Editing Hiram Bithorn (section)

==Early life==
Of mixed Danish-German-Scottish and Spanish descent,<ref name=SABR/><ref>Abrams, Al. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s8MwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_GkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3830%2C563254&dq=hiram-bithorn-books-list-origin "Sidelights on Sports"]. ''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. May 10, 1943. Retrieved July 31, 2018.</ref> Bithorn was born as Hiram Gabriel Bithorn Sosa in [[Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico|Santurce]], a heavily populated area in the city of [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], and was one of five children born to Waldemar G. Bithorn, a municipal employee, and María Sosa, a public school teacher. The Bithorn family traveled frequently to the United States. María taught her children English and at one time produced a radio program called ''Abuelita Borinqueña'' (Puerto Rican Grandmother). The young Hiram attended [[Central High School (San Juan, Puerto Rico)|Central High School]] in Santurce, and his older two brothers, 11 and 10 years his senior, encouraged and assisted in training him to become an athlete.<ref name=SABR/>

In 1935, Bithorn competed in the [[Central American and Caribbean Games|III Central American and Caribbean Games]] held in [[San Salvador]], [[El Salvador]], helping his Puerto Rican teammates bring home a silver medal in [[volleyball]] and a bronze in [[basketball]].<ref name=SABR/> By this time, he had already begun making a name for himself in baseball in 1932, while pitching on a team of ''nativos'' playing in the city of [[Guayama, Puerto Rico|Guayama]]. The Puerto Ricans faced the Richmond BBC, a squad composed entirely of continental American players, including slugging first baseman and future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Famer]] [[Johnny Mize]], as the 16-year-old Bithorn led his team to a 10–1 victory over the visiting club.<ref name=SABR/>