Cuba Baseball Season Opens Nov. 27

Jose Dariel Abreu led the league in three categories in the 2010-2011 season: batting averge .453, homers 33 and slugging pct.956. Photo: juventudrebelde.cu

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, Nov. 11 — The 2011-2012 Cuban baseball season gets underway on November 27th with an opening day game with last year’s champs Pinar del Rio hosting runner-ups Ciego de Avila.

A full schedule of eight games begins on the 29th.

Industriales, the darling of the capital city, starts its play on the road against Isla de la Juventud. The team then returns home for a series against Artemisa on Dec. 3,4,5 and another with arch rival, Santiago de Cuba, Dec. 7,8,9 both at Havana’s Latinoamericano Stadium.

One of the biggest changes in this coming season stems from the disappearance of the La Habana province team and the entry of Mayabeque and Artemisa (the two new provinces that replaced La Habana in Cuba’s political administrative makeup).

Since there are now 17 teams instead of 16, each three game series will see one team resting with eight match ups.

The all-star game is scheduled for February 19, 2012 and the playoffs are set to begin on April 24 and end by May 28.

The following is the official league schedule.  In the coming days the Baseballdecuba website will be offering an easier to read version.