Matanzas Cuba – 12/25/2022

Despite a very cold & windy day, the Mid-West Baseball League held its 19th Annual Christmas Classic again this year on a chilly afternoon in Matanzas Cuba today.   A 52-degree day with the winds blowing in at a crazy 27 MPH, was not the perfect setting for the Mid-West Baseball League annual event.  Street vendors were out in droves selling hats, T-shirts, sunglasses, and anything they could make a buck on from Americans & other foreign tourists. Twelve MWBL players & families came together with masks on for a jolly old time of fun, very little sun, but yet some Home Runs.

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The 2022 Christmas Classic will be held on Christmas night – December 25th, 2022 (results posted on 12/26/22 @ or about Noon ET) in Matanzas, Cuba in the Stadium – Victoria de Girón.

How does the MWBL going to handle the Christmas Classic Home Run Derby?  This is an idea that came from a league (BUNT), that the Commissioner checks out from time to time.  Dave Snyderman one of the members produced the idea a few years ago and it has been refined somewhat as they went along.  The MWBL refined the idea a little more and adopted the concept for the Christmas Classic Home Run Derby.

Representing the American & National League teams they finished 2022 with, will be the following twelve (12), players.
Since 2017 – No Mid-West Baseball League Franchise will have more than one representative.
All representatives will be for the team they finished the 2022 MWBL Season with.

AMERICAN LEAGUE – 2022 MWBL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS
Shohei Ohtani	Rafael Devers	Nick Castellanos	Yordan Alvarez	Cedric Mullins	Brandon Lowe
Fremont	Virginia	Hollywood	Chicago	Tijuana	Southwest Detroit

NATIONAL LEAGUE – 2022 MWBL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS
Fernando Tatis Jr.	Pete Alonso	Salvador Perez	Aaron Judge	Austin Riley	Avisail Garcia
Rosemere	Selkirk	Long Beach	Baltimore	Valdosta	Sacramento

Matanzas Cuba – 12/25/2021

Despite the pandemic & Covid 19 Restrictions, the Mid-West Baseball League held its 18th Annual Christmas Classic again this year on a warm afternoon in Matanzas Cuba today.   An 82-degree day with the winds blowing in at an easy 7 MPH, was the perfect setting for the Mid-West Baseball League annual event.  Street vendors were out in droves selling hats, T-Shirts, sunglasses, anything they could make a buck on from Americans & other foreign tourists. Twelve MWBL players & families came together with masks on for a jolly old time of fun, sun, & some Home Runs.

Wil Myers got to live the dream on Christmas Day, not only did he get to participate in the 18th Annual Mid-West Baseball League Christmas Classic Home Run Derby in front of hundreds of Cuban People, but he got his brother to throw Home Run Derby to him. Lifetime goals accomplished? Check. Family? Check.

I mean, who doesn’t want to take their younger brother deep when he’s serving up meatballs?  Check. Dingers? Check times 17. It’s a script even Hollywood couldn’t come up with.
… Well, except for the “Getting Plunked” Of course, it was an accident.  Or so Beau says.  Beau Myers, Wil‘s younger brother got back on track after the incident & continued to deal his brother enough solid pitches to get him to 17 homers finishing 2nd in total to George Springers 19. Continue reading →

Matanzas Cuba – 12/25/2020

Despite the pandemic & Covid 19 Restrictions, the Mid-West Baseball League held its annual Christmas Classic again this year on a warm sunny morning in Matanzas Cuba.   Twelve MWBL came together with masks on for a jolly old time of fun, sun, and Home Runs.

The action started a little out of the ordinary in the 1st round when former MWBL David Ortiz (better know as Big Papi) showed up as Santa Claus & brought in J.D. Martinez with him in his present sack.  Martinez was in a drunken stupor.  “Way gone” is how Ortiz put it.  “He’s blitzed more than one of my reindeer”.  So right off the bat, J.D. Martinez got his 10 swings and didn’t hit a ball.  “Didn’t even come close – maybe he was naughty this year” said Papi.  

Other 1st round action had Cody Bellinger (Triple Creek) whop a high of 10 in the first round.   He was joined at the end of round 1 with Eugenio Suarez (Mesa) with 6, & with 8 Home Runs each from Max Muncy (Southbend) & Josh Donaldson (Valdosta) to make up the Semi-Final Round.

In the Semi’s the mashing got even more intense as Suarez hit 13, Bellinger 11, Muncy fell just short of catching Bellinger with 10 & Donaldson brought up the rear with 6.  So moving on to the finals was Eugenio Suarez from Mesa & Cody Bellinger from Triple Creek.  It was going to be an American League vs. National League Final.  

Both players were tired & David Ortiz was passing around Cuban Cigars & Cuban Rum around to all 8 players who were now out of the Classic.  However, J.D. Martinez declined to partake in the drinking saying “Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curve-ball. Straight-ball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him a cigar, rum. He will come.” Soon as that happened Big Papi gave Martinez a milk shower & said “This is what Santa Papi likes – Milk, it does a body good”.  After the last out was made, J.D. still couldn’t hit or walk.

Meanwhile, Suarez led off the finals & put on a strong showing with 8 bombs.  Bellinger responded quickly but hitting 3 home runs before making an out, but then hits bat went cold & Bellinger couldn’t hit the side of a barn, or as Big Papi said at the time “J.D. Martinez & you have something in common, you both can’t hit” & then with his big belly laughing self said, “Ho-Ho-Ho – Let’s go find some”…

So the 2020 Christmas Classic had a winner as Eugenio Suarez of the Mesa Solar Sox blasted 8 in the finals, (Beating Bellinger who finished with 4) and also took the most overall for it as well with 27, again surpassing Bellinger, this time by 2 – 27 to 25.   Suarez’s longest homer was 563 feet.

The longest of the day belonged to Bellinger who in the Semi-Final Round blasted his 1st home run of the round a majestic 592 feet.  

All in all, it was a great day in Matanzas & the boys had a blast & took a break from Covid-19 & shared some laughs & fun on a warm day in the sun.

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The 2020 Christmas Classic will be held on Christmas night – December 25th, 2020 (results posted on 12/25 @ or about Noon ET) in Honolulu Hawaii at Hohokam Park.

How does the MWBL going to handle the Christmas Classic Home Run Derby?  This is an idea that came from a league (BUNT), that the Commissioner checks out from time to time.  Dave Snyderman one of the members produced the idea a few years ago and which has been refined somewhat as they went along.  The MWBL refined the idea a little more and adopted the concept for the Christmas Classic Home Run Derby.

Representing the American & National League teams they finished 2020 with, will be the following twelve (12), players.
Started in 2017 – No Mid-West Baseball League Franchise will have more than one representative.

AMERICAN LEAGUE – 2020 MWBL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS
Eugenio Suarez	Alex Bregman	Jorge Soler	Mike Trout	Christian Yelich	Max Muncy
Mesa	Chicago	Yonge Street	Motor City	Hollywood	Southbend

NATIONAL LEAGUE – 2020 MWBL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS
Cody Bellinger	J.D. Martinez	Nolan Arenado	Franmil Reyes	Josh Donaldson	Peter Alonso
Triple Creek	Tempe	Harsens Island	Corktown	Valdosta	Selkirk