While baseball had been practiced in the city prior to this, baseball in Ponce started in earnest upon the arrival of the Americans to the island after the Spanish–American War of 1898. The first non-professional baseball leagues played at Campo Atlético Charles H. Terry. However, after the formation of the Liga de Béisbol Semiprofesional de Puerto Rico in 1938, the sport had mature enough that it became necessary to plan on building a new stadium. This need was further exacerbated on 14 September 1941 when the League became a professional-level league. Construction of the stadium began in 1947 and it opened two years later on October 15, 1949. In addition to baseball, the stadium had other uses. In particular, it was also used for basketball games. These were played on a convertible basketball court that was stowed away when the basket games were over.
Uses
The PRPBL's regular playing season runs from November through January. From February to August, the venue is transformed into a track and field stadium, and also serves as a venue for other activities such as a host of the Mustang Auto Daredevils. It has also been used for intramural competitions and other academic sporting events. The track is completely covered during baseball season and then it is elevated via a hydraulic system for the track and field events. The stadium is also used for winter training by many United States Major Baseball League players. In its early days, in particular, the stadium was used as the winter training stadium by the New York Yankees. In 1947, the game at the opening day of training was won 12 to 8 by the Leones de Ponce v. New York Yankees. News of the event first broke at the New York Daily News, followed by the New York Herald and the New York Times.
Major events
Championships
Montaner has seen a total of 12 championships: four in BSN basketball, one in Double A baseball in 1957, six in Professional Baseball, and one in football in 2007.
Athletics
Montaner has also seen some great events in athletics. The Primeros Juegos Ponceños, the Frankie Colón Memorial, the Justas Intercolegiales, the Central American and Caribbean Games, and the Iberoamerican Games, all took place here. There have also been athletics competitions at the Masters category and, more recently, the famed Ponce Grand Prix.
Other events
For many years Montaner was the venue of the finals of the Guantes Dorados de Boxeo Aficionado, national as well as U.S.-based Professional Wrestling billboards, bull runs, concerts by internationally renowned artists, as well as the site of various major religious conventions. In February 1958, evangelist Billy Graham hosted a religious event at this stadium.
When basketball games were also played here. Fans still remember the very first championship of the Leones de Ponce in 1952, and the electrifying plays by Tomás ‘Guabina’ Gutiérrez, Antonio ‘Toño’ Morales, “El Barco” Salvador Dijols, Ángel ‘Conejo’ García, César Bocachica, and Joe Hatton, and the maneuvers by the best Puerto Rican basketball player of all times Juan ‘Pachín’ Vicens, in particular, the night when he became the first player to reach the 5,000 points in Puerto Rican basketball.
