Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre
 Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coímbre looking Southeast | |
  Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coímbre Location in Puerto Rico | |
| Established | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lolita Tizol & Castillo Streets , Ponce, Puerto Rico, 787.843-6553 |
| Coordinates | 18°0′52.7754″N 66°36′32.4354″W / 18.014659833°N 66.609009833°WCoordinates: 18°0′52.7754″N 66°36′32.4354″W / 18.014659833°N 66.609009833°W |
| Type | Sports Museum |
| Director | Hector L. Ortiz |
| Owner | Autonomous Municipality of Ponce |
| Website | http://www.museopanchocoimbre.org/ |
The Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coímbre (English: Francisco "Pancho" Coímbre Museum) is a sports museum in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
History
The Francisco Pancho Coimbre Sports Museum was inaugurated on January 21, 1992.[1] It was named after Ponce's own baseball great Pancho Coímbre, who is considered "the most feared and productive Puerto Rican baseball batter of all times." [2] It is considered Ponce's sports hall of fame.[3] The museum is located on Lolita Tizol street, next to various other attractions, including the old Spanish military barracks.
On January 12, 2010, a new track and field gallery was inaugurated in memory of Juan "Papo" Franceschi, one of many heroes from the San Antón barrio.[4]
Features
The museum houses a collection of photographs, documents and memorabilia regarding the early days of baseball in Puerto Rico, "back when professional players won only $5 per game and played the game during daylight hours only."[5]
The museum portraits figures such as Willy Mays and Richard Nixon. Some of the names in the museum might be not be instantly recognized. Names such as Francisco “Pancho” Coimbre, Rafael “Rafaelito” Ortíz, or Emilio "Millito" Navarro—as they never played in the Major Leagues. However, they did serve as the source of inspiration for easily recognized figures such as Roberto Clemente. Pancho Coimbre Museum has some great information about not only Puerto Rican sports history, but also features fascinating information about early women sport stars and racially divided baseball leagues.[6]
The museum is a one-room museum honoring ponceño athletes in all sports. Among the interesting pieces of memorabilia is a uniform from Ponce’s short-lived women’s baseball team and a baseball bat that was the only object to survive the house fire that killed Coimbre.[7]
Significance
The respect for Coimbre's natural talent, his ability to dominate the field with speed and strength and for bringing confidence and pride home to other Puerto Ricans and aspiring baseball players is evident in the museum.[8]
"Coimbre began his career as an eager seventeen year old in 1926 and had landed a place in the New York Cubans. By the time he retired from professional baseball in 1951, he was the darling of every local in Ponce and they opened their hearts and gave support to the magnificent sportsman. He remained in the sports industry, and in Ponce, until his tragic death in 1989 when his home burnt to the ground."[9]
References
- ↑ Travel-Ponce.com Retrieved April 12, 2010.
- ↑ Travel Ponce December 3, 2009.
- ↑ Pancho Coimbre Museum Description. Planetware Retrieved December 3, 2009.
- ↑ Travel-Ponce.com Retrieved April 12, 2010.
- ↑ Francisco Pancho Coimbre Sports Museum. Let's Go to Ponce. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
- ↑ Francisco Pancho Coimbre Sports Museum. Let's Go to Ponce. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
- ↑ Let's Go Travel Retrieved December 3, 2009.
- ↑ Francisco Pancho Coimbre Sports Museum. The Puerto Rico Channel.
- ↑ Francisco Pancho Coimbre Sports Museum. The Puerto Rico Channel.