The Cuban Elite League (Spanish: Liga Élite del Beisbol Cubano, or LEB), is a winter baseball league in Cuba. It debuted in 2022 as the highest level of the Cuban baseball league system. Beginning with the 2023-24 season, the Elite League comprised the top six teams from the summer-time Cuban National Series.[1][2]
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 Cuban Elite League | |
 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| President | Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo |
| Organising body | INDER |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  Cuba |
| Most recent champion(s) | Cocodrilos de Matanzas (1st title) |
| TV partner(s) | Tele Rebelde Cubavision International |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Related competitions | Caribbean Series |
| Official website | [1] |
The league was formed in an effort to increase the quality of Cuban baseball, to bring it closer to the other professional winter leagues of the Caribbean. Professional baseball was abolished in Cuba in 1961. A desire to bring together the best players from the National Series, as well as address the drain of Cuban talent from the island to more competitive foreign leagues, contributed to the change of format in the league's second season (2023-24).[3]
International competition
editIn 2023, the winner of the 2022-23 Elite League (Agricultores) represented Cuba at the 2023 Caribbean Series in Venezuela. However, in part due to fallout from the Cuban national team's appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the 2023-24 league champion was not invited to the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami.[4]
The 2023-24 LEB champion was invited to the prospective Intercontinental Series, to be held in Barranquilla in 2024, but the league declined the invitation, in part due to the inclusion of FEPCUBE, a team composed of Cuban expatriate and defected players.[5] Pressure from the Cuban government eventually saw that tournament cancelled.[6] Instead, LEB announced that it would take part a tournament labeled the "Copa Antillana" in Puerto Rico; however that tournament never materialized.[7]
Teams
edit2023–24 season
editSix clubs competed in the 2023–24 season.[8] These six occupied the top spots in the 2023 Cuban National Series.[9][10]
| 2023–24 Team | SNB Position |
First season in LEB |
No. of seasons of current spell in LEB |
Top division titles |
Most recent top division title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocodrilos de Matanzas | 6th | 2023–24 | 1 | 1 | 2019–20 |
| Industriales de La Habana | 5th | 2023–24 | 1 | 12 | 2009–10 |
| Avispas de Santiago de Cuba | 2nd | 2023–24 | 1 | 8 | 2007–08 |
| Gallos de Sancti Spíritus | 4th | 2023–24 | 1 | 1 | 1978–79 |
| Leñadores de Las Tunas | 1st | 2023–24 | 1 | 1 | 2018–19 |
| Cazadores de Artemisa | 3rd | 2023–24 | 1 | 0 | – |
2024-25 season
editIn the Elite League's third season, out of the 16 teams that form part of the Cuban National Series, only six of them qualified into the new league. These six teams occupied the top spots in the 2024 Cuban National Series.
| Team | Ranking (Cuban National Series) | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Tunas | TBD | Las Tunas | Julio Antonio Mella Stadium |
| Pinar del Río | TBD | Pinar del Rio | Estadio Capitán San Luis |
| Granma | 3rd | Bayamo | Mártires de Barbados Stadium |
| Industriales | 4th | La Habana | Estadio Latinoamericano |
| Santiago de Cuba | 5th | Santiago de Cuba | Estadio Guillermón Moncada |
| Ciego de Ávila | 6th | Ciego de Avila | José Ramón Cepero Stadium |
2022–23 season
editIn the Elite League's inaugural 2022-23 LEB season, the 16 teams of the Cuban National Series were grouped into six regional teams. However, this format was considered unpopular, and for the league's second season, the decision was made to include National Series teams.[3]
| Team | SNB Grouping | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultores | Las Tunas Granma |
Bayamo | Mártires de Barbados Stadium | 10,000 |
| Cafetaleros | Santiago de Cuba Holguín Guantánamo |
Holguín | Calixto García Íñiguez Stadium | 30,000 |
| Centrales | Matanzas Cienfuegos Villa Clara |
Matanzas | Victoria de Girón Stadium | 22,000 |
| Ganaderos | Sancti Spíritus Ciego de Ávila Camagüey |
Sancti Spíritus | José Antonio Huelga Stadium | 13,000 |
| Portuarios | Industriales Mayabeque |
Havana | Estadio Latinoamericano | 55,000 |
| Tabacaleros | Pinar del Río Isla de la Juventud Artemisa |
Nueva Gerona | Estadio Cristóbal Labra | 5,000 |
Champions
edit| Season | Winning team | Manager | Record | Games | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Agricultores (Las Tunas/Granma) | Carlos Martí | 30–19 | 4–3 | Portuarios (Industriales/Mayabeque) |
| 2023–24 | Matanzas | Armando Ferrer | 25–15 | 4–2 | Artemisa |
References
edit- ^ "Sharp Direction Change: First Six Teams in Cuba's National Series Will Play the Elite Baseball League". Periodico 26. June 16, 2023.
- ^ "Clasificados los seis equipos para la II Liga Élite del Béisbol Cubano" (in Spanish). Diario del Cuba. July 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "La Liga Élite: Segundo capítulo en busca de fijador" (in Spanish). Cubadebate. November 12, 2023.
- ^ "RÉGIMEN CONFIRMA QUE CUBA NO ESTARÁ EN SERIE DEL CARIBE DE MIAMI". ADN Cuba. Nov 15, 2023.
- ^ "RÉGIMEN CONFIRMA QUE CUBA NO ESTARÁ EN SERIE DEL CARIBE DE MIAMI". ADN Cuba. Nov 15, 2023.
- ^ "Serie Intercontinental de Béisbol con equipo Cuba libre es cancelada" (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes.
- ^ "¿Por qué el régimen cubano necesitaba la suspensión del torneo en el que habría un equipo de peloteros del exilio?" (in Spanish). Diario de Cuba. January 17, 2023.
- ^ "II Liga Elite del Béisbol Cubano 2023-2024". BeisbolenCuba.com (in Spanish).
- ^ "Inicia hoy Liga Élite del Béisbol Cubano" (in Spanish). Radio Rebelde. November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Cuban Baseball Elite League begins". Radio Habana Cuba. November 7, 2023.