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129-650: During the 1966 Caribbean and Central American Games held in San Juan , Puerto Rico , the idea of the NORCECA concept was born. At that time it was known as the Caribbean and Central American Zone. The development of the NORCECA Confederation came from the visionary mind of today’s FIVB President, Dr. Rubén Acosta Hernández, in conjunction with several other sportsmen from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti. NORCECA

258-474: A bases loaded single by Brandon Crawford in the seventh inning, and Giancarlo Stanton scored the inning's third run with an RBI single. Meanwhile, Stroman did not allow a hit for the first six innings of play. The United States added another run in the eighth inning with an RBI single by McCutchen. The United States completed the shutout to win the championship. Stroman was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player . In January 2020, MLB announced that

387-438: A tropical monsoon climate ( Am ) with year-round growing season . It has an average temperature of 81.0 °F (27.2 °C). Temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher are seen on an average 79 days annually, more commonly occurring during the wetter months of the northern summer, especially if the winds come from the south. In the winter, temperatures can drop to around 60 °F (16 °C). The average winter low

516-512: A 2.35 ERA over three starts and no-hit Puerto Rico through six innings in an 8–0 win in the Finals. In 2023, Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani claimed MVP honors after slashing .435/.606/.739 as a hitter and posting a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9 2 ⁄ 3 innings as a pitcher, also pitching the final inning of Japan's win over the US in the final. At the end of each edition of

645-485: A 3 - 2 lead, two outs, and no runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Japan's Shohei Ohtani - one of the best pitchers in recent memory - stood on the mound as his Angels teammate Mike Trout , widely considered the greatest player of his generation, stepped up to the plate. After the first pitch of this iconic matchup, Fox Sports commentator Joe Davis reflected on the spectacle, saying, "As Benji Gil said last night, 'Baseball's already won.'" The two battled to

774-532: A crowd of 5,193 at the Tokyo Dome on March 3, 2006. South Korea went on to advance to the semifinals with a 6–0 record but lost to Japan (a team South Korea had beaten twice in the earlier rounds) for a berth in the final game. Meanwhile, Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic in the other semifinal. Both countries had to go through two rounds of group stages and the semi-finals in knockout format to reach

903-552: A direct impact in Puerto Rico, causing widespread damage and a collapse of the infrastructure in San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico. The damage caused in 2017 was extensive, affecting the electricity, potable water supplies, transportation, and communication, but significant progress had been made in the capital by April 2019, and particularly by October 2019. This was significant for tourism, which had rebounded by October of that year and

1032-484: A disagreement over participation in the tournament. While the owners initially agreed to the invitation, the players' union was concerned about the time of year the tournament was scheduled to take place, as well as their right to be better represented for the 2009 tournament. On September 16, 2005, after four months of negotiations, NPB officially notified the IBAF and MLB they had accepted the invitation. The 16-team field for

1161-557: A final score of ten to six. The aftermath of the final most notably included notice from Major League Baseball , from Cuba's increase in defection to Matsuzaka's impact for the World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the next year. featured the same 16 teams as 2006, but the controversial round-robin format from 2006 was replaced by a modified double-elimination format for the first two rounds (the semifinals and final game remained single-elimination). The eight teams advancing from

1290-841: A follow-up tournament in 2009. The IBAF merged with the International Softball Federation in 2013 to form the World Baseball Softball Confederation . That same year, the WBSC discontinued the Baseball World Cup, last held in 2011, making the World Baseball Classic one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, alongside the Premier 12 ; however, the WBC is the only one which grants to

1419-458: A full count. Ohtani would lure Trout to swing and miss with a gutsy slider down and away, sealing the victory for Japan. After the match, the team was congratulated for their victory by Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida . With Japan's win over USA in the championship game, they became the second team to win the World Baseball classic without losing a single game the entire tournament, after

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1548-608: A member of the "Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry" and Officer of the Day, on March 25, 1915, opened fire on the Odenwald , an armed German supply vessel, when it was trying to force its way out of San Juan's bay. The shots ordered by Lt. Marxuach were the first fired by the United States in World War I. In 1919, Félix Rigau Carrera , "El Aguila de Sabana Grande" (The Eagle from Sabana Grande ),

1677-759: A number of entities such as the Municipality, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources , the National Park Service , the University of Puerto Rico and conservation easements . The San Juan Ecological Corridor is a conservation project by the Government of Puerto Rico consisting in 6 different units found within the municipality of San Juan: the Cupey Arboretum, which protects

1806-682: A number of playgrounds for children. Its main attraction is the cableway that crosses the park and offers scenic views of the Piedras River and the city while providing transportation to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum and the Hiram Bithorn Stadium . The municipality of San Juan is home to various important ecosystems and preserved natural areas. Some of the ecosystems of the San Juan Bay National Estuary , which

1935-417: A pair of six-team double-elimination tournaments, from which the winners and runners-up advanced to play in the 2023 WBC. The tournament is one of the world's most viewed baseball events. The 2023 tournament was broadcast in 163 territories through 63 media partners, and it was broadcast in 13 languages around the globe. and received US$ 100 million in benefits, In Japan , nearly 100 million people watched

2064-519: A public housing project by the name of Residencial Fray Bartolome de Las Casas was constructed on its former location. On January 2, 1947, the people of San Juan elected Felisa Rincón de Gautier (also known as Doña Fela) (1897–1994) as their mayor. Thus, she became the first woman to be elected as the mayor of a capital city in any of the Americas. During the Cold War era, she ordered the establishment of

2193-468: A results, those participating in top-level professional baseball leagues in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere were not included. Although both competition formally rescinded their amateur-only status in the 1990s, allowing professional players to participate, there was little participation from major league players. Nevertheless, the idea of a tournament with the express involvement of top-level professional ballplayers had been seriously considered since

