1939 Amateur World Series: Difference between revisions
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==Participants== |
==Participants== |
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The second Amateur World Series was announced on June 11, 1939. In addition to the United States and Great Britain, which had participated in the inaugural tournament held the previous year, the [[International Baseball Federation]] (IBF) hope to increase the visibility of the tournament by inviting thirteen other countries, all of them in the Western Hemisphere. However, only two federations accepted, those of Cuba and Nicaragua; Great Britain, the defending champions, declined for the sake of their domestic league, which began in August of that year.<ref name="gonzalez">{{cite book |last1=Echevarria |first1=Roberto González |author-link=Roberto González Echevarría |title=The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball |date=1999 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=228–29}}</ref> IBF president [[Leslie Mann (athlete)|Leslie Mann]] was particularly disappointed by Britain's exit from the tournament.<ref name="schiroli">{{cite book |author1=Riccardo Schiroli |title=The Game We Love |date=2019 |publisher=World Baseball Softball Confederation |url=https://static.wbsc.org/assets/files/2019_WBSC_The_Game_We_Love_SMALL.pdf |page=30}}</ref> |
The second Amateur World Series was announced on June 11, 1939. In addition to the United States and Great Britain, which had participated in the inaugural tournament held the previous year, the [[International Baseball Federation]] (IBF) hope to increase the visibility of the tournament by inviting thirteen other countries, all of them in the Western Hemisphere. However, only two federations accepted, those of Cuba and Nicaragua; Great Britain, the defending champions, declined for the sake of their domestic league, which began in August of that year.<ref name="gonzalez">{{cite book |last1=Echevarria |first1=Roberto González |author-link=Roberto González Echevarría |title=The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball |date=1999 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=228–29}}</ref> IBF president [[Leslie Mann (athlete)|Leslie Mann]] was particularly disappointed by Britain's exit from the tournament; they would not return until the [[2009 Baseball World Cup]].<ref name="schiroli">{{cite book |author1=Riccardo Schiroli |title=The Game We Love |date=2019 |publisher=World Baseball Softball Confederation |url=https://static.wbsc.org/assets/files/2019_WBSC_The_Game_We_Love_SMALL.pdf |page=30}}</ref> |
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===Invited teams=== |
===Invited teams=== |
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* <s>{{bb|JAM|1906}}</s> {{small|(did not attend)}} |
* <s>{{bb|JAM|1906}}</s> {{small|(did not attend)}} |
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'''[[Europe]] (0)''' |
'''[[Europe]] (0)''' |
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* <s>{{bb| |
* <s>{{bb|GBR}}</s> {{small|(did not attend)}} |
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{{col-4}} |
{{col-4}} |
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'''[[North America]] (2)''' |
'''[[North America]] (2)''' |
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==Venue== |
==Venue== |
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{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
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|- |
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! [[Havana]], [[Cuba]] |
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|rowspan=4|{{Location map+|Cuba|width=500|float=center|caption=|places= |
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{{Location map~|Cuba|lat_deg=23.107251|lon_deg=-82.412918|position=right|label='''[[La Tropical Stadium|La Tropical]]'''}} |
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}} |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[La Tropical Stadium|Gran Stadium Cervecería Tropical]] |
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|- |
|- |
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| Capacity: '''15,000''' |
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|align=center| {{flagicon|Cuba}} [[Havana]], [[Cuba]] |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[File:Estadio La Tropical 1937.jpg|250px]] |
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|} |
|} |
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In a report on the 1939 series, Mann concluded that the United States "has the youngsters with the ability to compete with the other countries around the world but it is going to take enthusiastic cooperation on part of those amateur players... The U.S.A. should lead in baseball but first they will have to prove it to England, Japan, and Central America which at this time hold upper berths on this challenge."<ref name="mann" /> |
In a report on the 1939 series, Mann concluded that the United States "has the youngsters with the ability to compete with the other countries around the world but it is going to take enthusiastic cooperation on part of those amateur players... The U.S.A. should lead in baseball but first they will have to prove it to England, Japan, and Central America which at this time hold upper berths on this challenge."<ref name="mann" /> |
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==Final standings== |
==Final standings== |
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
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! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Position in final standings}} |
! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Position in final standings}} |
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! {{Tooltip|Team|Team}} |
! {{Tooltip|Team|Team}} |
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!width=25| {{Tooltip|RS|Runs scored}} |
!width=25| {{Tooltip|RS|Runs scored}} |
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!width=25| {{Tooltip|RA|Runs allowed}} |
!width=25| {{Tooltip|RA|Runs allowed}} |
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|- style="background:gold; |
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|- |
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| [[File:Gold medal.svg|15px]] |
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| 1 |
| 1 |
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|align=left| {{bb|CUB}} |
|align=left| {{bb|CUB}} |
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| |
| |
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| |
| |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[File:Silver medal.svg|15px]] |
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| 2 |
| 2 |
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|align=left| {{bb|NIC|1908}} |
