Cuban National Series

The Cuban National Series (Spanish: Serie Nacional de Béisbol, SNB) is the primary domestic professional baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the Series is a part of the Cuban national baseball system.

Cuban National Series
SportBaseball
Founded1961
No. of teams16
CountryCuba
Most recent
champion(s)		Matanzas (1st title)
Most titlesIndustriales (12)
TV partner(s)Tele Rebelde (Cuba)
Cubamax TV (USA, since 2019-2020 season)
YouTube (Worldwide via Game Time platform of the World Baseball Softball Confederation YouTube channel, since 2020-2021 season)

League structure
Location of teams in the Cuban National Series

Since 1993, the league has had 16 teams: one representing each province, and one for the city of Havana. Each team is made up of players from the province it represents.

In Havana, most of the top tier players take the field for Industriales, traditionally the strongest team in the league. Other typically strong teams include those from Santiago de Cuba, Pinar del Río and Villa Clara.

The 96-game regular season stretches from early August until late January, split into two halves – the fall period stretches from August to early October and the winter period from late October to early January the following year, and culminates with a six team postseason tournament in January to decide the league champion.

Since the 2008–2009 championship, the Cuban League has been reorganized – qualification is by zones, and not in groups as it had been the previous 15 years.

In the 2011–2012 series, there were 17 competing teams, since Havana Province was split into two: Artemisa Province and Mayabeque Province. Thus, the Western League had nine teams, including the two new clubs, the Artemisa Cazadores ("Hunters") and the Mayabeque Huracanes ("Hurricanes"). The CNS dropped to 16 teams beginning with the 2012–13 season when the Metropolitanos (long seen as the "farm club" of the powerhouse Industriales) dropped out.

The Cuban National Series also serves as the first stage in the selection of players for the Cuban national baseball team, for international competitions during the summer as well as for the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics (1992–2008 and from 2020 onward). The Cuban National Team Preseleccion is selected from the Series and practices in Havana. Sometimes more than one team can be asked to select players for international duty as part of the national team.

To accommodate the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the league took a six-week break after the February 3rd All-Star Game. The Series Nacional played a shortened 45-game season, with all 16 teams competing in a single table format (doing away with the regular two division format). The bottom eight seeded teams then played amongst themselves in the consolation round, while the top eight did the same for the championship. In 2014, the consolation round format for the midseason was officially adopted, effectively making it a de facto wild card game with the winners having a chance to make it to the postseason.

The designated hitter is used in all games. The CNS All Star Game is held yearly in the middle of the regular season.

West Teams
TeamNicknameLocationStadium
Isla de la JuventudPirates
(Spanish: Piratas)		Nueva GeronaEstadio Cristóbal Labra
MatanzasCrocodiles
(Spanish: Cocodrilos)		MatanzasVictoria de Girón Stadium
Pinar del RíoLowland Growers
(Spanish: Vegueros)		Pinar del RíoEstadio Capitán San Luis
IndustrialesLions
(Spanish: Leones)		HavanaEstadio Latinoamericano
CienfuegosElephants
(Spanish: Elefantes)		CienfuegosCinco de Septiembre Stadium
Sancti SpíritusRoosters
(Spanish: Gallos)		Sancti SpíritusJosé Antonio Huelga Stadium
ArtemisaHunters
(Spanish: Cazadores)		ArtemisaEstadio 26 de Julio
MayabequeHurricanes
(Spanish: Huracanes)		San José de Las LajasEstadio Nelson Fernández

East Teams
TeamNicknameLocationStadium
CamagüeyBulls
(Spanish: Toros)		CamagüeyEstadio Cándido González
Ciego de ÁvilaTigers
(Spanish: Tigres)		Ciego de ÁvilaJosé Ramón Cepero Stadium
Las TunasLumberjacks
(Spanish: Leñadores)		Victoria de Las TunasJulio Antonio Mella Stadium
Villa ClaraSugarmakers
(Spanish: Azucareros)		Santa ClaraEstadio Augusto César Sandino
GranmaSorrels
(Spanish: Alazanes)		BayamoMártires de Barbados Stadium
GuantánamoIndians
(Spanish: Indios)		GuantánamoNguyen Van Troi Stadium
HolguínCubs
(Spanish: Cachorros)		HolguínCalixto García Íñiguez Stadium
Santiago de CubaWasps
(Spanish: Avispas)		Santiago de CubaEstadio Guillermón Moncada

National Series champions
SeriesYearWinning teamManager
11962OccidentalesFermín Guerra
21963IndustrialesRamón Carneado
31964IndustrialesRamón Carneado
41965IndustrialesRamón Carneado
51966IndustrialesRamón Carneado
61967OrientalesRoberto Ledo
71968HabanaJuan Gómez
81969Azucareros / Villa ClaraServio Borges
91970HenequenerosMiguel A. Domínguez
101971Azucareros / Villa ClaraServio Borges
111972Azucareros / Villa ClaraPedro P. Delgado
121973IndustrialesPedro Chávez
131974HabanaJorge Trigoura
141975AgricultoresOrlando Leroux
151976GanaderosCarlos Gómez
161977CitricultoresJuan Bregio
171978VeguerosJosé M. Pineda
181979Sancti SpíritusCándido Andrade
191980Santiago de CubaManuel Miyar
201981VeguerosJosé M. Pineda
211982VeguerosJorge Fuentes
221983Villa ClaraEduardo Martín
231984CitricultoresTomás Soto
241985VeguerosJorge Fuentes
251986IndustrialesPedro Chávez
261987VeguerosJorge Fuentes
271988VeguerosJorge Fuentes
281989Santiago de CubaHiginio Vélez
291990HenequenerosGerardo Junco
301991HenequenerosGerardo Junco
311992IndustrialesJorge Trigoura
321993Villa ClaraPedro Jova
331994Villa ClaraPedro Jova
341995Villa ClaraPedro Jova
351996IndustrialesPedro Medina
361997Pinar del RíoJorge Fuentes
371998Pinar del RíoAlfonso Urquiola
381999Santiago de CubaHiginio Vélez
392000Santiago de CubaHiginio Vélez
402001Santiago de CubaHiginio Vélez
412002HolguínHéctor Hernández
422003IndustrialesRey Vicente Anglada
432004IndustrialesRey Vicente Anglada
442005Santiago de CubaAntonio Pacheco
452006IndustrialesRey Vicente Anglada
462007Santiago de CubaAntonio Pacheco
472008Santiago de CubaAntonio Pacheco
482009HabanaEsteban Lombillo
492010IndustrialesGermán Mesa
502011Pinar del RíoAlfonso Urquiola
512012Ciego de ÁvilaRoger Machado
522013Villa ClaraRamón Moré
532014Pinar del RíoAlfonso Urquiola
542015Ciego de ÁvilaRoger Machado
552016Ciego de ÁvilaRoger Machado
562017GranmaCarlos Martí
572018GranmaCarlos Martí
582019Las TunasPablo Civil
592020MatanzasArmando Ferrer Ruiz
602021TBDTBD

See also
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