2322-512: A reversal in practical use by most inhabitants: by 1746 the name for the city (Puerto Rico) had become that of the entire island, leading to the city being identified as Puerto Rico de Puerto Rico on maps of the era. San Juan, as a settlement of the Spanish Empire , was used by merchant and military ships traveling from Spain as the first stopover in the Americas . Because of its prominence in

2451-487: A run on an RBI single by Andrew McCutchen in the fourth inning, and Ryosuke Kikuchi hit a home run for Japan in the sixth inning to tie the game. The United States scored another run in the eighth inning to take the lead, and Luke Gregerson earned the save . Though the Japanese team was considered the strongest defensive team in the WBC, mistakes by Kikuchi at second base and Nobuhiro Matsuda at third base led to each of

2580-575: A similarly high-profile field, with a number of players such as Hall of Famers Pedro Martínez , Iván Rodríguez and Chipper Jones and the major international debuts of Cuba's Yoenis Céspedes and Aroldis Chapman . For the 2013 tournament, Japanese players threatened to boycott the event despite its domestic popularity, before later agreeing to take part after reaching a compromise in September 2012 with tournament organizers on sharing sponsorship and licensing revenue. Nevertheless, many key players from

2709-572: A small indigenous fishing village have been found in Puerta de Tierra where the Puerto Rico National Guard Museum stands today, however most archaeological sites in the region have been destroyed and lost throughout the colonial history. The area of San Juan used to be the boundary between the tribal regions (yucayeques) of Guaynabo and Haimanio , led by the chiefs ( caciques ) Mabo and Yuisa (also known as Loaíza), respectively, at

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2838-510: A three-year gap between the first two installments of the tournament, plans were made for the World Baseball Classic to be repeated every four years following the 2009 event. The third installment of the Classic was held in 2013, and the fourth was held in 2017. The World Baseball Classic was held five times from 2006 to 2023 , with Japan , the Dominican Republic , and the United States winning

2967-473: A two-run double in the first inning, giving the Dominican Republic the lead. Erick Aybar had the game's third run batted in for the Dominican Republic. Deduno recorded five strikeouts in five scoreless innings pitched and Fernando Rodney completed the game with a save , his seventh of the tournament. Four Dominican relief pitchers combined for 4 scoreless innings. This was the third time in

3096-552: A very high level. Therefore, the stakes of the encounter were high. Meanwhile, Japan faced Mexico in the semifinals, who were on a Cinderella run , majorly led by Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena . After defeating Cuba in the semifinals by a wide margin, the United States faced another great rival, Japan , in the final. The final was incredibly popular in Japan, drawing over 54 million Japanese viewers. Shota Imanaga started for Japan, while Merrill Kelly started for USA. With

3225-426: Is 71 °F (22 °C). The coolest temperature officially recorded was 60 °F (16 °C) on March 3, 1957, and the hottest was 98 °F (37 °C) on October 9, 1981. The record cold daily maximum is 71 °F (22 °C) on February 4, 1935. The record warm daily minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on August 11, 1995, the most recent of four occasions. With a mean minimum of 67 °F (19 C), San Juan

3354-403: Is also home to a rich variety of buildings that showcase the history of Puerto Rican architecture throughout the past 120 years, with buildings designed by notable architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright 's student Henry Klumb , Edward H. Bennett , William E. Parsons , and Rafael Carmoega who designed the distinctive clock tower and the university quadrangle , both of which were inscribed in

3483-456: Is an accepted version of this page San Juan ( / ˌ s æ n ˈ hw ɑː n / san WHAHN , Spanish: [saŋ ˈxwan] ; Spanish for "Saint John ") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , an unincorporated territory of the United States . As of the 2020 census , it is the 57th-largest city under the jurisdiction of

3612-575: Is awarded the World Baseball Classic Championship Trophy . It is one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, alongside the WBSC Premier12 , but is the only one to grant the winner the title of "world champion". The tournament, proposed in 2005 by MLB and its Players Association , was first held in 2006 as an invitational event. It previously coexisted with Olympic baseball (until 2008) and

3741-458: Is in USDA plant hardiness zone 13B, which is the highest category. Rainfall is well-distributed throughout the year. The months of January, February, and March are the driest. As March averages just 1.95 inches (49.5 mm) of rain, the city falls under the tropical monsoon category. Rainfall averages 56.35 inches (1,431.3 mm), falling on an average 198.5 days per year. Despite this dampness,

3870-544: Is the largest of its kind in the Caribbean and one of the most advanced in the Americas. San Juan is located along the north-eastern coast of Puerto Rico in the Northern Plains region. It lies south of the Atlantic Ocean; north of Caguas and Trujillo Alto ; east of Guaynabo ; and west of Carolina . The city occupies an area of 76.93 square miles (199.2 km ), of which, 29.11 square miles (75.4 km ) (37.83%)

3999-790: Is the only tropical estuary in the National Estuary Program network, are protected by numerous nature reserves and protected areas such as the Caño Martín Peña Nature Reserve . Other areas protected under the San Juan Bay National Estuary include El Condado Lagoon , the San José Lagoon and El Boquerón where the San Antonio Creek and the Condado Lagoon connect with the Atlantic Ocean. Two of

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4128-459: Is very diverse, due to its size and all the cultural influences received during its existence. The oldest part of the city, known as Old San Juan , mostly features the influence of Spanish architecture . This part of the city is comprised by a network of "setted" roads usually surrounded by colonial, two-storied houses built on masonry . Some colonial structures have been restored and serve either as government offices or museums. Some examples are

4257-516: Is water. San Juan's main water bodies are San Juan Bay and two natural lagoons, the Condado and San José . At almost 1,030 feet (314 m) above sea level, the highest point in the municipality of San Juan is located on an unnamed hill on the Morcelo sector of Caimito , close to the municipal border with Caguas . The municipality of San Juan is surrounded by the San Juan metropolitan area , particularly

