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Five Reasons the Florida Marlins Can’t Fill a MLB Stadium Like the Yankees

Maybe the heat’s finally getting to me to the point that I feel the need to write this.

You see, all this weekend I’m covering the University of Miami’s Coral Gables Regional at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

What this means is over nine hours a day of college baseball in the 90-plus degree heat and humidity that only Miami can offer.

Through all the sweat and sunburn, what really came into my head were valid reasons- what some might call excuses—as to why the Florida Marlins can’t seem to fill Sun Life Stadium.

You see, it’s a multifaceted problem.

Contrary to popular belief, the Marlins actually have fans. Their TV ratings are near the top for all MLB baseball teams.

Yet, Florida ranks second to last, just ahead of the Cleveland Indians, in attendance, averaging 16,267 fannies a game.

ESPN and other media outlets poke fun at the empty blue and orange seats. Announced crowds are clearly smaller in number. 

But why?

1) To quote LMFAO, “I’m in Miami, trick.”

If you’ve ever visited the tropical paradise, there’s tons to do. Why would a tourist or native want to see a baseball game when they have South Beach’s water and nightlife?

Then there’s the weather.

Temperatures reach the 90s on a daily basis. If you’ve ever seen a Sunday afternoon game on TV, you feel for the fans in right field. 

Owner Jeffrey Loria couldn’t pay people to sit in those seats.

And in the summer, when baseball is the only sport in town, rain can come at a moment’s notice. The Marlins experience delays several times a year.

2) Sun Life Stadium.

Just the mention of its name should be enough, but for further explanation, remember that it’s a football stadium.

The Miami Dolphins play in front of 75,192 fans every Sunday. Under 40,000 seats are made available during baseball games, so do the math.

Located in Miami Gardens, Sun Life Stadium can be a half-hour drive for residents in communities such as Coral Gables. With horrible public transportation (the Metrorail doesn’t go to the stadium) and poor road systems, Interstate-95 is the only way to get to the game from southern Miami-Dade County.

During rush hour the drive can take more than an hour. Who wants to do that for 82 games a year?

3) Who’s on first?

Even with two World Series since 1997 and a flawless postseason record in two appearances, Florida’s ownership has done a poor job of keeping the talent because of a small payroll.

After 1997, then-owner Wayne Huizenga made the term “firesale” a household name in South Florida. Something similar happened following the 2003 team, but stretched out over a couple of years.

Look at pretty much any team in baseball and you’ll find a former Marlin.

Derrek Lee. Josh Beckett. A.J. Burnett. Mark Kotsay. Mike Lowell. 

4) Unlike “Fiddler on the Roof,” there’s no tradition.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have been around for ages. They play in a couple of America’s most historical cities.

Although the City of Miami was incorporated in 1896, its population didn’t begin to boom until the late 1950s when Cubans fled Fidel Castro’s regime. As a ball club, the Marlins’ first season was in 1993. 

It’s hard to build a foundation for an organization without years in your own stadium. The Marlins don’t receive the profits for parking and concessions since Sun Life Stadium is controlled by the Dolphins.

5) Miami is the sixth borough.

That’s the common joke about Miami. With its picturesque winter weather, northerners, particularly those from New York, decided to move down to South Florida. 

Here in lies a major problem: These people aren’t going to give up their childhood allegiance to the Mets or Yankees for a club that just happens to be in their new hometown.

Mets and Phillies games almost always draw crowds upwards of 30,000. When the Yankees came for interleague play last year, more than 40,000 tickets were sold for each game.

Until 2012 when Marlins Stadium opens at the old site of the Orange Bowl, crowds will continue to be small.

By then, maybe Florida will have sold all the remaining unsold tickets from Roy Halladay’s perfect game.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


MLB Replay? Jim Joyce’s Gaffe Erases Armando Galarraga’s Perfect Game

As Detroit Tiger Miguel Cabrera ranged to his right for a ground ball, pitcher Armando Galarraga rushed to cover first for the final out in what would complete a perfect game.

Except first base umpire Jim Joyce had other plans.

Although replays appeared to show that Cabrera’s throw to Galarraga beat Cleveland Indians baserunner Jason Donald to the bag, Joyce saw differently.

And just like that, the second perfect game in five days vanished.

