The Liga Occidental de Béisbol Profesional (Western Professional Baseball League) was a baseball circuit that operated between 1954 and 1963 in Maracaibo, the capital city in the Venezuela state of Zulia. The league played their games at the old olympic stadium of Maracaibo.
The LOBP started to operate as a four-team league on December 7, 1954, and was managed by local entrepreneurs under the guidance of George Trautman, an American baseball executive, who also helped the league to join organized baseball to become a professional baseball circuit.
Innovations Throughout the years, the league modified the number of games in the schedule and adopted playoffs. A significant innovation came before the 1953–1954 season, when the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and the LOBP agreed to have the clubs with the best records from each circuit meet in a National Championship Series called El Rotatorio (the rotational), organized by the VPBL, which was the first and only in the league's history.
By then, both leagues were short of teams to play the regular season. Accordingly, the Cervecería Caracas and Navegantes del Magallanes teams represented the VPBL, while the Gavilanes and Pastora clubs represented the LOBP. Then, the Pastora team won the VPBL championship and advanced to the 1954 Caribbean Series.
Following an agreement between the two leagues, the interleague playoff games would be played immediately following the 1957–1958 season. As a result, the winning team would represent Venezuela in the 1958 Caribbean Series. The Rapiños de Occidente won the LOBP pennant, while the Industriales de Valencia did the same in the VPBL. After that, the Industriales swept the Rapiños, 4–0, in the best-of-seven series.
In the next playoff series, the Indios de Oriente VPBL champion team defeated the Rapiños, 4–3, and advanced to the 1959 Caribbean Series. Then, the Rapiños returned in 1959–1960 and won the pennant. This time, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season was suspended due to a players' strike, and the Rapiños club was invited to participate in the 1960 Caribbean Series.
Final years During its 10 years of existence, the Zulia league confronted many crises, big and small, in that short period. For a time in the late 1950s, a lack of competitive balance seemed to pose the greatest threat to the league.
The beginning of the end came when the 1961–1962 season was cancelled. After that, the league resumed operations in 1962–1963, but the average attendance was less than half what it was in previous years.
Due to economic pressure, the LOBP folded on December 3, 1963, just one month after starting the 1963–1964 season.
Pastora was the only club that participated in all seasons of the league, winning two pennants, while the most successful team was the Rapiños, who collected a total of five titles during its six seasons in the circuit.
List of teams Cardenales de Lara Centauros de Maracaibo Espadón BBC Gavilanes BBC Maracaibo BBC Lácteos de Pastora Petroleros de Cabimas Rapiños de Occidente
Seasons and statistics Champion teams in bold
1954–1955 Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Pastora 20 13 .606 – John Strezza Cabimas 19 14 .576 1 Clay Bryant Espadón 14 19 .424 6 Ralston Hunsley Gavilanes 13 20 .394 7 Fermín Guerra
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Jim Frey PAS Batting average .370 Bud Podbielan PAS Wins 9 John Malangone ESP Home runs 7 Barney Schultz GAV Strikeouts 62 Eddie Moore CAB Runs batted in 27 Kenneth Hommel PAS Earned run average 0.90
1955–1956 Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Gavilanes 33 21 .611 – Ernesto Aparicio Cabimas 32 22 .593 1 Clay Bryant Pastora 28 26 .519 5 Joe Schultz Espadón 15 39 .278 18 Ralston Hunsley
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Joe Altobelli GAV Batting average .378 Dave HoskinsCorky Valentine GAVPAS Wins 11 Don Demeter Russell Rac CABPAS Home runs 17 Barney Schultz GAV Strikeouts 62 Russell Rac PAS Runs batted in 52 Eusebio Pérez GAV Earned run average 2.09
