2024 CARIBBEAN SERIES
Why isn’t Colombia playing in the 2024 Caribbean Series?
Qualifying for the Caribbean Series is an exciting moment, but it isn’t only about honor and glory. That old snake money is always hiding in the underbrush.
The Caribbean Series has become over the past 66 years the premier celebration of Latin American baseball. As a club tournament, the Series isn’t actually a pitting of nations against each other, although that is often how it pans out.
The winner of each of the domestic leagues within the member nations is automatically invited to represent that country in the Series.
The key to that caveat is that the nation must be a tournament member. And much to the disappointment of baseball fans everywhere, Colombia is not a member.
Watch the Caribbean Series 2024 live stream on FuboTV (free trial available)
CARIBBEAN SERIES MEMBER NATIONS
| COUNTRY | LEAGUE | FIRST YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Curaçao | Curaçao Professional Baseball League | 2024 |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Professional Baseball League | 1970 |
| Mexico | Mexican Pacific League | 1971 |
| Nicaragua | Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League | 2024 |
| Panama | Panamanian Professional Baseball League | 1949 |
| Puerto Rico | Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente | 1949 |
| Venezuela | Venezuelan Professional Baseball League | 1949 |
FORMER MEMBERS
| COUNTRY | LEAGUE | FIRST YEAR | LAST YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba | Cuban League | 1949 | 1960 |
| Cuban National Series | 2014 | 2019 | |
| Cuban Elite League | 2023 | 2023 | |
| Curaçao | Curaçao National Championship AA League | 2023 | 2023 |
| Colombia | Colombian Professional Baseball League | 2020 | 2023 |
This is not the first time that a country, or a league to be more precise, has been dropped from the ranks of the tournament. It has happened before to both Cuba and Curaçao. In both cases, they were later able to re-enter the fold, although perhaps under a different league guise.
Watch the Caribbean Series 2024 live stream on FuboTV (free trial available)
Why is Colombia out?
As a giant of Caribbean baseball, Colombia would seem to be one of the principal attractions of the event. Particularly given that they won the event as recently as 2022.
Unfortunately, the reason that Colombia is no longer participating is exactly the one that you would imagine. That old snake: money.
The tournament organizers have asked Colombia to put up $200,000 as a guest participation fee, something that the Colombian League protested, claiming that they were promised that they would be full members and not “guests.”
The Colombian Professional Baseball League blame the Caribbean Series of being poorly organized and springing such a costly demand on a small baseball league at a relatively late date.
Pedro Salcedo, president of the Colombian league said that it adds insult to injury. “Colombia is an organized league that attended four series, winning one of them. Colombian baseball cannot attend where they demand a large sum from the two invited leagues.”
Salcedo added, “Nicaragua had the support of its government and Curaçao from an independent investor because they understand Curaçao have no league, but they do have money.”
Colombia is a small, self funding league, which cannot afford to pay such a huge fee. This is a situation that must be addressed for the Series to continue to have meaning.