CUBA'S NATIONAL BASEBALL SERIES 2018/2019
SECOND PHASE DECEMBER 2 THROUGH DECEMBER 12, 2018
This is the most unpredictable second phase of the Cuban National Baseball Series in years. The top team has been Las Tunas from the start, but the rest of the field has had so many ups and downs that any team except Las Tunas could still be eliminated from the playoffs. From the start of the 2018 Cuban National Baseball Series thought December 2nd Havana’s Industriales, currently in second to last place among the six second phase teams, has led on offense with 501 hits, 83 doubles, 10 triples, and a .318 team batting average. First place Las Tunas has a total of 467 hits for the season, 59 doubles, 6 triples, and a .309 team batting average. If all the games of the season were counted until December 2nd, Las Tunas would be 46 wins and 32 losses and Holguin 44 wins and 34 losses. And four teams, Ciego de Avila, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, and Havana would be tied for third place with 43 wins and 35 losses.
On December 2nd the last batter hitting over .400, Holguin’s Maikel Caceres, dropped to .399 after going 5-1. Cesar Prieto from Cienfuegos, who is a supplemental player for Villa Clara, has a .387 batting average, and Sancti Spiritus’ Orlando Acebey completes the top three sluggers with a .386 average. So far during the season there have been almost four walks per game.
Last place Holguin swept Villa Clara during their three-game series that started on December 1st, with the last game ending in a 10 to 1 rout and four Villa Clara errors. On December 9th Havana defeated Ciego de Avila 8 to 2 while committing three errors. Though technically not eliminated, we stand by our previous prediction that Holguin would not make it to the playoffs, and either Havana or Ciego de Avila will also not play past December.
The second phase ends on December 23rd, and rescheduled games are to be played on December 25th and 26th, 2018. December 27th is the day when managers pick their last three supplemental players, and the semi-finals begin on January 4th, 2019.
By Frank Gonzalez & KMOA