4386-721: The Ballajá Barracks , which now serve as museum and headquarters of several cultural organizations; La Fortaleza , which has served as the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico since the 16th Century; and the Ancient Welfare Asylum, which now houses the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, among others. Old San Juan also features several public squares, like the Plaza de Armas , located in front of San Juan City Hall; and cathedrals, like

4515-560: The Baseball World Cup (until 2011) as tournaments sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation , the predecessor to the WBSC. The Baseball World Cup was discontinued after the 2011 edition, when the WBSC accepted an MLB suggestion to make the WBC the officially-sanctioned world championship, on the condition that the Classic should have direct qualifications and follow international anti-doping rules. After

4644-482: The Boston Red Sox of America's Major League Baseball . Again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Matsuzaka received the world classic MVP, finishing with a record of 3–0 and an ERA of 2.54. In 2013, Robinson Canó won MVP after hitting .469 with two home runs and six RBI over the course of the tournament. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman took home the award in 2017 for the United States. Stroman posted

4773-695: The Capitol of Puerto Rico is home to the Iglesias Pantín and Rafael Hernández Marín parks, and a line of monuments located along Constitución Avenue which includes the Walkway of the Presidents , the Puerto Rico Police Memorial Monument and The Holocaust Memorial Monument. The Loma de los Vientos , or Loma del Viento (Spanish for "hill of winds"), is a small open green area located northwest of

4902-557: The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista . Old San Juan is also notable for being partly enclosed by massive walls and fortifications built by the Spanish government . The colonial Walls of the city of San Juan had five gates. The main was the Puerta de San Juan, today preserved, built in 1635. It also had the Puerta de San José, the Puerta de Santa Rosa, the Puerta de San Justo and the Puerta de Santiago,

5031-596: The Caño Martín Peña Nature Reserve . Luis Muñoz Marín Park , La Merced Park, Dr. José N. Gándara Park, Santiago Iglesias Pantín Park are some of the parks located in Hato Rey. Luis Muñoz Marín Park is one of the largest in the municipality. It is located in the Gobernador Piñero district between Hato Rey and Puerto Nuevo . The park has gazebos that can be rented for events, green areas for strolls, biking and picnics, an artificial lake with paddleboats for rent ($ 6), and

5160-600: The French Revolutionary Wars , led by Sir Ralph Abercromby (who had just conquered Trinidad ). His army laid siege to the city but was forced to withdraw in defeat as the Puerto Rican defenses proved more resilient than those of Trinidad. Various events and circumstances, including liberalized commerce with Spain, the opening of the island to immigrants as a direct result of the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 , and

5289-641: The KBO League . Venues are located in either indoor baseball domes or at outdoor baseball stadiums which have mild or moderately warm temperatures during early spring. Despite the absence of many elite MLB pitchers due to exposure or conditioning limits set by their club employers and insurance underwriting issues and non-standardization, the tournament continues to attract a star-studded field of elite baseball players, particularly among position players who are potent batters . In 2006, many high caliber players from both Major League Baseball and in leagues around

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5418-521: The metropolitan statistical area , including San Juan and the municipalities of Bayamón , Guaynabo , Cataño , Canóvanas , Caguas , Toa Alta , Toa Baja , Carolina and Trujillo Alto , is about 2.443 million inhabitants; thus, about 76% of the population of Puerto Rico now lives and works in this area. San Juan is also a principal city of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area . The city has been

5547-976: The riparian ecosystems along the Río Piedras ; the Doña Inés Mendoza Urban Forest , a small urban forest located next to the Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation in Sabana Llana Sur ; Los Capuchinos Forest , a forest which covers a small karst area also in Sabana Llana Sur; the New Millennium State Forest , one of the 20 state forests of Puerto Rico ; the San Juan Waterworks , consisting of the Old Piedras River Aqueduct and adjacent historic district ; and

5676-404: The " Jamaican bobsled team of the WBC". On the other hand, Defending champion Dominican Republic extended its WBC winning streak to 11 games, dating to the 2013 tournament, before being eliminated in the second round. The United States won its first WBC championship, defeating Japan and Puerto Rico in the semifinals and finals, respectively. Puerto Rico reached the championship undefeated in

5805-567: The 18 barrios are further subdivided into subbarrios, including the two barrios ( San Juan Antiguo and Santurce ) that belonged to the original municipality of San Juan. World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic ( WBC ), also referred to as the Classic , is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The winning team

5934-656: The 20 state forests of Puerto Rico are located in the municipality of San Juan: the New Millennium Urban Forest , which is also part of the San Juan Ecological Corridor, and the San Patricio Urban Forest , a secondary forest located next to a mogote . The Hermanas Sendra and San Juan Park Protected Natural Areas are located inland within the municipality of San Juan in the barrios of Caimito and Cupey . The architecture of San Juan

6063-474: The 2009 Japanese team such as Yu Darvish , Ichiro, and Hisashi Iwakuma decided not to participate. However, other prominent MLB players accepted selections from their national teams, such as Miguel Cabrera , David Wright , R. A. Dickey , Joey Votto , Adrián González , Robinson Canó , and José Reyes , among many others. In 2017, former All-Stars such as Adam Jones , Chris Archer , Buster Posey , Paul Goldschmidt , Andrew McCutchen and others played for

6192-530: The 2021 WBC would be expanded to 20 teams. The additional four participants would be determined through qualifying tournaments, which were originally planned to take place in March 2020. However, on March 12, 2020, Major League Baseball announced that the 2021 tournament would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) from the 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout planned for

6321-528: The All–WBC team twice. Japanese two-way player Shohei Ohtani is the only player to be named to the All-WBC team at two separate positions, having been named to the 2023 team as both a designated hitter and a pitcher. Overall, players representing 12 countries have been named to an All-WBC team, with Japan leading the way with 12 representatives. All-time WBC individual leaders in various statistical categories through

