556 on-base percentage. Robinson Cano went hitless in the title game, but he still led the Caribbean Series in batting average and on-base percentage.
Caribbean Series Leaders
Lagares claimed the home run title, with two in the series. Duran, however, had more total bases and Julian Leon led in slugging percentage. The Caimans went winless, but pitcher Edison Frias held the series strikeout lead with nine over 7.2 innings pitched. Among pitchers with five or more innings pitched, the Tomato Growers’ Anthony Vasquez led in earned run average at 1.29, while Valdez and Caribs’ ace Williams Perez led in walks plus hits per inning pitched at 0.333.
With the victory, the Eagles move into sole possession of second place all-time in Caribbean Series titles (6). Though crowd size was restricted to prevent the spread of Covid, this series featured the usual, exciting fare: late-inning comebacks, national pride, and stiff competition. The same six leagues are likely to send representatives next year to the newly-named host, the Dominican Republic.
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