1955 Caribbean Series

The seventh edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was played in 1955. It was held from February 10 through February 15, featuring the champion baseball teams from Cuba, Alacranes de Almendares; Panama, Carta Vieja Yankees; Puerto Rico, Cangrejeros de Santurce, and Venezuela, Navegantes del Magallanes. The format consisted of 12 games, each team facing the other teams twice. The games were played at Estadio Universitario in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, which boosted capacity to 22,690 seats, while the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Marcos Pérez Jiménez, by then the President of Venezuela.

Summary

Puerto Rico won the Series with a 5–1 record en route for a third straight championship. The Cangrejeros club was managed by Herman Franks and led by the dynamic shortstop Don Zimmer, who posted a .400 batting average (8-for-20) with a .950 slugging and led the hitters with three home runs. Santurce also received a considerable support from outfielders Willie Mays (two HR, nine RBI, six runs, 885 SLG), Roberto Clemente (one HR, .577 SLG, seven runs) and Bob Thurman (.318). Also helping out were catcher Harry Chiti (.333, one HR, .667 SLG) and third baseman Buster Clarkson (.313). Bill Greason (2–0, 2.00 ERA), Sad Sam Jones (1–0, 1.50) and Rubén Gómez (1–0) led the pitching staff, while Zimmer claimed Most Valuable Player honors. Puerto Rico also had veteran OF Luis Rodríguez Olmo in addition to Tite Arroyo (P) and George Crowe (1B). Mays, after going 0-for-13 in the Series, hit a two-out, two-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning of Game 6. Then, he went 11-for-13 in the next three games to finish with a second-best average of .462 (12-for-26) and leading the series in RBI.

The Venezuelan team finished in second place with a 4–2 record and was managed by Lázaro Salazar. Magallanes was responsible for the only defeat suffered by Santurce, 7–2 in the closing game, and previously had been beaten by Cuba 1–0 in a pitching duel and by Puerto Rico, 4–2 in an extrainning game. It was the best performance by a Venezuelan team to that point. The offensive was led by part-time OF Pablo García, who hit .500 (6-for-12), including three runs, six RBI and a .917 SLG. Other contributions came from 2B Jack Lohrke (.348, four runs, .478 SLG), 1B Bob Skinner (.280. two HR, four RBI), RF George Wilson (.381, five RBI, .762 SLG), 3B Luis García (6-for-21, two runs, two RBI) and Chico Carrasquel (five runs, four RBI). José Bracho (2–0, 0.53 ERA) led a pitching staff that included Emilio Cueche (1–1, 2.00), Joe Margoneri (1–0, 2.00), Ramón Monzant (0–1, 3.27) and reliever Bill Kennedy (1–0), 0.00). Also in the roster were outfielders Bob Lennon (5-for-19) and Dalmiro Finol (2-for-13).

Guided by Bobby Bragan, Almendares finished 2–4 for the worst record ever by a Cuban team in the Series. A one-man offensive attack, 1B Rocky Nelson led the Series hitters with a .471 average (8-for-18) and collected a .647 SLG. Other support came from C Gus Triandos (.263, two HRs, seven RBI, .579 SLG). The starting staff was composed by Cholly Naranjo (1–0, 2.00 ERA), Joe Hatten (1–1, 3.00), Red Munger (0–1, 7.50) and Roger Bowman (0–1, 5.00). Other players for Cuba included Ps Lino Donoso, Al Lyons and Conrado Marrero; IFs Willy Miranda, Héctor Rodríguez and José Valdivielso, as well as OFs Román Mejías, Carlos Paula, Earl Rapp and Lee Walls.

For last place Panama, managed by Al Kubski, the top player was LF Guilford Dickens, who batted .364 with a .682 SLG and hit both of the team's home runs. SP Humberto Robinson (1–0, 12 SO, 1.64 ERA) recorded the only victory for Carta Vieja, while Bill Harris and Ernie Lawrence both finished 0–2. Other players included Milt Graff (IF), John Fitzgerald (P), Fred Marolewski (IF) and Spider Wilhelm (IF)


Club	W	L	W/L %	GB
Puerto Rico	5	1	.833	–
Venezuela	4	2	.667	1.0
Cuba	2	4	.333	3.0
Panama	1	5	.167	4.0

Individual leaders
Player/Club	Statistic
Rocky Nelson/CUB	Batting average	.471
Don Zimmer/PUR	Home runs	3
Willie Mays/PUR	Runs batted in	9
Roberto Clemente/PUR	Runs	8
Willie Mays/PUR	Hits	11
Don Zimmer/PUR	Doubles	2
Pablo García/VEN George Wilson/VEN	Triples	2
Jack Lohrke/VEN	Stolen bases	2
Bill Greason/PUR	Wins	2
Humberto Robinson/PAN	Strikeouts	11
José Bracho/VEN	Earned run average	0.69
Emilio Cueche/VEN Bill Greason/PUR	Innings pitched	18
Ray Dabek/PAN	Saves	1
Awards
Don Zimmer/PUR	Most Valuable Player
Herman Franks/PUR	Manager