6450-607: The Baseball World Cup, winning 25 of the 39 editions. Baseball was also intermittently played at the Summer Olympic Games as early as 1912 , although it was not recognized as an official demonstration sport until the 1984 Los Angeles Games . It would take another eight years, at the 1992 Games , for baseball to be accorded the status of a medal sport. For most of their history, the Olympics and Baseball World Cup were open only to amateur (i.e. non-professional) players ; as

6579-453: The Capitol, next to Castle San Cristóbal , and it often hosts events such as the Epiphany celebrations. Luis Muñoz Rivera Park is a 27.2 acre recreational and historic park located in Puerta de Tierra , between Luis Muñoz Rivera, Ponce de León and Constitución avenues. It is the largest public square in Puerto Rico, and it is home to several historic sites such as the Polvorín San Gerónimo de Boquerón , which used to supply gunpowder to

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6708-527: The Caribbean, the beaches of San Juan are currently under the threat of coastal erosion , particularly that of Ocean Park. The threat has become more evident recently and there are currently no state reports dedicated to the documentation or mitigation planning, according to oceanographer and geologist Maritza Barreto. The municipality of San Juan contains numerous parks, including public parks, historic and heritage parks, nature reserves, protected natural areas, and recreational parks. These parks are managed by

6837-523: The Caribbean, a network of fortifications was built to protect the transports of gold and silver from the New World to Europe. Because of the rich cargoes, San Juan became a target of the foreign powers of the time. San Juan underwent attacks from the English led by Sir Francis Drake in 1595 (in what is known as the Battle of Puerto Rico ) and by George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland , in 1598. Artillery from San Juan's fort, El Morro , repelled Drake; however, Clifford managed to land troops and lay siege to

6966-424: The Dominican Republic, while Giancarlo Alvarado started for Puerto Rico. 35,703 fans attended the game at AT&T Park in San Francisco . An additional 50,000 Dominican fans watched the game at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic . In Puerto Rico, the final was the most watched sporting event for the past year with nearly three-fourths of all households tuning in. Edwin Encarnación hit

7095-431: The Japanese bullpen took the mound in the 6th inning, Cuba aggressively responded for the rest of the baseball game, using power hitting . By the end of the eighth, the disparity would come down to one run in favor of Japan from Frederich Cepeda 's home run , who would record three runs batted in by the end of the game. In the ninth, Japan would counter by pushing their offensive limit over Cuba's, which would result in

7224-526: The Korean team to come and encourage the team. In 2013, The World Baseball Classic is one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, alongside the Premier 12 but the Classic is the only one which grants to the winner the title of "World Champion". The buildup to the 2013 tournament included a qualifying round for the first time, with the four lowest finishers from 2009 having to re-qualify against 12 additional teams. This resulted in two new nations making their first appearances in

7353-406: The NRHP in 1984. As with the other Puerto Rican municipalities, San Juan is administratively divided into barrios . What is now known as Old San Juan occupied the western end of a rocky islet, the Isleta de San Juan , at the mouth of San Juan Bay. During the 20th century, the main population centers surged well beyond the walls of the old city and onto Puerto Rico's main island and merged with

7482-440: The Pool D game between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic was viewed by 62% of households in Puerto Rico. World Baseball Classic attendance: World Baseball Classic qualifier attendance: While comparable tournaments traditionally have had one host country, each WBC has used multiple hosts spread around different parts of the world. Thus far, seven different countries have hosted at least one WBC pool, with each edition of

7611-544: The Spanish freighter Rita in San Juan Bay, thus being the first hostile encounter between the warring sides in Puerto Rico. On May 9, Yale fought a brief battle with an auxiliary cruiser of Spain, name unknown, resulting in a Spanish victory. Around this time, Captain Ángel Rivero Méndez was assigned the command of the Spanish forces in the fortress of San Cristóbal in San Juan. On May 10, Yale returned to San Juan Bay, Rivero-Méndez ordered his men to open fire upon Yale using an Ordoñez 15-centimeter cannon, thus becoming

7740-637: The U.S. team included Mike Trout , Nolan Arenado , Pete Alonso , Mookie Betts , Tim Anderson , Jeff McNeil , J. T. Realmuto , Kyle Schwarber , Trea Turner , Kyle Tucker , Ryan Pressly , Lance Lynn , Miles Mikolas , and Paul Goldschmidt . St Louis Cardinals teammates Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman both participated as part of Japan and South Korea respectively, in honor of both their mothers' heritages. Similarly, Los Angeles Dodgers player Freddie Freeman decided to play for Canada instead, in honor of his late mother. Randy Arozarena , despite being Cuban, opted to play for Mexico instead after

7869-468: The United States's runs. In the championship game, Seth Lugo started for Puerto Rico, and Marcus Stroman started for the United States. Ian Kinsler hit a two-run home run for the United States in the third inning, as Puerto Rico's performance faltered without earning a single run throughout the innings. Kinsler scored again in the fifth inning on a single by Christian Yelich , and Yelich scored on an infield single by McCutchen. Two more runs scored on

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7998-462: The United States, with a population of 342,259. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico (Spanish for "Rich Port City"). Puerto Rico's capital is the second oldest European-established capital city in the Americas, after Santo Domingo , in the Dominican Republic , founded in 1496, and is the oldest European-established city under United States sovereignty . Several historical buildings are located in

8127-447: The United States. Among the uprising's main objective was to attack La Fortaleza and the United States Federal Court House Building in Old San Juan . The "La Fortaleza battle", which ensued between the nationalists and the police lasted 15 minutes and ended when four of the five attackers were killed. San Juan has experienced periods of both stagnation and development in the recent years. Gentrification has been noticeable in areas of

8256-471: The United States. For the Dominican Republic, former All-Stars Adrián Beltré , Robinson Canó , Manny Machado , José Reyes , Edinson Vólquez , and more participated. Adrián González played once more for Mexico, and Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltrán represented Puerto Rico alongside up-and-coming stars such as Javier Báez , Carlos Correa , and Francisco Lindor . Venezuela's roster included Jose Altuve and Miguel Cabrera . In 2023, former All-Stars on

