Hiram Bithorn Stadium facts for kids
The stadium in 2006
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| Location | Gobernador Piñero, San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| Coordinates | 18°25′0″N 66°4′23″W / 18.41667°N 66.07306°W |
| Owner | Municipality of San Juan |
| Operator | Municipality of San Juan |
| Capacity | 18,264 (baseball) 35,000 (concerts) |
| Field size | 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) |
| Surface | Natural grass (1962–1994) AstroTurf (1995–2003) FieldTurf (2004–2015) Turf Nation (2015–present) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1962 |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Construction cost | 4.3M |
| Architect | Orval E. Sifontes Fontan AIA |
| Structural engineer | Martinez y Costa |
| General contractor | R.P. Farnsworth & Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Senadores de San Juan (LBPRC) (1962–1974, 1984–2000, 2003–2004, 2010–2011, 2014–2015) Cangrejeros de Santurce (LBPRC) (1962–1982, 1989–2004, 2008–2009, 2012–present) Atléticos de San Juan (PRSL) (2008–2011) Academia Quintana (PRSL) (2008–2011) Montreal Expos (MLB) (2003–2004; secondary) |
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Hiram Bithorn Stadium (also known as Estadio Hiram Bithorn in Spanish) is a famous baseball park located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was built in 1962 and designed by a Puerto Rican architect named Pedro Miranda. The city government of San Juan runs the stadium.
The stadium is named after Hiram Bithorn, who was the first baseball player from Puerto Rico to play in the major leagues. He played for the Chicago Cubs in 1942. Hiram Bithorn Stadium opened in 1962, replacing an older stadium called Estadio Sixto Escobar. It is the home field for the Santurce Crabbers, a team in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. In 2014, this stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
Stadium Size and Features
This stadium can hold about 18,000 people for baseball games. The field has specific measurements:
- The distance to the left-field fence is 325 feet (99 meters).
- The distance to the right-field fence is also 325 feet (99 meters).
- The distance to the center field fence is 404 feet (123 meters).
The fences around the field are 8 feet (2.5 meters) high. When the Montreal Expos baseball team played games here, the field was set up to match their home stadium in Montreal.
A Look Back: Stadium History
Hiram Bithorn Stadium first opened its doors in 1962. It has seen many exciting events over the years.
First Outdoor NBA Game
Did you know the first-ever outdoor National Basketball Association (NBA) game happened here? It was a preseason game between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks on September 24, 1972. The Suns won that game, 116–103.
Major League Baseball Connections
The stadium has a strong connection to Major League Baseball (MLB).
- In 2001, it hosted an MLB Opening Day game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers.
- The stadium got a big update before becoming a part-time home for the Montreal Expos in 2003 and 2004. The Expos played 20 "home" games here because of low attendance at their usual stadium in Montreal. Puerto Rico even tried to get the Expos team to move to the island permanently!
World Baseball Classic Host
Hiram Bithorn Stadium has been a key venue for the World Baseball Classic, which is a big international baseball tournament.
- It hosted parts of the first two rounds of the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Teams like Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Netherlands played here.
- It also hosted games in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Other Sports Events
Besides baseball, the stadium has hosted other sports.
- From 2008 to 2011, it was the home stadium for two soccer teams, Atléticos de San Juan and Academia Quintana, from Puerto Rico's first professional soccer league.
- In 2010, MLB returned when the Florida Marlins played the New York Mets in a three-game series.
- The Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins played a two-game series here in April 2018. This was the first time since 2010 that a regular-season MLB game was played in Puerto Rico.
- Many professional boxing events, including world championship fights, have taken place at the stadium. Famous boxers like Carlos Ortíz and Floyd Patterson have fought here.
Concerts and Entertainment
Hiram Bithorn Stadium is not just for sports; it's also a popular place for concerts and other big events. Many famous artists have performed here.
- Shakira performed twice, in 2000 and 2003.
- Some of the other well-known artists and bands who have held concerts at the stadium include:
- The Byrds – April 30, 1967
- Santana – October 31, 1971
- The Jackson Five – July 17, 1973
- Bon Jovi – July 13, 1984, and February 21, 1987
- Ozzy Osbourne – August 4, 1984
- Sting – November 9, 1985
- The Beach Boys – April 4, 1987
- Rod Stewart – July 1, 1988
- Gloria Estefan – March 14 & 15, 1992
- Whitney Houston – April 24, 1994
- Phil Collins – April 29, 1995
- Billy Joel – February 11, 1999
- Backstreet Boys – May 19 & 20, 2001
- Rihanna – October 29, 2013
- Bad Bunny – December 10–11, 2021
- Daddy Yankee – January 6–8, 2023 (his last career concerts!)
Professional Wrestling Events
The stadium has also hosted exciting professional wrestling shows:
- WWC Anniversary Show 1984: On September 14, 1984, over 34,000 fans attended this event.
- WWF (now WWE) – October 19, 1985
Images for kids
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View of the stadium during a baseball game in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Estadio Hiram Bithorn para niños
