Sports in Puerto Rico

Sports in Puerto Rico can be traced from the ceremonial competitions amongst the Pre-Columbian Native Americans of the Taíno tribes which inhabited the island, to the modern era in which sports activities consist of an organized physical activity or skill carried out with a recreational purpose for competition.

Brief History of Sports in Puerto Rico

Pre-Columbian Era

The Tainos who inhabited Puerto Rico before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, played a series of games which were both ceremonial and diversional, such as races, contests involving body strength and fishing. However, the two most important of these sports were the simulated warrior fights (similar to the gladiators) and ball playing. The ball game was played in a field, which they called "Batey", situated in the middle of the village. The fields were either shaped like a triangle or like a "U". The ball was made of vegetable leafs, which gave it flexibility. Two teams played against each other. The objective of the game was to keep the ball in constant motion. The players were allowed to use their heads, elbows, shoulders and knees. The team would lose a point, if for any reason the ball stopped moving. The score was kept with a mark on the ground and the game would end after the losing team received a certain amount of points. The winners were treated like heros and the losers were sacrificed. The game had changed by the time the first Spanish settlers arrived. According to Fray Bartolome de las Casas the game was played in the following manner: "One team served the ball and the other team returned it, using anything but the hands. If the ball arrived at shoulder height, it was returned like lightning. When it came in near the ground, the player rapidly hit the ground, striking the ball with his buttocks. Play continued from side to side until an error was made." In 1975, archaeologists from the Guaynia Society of Archeology and History at the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, members of the Archeological Society of the Southwest announced the discovery of the ruins of a "Batey" in an area called Tibes, on the outskirts of the city of Ponce. 9 ball fields were uncovered dating back to 25 AD in the area which is now known as "Centro Ceremonial Indigena de Tibes" (The Tibes Indigenoius Ceremonial Center). The site is now a tourist attraction and is open to the public. Artifacts found on the site are on display and can be seen in a museum on the site and in the Ponce Museum of Art.Template:Inote

Spanish Colonization

The Tainos suffered greatly during the Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico in the 15th century. Many died from the cruel treatment and disease inflicted upon them and their culture was destroyed. The first Spaniards to inhabit the island were soldiers (Conquistadores), later they were followed by farmers, miners and their families. Team sports were virtually unheard of however, there were other types of competitions and sports in which they participated. The most common sports were horse racing, cockfighting and dominoes. One of the most popular sports was "Boliche". The men would gather in the town plaza and roll a small ball made of wood with the objective of knocking down pins. "Boliche" was similar to Bowling. Another popular sport was Bullfighting, which was limited to the larger cities of Ponce and San Juan.

Modern Era

Baseball

During the latter part of the 19th century Puerto Rico was to witness the introduction of organized team sports. The game of baseball was first introduced to the island by a group of Puerto Ricans and Cubans who had learned the game in the United States. At first the sport was not well received by the local press and general public, it was looked upon as a silly game. The first two baseball clubs were founded in 1897. They were the Almendares Baseball Club, owned by Francisco Alamo Armas and the Borinquen Baseball Club owned by Santos Filippi.

On January 11, 1898, the first organized baseball game was played in Puerto Rico. The Borinquen team beat the Almendares with a score of 3 to 0. The first game to go a complete nine innings was played on January 30, 1898 and the Borinquen once again beat the Almendares with a score of 9 to 3.

Puerto Rico became an American territory when the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War. The American soldiers stationed in Puerto Rico were permitted to organize a baseball club to play against the local clubs as diversional outlet. On November 4, 1900 the Almendares Baseball Club composed of Puerto Ricans and Cubans beat the American Baseball Club of the Second Regiment of Infantry with a score of 32 to 18.

Basketball and Boxing

The Military government banned cockfighting and bullfighting from the island but, introduced the sport of boxing and a "new" sport called basketball. Both boxing and basketball were used by the soldiers as part of their physical training. Boxing competitions amongst the soldiers were open to the public. When the soldiers played basketball, they would use a plain straw basket which was cut open at both ends and place it on the highest end of a pole. For a ball, they used a football and the game was played without any established set of rules.