8385-494: The University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden, also known as the San Juan Botanical Garden . The San Juan National Historic Site is home to El Morro Esplanade , a large open area located between El Morro and Ballajá in Old San Juan . The esplanade is located in the promontory which gives El Morro its name and it offers views of the San Juan Bay and the rest of San Juan. It is very popular for activities such as picnics, stargazing and kite flying . The district of

8514-443: The WBC in 2023, and 55+ million people watched the end of the tournament, as Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout . The tournament is one of the most popular events in the Caribbean , Central and South America , particularly in Venezuela , part of Northern Colombia and is called the " Clásico Mundial ". The match between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico is considered a strong rivalry, called " El Clásico ". In 2023,

8643-418: The WBC rules allowed players who legally were residents in a country to play for that country, having asked Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to help him in his case for approval of his application as a legal citizen of Mexico. The first two iterations of the Classic featured the same 16 teams, chosen by invitation. A qualifying round was added leading into the 2013 tournament and takes place in

8772-534: The WBC, as Brazil and Spain respectively replaced Panama and South Africa . The round-robin format was revived for the tournament's first-round, while the second-round remained double-elimination. in Pool B, South Korea went into the final game needing not only to win (which would cause a three-way tie for the two second-round berths) but to win by at least five runs in order to have a chance of advancing on tiebreakers. Although Chinese Taipei lost its 2−0 lead in Korea's three-run eighth-inning rally, and then lost

8901-442: The World Baseball Classic was created in order to further promote the game around the globe. As of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the tournament is one of the most viewed sporting events in the world. Prior to the advent of the World Baseball Classic, there was no international baseball championship that saw universal participation from players across the globe. Outside the United States, the formally-recognized "world championship"

9030-400: The World Baseball Classic, an all-star team is selected based on their play in the tournament. Three pitchers, eight other position players (one each at each position, including three outfielders), and a designated hitter are named to the team. Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka , Puerto Rican catcher Yadier Molina and Puerto Rican shortstop Javier Báez are the only players to be named to

9159-442: The aforementioned Dominican Republic in 2013. Before the championship game of the 2023 tournament, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the next World Baseball Classic would be held in 2026 . Sixteen teams qualified by making the top four of their four respective pools during the 2023 tournament. The other four remaining participants will be determined through the qualifying tournament scheduled for 2025. In May 2024, it

9288-617: The beginning of spring training and the regular season. This was a concern for the MLBPA as well, but their primary objection was with drug testing . MLB wanted the stricter Olympic standards in place for the tournament, while the union wanted the more lax MLB standards in place at the time. Eventually, a deal was reached on insurance for player contracts and a fairly tough drug testing standard. MLB teams would not be able to directly block their players from participating. Similarly, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and its players' association had

9417-510: The bottom of the ninth with a 3−2 lead. Darvish struck out Keun-woo Jeong , but walked Hyun-soo Kim and Tae-kyun Kim to put South Koreans on first and second with one out. Darvish then struck out Choo and was one out away from saving the game. But Bum-ho Lee singled, driving in Jong-wook Lee for the game-tying run to make it 3−all and send the game into extra innings . Japan batted first, with Chang-yong Lim pitching for South Korea in

9546-476: The championship. Japan, as of the 2023 tournament, is the only team to win the tournament multiple times. The tournament is the first of its kind to have national teams featuring professional players from the top-level major leagues around the world, including Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In addition to providing a format for the best baseball players in the world to compete against one another while representing their home countries,

9675-540: The city averages 2,970 hours of sunshine per year, or just over 2 ⁄ 3 of the possible total. Annual rainfall has historically ranged from 35.53 in (902 mm) in 1991 to 89.50 in (2,273 mm) in 2010. As with other parts of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, San Juan is often blanketed by waves of Saharan dust coming from the Sahara across the Atlantic Ocean in Northern Africa . Although beneficial to

9804-420: The city from the attack and save the island from an invasion. On October 21, Enrico set La Fortaleza and the city ablaze. Captains Amézqueta and Andrés Botello decided to put a stop to the destruction and led 200 men in an attack against the enemy's front and rear guard. They drove Enrico and his men from their trenches and into the ocean in their haste to reach their ships. The British attack in 1797, during

9933-626: The city such as Loíza Street in Santurce and Santa Rita in Río Piedras. In recent years the city has been the location of multiple strikes and protests, such as the 2001 protests against the United States Navy in the island municipality of Vieques , the 2010 and 2011 University of Puerto Rico strikes , and the 2019 protests against Governor Ricardo Rosselló which resulted in his resignation. On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made

10062-573: The city. After a few months of English occupation, Clifford was forced to abandon the siege when his troops began to suffer from exhaustion and sickness. In 1625 the city was sacked by Dutch forces led by Captain Balduino Enrico (also known as Boudewijn Hendricksz/Bowdoin Henrick), but El Morro withstood the assault and was not taken. The Dutch were counterattacked by Captain Juan de Amézqueta and 50 members of

10191-506: The civilian militia on land and by the cannons of the Spanish troops in El Morro castle. The land battle left 60 Dutch soldiers dead and Enrico with a sword wound to his neck which he received from the hands of Amézqueta. The Dutch ships at sea were boarded by Puerto Ricans who defeated those aboard. After a long battle, the Spanish soldiers and volunteers of the city's militia were able to defend

10320-432: The colonial revolutions, led to an expansion of San Juan and other Puerto Rican settlements in the late 18th and early 19th century. On May 8, 1898, United States Navy ships, among them USS  Detroit , USS  Indiana , USS  New York , USS  Amphitrite , USS  Terror and USS  Montgomery , commanded by Rear Admiral William T. Sampson arrived at San Juan Bay. USS  Yale captured

