Baseball in Spain
Encyclopedia
Baseball
began relatively early in Spain
thanks to the descendants of immigrants from Cuba
. They brought the sport along with them when Cuba ceased to be a Spanish Colony. The heyday of baseball in Spain
was in the 1950s and 1960s. Owing to mass-interest in football (soccer) many baseball clubs didn't survive into the 1970s. The Spanish public's massive shift in focus was triggered mainly by the introduction of multiple TV channels that focused mainly on broadcasting the soccer matches of "La Liga
", the professional First Division Spanish League. One of the few survivors was the CB Viladecans
, whose field was officially used during the 1992 Summer Olympics
.
The Spanish baseball league is divided into divisions. The top teams play in the División de Honor
. In each division, a team plays all other teams twice, once at home and once away, and two matches in the same day, during the regular season. There are no playoffs. The top four teams at the end of the season play in the Copa del Rey. The champion and the cupwinner play in the various European Cup.
The Spanish league teams compete in Europe
under CEB most notably in the Baseball Champions League
and CEB cup.
The Spanish teams also compete in a domestic cup competition each year, called the Copa del Rey de Beisbol.
Each year, the last qualified of División de Honor is relegated to Primera División and the champion of Primera is promoted to División de Honor.
Also, the ninth qualified of Honor and the runner-up of Primera, plays a best-of-five games play-off. The winner will play at División de Honor the next season.
For a list of teams, see List of baseball clubs in Spain
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
began relatively early in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
thanks to the descendants of immigrants from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. They brought the sport along with them when Cuba ceased to be a Spanish Colony. The heyday of baseball in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was in the 1950s and 1960s. Owing to mass-interest in football (soccer) many baseball clubs didn't survive into the 1970s. The Spanish public's massive shift in focus was triggered mainly by the introduction of multiple TV channels that focused mainly on broadcasting the soccer matches of "La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
", the professional First Division Spanish League. One of the few survivors was the CB Viladecans
CB Viladecans
Club Béisbol Viladecans is a División de Honor de Béisbol baseball club in Viladecans, a town located to the WSW of Barcelona, Catalonia. It was founded in 1945 and was one of the most active teams during the heyday of baseball in Spain in the 1950s and 1960s...
, whose field was officially used during the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
.
The Spanish baseball league is divided into divisions. The top teams play in the División de Honor
Division de Honor de Beisbol
Division de Honor de Béisbol is the highest level of professional baseball in Spain. The league is overseen by the Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol. It is played principally on weekends. The teams play against each other twice, once at home and once away, in two games during the same day...
. In each division, a team plays all other teams twice, once at home and once away, and two matches in the same day, during the regular season. There are no playoffs. The top four teams at the end of the season play in the Copa del Rey. The champion and the cupwinner play in the various European Cup.
The Spanish league teams compete in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
under CEB most notably in the Baseball Champions League
European Cup (baseball)
The European Cup is an annual baseball tournament, sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball . The tournament features the top teams of the professional baseball leagues in Europe....
and CEB cup.
The Spanish teams also compete in a domestic cup competition each year, called the Copa del Rey de Beisbol.
Current hierarchical divisional breakdowns
- División de HonorDivision de Honor de BeisbolDivision de Honor de Béisbol is the highest level of professional baseball in Spain. The league is overseen by the Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol. It is played principally on weekends. The teams play against each other twice, once at home and once away, in two games during the same day...
(one group of 10 teams) - Primera División (one group of 6 teams)
Each year, the last qualified of División de Honor is relegated to Primera División and the champion of Primera is promoted to División de Honor.
Also, the ninth qualified of Honor and the runner-up of Primera, plays a best-of-five games play-off. The winner will play at División de Honor the next season.
For a list of teams, see List of baseball clubs in Spain