San Juan, Puerto Rico ? As the Montreal Expos settle into their part-time home in the Caribbean, fans all over are becoming more familiar with Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Bouncy, odd-colored artificial turf. Enormous foul territory. Booming salsa music. Chanting fans and gyrating cheerleaders.

Only one question: Who was Hiram Bithorn?

Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda seems surprised that anyone would need to ask. Because when he was growing up here in the 1940s, everyone knew.

“He was the first person from Puerto Rico to make it to the major leagues,” Cepeda said. “He did so much for the island.”

Top players such as Roberto Clemente, Felix Millan and Willie Montanez came later, and now the likes of Puerto Ricans Javy Lopez, Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado, Bernie Williams, Carlos Beltran and Juan Gonzalez fill big-league rosters.

But they all followed Bithorn.

He made his debut in 1942 and pitched four seasons with the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. His career was interrupted when he spent two years with the U.S. Marines during World War II.

Bithorn was 34-31 with a 3.16 ERA in 105 games. The right-hander led the NL with seven shutouts in 1943, going 18-12 and completing 19 of his 30 starts.

He tried a comeback a few years later in the Mexican winter league. But on Jan. 1, 1952, at age 35, he was shot to death by a policeman in Mexico.

Reports on the shooting were sketchy, and the circumstances have always been a mystery.

“He was an important man,” Cepeda said. “I wish more people now knew about him.”