Baseball in Puerto Rico
By the 1949-50 season, several new ballparks were built, each containing 6,000 or more seats. The largest new stadium was Ponce's Estadio Francisco Montaner with 9,718 seats. Montaner has the distinction of being the first stadium in Puerto Rico that installed an artificial surface field. The installation of lights, which allowed for night games, further boosted stadium attendances. The Stadium was named to honor Francisco "Paquito" Montaner, one of the greatest Puerto Rican pitchers of all times.
Alejandro Cruz
As Mayor of Guaynabo, Cruz put emphasis on the city's sports programs, and, in 1983, the Mets Pavilion (named after the city's BSN basketball team; later renamed Mario Morales coliseum) was opened. He was also president of the Puerto Rican Softball Federation during much of his period as mayor of Guaynabo.