Printed by Dexter Press, Inc.
(1964)
The excitement is palpable at Hato Rey, Puerto Rico’s (PR) Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which first opened for the 1962-63 PR Winter League (PRWL) season and has a seating capacity of 19,536. Its original dimensions were 345 feet down the foul lines, 375 feet to the alleys, and 400 feet to the straightaway CF. It was—and still is—the home stadium for the Santurce Crabbers and San Juan (SJ) Senators.
Some Special Games-Events at Bithorn Stadium
Bithorn—named after PR’s first National Leaguer, Hiram Bithorn, 1942 Chicago Cubs starter—hosted initial rounds of the 2006, 2009, and 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC), numerous boxing events, concerts, 22 “home games” for the 2003 and 2004 Montreal Expos, managed by Frank Robinson, who also managed the Crabbers in eight PRWL seasons (1968-1971, 1972-75, 1978-1980), spring training baseball games, PRWL round-robin, semi-final, and finals contests. Few ballparks in the Caribbean embody as much baseball history.
The author saw the New York Yankees (NYY) play the Washington Senators at Bithorn (1965), Boston-Minnesota (1965) with Camilo Pascual starting for the Twins, and NYY-Pittsburgh (1967). He witnessed Mickey Mantle’s two-run HR off Juan “Terín” Pizarro on April 2, 1967, when the author resided in Hato Rey’s Condominio El Bilbao, near Bithorn Stadium, and saw it with his father. On December 18, 1973, the author saw 46-year-old Rubén Gómez’s final PRWL SHO, an 8-0 blanking of SJ, at Bithorn. Fans chanted: “Ese es tu papa” (He is your daddy) at the game’s end, Rubén’s 51st win versus SJ and 17th SHO against them.
Recent Renovations Totaling $40 Million
Yolymar de Jesús Pérez summarized the Bithorn renovations for the March 6-11, 2026, competition among PR, Colombia, Cuba, Canadá, and Panamá in her March 4, 2026, article for Primera Hora. https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/beisbol/notas/de-punta-en-blanco-el-hiram-bithorn-luce-remozado-para-recibir-el-clasico-mundial-de-beisbol/. Some highlights:
- City investment of $39.66 million, not including an earlier (2022) new scoreboard, which cost $1 million.
- All funds came via the municipality, not from federal funding, e.g., Community Development Grant Program.
- Drainage and irrigation improvements were made, combined with the bullpen upgrade, and multi-purpose work.
- Grandstands’ facelift, as did 15,800 seats—each includes a beverage holder. Concessions/bathrooms have been dramatically improved. The latter are now fully handicapped accessible.
- Clubhouses (home team/visitors) significantly improved in terms of showers, furniture adjacent to players’ lockers, and a private office for managers, among other amenities.
- First-class $2.2 million sound system synchronized with press box, walking areas, and bathrooms. The press box has better illumination and Wi-Fi, per SJ mayor Miguel Romero, who received positive feedback from Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Baseball, and Jim Small, 2026 WBC President.
- The nearby Roberto Clemente Coliseum was upgraded with four batting cages, a warm-up area, and a bullpen simulated area for use by WBC players.
- Fan Fest is programmed at Bithorn and the Clemente Coliseum, where concessions are available along with the official WBC souvenir store.
- City officials project a $49.3 economic contribution due to the 2026 WBC, with $13.3 million of it in the lodging sector.
Beisbol101 is included in the Digital Library of Latin American and Caribbean Sports (DLLACS) and provides accredited coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
