1971 Amateur World Series

1971 Amateur World Series
Tournament details
CountryCuba
Teams10
Final positions
Champions Cuba (11th title)
Runner-up Colombia
Third place Nicaragua
Fourth place Puerto Rico
← 1970
1972 →

The 1971 Amateur World Series was the 19th Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (which titled it the Baseball World Cup as of the 1988 tournament). The tournament took place, for the seventh time, in Cuba, and was won by the host Cuba national baseball team, their 11th title. They finished with an undefeated record of 9–0, recording six shutouts and scoring 60 runs while allowing only four.[1][2]

Participants

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There were 10 participating countries.[1] The United States, which had returned to the international baseball scene just two years prior after a 27-year-absence, declined to take part in the tournament. The U.S. delegation to the 1970 FIBA Congress reportedly pledged that they would boycott the competition due to political differences with the regime of Fidel Castro. This decision was confirmed by United States Baseball Federation in June 1971, though USBF president Dutch Fehring claimed it was due to financial reasons.[3][1]

Colombia notably protested that the Mexican team illegally used three professional players.[4] Mexico were later stripped of several victories, dropping them to ninth place in the standings.[1]

Final standings

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Pos Team W L
1st place, gold medalist(s)  Cuba 9 0
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Colombia 7 2
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Nicaragua 6 3
4  Puerto Rico 6 3
5  Panama 5 4
6  Canada 4 5
7  Dominican Republic 4 4
8  Italy 2 7
9  Mexico 2 7
10  Netherlands Antilles 0 9


Honors and awards

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Statistical leaders

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All-Star team

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Position Player
C Cuba Lázaro Pérez
1B Cuba Elpidio Mancebo
2B Nicaragua Rafael Obando
3B Colombia Abel Leal
SS Cuba Rodolfo Puente
OF Colombia Luis Escobar
Puerto Rico Luis Mercado
Cuba Wilfredo Sanchez
P Puerto Rico Carlos Lowell (LHP)
Cuba Santiago Mederos (RHP)

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Cuba Wins Amateur World Series". Miami Herald. December 6, 1971. p. 38. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Flores, Ike (December 8, 1971). "Cuba Leaving Mark in 'Amateur' Sports". Miami Herald. p. 89. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Turner, Justin W.R. (2012). Baseball Diplomacy, Baseball Deployment: The National Pastime in U.S.-Cuba Relations (Thesis). University of Alabama.
  4. ^ "Protest Key to Colombia Hopes". Miami Herald. December 4, 1971. p. 52. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Historia de la Copa Mundial/World Cup History XI-XX (1950-1972)". Baseball de Cuba (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 November 2011.
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