Ponce Lions

at Estadio Francisco "Paquito" Montaner

PR Champions 1941 1942 1943 1944 1946 1968 1969 1971 1981 2003

You have heard of Ponce de León (for whom the city of Ponce was named); here are the Leones de Ponce, the Ponce Lions. Ponce is an interesting local city apart from baseball; it has a colonial tradition, a lot of history and museums, and a central plaza that is a walk back through time. Ponce's size makes it a logical step out-island for US business, but it is on the relaxed side of the island, and far enough away from the capital so that an occasional foreigner is interesting to people. All of the above seem to make Ponce a retirement choice for Puerto Ricans who used to work on the mainland. A visit to Montaner will often sit you next to a guy who used to work in the US and has many stories to tell.

Approaching Montaner Stadium

This multi-purpose stadium has a track oval between the fans and home plate. Many track-meet seats beyond left field are obstructed by the outfield wall. Astroturf covers most of the track near home plate during baseball season. The track extends in foul territory to the left field fence and there is a similar lane in foul territory next to right field. The visitors' bullpen is at the end of this track, through a gate, behind the left field wall. There is a generous ground rule in these areas for balls that hop the low portable barriers. But the entire diamond is distant from the fans. Some space behind home plate is filled with patio furniture, but reserved for one of the sponsors.

The stadium opens to the northwest. Over the left field fence there are some of the island's typical jagged, green hills, leading to mountains. You can not only see the next hour's weather coming in, as in the American Southwest; the hills let you measure how high the clouds are.

Looking northwest at mountains -- there is a bullpen behind that wall

A color graphic scoreboard displays a variety of game information; for instance, it displays batting averages for each batter (updated each AB). In another format, it can display the batter's results earlier in the same game. This scoreboard is just to the right of center field--in 1999, a fan told me it was just moved there. Its statistics display is the most complete in the league by far.

The eternal flame and the two scoreboards

The park plays a few comical sound effects after pitches. The screen does not extend all the way to the roof; some fouls that hit the screen roll up and then drop on the crowd. There is enough of a gap that any fan could catch a foul. In 2001 there was a mascot whose face resembled the lion of the team logo.

Former Problems Solved

The team has made impressive, steady progress solving former problems.

The conventional line scoreboard is new in 2001. Before it was installed, the color screen was shut off whenever the ball was live to avoid distracting the batters. (For real batter distractions, see Bayamón.) But this meant you couldn't see the ball and strike count during an at-bat.

The artificial turf was renovated in 2002. Previously, the turf's poor condition was noted throughout the league; in 2001, the Santurce coach asked Ponce's mayor to repair the field "as soon as possible" and it was inspected by executives of Major League Baseball. They acknowledged the problems but allowed play to continue that year.

It's also impressive to see this out-of-town team advertising in El Nuevo Día.

Directions

Ponce is on the south shore of Puerto Rico, an hour beyond Caguas on Expressway 52. The cute little ballpark you see at the start of Ponce (just after the Route 1 exit) is not Montaner. Stay on the expressway all the way through Ponce, until 52 ends at Route 2, and double back into Ponce on Route 2. Get in the left lane, cross a canal, and turn left toward the stadium lights. On these two last steps, follow a big green sign toward "Ponce Oeste." This side road has some interesting shanties alongside it containing restaurants and bars.

If you stay on 2 until Wal-Mart appears on your right, you have missed the left but you can turn left on Pampanos (585) and approach by sighting the stadium lights. If you pass the Wal-Mart and OfficeMax, turn around, pass Wal-Mart on your left, and turn right on 585.

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