In 1913, the YMCA of Puerto Rico oraganized the first game played using the official rules of basketball and in 1916, the YMCA organized the first basketball tournament. Teams formed in the other YMCA's in the island participated in the tournament. The first basketball organization in Puerto Rico was the San Juan Basketball League. Rio Piedras and Bayamon later followed and formed their own leagues.

Olympics

The 1948 Olympics celebrated in London, was a historical one for Puerto Rico because it was the first time that the island would participate as a nation in a international sporting event. The islands delegation consisted of only three members. In their first participation, the Puerto Ricans had carried the U.S. flag into the games. The United States protested, claiming that two nations could not use the same flag at the same time. The decree of Commonwealth on July 25, 1952 would give the Puerto Rican delegation a flag of their own. Below is a list and a brief summary of some of the most common sports practiced in Puerto Rico.

American football

Although not a large sport in Puerto Rico, American football nonetheless is played in the streets of the Caribbean island occasionally.

Ron Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to play in the NFL when he played for the Chicago Bears in the 1980s. In 1986, Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to win a Super Bowl championship ring.

Another Puerto Rican who plays American football is O.J. Santiago of the Atlanta Falcons.

Baseball

Roberto Clemente

Puerto Rico has a winter baseball league that operates since the early 20th century. Puerto Rico is a participant of the Caribbean World Series, and has over 100 Major League Baseball players who are currently active, in addition to the hundreds others who have participated in the past. These facts combine to make Baseball one of the most popular sports in the island.

Some of the most famous baseball players from Puerto Rico include: Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda, plus Roberto Alomar, Jose "Cheo" Cruz, Juan Gonzalez, Edgar Martinez, Ivan Rodriguez, Victor Pellot, Bernie Williams, and others.

Chronological Order of Major Events

In 1928, Emilio "Millo" Navarro of the Cuban Stars, became the first Puerto Rican to play in the "Negro Leagues"
In 1942, Hiram Bithorn of the Chicago Cubs, became the first Puerto Rican to play in the Major Leagues.
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Luis Olmo
In 1949, Luis Olmo of the Brooklyn Dodgers, became the first Puerto Rican to play in a World Series game and the first one to hit a Home Run and to get three hits, in the same game.
In 1954, Ruben Gomez of the New York Giants, became the first Puerto Rican to pitch in a World Series game and the first one to win a World Series Championship ring.
In 1971, Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates, became the first hispanic to reach 3,000 hits and the first Puerto Rican to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
In 1984, Willie Hernandez became the first Puerto Rican to win both the AL Cy Young and the AL MVP Awards.
In 1992, Jose "Cheo" Cruz was honored by the Houston Astros when his #25 was retired by the team.
In 1999, Orlando "Peruchin" Cepeda became the second Puerto Rican enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2001, Major League Baseball history was made when Opening Day was in San Juan at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium with a game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2003, the Montreal Expos played 22 home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

Basketball

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Famous picture of Arroyo showing the letters of the Puerto Rico uniform seconds before defeating the Dream Team on August 15 at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Basketball has also enjoyed much popularity in Puerto Rico, thanks in part to the Liga de Baloncesto Superior Nacional, which has been around since the 1930s. During the early 1980s, with many games showed on television, the sport's popularity increased. Street basketball is very popular among Puerto Rico's youth.

Puerto Rico's national basketball team has reached the Olympic Games multiple times, including the Athens games in 2004, where they became the first team to defeat the Dream Team during Olympic competition. Puerto Rico's national team has won gold medals in other international competitions.

Famous Puerto Rican Basketball players include: Carlos Arroyo, Larry Ayuso, Angelo Cruz, Raymond Dalmau, Raul Feliciano, Mario Morales, Jerome Mincy, Jose Ortiz, Ramon Ramos, Ramon Rivas, Ruben Rodriguez, Daniel Santiago, Felicity Willis and Anita Ortega.

Ortiz was the first Puerto Rican in the NBA, when signed by the Utah Jazz in 1988. Rivas followed him two weeks later, being signed by the Boston Celtics. Ramos was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers, but he never played because of a life changing accident. Arroyo now plays for the Detroit Pistons, and Santiago used to play for the Phoenix Suns, but now is a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

There is also a women's professional league, which is affiliated to the BSN.

