Estadio Hiram Bithorn

The Fastest Turf

Estadio Hiram Bithorn has stood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, since 1962; Major League Baseball's years there ran from 2001 to 2010, and for that stretch the playing surface was the fastest artificial turf in the majors. The fences were close — 315 feet down the left-field line, 399 to center. MLB and the city of San Juan spent hundreds of thousands of dollars upgrading the stadium ahead of its first major-league date: Opening Day, April 1, 2001, when the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 8-1 in the first regular-season MLB game played in Puerto Rico. Vera Clemente, Roberto Clemente's widow, and Orlando Cepeda threw the ceremonial first pitch. About 4,000 fans who had purchased tickets were denied entry when police determined the crowd had exceeded safe capacity.

The SABR record describes that day as equal parts ballgame and street fair. Fans drank piña coladas, ate chicken pinchos, and listened to "Kung Fu Fighting" and U2 on the PA system. Iván Rodríguez and Ricky Ledée, both native Puerto Ricans, carried the island's flag onto the field before the game.

Fourteen Games

In 2003 and 2004, the Montreal Expos relocated a portion of their home schedule to San Juan. Manager Frank Robinson praised the prospect of playing in front of great fans, and the organization hoped greater revenue in Puerto Rico could help retain star players. The fast turf and cozy dimensions produced what the Puerto Rico Herald recorded: across 14 games in 2003, 57 home runs and an average of 12.2 runs per game.

The stadium hosted Pool C of the 2006 World Baseball Classic, featuring Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Netherlands; Cuba and Puerto Rico both advanced from the San Juan pool. The major leagues last played there in 2010. The building stands yet, still hosting baseball.

Reporting: Society for American Baseball Research, Puerto Rico Herald, Wikipedia. Park data: MLB StatsAPI and Retrosheet, via the Fever engine.