Inter-American League
| Sport | Minor league baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Roberto Maduro |
| First season | 1979 |
| Ceased | June 30, 1979 |
| No. of teams | Six (first half) Four (second half) |
| Country |  United States Panama Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Venezuela |
| Last champion(s) | Miami Amigos |
| Official website | None |
TheInter-American Leaguewas a high-level circuit inMinor league baseballthat lasted only three months before folding during the1979 season.
The league was conceived both as an officialTriple-Aminor league circuit and member of theNational Association of Professional Baseball Leagues.It was composed of six clubs unaffiliated withMajor League Baseballfarm systems.
The Inter-American loop was headed byBobby Maduro,former owner of the Triple-AHavana Sugar Kingsand a longtimescoutand front-office executive active in Latin American countries and Major League Baseball.
A 130-game regular season was planned, while the six teams were located in theUnited States,Panama,Puerto Rico,theDominican RepublicandVenezuela(2). The league featured several well-known MLB veterans, with rosters averaging players between 26-29 years of age.[1]
But the new circuit was barely able to complete half its schedule, fatally wounded by "under-capitalized owners, internecine rivalries among Caribbean baseball powers, tropical monsoons, and unreliable air travel."[2]
On June 17, 1979, the Panama and Puerto Rico teams disbanded, leaving the league with only four clubs. Thirteen days later, the entire league folded. TheMiami Amigos,led by future Major League managerDavey Johnson,were in first place with a 51–21 mark (.708) when the Inter-American League shut down.[3]
List of teams
[edit]- Caracas Metropolitanos (VEN)
- Panama Banqueros (PAN)
- Puerto Rico Boricuas (PUR)
- Petroleros de Zulia (VEN)
- Miami Amigos(USA)
- Santo Domingo Azucareros (DOM)
Final standings
[edit]| Pos | Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Manager(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Amigos | 51 | 21 | .708 | – | Davey Johnson |
| 2 | Caracas Metropolitanos | 37 | 27 | .578 | 10 | Jim Busby |
| 3 | Santo Domingo Azucareros | 38 | 29 | .567 | 10½ | Mike Kekich |
| 4 | Petroleros de Zulia | 31 | 36 | .463 | 17½ | Luis Aparicio/Gustavo Gil/Pat Dobson |
| 5 | Panama Banqueros | 15 | 36 | .294 | 25½ | Willy Miranda |
| 6 | Puerto Rico Boricuas | 16 | 39 | .291 | 26½ | José Santiago |
References
[edit]- ^Inter-American League page at InformationatBaseball Reference
- ^Fun While It Lasted.com
- ^"New AAA League Struggles to Live".The Indiana Gazette.May 5, 1979. p. 7.RetrievedJanuary 14,2021.
Bibliography
[edit]- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (1997).Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball.Baseball America.ISBN978-0-96-371898-3
- "The Over-the-Hill League".Sports Illustrated.June 4, 1979.RetrievedJanuary 14,2021.