 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| CEO | Guy Nacchio |
| Director | Lauren Flores |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country | Panama |
| Confederation | CPBC(1948–60) |
| Most recent champions | Federales de Chiriquí (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Cerveza Balboa (7 titles) |
| Broadcaster | Sertv |
| Sponsor | +Movil |
| Related competitions | Caribbean Series Serie de las Américas |
ThePanamanian Professional Baseball League (Spanish:Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá, orLPBP), commonly known asProbeis, is aprofessional baseballwinter league consisting of four teams based inPanama. Originally founded in1946, the league has run in its current form since2011. Along with the summertimeFedebeis championship, it is one of the two major senior baseball competitions in the country.
The league was one of the founding members of theCaribbean Series, which it participated in from1949 to1960 and again from2019 to2024. Starting in 2025, the league's champion takes part in theSerie de las Américas.
Though amateur baseball has existed on the isthmus of Panama, the first professional baseball game in the country was played on January 3, 1946 between Cervería Nacional and Chesterfield; Panamanian PresidentEnrique Adolfo Jiménez threw out the first pitch. The first incarnation of the Panamanian Professional Baseball League joined 'organized baseball" in1948 and operated continuously until1972.[1]
The league's champion team played in theCaribbean Series in its first stage from1949 through1960, beforeFidel Castro dismantled theCuban Winter League and replaced it with a new amateur circuit.
TheCarta Vieja Yankees were of the most distinguished clubs in the circuit, winning five league titles between 1950–58 and also capturing the1950 Caribbean Series, to become the only Panamanian team to a win a Caribbean Series in the 20th century.[2][3] Throughout its 12-year history, the team featured players asWayne Blackburn,Chet Brewer,Webbo Clarke,Jim Cronin,Jerry Davie,Carl Duser,Marion Fricano,Milt Graff,Bill Harris,Spook Jacobs,Connie Johnson,Spider Jorgensen,Héctor López,Bobby Prescott,Humberto Robinson,Jean-Pierre Roy,Pat Scantlebury,Billy Shantz,Joe Tuminelli andJim Umbricht, among others.[2]
The 1960s saw Panama enter a period of economic and political instability that forced private companies to withdraw support for professional sports teams. The Panamanian league merged with theNicaraguan league for the 1961–62 season, after no local sponsors could be found; that season, Panama's Marlboro and Cerveza Balboa played against Nicaragua'sBóer andCinco Estrellas.[4] In 1965, the league decided to play with only Panamanian players, as a means of cutting league costs; that ended up lowering the quality of the play, leading to deep economic crises that ended with the collapse of the league after the 1971-72 season.
A new professional baseball league started the 2001–02 season asProbeis (Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá), but it lasted only one season. Four teams participated during the 2001–02 season: Canaleros de Panamá, Macheteros de Azuero, Roneros de Carta Vieja and Tiburones Atlas de Panamá Oeste. Carta Vieja was the champion team, whileOlmedo Sáenz won the batting title (.331) andMiguel Gómez was the best pitcher (5-0).[5][6]
By 2010, executives with theLos Angeles Dodgers ofMajor League Baseball restarted the Panamanian league asLPB (Spanish:Liga Profesional de Béisbol), but with poor logistics and little financial support, the LPB lasted only one season.
Despite the failure of LPB, professional baseball returned, as Probeis, in 2011. Roneros Carta Vieja won their second Probeis title in 2011-12.[7][8] In 2012–13, Caballos de Coclé won their first title andJavier Castillo was selected as MVP with a .397 batting average. Caballos de Coclé as champion represented Panama in thefirstLatin American Series held inVeracruz,Mexico, reaching third place. Industriales de Herrera replaced Diablicos de Azuero for the 2012 tournament.[9][10]
As of the 2024–25 season, all of the games are played in two stadiums inPanama City:Estadio Juan Demóstenes Arosemena (capacity andEstadio Nacional Rod Carew (capacity 27,000).[11]
| Team | Founded | Represents |
|---|---|---|
| Águilas Metropolitanas | 2014 | Panama City |
| Atlánticos de Bocas del Toro y Colón | 2022 | Bocas del Toro /Colón Province |
| Club Deportivo Los Nacionales | 2024 | N/a |
| Federales de Chiriquí | 2019 | Chiriquí Province |
In the original LPBP (1948–72), many of the teams folded after less than a decade of existence. Only Carta Vieja, Cerveza Balboa, and Chesterfield/Marlboro survived more than ten years.
The 1961–62 season was played with two Nicaraguan clubs,Indios del Bóer andCinco Estrellas, in a merged league. In addition, the 1962–63 season was made up of four completely new teams: Chiriquí-Bocas, Central Provinces, Colon, and Panama. All of these teams lasted only a single season.[13]
TheCarta Vieja, Chesterfield, Comercios, and Marlboro teams represented Panama City, while Spur Cola was based in Colon. The Azucareros and Cerveza Balboa teams were sponsored from the cities of Aguadulce and Balboa, respectively. Most of the games were played at Estadio Olímpico de Panamá in Panama City.[2]
In the modern Probeis era, several teams have had brief existences, including:
| † | Champions also won theCaribbean Series that season |
| † | Champions also won theInteramerican Series that season |
| ‡ | Champions also won theSerie de las Américas that season |
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1946–47 | General Electric |
| 1948–49 | Refresqueros de Spur Cola |
| 1949–50 | Carta Vieja Yankees† |
| 1950–51 | Refresqueros de Spur Cola(2) |
| 1951–52 | Carta Vieja Yankees(2) |
| 1952–53 | Chesterfield Smokers |
| 1953–54 | Carta Vieja Yankees(3) |
| 1954–55 | Carta Vieja Yankees(4) |
| 1955–56 | Chesterfield Smokers(2) |
| 1956–57 | Cerveza Balboa |
| 1957–58 | Carta Vieja Yankees(5) |
| 1958–59 | Azucareros de Coclé |
| 1959–60 | Cigarilleros del Marlboro[2] |
| 1960–61 | Cerveza Balboa(2) |
| 1961–62 | Cigarilleros del Marlboro(2) |
| 1962–63 | Chiriquí-Bocas† |
| 1963–64 | Cigarilleros del Marlboro(3) |
| 1964–65 | Cerveza Balboa(3) |
| 1965–66 | Ron Santa Clara |
| 1966–67 | Cerveza Balboa(4) |
| 1967–68 | Cerveza Balboa(5) |
| 1968–69 | Cerveza Balboa(6) |
| 1970–71 | Cerveza Balboa(7) |
| 1971–72 | Guardia Nacional |
| No professional baseball from 1972 to 2001 | |
Under a working agreement with the Los Angeles franchise, the club will use only Dodger farmhands.
 Baseball in Panama | |
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