|align=left| {{bb|NIC|1908}} |
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| |
| |
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| |
| |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[File:Bronze medal.svg|15px]] |
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| 3 |
| 3 |
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|align=left| {{bb|USA|1912}} |
|align=left| {{bb|USA|1912}} |
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== |
== Results == |
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{{Baseballbox |
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===Rosters=== |
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|date = August 12, 1939 |
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|time = |
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{{col-begin}} |
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|round = |
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{{col-break}} |
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|team1 = {{bb-rt|NIC|1908}} |
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Pitchers (6): |
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|team1wp = |
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* [[M. Tamayo Saco]] |
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|team1lp = José "Chino" Meléndez |
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* [[Pedro Jiménez|Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez]] |
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|team1sp = |
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* [[Eliecer Álvarez]] |
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|team1hr = |
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* [[Conrado Marrero]] |
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|score = 3–4 |
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* [[Wenceslao González]] |
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|mercy rule = |
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* [[Nicasio Corbo]] |
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|extra innings = 10 |
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|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00388/images/5 |
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|team2 = '''{{bb|CUB}}''' |
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|team2wp = [[Natilla Jiménez|Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez]] |
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|team2lp = |
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|team2sp = |
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|team2hr = |
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|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
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|umpire = |
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}} |
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---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 13, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 = {{bb-rt|USA|1912}} |
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|team1wp = |
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|team1lp = J. B. Williams |
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|team1sp = |
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|team1hr = |
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|score = 3–13 |
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|mercy rule = |
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|extra innings = |
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|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00389/images/8 |
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|team2 = '''{{bb|CUB}}''' |
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|team2wp = [[Conrado Marrero]] |
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|team2lp = |
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|team2sp = |
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|team2hr = |
|||
|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
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|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 15, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 = {{bb-rt|USA|1912}} |
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|team1wp = |
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|team1lp = Fred Webb |
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|team1sp = |
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|team1hr = |
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|score = 0–3 |
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|mercy rule = |
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|extra innings = |
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|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00390/images/8 |
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|team2 = '''{{bb|NIC|1908}}''' |
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|team2wp = Alfredo “Chiquirín” García |
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|team2lp = |
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|team2sp = |
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|team2hr = |
|||
|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
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|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 17, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 ={{bb-rt|NIC|1908}} |
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|team1wp = |
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|team1lp = Alfredo “Chiquirín” García |
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|team1sp = |
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|team1hr = |
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|score = 2–3 |
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|mercy rule = |
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|extra innings = 10 |
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|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00392/images/8 |
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|team2 = '''{{bb|CUB}}''' |
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|team2wp = Wenceslao González |
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|team2lp = |
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|team2sp = |
|||
|team2hr = |
|||
|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
|||
|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 19, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 = '''{{bb-rt|CUB}}''' |
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|team1wp = Eliécer Álvarez |
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|team1lp = |