10449-524: The district of Santurce , served as the main training camp for the Puerto Rican soldiers prior to World War I and World War II; the majority of the men trained in this facility were assigned to the "Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry" which was renamed the 65th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army by the Reorganization Act of June 4, 1920. The 65th Infantry was deactivated in 1956 and became

10578-410: The existing settlements east and south of Old San Juan. Together with Puerta de Tierra , Old San Juan comprises the barrio of San Juan Antiguo . With the annexation of Río Piedras in 1951, the municipality of San Juan grew to four times its previous size. As a result, the municipality also went from 2 to 18 barrios (barrios), 16 of which fall within the former municipality of Río Piedras . Eight of

10707-401: The final. Japan drew first blood, scoring on an RBI single by Michihiro Ogasawara in the third inning. Shin-Soo Choo tied the score 1−all with a home run in the fifth inning. With runners on first and third, Hiroyuki Nakajima hit an RBI single to bring Seiichi Uchikawa home to give Japan the lead 2−1. South Korea failed to take advantage of Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma , who

10836-411: The final. Cuba lost only two games, once to Puerto Rico in the first round and once to the Dominican Republic in the second round. However, Japan lost three times, twice to South Korea in each round and the United States in the second round. This sparked a format controversy since South Korea would have a better overall and head-to-head record than Japan by the end of the tournament. As such, Cuba

10965-401: The first Puerto Rican pilot, became the first native Puerto Rican to fly an aircraft in the island when he flew his Curtiss JN-4 from Las Casas. At the time, the area was used by the military as an air base and it was also Puerto Rico's first commercial airport, and Rigau Carrera was allowed to perform his historic flight from the airfield. Camp Las Casas was eventually closed down, and in 1950

11094-765: The first attack against the Americans in Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War . For his actions, Captain Rivero-Méndez was awarded the "Cruz de la Orden de Mérito Militar" (The Cross of the Order of the Military Merit) first class. The residents of San Juan were furious with Rivero and blamed him for the destruction caused to their city by the American bombardments. Nothing came of those accusations and Capt. Rivero-Méndez

11223-463: The first round were the same as in 2006, except for a "Cinderella" performance by the Netherlands , which twice defeated the Dominican Republic to reach the second round. In the semifinals, South Korea defeated Venezuela while Japan defeated the United States . South Korea won the coin flip held after the second semifinal between Japan and the United States, designating them as the home team for

11352-432: The format used in 2006, where both the first and second rounds were round-robin, though with the addition of tiebreaker games if needed. Colombia and Israel qualified for the first time, with Israel using a roster mostly of Jewish American players. Prior to the start of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, ESPN considered Team Israel, ranked 41st in the world, to be the biggest underdog in the tournament, referring to it as

11481-475: The four lowest finishers (the teams that finished in last place in their first-round pools) were relegated to the qualifying round. Qualifying consisted of four four-team modified double-elimination tournaments, with the winners earning the last four slots in the main tournament. With the 2023 WBC expanding to 20 teams, the qualifying format changed as well. All 16 participants from the 2017 WBC received automatic bids. The restructured qualifying round consisted of

11610-488: The game to the bottom of the tenth. Darvish made short work of South Korea, capping with a strikeout of Keun-woo Jeong to clinch Japan's successful defense of their 2006 championship. Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan was awarded the tournament MVP for the second consecutive time, with a 3−0 record and 2.45 ERA . After the match the team was congratulated immediately for their victory by Japanese prime minister Taro Aso . And Korean President Lee Myung-bak invited

11739-430: The game, they emerged as winners of the pool and of the second-round berth since Korea's margin of victory was only one run. and then Italy was the biggest surprise in the early stages of the tournament, making it to the second round with wins over Canada and Mexico. The tournament ended in an all-Caribbean championship game, with the Dominican Republic defeating Puerto Rico , In the final, Samuel Deduno started for

11868-411: The highly urbanized municipalities of Guaynabo , Trujillo Alto and Carolina . These municipalities, together with Bayamón and Cataño , form what is locally referred to as the Área Metro , the core of the wider San Juan metropolitan area. In total 41 municipalities are included in the entire metropolitan area extends throughout the island's northern coast and central eastern regions. San Juan has

11997-466: The historic district of Old San Juan ; among the most notable are the city's former defensive walls , Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristóbal , and La Fortaleza , the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas. These historic sites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Today, San Juan is Puerto Rico's most important seaport and is the island's financial, cultural, and tourism center . The population of

12126-598: The host of events within the sports community, including the 1979 Pan American Games ; 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games ; events of the 2006, 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classics ; the Caribbean Series and the Special Olympics and MLB San Juan Series in 2010. The Taíno people were the original inhabitants of the area before the arrival of the Europeans to the island of Puerto Rico in 1493. Remains of

12255-400: The inaugural 2006 tournament was pre-selected, featuring the countries judged to be the "best baseball-playing nations" in the world; no qualifying competition was held. The tournament format featured round-robin group play in the first and second rounds, followed by single-elimination semifinals and finals. The first game in WBC history saw South Korea defeat Chinese Taipei 2–0 before

12384-540: The island's first Civil Defense system under the directorship of Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach (Teófilo's son). Rincón de Gautier served as mayor until January 2, 1969. On October 30, 1950, San Juan was the scene of the San Juan Uprising , one of many uprisings which occurred in various towns and cities in Puerto Rico, by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party against the governments of Puerto Rico and

12513-536: The islet due to its shore being protected from the strong Atlantic Ocean waves by reefs that serve as natural breakwaters . From east to west, the beaches in Santurce include Ocean Park Beach (also known as Último Trolley Beach), Condado Beach and Playita del Condado . Ocean Park Beach and El Condado Beach are the largest in the city and they host a large number of hotels and businesses that cater to tourists and beachgoers. As with other beaches across Puerto Rico and

