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| Location | Hato Rey, Puerto Rico |
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| Coordinates | 18°25′0″N 66°4′23″W / 18.41667°N 66.07306°WCoordinates: 18°25′0″N 66°4′23″W / 18.41667°N 66.07306°W |
| Built | 1962 |
| Owner | Municipality of San Juan |
| Operator | Municipality of San Juan |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| Field dimensions | Left Field - 325 ft (99 m) Left-Center - 375 ft (114 m) Center Field - 404 ft (123 m) Right-Center - 375 ft (114 m) Right Field - 325 ft (99 m) Backstop - 60 ft (18 m) |
| Tenants | |
| Santurce Crabbers (LBPPR) (1933-2004, 2008-present) Atléticos de San Juan (2008-present) PRSL (Soccer) Academia Quintana (2008-present) Montreal Expos (MLB) (2003-2004) San Juan Senators (LBPPR) San Juan Metros (LBPPR) |
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The Hiram Bithorn Stadium (Estadio Hiram Bithorn in Spanish) is a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Its name honors the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, who first played with the Chicago Cubs in 1942. Built in 1962 under the mayoral administration of Felisa Rincón de Gautier, replacing Sixto Escobar Stadium the stadium was home to the Santurce Crabbers and the San Juan Senators of the LBPPR.
The stadium hosted Major League Baseball's Opening Day Game in 2001, in which the Toronto Blue Jays faced the Texas Rangers in an American League match-up.[1] However, 4,000 who bought tickets were turned away when the police determined the safe capacity of the park had been vastly exceeded.
It was the object of a major overhaul under the mayoral administration of Jorge Santini, before becoming the part-time home of the Montreal Expos of the National League in 2003 and 2004 prior to their move to Washington, D.C. as the Washington Nationals. The Expos played 22 "home" games in each season as a result of poor attendance at their home Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Prior to Major League Baseball's announcement of the Montreal Expos move to Washington, Puerto Rico and San Juan made an effort to lure the Expos franchise to the island territory permanently.
Hiram Bithorn Stadium hosted parts of the first two rounds of the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Pool C, which included the teams of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, and the Netherlands, was played there. It also hosted Pool 2 of the second round of the Classic which featured Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, the top two finishers from Pool C and Pool D. Pool D games of the 2009 were played there between March 7 and March 11, 2009.
In 2008 it will serve as the stadium for Atléticos de San Juan and Academia Quintana. Two soccer teams that will take part in the Puerto Rico Soccer League, Puerto Rico's first ever professional soccer league
The stadium has approximately 18,000 seats, with field dimensions of 325 feet (99 m) down the left field line, 325 feet (99 m) down the right field line and 404 feet (123 m) to center field. The fences are 8 feet (2.5 m) high.
References
- ^ "Blue Jays beat up Rangers in baseball's season opener". CBC Sports. 2001-04-01. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/04/01/bluejaysdebut010401.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-27.
External Links
- Ballparks.com: Hiram Botham Stadium
- Expos Historical Society: Hiram Bithorn Stadium
- MLB.com: List of MLB games at Hiram Botham Stadium
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