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|team1sp = |
|||
|team1hr = |
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|score = 8–3 |
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|mercy rule = |
|||
|extra innings = |
|||
|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00394/images/5 |
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|team2 = {{bb|USA|1912}} |
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|team2wp = |
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|team2lp = Walter Erickson |
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|team2sp = |
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|team2hr = |
|||
|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
|||
|umpire = |
|||
}} |
|||
---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 20, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 = {{bb-rt|NIC|1908}} |
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|team1wp = Alfredo “Chiquirín” García |
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|team1lp = |
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|team1sp = |
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|team1hr = |
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|score = 7–3 |
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|mercy rule = |
|||
|extra innings = |
|||
|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00395/images/6 |
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|team2 = {{bb|USA|1912}} |
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|team2wp = |
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|team2lp = J.B. Williams |
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|team2sp = |
|||
|team2hr = |
|||
|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
|||
|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 24, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 = '''{{bb-rt|CUB}}''' |
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|team1wp = [[Natilla Jiménez|Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez]] |
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|team1lp = |
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|team1sp = |
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|team1hr = |
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|score = 9–1 |
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|mercy rule = |
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|extra innings = |
|||
|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00398/images/8 |
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|team2 = {{bb|NIC|1908}} |
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|team2wp = |
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|team2lp = José "Chino" Meléndez |
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|team2sp = |
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|team2hr = [[Stanley Cayasso]] |
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|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
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|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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---- |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 24, 1939 |
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|time = |
|||
|round = |
|||
|team1 = '''{{bb-rt|CUB}}''' |
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|team1wp = Wenceslao González |
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|team1lp = |
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|team1sp = |
|||
|team1hr = |
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|score = 12–7 |
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|mercy rule = |
|||
|extra innings = |
|||
|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00400/zoom/8 |
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|team2 = {{bb|USA|1912}} |
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|team2wp = |
|||
|team2lp = Fred Webb |
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|team2sp = |
|||
|team2hr = |
|||
|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
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|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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{{Baseballbox |
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|date = August 24, 1939 |
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|time = |
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|round = |
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|team1 = '''{{bb-rt|NIC|1908}}''' |
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|team1wp = Alfredo “Chiquirín” García |
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|team1lp = |
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|team1sp = |
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|team1hr = Jonathan Robinson |
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|score = 12–7 |
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|mercy rule = |
|||
|extra innings = |
|||
|boxurl = https://dloc.com/AA00022089/00400/zoom/8 |
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|team2 = {{bb|USA|1912}} |
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|team2wp = |
|||
|team2lp = Robert Davis |
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|team2sp = |
|||
|team2hr = |
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|stadium = [[Estadio Pedro Marrero|Gran Stadium La Tropical]] |
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|attendance = |
|||
|umpire = |
|||
}} |
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== Rosters == |
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Catchers (2): |
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[[File:Cuba national team 1939.jpg|thumb|200px|Cuba won its first world championship in 1939]] |
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* [[Andrés Fleitas]] |
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[[File:Nicaragua national team 1939.jpg|thumb|200px|The Nicaragua national team]] |
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* [[Kiko Gutiérrez]] |
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[[File:USA baseball 1939 AWS.jpg|thumb|200px|The U.S. national team]] |
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The Cuban team of 1939 was assembled on a somewhat "arbitrary" basis, according to [[Roberto González Echevarría]].<ref name="gonzalez" /> There were no professional players from the [[Cuban League]], in keeping with the tournament's amateur basis (though [[Adolfo Luque]], manager of [[Almendares (baseball)|Almendares]] and formerly of the [[Cincinnati Reds]], acted as an English-language interpreter).<ref>Mann, p. 41</ref> |
