The Inter-American League was a high-level circuit in Minor league baseball that lasted only three months before folding during the 1979 season. The league was conceived both as an official Triple-A minor league circuit and member of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. It was composed of six clubs unaffiliated with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

s. The Inter-American loop was headed by

Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium (later officially known as Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium) was a baseball stadium in Miami, Florida. It was primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the Miami Marlins minor league baseball team, as well as other minor ...

, former owner of the Triple-A

Havana Sugar Kings The Havana Sugar Kings were a Cuban-based minor league baseball team that played from 1946 to 1960. From 1954 until 1960, they belonged in the Class AAA International League, affiliated with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds. Their home ...

and a longtime

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and front-office executive active in Latin American countries and Major League Baseball. A 130-game regular season was planned, while the six teams were located in the

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Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

(2). The league featured several well-known MLB veterans, with rosters averaging players between 26-29 years of age. But the new circuit was barely able to complete half its schedule, fatally wounded by "under-capitalized owners, internecine rivalries among Caribbean baseball powers, tropical monsoons, and unreliable air travel." On June 17, 1979, the Panama and Puerto Rico teams disbanded, leaving the league with only four clubs. Thirteen days later, the entire league folded. The

Miami Amigos The Miami Amigos were a minor league baseball team based in Miami, Florida. In 1979, the Amigos played as members of the short–lived Class AAA level Inter-American League, winning the league championship in a shortened season. The Amigos playe ...

, led by future Major League manager Davey Johnson, were in first place with a 51–21 mark (.708) when the Inter-American League shut down.

List of teams

*Caracas Metropolitanos (VEN) *Panama Banqueros (PAN) *Puerto Rico Boricuas (PUR) *Petroleros de Zulia (VEN) *

(USA) *Santo Domingo Azucareros (DOM)

Final standings

References

* Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (1997). ''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball''. Baseball America. * {{Reflist Defunct baseball leagues Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Florida Sports leagues established in 1979 Sports leagues disestablished in 1979 1979 establishments in North America 1979 disestablishments in North America