The 1972 World Baseball Classic, known as the Kodak World Baseball Classic for sponsorship purposes, and alternatively referred to as the World Baseball Championship, was a Minor League Baseball tournament held in Honolulu in 1972. It was the replacement for the Junior World Series that year, gathering the league champions of the International League (IL), Pacific Coast League (PCL), and the American Association (AA). Also participating were the hosting Hawaii Islanders team of the PCL and a team of Caribbean All-Stars, representing the Latin American winter leagues (though all the Caribbean players were active in the American minor league system).
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Minor League Baseball |
| Host(s) | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Venue(s) | Honolulu Stadium |
| Teams | 5 |
| Final positions | |
| Champion | Caribbean All-Stars |
| Runner-up | Albuquerque Dukes |
The tournament was won by the Caribbean All-Stars, who came back from a 3–1 deficit to secure four straight wins, including the championship game against the PCL's Albuquerque Dukes.[1]
The organizers of the classic had ambitious hopes for the "minor league championship of the world." Teams from the Mexican League and from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball were invited, but both declined, citing scheduling concerns. Rumored future sites for the event included Mexico City, Tokyo, Caracas, and Seattle.[2]
However, the event was a financial disaster. The tournament lost more than US$80,000 and drew just 10,923 fans, compared to projections of over 40,000.[2]
Participating teams
editGroup stage
edit| Pos | Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albuquerque Dukes (PCL) | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | Tidewater Tides (IL) | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Evansville Triplets (AA) | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Hawaii Islanders (PCL) | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Caribbean All-Stars | 1 | 3 |
Playoffs
edit| September 17, 1972 | Caribbean All-Stars | 5 – 3 | Hawaiian Islanders | Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu |
| September 17, 1972 | Caribbean All-Stars | 6 – 5 | Evansville Triplets | Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu |
| September 18, 1972 | Caribbean All-Stars | 2 – 0 | Tidewater Tides | Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu |
| September 19, 1972 | Caribbean All-Stars | 6 – 2 | Albuquerque Dukes | Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu |
Awards
edit| Pos. | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| SP | Mike McCormick | Hawaii Islanders |
| RP | Oscar Zamora | Caribbean All-Stars (Oklahoma City 89ers) |
| C | George Pena | Caribbean All-Stars (Toledo Mud Hens) |
| 1B | Ramon Webster | Caribbean All-Stars (Iowa Oaks) |
| Tom Paciorek | Albuquerque Dukes | |
| 2B | Pedro García | Caribbean All-Stars (Evansville Triplets) |
| 3B | Ron Cey | Albuquerque Dukes |
| SS | José Martínez | Caribbean All-Stars (Omaha Royals) |
| OF | Ossie Blanco | Caribbean All-Stars (Wichita Aeros) |
| Larry Hisle | Albuquerque Dukes | |
| Dave Schneck | Tidewater Tides | |
| Man. | Tony Pacheco | Caribbean All-Stars (Oklahoma City 89ers) |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Caribbean Triple A's Best — The Hard Way". The Sporting News. October 7, 1972.
- ^ a b Blumenau, Kurt. "September 19, 1972: Scrappy Caribbean All-Stars score dramatic win in only Kodak World Baseball Classic". Society for American Baseball Research.
- ^ "Classic Champs Place Six on All-Star Squad". The Sporting News. October 7, 1972.
Bibliography
edit- Spink, Taylor, ed. (1973). 1973 Sporting News Official Baseball Guide. Sporting News, Inc.