Cuba’s participation in the 2024 Caribbean Baseball Series was ruled out – Escambray

The 2024 Miami Baseball Caribbean Series is scheduled to be played at Loan Depot Park, February 2-10

The Miami 2024 Caribbean Baseball Series, scheduled to be played at Loan Depot Park, could be expanded from six to eight teams, the head of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC), Dominican lawyer Juan Francisco, reported this Friday. Puello Herrera.

Puello Herrera informed ESPN Digital that several countries have formally requested their inclusion in the championship that each February pits the champions of the main winter ball tournaments against each other.

“There is interest and we decided to study the possibility of enlarging the tournament. Nothing definitive has been decided yet, but a decision on the matter could occur as soon as next week,” said Puello Herrera.

On April 29, the CBPC and the Miami 2024 organizing committee, which includes the Miami Marlins franchise, administrator of the Loan Depot Park, announced that Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Curaçao will participate in the next Caribbean Series. and Nicaragua. The last two, as special guests.

The Caribbean baseball commissioner declined to mention the candidates to join, but a reliable source told ESPN Digital that Colombia, Panama, a North American entity and an Asian entity are among the applicants. The same source said that Cuba is not among the applicants.

Puello Herrera said whether it is expanded or not, the Miami Caribbean Series plans to add another stadium in the city to host some games and lighten the load of three daily games at Loan Depot Park.

Since its founding in 1949, the only time the Series has had eight participants was this year in Caracas, Venezuela, where it was played in a two-group format in two stadiums.

On Thursday, during an activity in San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the organizers of Miami 2024 mentioned in public for the first time the possibility that the next Caribbean Series would be enlarged.

“There are two countries that are making a very aggressive approach,” said Sarah Loarte, an adviser to the Miami 2024 organizing committee.

“The final decision of the negotiations will be known within 30 or 45 days in Miami. There is a lot of demand to bring other teams to the Series,” added the former Major League Baseball executive.