12642-511: The latter built between 1635 and 1641 by Spanish Captain General Íñigo de la Mota Sarmiento. The architecture is more varied in other districts of the city, and the different Spanish , American and Puerto Rican construction styles that reflect the historic architecture trends are most evident in the districts of Puerta de Tierra , Santurce , Hato Rey and downtown Río Piedras , with Gothic , Baroque , Art Deco , and Mid-Century Modern being

12771-477: The mid-18th century and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another historic district currently under revitalization is the San Juan Waterworks historic district which contains the Old Piedras River Aqueduct. There are plans to revitalize the old aqueduct structures and its surroundings to create a historic park open to visitors and researchers. Some of the recreational parks of

12900-500: The mid-1990s. Gene Orza, counsel and board member of the Major League Baseball Players Association , began campaigning for such a tournament in 2004, enlisting the support of IBAF president Aldo Notari . The inaugural tournament was announced by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and MLBPA president Donald Fehr on May 11, 2005. The success of the 2006 tournament led organizers to immediately begin planning for

13029-451: The most notable of these the battles of Yauco and Asomante . All military actions in Puerto Rico were suspended August 13, 1898, after President William McKinley and French Ambassador Jules Cambon , acting on behalf of the Spanish government, signed an armistice . Spain ceded the island to the United States later the same year by signing the Treaty of Paris . Camp Las Casas , located in

13158-801: The most popular styles. Many of the buildings that best exemplify these architectural trends in San Juan are also inscribed in the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), such as the Nuestra Señora de Lourdes Chapel ( Gothic Revival , 1907), the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico ( Beaux-Arts , 1917), the Normandie Hotel ( Art Deco , 1942), and the Puerto Rico Supreme Court Building ( Modern , 1955). The University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

13287-633: The municipality include Bahía Urbana , a waterfront park located in Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra by the San Juan Bay; the Paseo de Puerta de Tierra , a recreational walkway along the Atlantic Ocean cliffs of Puerta de Tierra that connects the Puerto Rico Capitol with El Escambrón Beach and Luis Muñoz Rivera Park. Ventana al Mar , Laguna del Condado Jaime Benítez Park, Parque del Indio are some of

13416-609: The nearby Fortín de San Gerónimo . The park used to host a small zoo, and currently hosts gazebos, gardens, restaurants and access to the beach. The park has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 14, 2007. The Polvorin de Miraflores is a historic district and park located next to the Puerto Rico Convention Center in Isla Grande , Santurce . The ammunition storage house dates to

13545-593: The newer settlement was given its formal name: Ciudad de Puerto Rico de San Juan Bautista . Many of the oldest European-founded institutions in the Western Hemisphere, such as the Santo Tomás de Aquino Convent and the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Hospital, were established during this time in San Juan. The ambiguous use of San Juan Bautista and Puerto Rico for both the city and the island in time led to

13674-719: The next World Baseball Classic to be held in 2023 . Qualification for the tournament concluded on October 5, 2022, with Nicaragua claiming the final berth in a victory against Brazil. The competition took place from March 8, 2023, to March 21, 2023. For the 2023 classic, the MLB urged its stars to participate. Mike Trout announced his participation, which motivated a cascade of others including Trea Turner , Paul Goldschmidt , Nolan Arenado , J. T. Realmuto , Mookie Betts and more of MLB's finest to join Team USA. This further stimulated participation of other important stars in countries around

13803-525: The only unit ever to be transferred from an active Army component to the Puerto Rico National Guard . Lieutenant Teófilo Marxuach (retired as a Lieutenant Colonel), a native of Arroyo, Puerto Rico , fired what is considered to be the first shot of World War I fired by the regular armed forces of the United States against any ship flying the colors of the Central Powers . Marxuach, who was

13932-779: The parks located in El Condado district of Santurce. Dr. José Celso Barbosa Park is located in Ocean Park , also in Santurce. Parque Central , also known as the San Juan Municipal Central Park, is a large park and recreational complex located in southern Santurce near the mouth of the Puerto Nuevo River and the Martín Peña Channel . The Enrique Martí Coll Linear Park connects the Central Park to Hato Rey through

14061-519: The population for these intense episodes by both local authorities and the EPA . Hurricane Maria made landfall in southeastern Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. Gusts of up to 113 mph (182 km/h) were reported in the capital city shortly before landfall in the municipality of Yabucoa . The municipality of San Juan experienced widespread flooding in most coastal areas, and roofs were blown off from numerous structures. The neighborhood of La Perla

14190-530: The public. All beaches of San Juan face the Atlantic Ocean. The Islet of San Juan hosts Los Cables Beach and La Perla Beach next to the Old San Juan district of La Perla , the Capitolio Beach located immediately north of the Puerto Rico Capitol, Puerta de Tierra Beach along the Paseo de Puerta de Tierra , and El Escambrón Beach at the northeastern edge of the islet. The latter is the most popular beach in

14319-400: The tenth. Uchikawa and Iwamura hit a single to put runners on first and third with two out. Ichiro was one strike away from ending the inning when he hit a line-drive single up the middle that scored Iwamura and Uchikawa. Lim then hit Nakajima with a pitch and intentionally walked Norichika Aoki to face Kenji Johjima who was hitless up to that point. Lim was able to strikeout Johjima and send

14448-552: The time of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors . In 1508, Juan Ponce de León founded the original settlement which he called Caparra . It was named after a former Roman city in the province of Cáceres in Spain, the birthplace of Nicolás de Ovando , then the Governor of Spain's Caribbean territories. Today, it is part of the Pueblo Viejo district of Guaynabo , directly to

14577-513: The tournament featuring games played in Asia, Latin America, and the United States. However, the championship round has always been held at Major League Baseball stadiums in the United States. The inaugural winner of the award in 2006 was Japan's Daisuke Matsuzaka , who pitched 13 innings and finished with a 3–0 record. Soon after this performance, Matsuzaka received a multimillion-dollar contract to join