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Instead, the team was made up of the top players from Cuba's amateur circuits, including the clubs of Regla, Fortuna, Circulo Militar, Cienfuegos, and Deportivo Cardenas. Notably, the Cuban team included two [[Black Cuban]] players, as part of Mariné's efforts to desegregate the amateur leagues.<ref name="gonzalez" /> |
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[[Connie Marrero|Conrado Marrero]], a future [[History of the Washington Senators|Washington Senators]] pitcher, was on the Cuban squad, as was future [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]] farmhand [[Andrés Fleitas]] (C). Bernardo Cuervo (1B) hit .200, leading the tournament with two triples and six runs batted in, while Ernesto Estevez (2B) hit .389 with two doubles. Wenceslao Gonzalez (P) hit .500 (3 for 6). [[Natilla Jiménez|Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez]] was the best pitcher in the tournament with a 2–0 record and a 0.95 earned run average. Esteban Maciques (RF) hit .250 with 7 runs (led tournament). Juan J. Torres (CF) won the most valuable player award for the tournament despite a .174 batting average. Gerardo Toyo (LF) hit .333 (9 for 27), tied for lead in hits. |
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{{col-break}} |
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Infielders (6): |
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* [[Bernardo Cuerva]] (1B) |
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* [[Ernesto Estévez]] (2B) |
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* [[Mario Fajo]] (2B) |
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* [[Clemente González]] (SS) |
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* [[Luis Minsal]] (3B) |
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* [[Alfenso González]] (UTIL) |
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Nicaragua's [[Stanley Cayasso]] (1B) hit one of only two home runs of the tournament plus two doubles to start a string of successful appearances in the tournament. Jonathan Robinson (RF) hit the other home run of the tournament, while Colbert Newell (LF) stole four bases to lead the tournament in that category |
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Outfielders (4): |
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* [[David Pérez]] |
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* [[Gerardo Toyo]] |
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* [[Cocoliso Torres|José Luis "Cocoliso" Torres]] |
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* [[Esteban Maciques]] |
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Charles Forbes led the team in offensive performance with a .300 avera, going 6 for 20 with 3 walks and 3 runs. American second baseman [[Joe Justice]] would go on to become head baseball coach at [[Rollins College]], leading them to the [[1954 College World Series]], while left fielder [[Tom Callahan]] would later play basketball for the [[Providence Steamrollers]] of the [[Basketball Association of America|BAA]] |
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Manager: [[León Rojas]] |
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== Honors and awards == |
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{{col-end}} |
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=== Statistical leaders === |
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{{col-start}} |
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Source:<ref name="gonzalez" /><ref>Mann, p. 37</ref> |
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{{ |
{{col-2}} |
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{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders |
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|+ Batting leaders<ref name="baseballdecuba">{{cite web |title=Historia de la Copa Mundial/World Cup History I-X (1938-1948) |url=http://www.baseballdecuba.com/WCup2011/History.html |website=Baseball de Cuba |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212001843/http://www.baseballdecuba.com/WCup2011/History.html |archive-date=12 December 2011 |language=es}}</ref> |
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{{collapse top|title=Nicaragua national team, 1939}} |
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!scope="col"|Statistic |
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{{col-begin}} |
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!scope="col"|Name |
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{{col-break}} |
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!scope="col"|Total |
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Pitchers (4): |
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|- |
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* [[José Ángel "Chino" Meléndez]] |
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!scope="row"|[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]] |
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* [[Domingo Arana]] |
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| {{bbicon|NIC|1908}} [[Sam Garth]] || align=center | .500 |
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* [[Alfred Garcia]] |
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|- |
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* [[Alfonso N. Solorzano]] |
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!scope="row"|[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]] |
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| {{bbicon|NIC|1908}} Sam Garth<br>{{bbicon|CUB}} [[Gerardo Toyo]] || align=center | 9 |
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Catchers (3): |
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|- |
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* [[Julio Sandoval]] |
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!scope="row"|[[Run (baseball)|Runs]] |
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* [[Manuel Mirande]] |
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| {{bbicon|CUB}} [[Esteban Maciques]] || align=center | 6 |
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* [[Allen Alvarez]] |
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|- |
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!scope="row"|[[Home run]]s |
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{{col-break}} |
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| {{bbicon|NIC|1908}} [[Stanley Cayasso]]<br>{{bbicon|NIC|1908}} [[Jonathan Robinson]] || align=center | 9 |
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Infielders (6): |
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|- |
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* [[Stanley Cayasso]] (1B) |
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!scope="row"|[[Runs batted in]] |
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* [[Rodolfo Marenco]] (2B) |