All-Star Team
Name/Club	Position
Harry Chiti/PUR	catcher
Rocky Nelson/CUB	first baseman
Jack Lohrke/VEN	second baseman
Buster Clarkson/PUR	third baseman
Don Zimmer/PUR	shortstop
Guilford Dickens/PAN	left fielder
Willie Mays/PUR	center fielder
George Wilson/VEN	right fielder
Emilio Cueche/VEN Bill Greason/PUR Sad Sam Jones/PUR	Pitchers
Herman Franks/PUR	manager

Scoreboards

Game 1, February 10


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	1	0	4	0	0	1	0	0	6	8	2
Cuba	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	3	1
WP: Rubén Gómez (1-0) LP: Red Munger (0-1) Home runs: PUR: Don Zimmer (1) CUB: None

Game 2, February 10


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	3
Venezuela	3	1	1	0	1	1	0	2	X	9	14	2
WP: José Bracho (1-0) LP: Bill Harris (0-1) Notes: Bracho hurled a complete game shutout.

Game 3, February 11


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	5	3
Puerto Rico	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	2	5	2
WP: Bill Greason (1-0) LP: Ernie Lawrence (0-1) Home runs: PAN: None PUR: Don Zimmer (2), Bill Greason (1)

Game 4, February 11


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Cuba	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	X	1	2	2
WP: Joe Hatten (1-0) LP: Emilio Cueche (0-1) Notes: Both pitchers went all the way despite a 45-minute delay in the top of the 7th inning.

Game 5, February 12


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Panama	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	3	9	2
Cuba	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	2
WP: Humberto Robinson (1-0) LP: Lino Donoso (0-1) Sv: Ray Dabek (1)

Game 6, February 12


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Venezuela	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	2	3	0
Puerto Rico	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	10	1
WP: Sad Sam Jones (1-0) LP: Ramón Monzant (0-1) Home runs: VEN: None PUR: Roberto Clemente (1), Willie Mays (1) Notes: Both pitchers went all the way. The two-run, walk off homer by Mays, was his first hit in 14 Series at bat.

Game 7, February 13


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	0	0	1	4	1	0	0	0	6	9	1
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	3	7	13	1
WP: Jorge Sackie (1-0) LP: Roger Bowman (0-1) Home runs: CUB: None PUR: Don Zimmer (3)

Game 8, February 13


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Venezuela	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	6	11	0
Panama	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	7	1
WP: Bill Kennedy (1-0) LP: Alberto Osorio (0-1) Notes: Bracho allowed an earned run in four-plus innings and Kennedy earned the victory in 5⅔ scoreless innings of relief.

Game 9, February 14


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	0	5	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	11	16	1
Panama	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	4	1
WP: Bill Greason (2-0) LP: Bill Harris (0-2) Home runs: PUR: Harry Chiti (1) PAN: None Notes: Greason threw his second complete win in the Series.

Game 10, February 14


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	4	9	2
Venezuela	0	0	1	1	3	1	0	0	X	6	11	1
WP: Emilio Cueche (1-1) LP: Joe Hatten (1-1) Home runs: CUB: Gus Triandos (1) VEN: None Notes: Cueche completed his second start of the Series.

Game 11, February 15


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cuba	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	5	0
Panama	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	11	1
WP: Cholly Naranjo (1-0) LP: Ernie Lawrence (0-2) Home runs: CUB: Gus Triandos (2) PAN: None

Game 12, February 15


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	9	2
Venezuela	4	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	X	7	10	0
WP: Joe Margoneri (1-0) LP: Jorge Sackle (1-1) Home runs: PUR: Willie Mays (2) VEN: None

Sources

Antero Núñez, José. Series del Caribe. Jefferson, Caracas, Venezuela: Impresos Urbina, C.A., 1987.
Gutiérrez, Daniel. Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela – 1895-2006 . Caracas, Venezuela: Impresión Arte, C.A., 2007.

External links

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Caribbean Series
Years	1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Circuits	Colombian Professional Baseball League Cuban National Series Dominican Professional Baseball League Mexican Pacific League Panamanian Professional Baseball League Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Related articles	Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame Caribbean Series Most Valuable Player Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame List of players who have played in the Series Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame
1961 to 1969 - The Series was not held during these years following the dissolution of Cuba's professional league. 1981 - The Series was not held due to a Venezuelan player's strike.