Photos below!
BEEN THERE: I visited this ballpark in February 2005, but the home team was out of town.
This stadium is quite odd by North American standards, though the oval shape is reminiscent of the Polo Grounds. That shape reflects the fact that it also serves as an arena for bullfights. (Talk about an unusual multi-use stadium!) There are several corrals for the bulls on in the open area beyond the outfield fence, hence the bullpen symbols representing their literal function! Originally, there was a huge amount of foul territory, but at some point, probably in the 1980s, several additional rows (as many as 12) were added to bring fans closer to the infield. There is virtually no slope in those sections, however, so it must be hard for fans to see over the heads of those in front. The worldstadiums.com Web site (link below) gives 31,000 as the total seating capacity, but with only a single deck consisting of between 10 and 30 rows, that seems a little excessive. It may include standing room in the vast area beyond the outfield fence.
The Managua team name "Boer" does not refer to South Africans of Dutch descent, but rather to an Indian tribe that is native to Nicaragua; it is construed in the plural, like "Cherokee," "Sioux," etc. Since Nicaragua is rather poor, professional baseball franchises there have a precarious existence. There were five teams competing in the 2005 Winter league playoffs: Managua (the "Boer"), Leon, Matagalpa, Rivas, and Esteli.
Some time in the last few years, this stadium was renamed in honor of Dennis Martinez, a native of Granada, Nicaragua who retired in 1998 after 23 years in the majors. Nicknamed "El Presidente," he won more games over his career (245) than any other pitcher from Latin America. He played for ten years with the Orioles, another eight years with the Expos, and finished out his career with the Indians, Mariners, and Braves.
SOURCES: Suplemento Deportivo, La Prensa, Feb. 28, 2005 (Managua, Nicaragua); worldstadiums.com