Bobsled

Contrary to popular belief, boxing is not the only sport in which Puerto Rico has earned an Olympic medal: At the 1992 Winter Olympics, a Puerto Rican bobsled team surprised most critics by earning a bronze medal.

Boxing

Wilfred Benitez beats Roberto Duran

Boxing has, for many years, disputed the top spot for the Puerto Rican fan's favorite sport with Baseball and Basketball. Puerto Rico's first world champion was Sixto Escobar. In 1948, boxer Juan Evangelista Venegas earned Puerto Rico's first Olympic medal, finishing his participation in London with a bronze medal that year. Subsequently, Puerto Rico has earned five more medals in Olympic boxing, including a silver one by Luis Ortiz in 1984. That silver medal is the only silver medal ever won by any Puerto Rican at Olympic Games. Although he did not win a medal, Alberto Mercado became, in 1980, the only American citizen to actually participate in the Moscow Olympics.

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Wilfredo Gómez

During the 1970s, with the coronation of such fighters as Hall of Famers Wilfred Benitez and Wilfredo Gomez as professional world champions, and the visits of such others as Roberto Duran, Muhammad Ali and Alexis Arguello for fights, boxing in Puerto Rico enjoyed what many refer to as the golden era of boxing in Puerto Rico.

In 2001, Puerto Rican John Ruiz made history by becoming boxing's first Latin American world Heavyweight champion ever, after beating WBA world champ Evander Holyfield.

Famous boxers from Puerto Rico include: Hall of Famers Wilfred Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez, Sixto Escobar, Carlos Ortiz, and Jose Chegui Torres, plus Hector Macho Camacho, Alfredo Escalera, Belinda Laracuente, Pedro Montanez, Edwin Rosario, John Ruiz, Alex Sanchez, Samuel Serrano, Félix Trinidad and Ada Velez, who is the first Puerto Rican Women's boxing world champion.

Cockfights

Cockfighting is legal in Puerto Rico, and there are many places that draw large crowds to see bantams fighting every weekend.

Equestrian

The sport of Equestrianism has certain popularity in Puerto Rico, more so among members of higher classes. Puerto Rico frequently sends contestants to different international tournaments, such as the Olympics. Mark Watring represented Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympics celebrated in Athens, Greece.

Fencing

Fencing in Puerto Rico has become popular ever since David "Kike" Bernier, Victor Bernier and the brothers Jonathan and Maros Peña have won medals in the 2003 Pan American Games celebrated in the Dominican Republic.

Natasha Escanellas was also a popular Puerto Rican fencer. She participated at the 1992 summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Golf

While golf is not very popular in Puerto Rico, there are many golf fields across the island.

The most famous Puerto Rican golfer is Hall of Famer Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodriguez.

Horse racing

Horse Races are very popular in Puerto Rico. During the earlier part of the 20th. century, races were held at El Comandante race track. Since 1972, El Nuevo Comandante, in Canovanas, has been the home of Puerto Rico's Sunday horse races, and of the annual Clasico del Caribe, a race that reunites important horses from many countries.

Famous jockeys include J.A. Garcia and Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr. Two of the most famous horses in Puerto Rican history were El Platino and Bold Forbes.

Marathon

Marathons have long been a part of Puerto Rico's sporting tradition. Many important marathons are run annually in the island, including the Maraton de San Blas in Coamo, long considered one of the most important marathon races in the world.

Famous marathon runners include: Jorge "Peco" Gonzalez, Hunga Maldonado.

Martial Arts

Martial arts sports, specially Karate, have had a marked ascent in popularity in Puerto Rico since the 1970s, when Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies were very popular among Puerto Rico's youth. Puerto Rico has won various medals in international competition.

Professional Wrestling

Professional wrestling has enjoyed much popularity in Puerto Rico for a long time. Matches have been televised since the 1960s, and multiple, non televised matches are held each week across the island. Capitol Sports Promotions is the main wrestling promoter in Puerto Rico.

Famous Puerto Rican wrestlers have included Barrabas, Carlitos Colon, Los Invaders, Savio Vega, WWF* Hall of Famer Pedro Morales, and Los Super Medicos. In addition, many WWE (formerly WWF) stars, such as Randy Savage, and Ric Flair fought in Puerto Rico before.

