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This single-deck stadium has been the home of the Santurce Crabbers for many years, but there is some confusion owing to the relocation and renaming of Puerto Rican pro teams in recent years, like a game of musical chairs. It first played host to a major league game when the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers opened their 2001 season here. It thus became the fourth stadium outside the "Lower 48" and Canada to host a big league game since 1996, when MLB began an international promotion of the sport. In preparation for this showcase event, new lights and other amenities were installed. Hiram Bithorn Stadium was named for the first Puerto Rican player ever to make it to the major leagues. Bithorn was a pitcher for both the Cubs and the White Sox, in the 1940s.
The most distinctive design feature is the huge amount of foul territory and the broad sweep of the grandstand, which is even broader than Candlestick Park. Even fans in box seats are very far from the infield. Also, the roof is "corrugated" in a zig-zag fashion much like the pavilion roof at Dodger Stadium. As in other baseball stadiums in the Caribbean region, the light towers above the grandstand are tilted toward the field. There is a row of luxury boxes and press boxes at the top of the back rows, stretching from first base to third base. From the players' point of view, the extremely short outfield dimensions provide a strong bias in favor of batters. In 1995 the original grass field was replaced with Astroturf, which is cheaper to maintain but is extremely hot in the summer. In 2004 a new "Field Turf" surface (which looks less artificial) was installed.
In December 2002 MLB officials announced that the Montreal Expos would play 22 of their "home" games in Puerto Rico during the 2003 season. This was a long-shot venture aimed at finding out whether there was enough potential fan and sponsor support on the island to sustain a major league franchise. It postponed the possible relocation of the Expos to Washington, D.C. that year. Bleachers were installed in both right and left field, and the fences along those sides were straightened, slightly reducing the distance to the power alleys. Other renovations to the facilities were made in an attempt to bring this ballpark up to major league standards. At first folks in Puerto Rico responded eagerly, and many of the Expos' early games in their tropical "other" home were sold out, or nearly so. Attendance dwindled after a few months, however. After tentative negotiations with concerned parties from the Washington area broke down during the summer of 2003, MLB announced that the Expos would play 22 more "home" games in Puerto Rico during the 2004 season. This put enormous strain on the Expos players, who logged many thousands of extra airline miles and lost nights' sleep. In spite of promotional efforts, attendance continued to lag in 2004, dashing hopes that the San Juan city government or the commonwealth government of Puerto Rico might pay for a fancy new stadium. With no acceptable alternative home cities, and a quickly receding "window of opportunity" in terms of a friendly city government, MLB had little choice but to approve the relocation of the Expos to Washington at the end of the 2004 season. Thus were born the Washington Nationals.
SOURCES: Washington Post, Charlie O'Reilly's Puerto Rico Winter Baseball, digitalballparks.com
