(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
      Champion Curaçao eliminated in Semi-Final Serie de las Américas; Panama wins new event
Nederlands
   MANAGUA / LEÓN / MASAYA (Nicaragua) -
Águilas Metropolitanas from Panama is the winner of the inaugural edition of the Serie de las Américas, which was held January 24-30 in Nicaragua.
On Thursday (January 30), the Panamanian team outscored Leones de León from host Nicaragua 3-1 in the Final.
A day earlier, Curaçao Goats, which represented Curaçao, stranded in the Semi-Final after being shutout 7-0 by Metropolitanas.
The Serie de las Américas was created as an alternative for the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe), which is organized annually since 1949 (except for 1961-1969 and in 1981), for countries that are no full members of the Caribbean Professial Baseball Confederation (Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe).
In the past, there have been several other alternative tournaments, including the Serie Interamericana (Interamerican Series, that was organized in 1946-1950 and 1961-1964 and the Serie Latinoamericana (Latin American Series), which had seven editions in 2013-2019.
The eighth was scheduled for 2020 in Panama.
However, from 2019 on, non-members were invited for participation in the Caribbean Series, including Cuba and Panama for 2019.
Cuba already had been invited again since 2014.
When Panama was invited again in 2020, it withdrew from organizing the event, which led to cancellation of the eighth edition.
When Colombia and Curaçao also were invited later, the tournament didn't return anymore.
For 2024, the first edition of the Serie Intercontinental de Béisbol Profesional (Intercontinental Professional Baseball Series) was planned in Cololmbia as a replacement for the Serie Latinoamericana, but the tournament (which was abbreviated as Intercontinental Series) was cancelled.
In September last year, representatives of the baseball federations of Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Panama and Nicaragua announced the formation of the Asociación de Béisbol de las Américas (Baseball Association of the Americas).
This new Association organized the Serie de las Américas with the participation of the champions of the professional leagues in the founding countries.
The first edition was held in Nicaragua, where most games were played in capital Managua.
During the event, two games were also played in León and Masaya.
All six founding countries indeed participated and were represented by their respective champion.
The participating teams in the inaugural edition were Club DAOM (Liga Argentina de Béisbol (LAB), Argentina), Caimanes de Barranquilla (Liga Profesional de Béisbol (LPB), Colombia), Leñadores de Las Tunas (Serie Nacional de Béisbol (SNB), Cuba), Curaçao Goats (Kampionato Beisbol Profeshonal Kórsou (KBPK) or Curaçao Professional Baseball (CPB), Curaçao), Leones de León (Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional (LBPN), Nicaragua) and Águilas Metropolitanas (Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá (LPBP or Probeis), Panama).
As mentioned, Curaçao Goats represented Curaçao.
The team led by National Team Manager Hainley Statia.
Amongst the players on the roster were several wellknown players, including pitchers Nigel Calmes, Maxwell Cornelissen, Kevin Kelly, Ben Meyer and Juan Carlos Sulbaran, catchers Phildrick Llewellyn and Ortwin Pieternella, infielders Didi Gregorius, Kevin Josephina, Dudley Leonora, Juremi Profar, Jonathan Schoop and Darren Seferina and outfielders Ray-Patrick Didder and Jiandido Tromp.
The Curaçaoan team did very well in the Preliminary Round, winning all five games played to finish in first place.
The team led all teams by scoring 46 runs.
Curaçao opened with a 5-4 win (in seven innings) against the Colombian champion, which was followed by a 3-0 shutout against Nicaragua.
Hereafter, the team recorded a 15-2, 7-inning, mercy-rule win against both the teams from Cuba and Argentina.
Curaçao closed with an 11-8 win against Panama to fihish in first place.
Nicaragua was second with a 4-1 record.
The teams from Cuba and Panama shared third place with a 2-3 record.
Argentina and Colombia were eliminated.
As Cuba won the head-to-head against Panama (5-4), it ended up in third place.
With that, Panama finished fourth and met Curaçao in the Semi-Final, while Nicaragua faced Cuba.
In the Semi-Final, Curaçao Goats unexpectedly ended up empty-handed, as it was handed a 7-0 shutout-loss by Águilas Metropolitanas.
And so, Panama advanced to the Final and Curaçao was eliminated.
Nicaraguan champion Leones de León became the second finalist by winning 5-4 against Leñadores de Las Tunas from Cuba.
In the Final, in Estadio Nacional Soberiana in Managua, Metropolitanas opened the score with one run in the first inning.
Leones came alongside in the third inning.
The champion from Panama re-took the lead in the fourh by scoring twice and went on to win, 3-1.
Metropolitanas outhit Leones 12-5.
Annother 'new' tournament will be held April 8-13 in Mexico City (Mexico).
On these dates, the second edition of the Baseball Champions League Americas will be organized
Participating are six club-teams from Cuba, Curaçao, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the USA.
In Mexico, Curaçao will be represented by Santa Maria Pirates as champion of the Curaçao National Championship AA League (Kampionato di Beisból Klase AA di Kórsou or Liga Dóbel A).
Leñadores de Las Tunas will also represent Cuba in Mexico.
On Friday (January 31), the 67th edition of the Caribbean Series opens in Mexicali (Mexico).
(January 30)
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