Does this finally prove to the sport that instant replays are necessary with human errors as monumental as this one? The NFL, NHL, and NBA already use some form of it, especially for crucial calls. Might this be the final straw for MLB commissioner Bud Selig?

Or is baseball so archaic and traditional that it must refuse something of such benefit because games are already too long?

Records and reputations are at stake.

Even if MLB was allowed to change the call, which it isn’t, gone is the celebration and euphoria at the mound and in Comerica Park.

Those 17,738 fans (and even those who would probably buy remaining tickets online) missed out on a true feat that I was fortunate enough to witness in person last Saturday night.

Winning 3-0 against a division rival never hurt so much.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay Pitches Perfect Game Against Marlins

It takes more than inefficient pitching and hitting for me to root against the hometown Florida Marlins.

But as I sat in Section 128, Row 4, Seat 1 at Sun Life Stadium Saturday night during game two of three between the Philadelphia Phillies and Fish, my allegiance wavered.

Sure, I cheered as Dan Uggla hit a walk-off grand slam against the Phillies in 2008. 

I witnessed Jeff Conine’s outfield assist to Pudge Rodriguez for the final out that eliminated the San Francisco Giants in game four of the 2003 playoffs.

I even attended the 1997 World Series.

Nothing compares to experiencing a perfect game. There’s a reason why they’re so revered. Pitchers have achieved the feat just 20 times in MLB history.

Heading into the game, all 25,086 attendees—mainly Phillies fans brave enough to miss the beginning of the Flyers/Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup Final—knew it would be a pitcher’s duel.

Philly’s Roy Halladay against Florida’s Josh Johnson.

Yet, no one could’ve predicted Halladay pitching a perfect game. 

Eleven strikeouts against a hit-or-miss Marlins offense?

That’s believable.
Twenty-seven consecutive outs against a tough NL East rival on the road?
Now that’s impressive.

When the bottom of the ninth began, Marlins and Phillies fans alike began rattling their giveaway tambourines, including yours truly.

The rally cap took a night off. So did words of encouragement for the final three batters, Mike Lamb, Wes Helms and Ronny Paulino.

No longer was this about a favorite team.

History was on the line.

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Five Scenarios That Always Come Up in a Baseball Game

Baseball is the chess of team sports.

There’s a lot of sitting around and strategy abound. Managers make double switches to prevent pitchers from hitting in key situations. They pull pitchers for matchup purposes based on statistics.

Baseball’s also a sport of failure.

A hitter with a .300 average gets commended for the job, despite getting out seven of 10 times. A reliever that comes in to face just one batter gives up the game-winning grand slam.

There are also situations that pop up in every game, no matter the team, player or score.

From an umpire’s makeup pitch to a redeeming at-bat, follow the slideshow to find out just what they are and feel free to leave your additional scenarios as a comment.

Begin Slideshow


First Act: NL East Foes Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves to Finally Meet

In late September the Atlanta Braves lost two of the three to the visiting Florida Marlins to close out the regular season.

By then, the Philadelphia Phillies had already closed out the National League East division and the battle at Turner Field was for second place.

Fast forward eight months later.

The two teams are a half game apart in the standings and will once again face each other Tuesday night at Sun Life Stadium.

For all the talk about division rivals playing way too many times during a 162-game schedule, the Marlins (23-22) and Braves (23-21) somehow managed to complete almost 30 percent of the season before sharing the same diamond. 

Jason Heyward, meet Anibal Sanchez.

Mike Stanton…Scratch that.

After a quick three-game set, Florida and Atlanta won’t meet again until July. And in the final month of the season they will play six games, which could decide the division or wild card.  

Instead of complaining about interleague play, those with pull should find a way to expand upon it and fix the unbalanced schedule.

Despite its inception in 1997, the Marlins and Chicago White Sox didn’t meet until 2007. Three more games this past weekend and the tally stands at six.

Those who don’t follow the sport complain that the season is too long. How can a game in April matter when there are still five months left? 

Playing different teams more often makes the game more exciting.

Former players reappear.

Legendary managers sign autographs before the game.

Last year when the New York Yankees visited, the average attendance was over 40,000 fans.

If Major League Baseball wants the Marlins to fill a football stadium until they move into their own ballpark in 2012, give them a schedule that breaks away from the monotony and routine. 

Until then, it’s Atlanta and Florida in a best-of-18 series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


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