Estadio Sixto Escobar is a multi-purpose stadium

Multi-purpose stadium

Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...

 in San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

. It is currently used mostly for soccer

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 matches.

The stadium was opened on November 12, 1935. The Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

 conducted spring training at the stadium in 1936. The Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins (IL)

The Miami Marlins was the name of a Class AAA American minor league baseball franchise based in Miami, Florida, that played in the International League from 1956 through 1960.The Marlins were a transplanted version of the original Syracuse Chiefs...

 were transferred to San Juan for the 1961 season and opened the season at Sixto Escobar Stadium. Attendance was poor and the team was moved to Charleston, WV on May 19, 1961. Many events of the 1979 Pan American Games

1979 Pan American Games

The 8th Pan American Games were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15, 1979. The capital of Puerto Rico played host to 3,700 athletes from 34 countries competing in 22 sports, making the VIII Pan American Games the largest to date. Security was a concern due to turmoil over the...

 were held at the stadium.

In April 1938, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico

Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico

The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the territorial legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The structure and responsibilities of the Legislative Assembly are defined in Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico....

 voted to name the stadium and surrounding park in honor of Sixto Escobar

Sixto Escobar

Sixto Escobar was a Puerto Rican professional boxer. Competing in the bantamweight division, he became Puerto Rico's first world champion....

, a Puerto Rican professional boxer who became Puerto Rico's first world champion.

The stadium was repaired and improved to accommodate the new tenant soccer team River Plate Puerto Rico

Club Atletico River Plate Puerto Rico

Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican professional association football team based in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2007, the team plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League, and is the reigning Supercopa DirecTV champion....

.