14706-545: The tournament that the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic completed the tournament with an 8–0 record, becoming the first undefeated team to win the World Baseball Classic. Robinson Canó was named the Most Valuable Player of the Classic after he batted 15-for-32 (.469), the most hits in tournament history. After the match the team was congratulated for their victory by Dominican president Danilo Medina . The 2017 tournament returned to

14835-509: The tournament, winning all seven games played . Puerto Rico had defeated the United States when they faced each other in Pool F . In the semi-final Japan reached the semifinals with wins in all six games played in the previous rounds. Tanner Roark started for the United States in the semifinal game, while Tomoyuki Sugano started for Japan. Roark pitched four scoreless innings, while Sugano allowed one run in six innings. The United States scored

14964-526: The tropical environment, these dust storms have recently become hazardous to human health causing haze and overheating in urban areas of the island. Due to San Juan's relatively flat geography, the dust often settles in these flat coastal regions of Puerto Rico as its flow is blocked by the higher altitude Cordillera Central to the south, causing intense episodes of haze to settle for long periods of time, especially during periods of more scarce rainfall. Recent advancements include early warning systems to prepare

15093-507: The west of the modern municipality of San Juan. A year later, the settlement was moved to a site then called Puerto Rico , Spanish for "rich port" or "good port", after its similar geographical features to the town of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands . The local Catholic diocese , the second oldest in the Americas and the oldest in the United States, was founded in the newly built settlement on August 8 of 1511. In 1521,

15222-542: The winner the title of "World Champion". The first World Baseball Classic tournament was announced in May 2005 by Bud Selig , the commissioner of Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball had been attempting to create such a tournament for at least two years, but faced resistance from both owners and the MLBPA players' union. MLB owners, notably New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner , had been concerned about their star players being injured in international play before

15351-528: The world participated in the World Baseball Classic. Amongst the players that made the All–WBC team were Americans Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. From Japan, Daisuke Matsuzaka , Ichiro Suzuki and Tomoya Satozaki were on the team. Other internationals included players from Cuba— Yulieski Gurriel , Yoandy Garlobo and Yadel Martí ; and from the Dominican Republic— Albert Pujols , Pedro Martínez and José Bautista . The 2009 Classic saw

15480-403: The world. The Samurai Japan team assembled their own star-studded roster, including Shohei Ohtani , Roki Sasaki , Yu Darvish , Masataka Yoshida , Munetaka Murakami , and Yoshinobu Yamamoto , to form what many consider to be the most powerful Japanese team in history. The United States beat Venezuela to face Cuba in the semifinals. Baseball is Cuba's most popular sport, and is played at

15609-425: The year before the WBC proper. Brazil and Spain were the first new countries to earn berths in the WBC via qualification, and so far the addition of qualifying has allowed seven nations to play in the tournament who were not part of the original 16. The qualification setup for the 2013 and 2017 WBCs featured the top 12 finishing teams from the previous WBC being automatically entered in the following edition, while

15738-580: Was announced that the pool play rounds will be played in Miami, Florida ; Houston, Texas ; San Juan, Puerto Rico ; and Tokyo, Japan . The quarterfinals will be split between Miami and Houston, and the final round will be played in Miami. The World Baseball Classic is held during the month of March, coinciding with the spring training pre-season for most top-level professional baseball leagues such as Major League Baseball (MLB), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and

15867-486: Was close to the pre-Maria era. San Juan today remains an important cultural, financial and industrial center not only of Puerto Rico but of the Caribbean region. As the biggest industrial center of Puerto Rico, it is the home of industries such as tobacco processors, breweries, refining facilities for petroleum and sugar, and distillers of rum as well as manufacturers of metal products, cement, pharmaceuticals, and clothing. The Puerto Rico Convention Center , opened in 2005,

15996-539: Was formally created by the FIVB and its President, Mr. Paul Liband in 1968, when Canada and the United States of America joined the confederation. Its first Senior Championship was held in Mexico from August 4–9, 1969 and the inaugural game featured Haiti vs. Panama , with Haiti winning 3-0. NORCECA’s first Junior Championship was staged in 1980. Note: Associate members of NORCECA. San Juan, Puerto Rico This

16125-511: Was largely destroyed. In the wider metropolitan area, flooding from Lake La Plata produced flash floods that trapped residents of Toa Baja , and in Cataño the Juana Matos neighborhood was estimated to be 80% destroyed. At least eight people died from the flooding, while many were unaccounted for. See or edit raw graph data . San Juan is home to numerous beaches , all of which are open to

16254-547: Was ordered to turn over the keys of all the military installations in San Juan to Captain Henry A. Reed of the U.S. Army after the Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed. On July 25, General Nelson A. Miles landed at Guánica (in southwestern Puerto Rico) with 3,300 soldiers in what was known as the Puerto Rican Campaign . The American troops found some resistance and engaged the Spanish and Puerto Rican troops in battle,

16383-525: Was the Baseball World Cup , sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and held 38 times from 1938 to 2011; it was known as the Amateur World Series until 1988. The inaugural 1938 Amateur World Series was contested by Great Britain and the United States over a series of five games from August 13 to 20 in England , and was won by Great Britain . Cuba was by far the most successful team at

16512-447: Was the favorite to win the final. The team with the higher winning percentage of games in the tournament was to be the home team. The match began progressing when Japan's starting pitcher– Daisuke Matsuzaka –gave up four hits , five strikeouts and one run by the end of the 4th inning using a gyroball pitching style. Offensively, Japan was able to record 6 runs with the help of Ichiro Suzuki 's batting style of contact hitting . Once

16641-433: Was visibly tired, when they failed to score in the seventh inning, when Iwakuma was relieved by Toshiya Sugiuchi after two outs. Uchikawa hit a single to start the eighth. Atsunori Inaba scored a double to put Uchikawa in scoring position, and Uchikawa scored on Akinori Iwamura 's sacrifice fly . Hyun-wook Jong retired the remaining batters to close out the inning. Japan brought out their closer , Yu Darvish , for

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