1956–1957 Note: Espadón did not return and was replaced by Centauros Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Gavilanes 31 26 .544 – Donald Griffin Pastora 29 28 .509 2 Frank Baldwin Centauros 28 29 .491 3 Bob Wellman Cabimas 26 31 .456 5 Bill Cronin
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Guilford Dickens GAV Batting average .344 Dave Hoskins GAV Wins 14 Bob Wellman CEN Home runs 13 Barney Schultz GAV Strikeouts 62 Bob Wellman CEN Runs batted in 45 Dave Hoskins GAV Earned run average 1.68
1957–1958 Note: Rapiños replaced Gavilanes Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Rapiños 30 13 .698 – Ira Hutchinson Pastora 21 21 .500 9½ Johnny Temple Cabimas 19 23 .452 10½ Bill Cronin Centauros 14 29 .326 16 Bob Wellman
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Paul Smith PAS Batting average .368 Robert Smith PAS Wins 9 Billy Queen CEN Home runs 15 Tom Flanigan RAP Strikeouts 104 Jim Greengrass PAS Runs batted in 35 Barry Latman RAP Earned run average 1.40
1958–1959 Note: Gavilanes returned as a replacement for Centauros Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Rapiños 28 25 .528 – Les Moss Pastora 27 26 .509 1 Duane Pillette Gavilanes 26 26 .500 1½ Red Kress Cabimas 21 30 .412 6 Pete Reiser
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Sammy Miley PAS Batting average ..357 Dave Hoskins RAP Wins 12 Billy Queen GAV Home runs 11 Larry Sherry CAB Strikeouts 138 Billy Queen GAV Runs batted in 40 Dave Hoskins RAP Earned run average 2.27
1959–1960 Classified teams in bold Regular seasonstandingsWLPCTGB Managers Rapiños 18 13 .581 – Les Moss Gavilanes 14 17 .452 4 Jim Fanning Pastora 14 17 .452 4 Leslie Peden Cabimas 13 18 .419 5 Bill Harris + PostseasonFirst roundBest of twelve series W L PCT GBSecond roundBest of seven series W L PCT GB PastoraRapiñosGavilanes 774 558 .583.583.333 – – 3 RapiñosPastora 42 24 .667.333 – 2
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatterTeamStatTotPitcherTeamStatTot Al Grunwald PAS Batting average .336 Ted Bowsfield RAP Wins 14 Norman Cash RAP Home runs 14 Ed Hobaugh RAP Strikeouts 135 Norman Cash RAP Runs batted in 38 Bill Harris CAB Earned run average 2.27
1960–1961 Notes: Cabimas and Gavilanes did not return The new Maracaibo club folded during the midseason Team StandingsWLPCTGB Managers Rapiños 30 25 .545 – Les Moss Pastora 26 30 .464 4½ Joe Schultz Maracaibo 8 16 .333 n/a Preston Gómez
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Camilo Carreon PAS Batting average .303 Don Rudolph PAS Wins 12 Harry Watts PAS Home runs 12 Ed Rakow MCBRAP Strikeouts 185 Harry Watts PAS Runs batted in 37 Ed Rakow MCBRAP Earned run average 1.29
1961–1962 The season was cancelled
1962–1963 Note: Cardenales debuted while Cabimas returned Classified teams in bold Regular seasonstandingsWLPCTGB Managers Rapiños 21 12 .636 – Les Moss Cardenales 16 15 .516 4 Earl Weaver Joe Schultz Pastora 15 18 .484 6 Frank Lucchesi Cabimas 12 18 .387 8 Johnny Werhas + PostseasonBest of 16 series W L PCT GB Rapiños 12 4 .750 – Cardenales 9 7 .563 3 Pastora 2 14 .125 10
+ Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Deacon Jones RAP Batting average .420 Fritz Ackley RAP Wins 11 Deacon Jones RAP Home runs 15 Bill Phillips RAP Strikeouts 152 Deacon Jones RAP Runs batted in 49 Fritz Ackley RAP Earned run average 2.47
1963–1964 Shortened seasonstandingsWLPCTGB Managers Cardenales 14 3 .824 n/a Rodolfo Fernández Pastora 8 9 .471 n/a Jimmy Brown Cabimas 7 10 .411 n/a Dalmiro Finol Rapiños 6 13 .316 n/a Antonio Briñez
+Batting and Pitching statisticsBatter TeamStat TotPitcherTeamStatTot Danny Morejón CAR Batting average .391 Luis Tiant CAR Wins 6 Héctor Cárdenas Bob Taylor CARPAS Home runs 3 Luis Tiant CAR Strikeouts 81 Danny Morejón CAR Runs batted in 18 Luis Tiant CAR Earned run average 0.67
Sources Gutiérrez, Daniel; Alvarez, Efraim; Gutiérrez (h), Daniel (2006). La Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela. LVBP, Caracas. Gutiérrez, Daniel; González, Javier (2006); Records de la Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. LVBP. Nuñez, José Antero (1994). Serie del Caribe de la Habana a Puerto La Cruz. JAN Editor.
External links Virtual Urbe – La Historia del Béisbol en el Zulia: 1953-1954 – 1999-2000 (Spanish) Las Series del Caribe (Spanish)