Women's wrestling has been gaining popularity in Puerto Rico since the 1990s.

Sailing

Sailing as a sport has picked up in popularity in Puerto Rico since the middle 1990s, under the leadership of Enrique Figueroa and his wife, Carla Malatrasi. The pair have combined to win many international medals, and they competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Figueroa also participated at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Soccer (Futbol)

Puerto Rico has a FIFA sponsored league. Association football hasn't typically enjoyed much popularity in Puerto Rico, and the FIFA threatened, in 2003, to withdraw its sponsorship of the Puerto Rican league. The Puerto Rican league's leader answered by announcing a league-wide plan that is aimed towards placing Puerto Rico in the 2010 World Cup. There are also the Puerto Rico Islanders which play in the United Soccer Leagues First Division against U.S. and Canadian teams.

Felix Magath, whose mother is German, is the first Puerto Rican to play in the World Cup Soccer representing Germany in 1982 and 1986.

Softball

Women's softball has enjoyed certain popularity in Puerto Rico. The women's national softball team has won many international events and participated at many Olympics.

Lisa Fernandez has represented the United States as member of the U.S. Womens Olympic Softball Team, winning gold medals in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Goergia, 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia and in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She a established a womens softball record when she struckout 25 members of the womens Australian olympic Softball Team. Ivelisse Echevarria is also one of Puerto Rico's most well known players.

Swimming (competitive)

Jesus "Jesse" Vassallo, is considered by many to be the greatest swimmer to have been born in Puerto Rico. In 1997, he became the first and so far the only Puerto Rican to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Fernando J. Canales was a 100 meter freestyle finalist in the 1978 Berlin World Championships, earning a 5th place. He was the "first" Puerto Rican swimmer to final in the World Championships. He earned 5 gold medals and 1 silver medal during the 1978 Central American Championships in Medellin, Colombia. He became the first Puerto Rican to medal in the Pan American Games by winning silver in the 100 meters free in 1979 (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and repeating that feat in 1983 (Caracas, Venezuela).

Maritza Correia, is the first black Puerto Rican woman in history to make the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. She earned a silver medal swimming prelims of the 4oom free relay at the 2004 Olympic Games celebrated in Athens, Greece.

Tennis

Tennis is not very popular as a fan sport in Puerto Rico, however, many Puerto Ricans practice it as a means of exercise. It should be noted, through, that the 1984 television match between Martina Navratilova and Gigi Fernandez was one of the most watched events of the year in Puerto Rican television.

Gigi Fernandez was arguably Puerto Rico's most famous tennis player ever, having won championships at Wimbledon and many other tournaments. Charlie Pasarell was another noted Puerto Rican Tennis player, having defeated Pancho Gonzalez in one of Wimbledon's most famous games ever. Rafael Jordan was a player that many considered had potential to become a men's professional tour champion, but he passed away after a tragic automobile accident during the middle 1990s.

Track and Field

Track and Field has been another sport of note in Puerto Rico. Most schools there base their field days only on track and field events. Many Puerto Rican runners, hurlers and throwers have participated at the Olympics.

Famous Puerto Rican track and fielders include: Rebekah Colberg, Angelita Lind.

Volleyball

Long considered the dormant sport among major sports in Puerto Rico, Volleyball has enjoyed much popularity since the 1990s, both in its professional and beach volleyball versions. Puerto Rico's Liga Superior de Volleyball has thrived in recent years, both in the men's and women's tournaments.

In 1970, most of Puerto Rico's national women's volleyball team's members were killed when a plane that was flying them to San Juan from the Dominican Republic crashed shortly after take-off.

In 1996, Laura Daniela Lloreda from Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, lead the Mexican national team to a bronze medal at the Norceca competition, held in the Dominican Republic. In 1997, in front of her Puerto Rican fans, she led the team to a silver medal. In 1998, when the tournament returned to the Dominican Republic, her team also took a silver medal. In 1999, the team finished in sixth place, but Lloreda was named the tournament's MVP.

Some of Puerto Rico's famous volleyball players are Willie De Jesus and Raul Papaleo.