Oscar Prieto Ortiz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Oscar Prieto Ortiz August 1, 1905 |
| Died | August 10, 1983 (aged 78) |
| Occupation(s) | Baseball executive and promoter |
| Organizations | |
Baseball player Baseball career | |
| Member of the Venezuelan | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2008 |
Oscar Prieto Ortiz (1905–1983) was aVenezuelan baseball executive and promoter.[1]
Born inCiudad Bolívar, Prieto grew up inCaracas and attended public schools, where he learned and developed his skills as a salesperson to advertise and sell products. Over time, he became a visionary entrepreneur and helped lay the groundwork for the expansion of baseball in Venezuela and its consolidation through theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League in 1946.
At an early age, baseball was a central part of Prieto's life. He worked as a promoter for the Cardenales la Guaira BBC and then became part of the leadership of the Sabios de Vargas,[1] clubs that participated in theLiga Nacional de Béisbol, which had stabilized the first national championship of first division in Venezuela since its inauguration in 1930.[2] Additionally, Prieto broadcast baseball games on radio and worked closely withPablo Morales, a businessman and baseball team owner, managing operations in regards to team events and planning budgets.[1]
Afterwards, Morales served as president of theInternational Baseball Federation in a span of four years between1946 and 1952 and also headed the organizing committee of theVII Amateur Baseball World Series held in Caracas in 1944.[1] As a result, thefirst ever Caribbean Series tournament played in 1949 was the brainchild of Morales and Prieto, who devised the idea after seeing the success of theSerie Interamericana organized by them in 1946.[2] Morales later bought theCervecería Caracas BBC franchise in 1952 and renamed it as the Leones del Caracas, one of the most popular teams in Venezuelan professional baseball history.[3] Morales would remain the sole owner of the team until shortly before his death in 1969, when he included Prieto as legal partner.[4]
Oscar Prieto died in Caracas in 1983 at the age of 78 years. He was enshrined into theVenezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008.[1]