NewsWhore
08-17-2007, 02:30 PM
Puerto Rico has decided to cancel its Winter Baseball Championship. This is a first after 69 years of participating in regional baseball league since 1949. Puerto Rico had the record for competing in all the Caribbean Series, where teams from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela and the DR have vied to be the region's best.
The president of the Puerto Rican Baseball League, Andreu Garcia has called off the upcoming season that was due start in October, citing financial reasons. The decision puts a damper on the 50th anniversary of the Caribbean Series that will be taking place in Santiago de los Caballeros, home base of the Aguilas Cibaenas team. The owners of the six Puerto Rican teams voted to shut down the league to reorganize for next year given the steady decline in attendance for the past decade. One of the reasons mentioned for the decline is that the league failed to attract MLB baseball players.
"Today is a day of mourning for Puerto Rican sport," said former St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Mike Perez, president of the players' association on the island. "We knew the league was in a crisis but we didn't think this day would come."
Perez called for "an important intervention" by Major League Baseball. He told Puerto Rico's El Nuevo Dia newspaper that he supported the idea of MLB administering the Puerto Rican league.
Juan Francisco Puello Herrera, president of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation that organizes the Caribbean Series expressed his concern and said that the absence of Puerto Rico will definitely affect the series. Organizers of the Santiago Caribbean Series say that the rules of the tournament establish that if one of the countries does not take part, the host country can enter two teams. This means that the runner up Dominican Championship team will fill in for the Puerto Ricans.
Nevertheless, press reports say that Andreu Garcia, president of the Puerto Rican Professional League has said that even if the Puerto Rican championship is not played, Puerto Rico will take part in the Caribbean Series. Puello says that this is not in line with Caribbean Series rules.
For more on the upcoming Santiago Caribbean Series, see www.dr1.com/forums/dominican-baseball/... (http://www.dr1.com/forums/dominican-baseball/59432-2008-caribbean-world-series-50th-anniversary.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)
The president of the Puerto Rican Baseball League, Andreu Garcia has called off the upcoming season that was due start in October, citing financial reasons. The decision puts a damper on the 50th anniversary of the Caribbean Series that will be taking place in Santiago de los Caballeros, home base of the Aguilas Cibaenas team. The owners of the six Puerto Rican teams voted to shut down the league to reorganize for next year given the steady decline in attendance for the past decade. One of the reasons mentioned for the decline is that the league failed to attract MLB baseball players.
"Today is a day of mourning for Puerto Rican sport," said former St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Mike Perez, president of the players' association on the island. "We knew the league was in a crisis but we didn't think this day would come."
Perez called for "an important intervention" by Major League Baseball. He told Puerto Rico's El Nuevo Dia newspaper that he supported the idea of MLB administering the Puerto Rican league.
Juan Francisco Puello Herrera, president of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation that organizes the Caribbean Series expressed his concern and said that the absence of Puerto Rico will definitely affect the series. Organizers of the Santiago Caribbean Series say that the rules of the tournament establish that if one of the countries does not take part, the host country can enter two teams. This means that the runner up Dominican Championship team will fill in for the Puerto Ricans.
Nevertheless, press reports say that Andreu Garcia, president of the Puerto Rican Professional League has said that even if the Puerto Rican championship is not played, Puerto Rico will take part in the Caribbean Series. Puello says that this is not in line with Caribbean Series rules.
For more on the upcoming Santiago Caribbean Series, see www.dr1.com/forums/dominican-baseball/... (http://www.dr1.com/forums/dominican-baseball/59432-2008-caribbean-world-series-50th-anniversary.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)