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| {{bbicon|CUB}} [[Bernardo Cuervo]] || align=center | 6 |
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* [[Emilio Alvarez (baseball)|Emilio Alvarez]] (2B) |
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|- |
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* [[Herman Hernandez]] (3B) |
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!scope="row"|[[Stolen base]]s |
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* [[John Williams (baseball infielder)|John Williams]] (3B) |
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| {{bbicon|NIC|1908}} [[Colbert Newell]] || align=center | 4 |
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* [[Clemente González]] (SS) |
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|} |
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* [[Alfenso González]] (UTIL) |
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{{col-2}} |
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Outfielders (4): |
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* [[Colbert Newell]] |
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* [[Jonathan Robinson (baseball)|Jonathan Robinson]] |
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* [[Sam Garth]] |
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* [[Horacio Solis]] |
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Manager: |
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{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders |
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|+Pitching leaders<ref name="baseballdecuba" /> |
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!scope="col"|Statistic |
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!scope="col"|Name |
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!scope="col"|Total |
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|- |
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!scope="row"|[[Win (baseball)|Wins]] |
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| {{bbicon|NIC|1908}} [[Alfredo García (baseball)|Alfredo García]] || align=center | 3 |
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|- |
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!scope="row"|[[Earned run average]] |
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| {{bbicon|CUB}} [[Natilla Jiménez]] || align=center | 0.95 |
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|- |
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!scope="row"|[[Strikeout]]s |
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| {{bbicon|NIC|1908}} Alfredo García || align=center | 21 |
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|} |
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{{col-end}} |
{{col-end}} |
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=== Awards === |
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Source:<ref name="gonzalez" /><ref>Mann, p. 37</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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{{collapse bottom}} |
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! Award || Player || Ref. |
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|- |
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=== {{bb|CUB}} === |
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|scope="row"| Most Valuable Player |
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The Cuban team of 1939 was assembled on a somewhat "arbitrary" basis, according to [[Roberto González Echevarría]].<ref name="gonzalez" /> There were no professional players from the [[Cuban League]], in keeping with the tournament's amateur basis (though [[Adolfo Luque]], manager of [[Almendares (baseball)|Almendares]] and formerly of the [[Cincinnati Reds]], acted as an English-language interpreter).<ref>Mann, p. 41</ref> |
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| {{bbicon|CUB}} [[Juan J. Torres]] || align=center| <ref name="baseballdecuba" /> |
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Instead, the team was made up of the top players from Cuba's amateur circuits, including the clubs of Regla, Fortuna, Circulo Militar, Cienfuegos, and Deportivo Cardenas. Notably, the Cuban team included two [[Black Cuban]] players, as part of Mariné's efforts to desegregate the amateur leagues.<ref name="gonzalez" /> |
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|} |
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* [[Connie Marrero|Conrado Marrero]] a future [[History of the Washington Senators|Washington Senators]] pitcher, was on the Cuban squad, as was future [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]] farmhand [[Andrés Fleitas]] |
|||
* Bernardo Cuervo hit .200 with two triples and six runs batted in (led tournament). |
|||
* Ernesto Estevez hit .389 with two doubles. |
|||
* Wenceslao Gonzalez hit .500 (3 for 6). |
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* Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez was the best pitcher in the tournament with a 2–0 record and a 0.95 earned run average. |
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* Esteban Macqiues hit .250 with 7 runs (led tournament). |
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* Juan J. Torres won the most valuable player award for the tournament despite a .174 batting average. |
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* Gerardo Toyo hit .333 (9 for 27), tied for lead in hits. |
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==== {{bb|NIC|1908}} ==== |
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* Stanley Cayasso hit one of only two home runs of the tournament plus two doubles to start a string of successful appearances in the tournament. |
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* Jonathan Robinson hit the other home run of the tournament. |
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* Colbert Newell stole four bases to lead the tournament in that category |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Latest revision as of 17:31, 28 August 2024
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Land | Cuba |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 12–26 August |
| Teams | 3 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Cuba (1st title) |
| Runner-up |  Nicaragua |
| Third place |  Vereinigte Staaten |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 9 |
| MVP | Juan Torres |
The 1939 Amateur World Series was the second Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (which titled it the Baseball World Cup as of the 1988 tournament). Great Britain did not defend the AWS title it had won in the inaugural event the previous year. The tournament took place, for the first time, in Cuba. It was contested by the national teams of Cuba, Nicaragua and the United States, playing six games each from August 12 through August 26. Cuba won its first AWS title – the first of what would be a record 26 titles by the time the series ended in 2011, 22 more titles than the next closest nation.
