#25 Pro Player Stadium
Times Visited: 1
Date: 8/4/02 vs. Milwaukee (W 7-2)
Florida baseball hasn’t worked out as planned when it’s come to popularity. This is the case despite the fact the Florida Marlins have won 2 World Series in the last 20 years and the Tampa Rays have been playing good baseball the past couple of years. I think one of the factors has to be that in Miami where the Marlins play, it’s that in the summer time it’ssunny, hot and humid. That was the case when I made my visit in 2002.
Whenever I travel to a ballpark I try to get there in a decent amount of time to avoid any traffic jams. There was none of that here so I had a lot of time to kill before the game. The Marlins don’t play in a traditional Stadium, they share it with the Miami Dolphins and the Stadium was constructed for Football. Once inside I found out that since they don’t expect large crowds that top section of the Stadium is closed off. I took my seat on the first base side and realized pretty much where you sit, there’s no shade. So, on a 90 degree plus day and it’s sunny and humid you’re gonna sweat in your seat. That’s what I did. It was hot. The announced attendance was 6,630 but there had to be less than that there. It was a good game to watch and Florida won with some good pitching and it was nice to see the winning pitching get awards with a shaving cream pie to the face after the game.
I’d really like to see Florida baseball work, I don’t know if a new stadium is the answer but on a hot day sitting outside in this weather isn’t an ideal setting to watch a game. The Stadium just doesn’t work, it’s made for football.