Participants
[edit]The second Amateur World Series was announced on June 11, 1939. In addition to the United States and Great Britain, which had participated in the inaugural tournament held the previous year, the International Baseball Federation (IBF) hope to increase the visibility of the tournament by inviting thirteen other countries, all of them in the Western Hemisphere. However, only two federations accepted, those of Cuba and Nicaragua; Great Britain, the defending champions, declined for the sake of their domestic league, which began in August of that year.[1] IBF president Leslie Mann was particularly disappointed by Britain's exit from the tournament; they would not return until the 2009 Baseball World Cup.[2]
Invited teams
[edit]|
Caribbean (1)
Europe (0)
|
North America (2)
|
South America (0) |
|
Though only three federations participated in the 1939 edition, most of the invitees would participate in future tournaments, starting with the following year's edition.[a]
Venue
[edit]| Havana, Cuba | |
|---|---|
| Gran Stadium Cervecería Tropical | |
| Capacity: 15,000 | |
|
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Tournament summary
[edit]The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Colonel Jaime Mariné, the director of the Cuban sports ministry and a close associate of Fulgencio Batista, who had helped organize the tournament.[1] The United States was badly outmatched against the Cuban and Nicaraguan pitching staffs — which, unlike the amateur leagues in the U.S., included some of the best pitchers from their countries.[3]
In a report on the 1939 series, Mann concluded that the United States "has the youngsters with the ability to compete with the other countries around the world but it is going to take enthusiastic cooperation on part of those amateur players... The U.S.A. should lead in baseball but first they will have to prove it to England, Japan, and Central America which at this time hold upper berths on this challenge."[3]
Final standings
[edit]| Pos. | Team | W | L | RS | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuba
|
6 | 0 | ||
| 2 | Nicaragua
|
3 | 3 | ||
| 3 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
0 | 6 |
Results
[edit]| August 12, 1939 | Nicaragua
|
3–4 (F/10) | Cuba
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| LP: José "Chino" Meléndez | Boxscore | WP: Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez |
| August 13, 1939 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
3–13 | Cuba
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| LP: J. B. Williams | Boxscore | WP: Conrado Marrero |
| August 15, 1939 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
0–3 | Nicaragua
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| LP: Fred Webb | Boxscore | WP: Alfredo “Chiquirín” García |
| August 17, 1939 | Nicaragua
|
2–3 (F/10) | Cuba
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| LP: Alfredo “Chiquirín” García | Boxscore | WP: Wenceslao González |
| August 19, 1939 | Cuba
|
8–3 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| WP: Eliécer Álvarez | Boxscore | LP: Walter Erickson |
| August 20, 1939 | Nicaragua
|
7–3 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| WP: Alfredo “Chiquirín” García | Boxscore | LP: J.B. Williams |
| August 24, 1939 | Cuba
|
9–1 | Nicaragua
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| WP: Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez | Boxscore | LP: José "Chino" Meléndez | ||
| HR: Stanley Cayasso |
| August 24, 1939 | Cuba
|
12–7 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| WP: Wenceslao González | Boxscore | LP: Fred Webb |
| August 24, 1939 | Nicaragua
|
12–7 | Vereinigte Staaten
|
Gran Stadium La Tropical |
| WP: Alfredo “Chiquirín” García | Boxscore | LP: Robert Davis | ||
| HR: Jonathan Robinson |
Rosters
[edit]
The Cuban team of 1939 was assembled on a somewhat "arbitrary" basis, according to Roberto González Echevarría.[1] There were no professional players from the Cuban League, in keeping with the tournament's amateur basis (though Adolfo Luque, manager of Almendares and formerly of the Cincinnati Reds, acted as an English-language interpreter).[4] Instead, the team was made up of the top players from Cuba's amateur circuits, including the clubs of Regla, Fortuna, Circulo Militar, Cienfuegos, and Deportivo Cardenas. Notably, the Cuban team included two Black Cuban players, as part of Mariné's efforts to desegregate the amateur leagues.[1]
Conrado Marrero, a future Washington Senators pitcher, was on the Cuban squad, as was future New York Giants farmhand Andrés Fleitas (C). Bernardo Cuervo (1B) hit .200, leading the tournament with two triples and six runs batted in, while Ernesto Estevez (2B) hit .389 with two doubles. Wenceslao Gonzalez (P) hit .500 (3 for 6). Pedro "Natilla" Jiménez was the best pitcher in the tournament with a 2–0 record and a 0.95 earned run average. Esteban Maciques (RF) hit .250 with 7 runs (led tournament). Juan J. Torres (CF) won the most valuable player award for the tournament despite a .174 batting average. Gerardo Toyo (LF) hit .333 (9 for 27), tied for lead in hits.
Nicaragua's Stanley Cayasso (1B) hit one of only two home runs of the tournament plus two doubles to start a string of successful appearances in the tournament. Jonathan Robinson (RF) hit the other home run of the tournament, while Colbert Newell (LF) stole four bases to lead the tournament in that category
Charles Forbes led the team in offensive performance with a .300 avera, going 6 for 20 with 3 walks and 3 runs. American second baseman Joe Justice would go on to become head baseball coach at Rollins College, leading them to the 1954 College World Series, while left fielder Tom Callahan would later play basketball for the Providence Steamrollers of the BAA
Honors and awards
[edit]Statistical leaders
[edit]
|
|
Awards
[edit]| Award | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Juan J. Torres |
[5] |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Echevarria, Roberto González (1999). The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball. Oxford University Press. pp. 228–29.
- ^ Riccardo Schiroli (2019). The Game We Love (PDF). World Baseball Softball Confederation. p. 30.
- ^ a b Leslie Mann (1940). Baseball Around the World. International Amateur Baseball Federation. p. 42.
- ^ Mann, p. 41
- ^ a b c "Historia de la Copa Mundial/World Cup History I-X (1938-1948)". Baseball de Cuba (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 December 2011.
Bibliography
[edit]- Bjarkman, Peter. A History of Cuban Baseball