Since the last couple got closed due to a certain loony member I'll start another one.
Yes the ballpark is great.Wow, it's stunning! They were building it when I left Miami, so I never got to see the end result.
The traffic... not so great. It is a mess. Especially at the exit ramps (17th and 27th avenue).How has it impacted traffic in the area though? I'd imagine that 836 is a bit of a mess. It was always tricky coming home from work on nights when the Heat were playing.
Yep looking forward to the preview episode on Saturday night, April 21st at 9 pm on Showtime.I completely forgot Showtime has been filming behind the scenes this whole time. They surely picked the right organization to document this year.
MARLINS PARK
Miami Marlins working to plug leaks in Marlins Park’s roof
With the roof closed more than expected, the Marlins learned that leaks must be fixed and that the outfield grass needs some care.
BY MANNY NAVARRO
MNAVARRO@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Marlins president David Samson said it was going to take the organization all year to work out the kinks at the new ballpark.
A month in, the Marlins are still trying to figure out how to plug leaks in their 8,000-ton retractable roof and how to stop the grass from dying in the outfield.
“We knew going in the other retractable-roof ballparks had to make adjustments the first two years to get their ballpark right,” Samson said. “We hope we get it right the first time. So far, it’s not right. We’re going to keep working and finding a way to make it better.”
With the team hitting the road Tuesday for nine games in San Francisco, San Diego and Houston, the grounds crew at Marlins Park is first going to turn its attention to the grass in the outfield — particularly right field — that is turning brown.
“I would say the sod had as difficult an April as the team did,” Samson said.
Samson said showers in April caused the retractable roof at Marlins Park to be closed more often than they expected. The lack of sun has led to the decay of the grass.
The Marlins already have replaced the turf in right field once — before opening night. Samson said there’s always a chance they might have to replace the sod entirely. He said it has happened at other ballparks with retractable roofs.
During the Marlins’ trip, the grounds crew will use sun lamps “like the ones you see at nurseries,” Samson said, to help the grass grow. Samson said the Marlins are confident natural grass can be successful in the ballpark, even with the roof closed for most games.
The roof was closed this past weekend for the entire four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and came in handy especially on Sunday and Monday when there were heavy rains and flood warnings. But despite having a roof over their heads, some fans still got wet because of leaks in the roof panels.
“[Sunday] there were four of five spots where we had some drips coming down. The roof people were looking at those joints,” Samson said. “Again, it’s very normal [to have leaks].
“But you need it to rain and see where [the leaks are]. There have been different types of rains the last few days. Back in the exhibition games there were leaks in the roof track in [Section] 321. [Monday], it wasn’t there. Sunday in right field, there were drips in Sections 1 and 2 and 201. But I looked during the game [Monday] when it was pouring, and I did not see it dripping.”
Samson said stadium workers plug the leaks by opening up the panels and patching the joints. “I guess they put gum on it,” Samson joked. “Or, something to seal it up.”
After April’s 11 home games, the Marlins are averaging 30,681 fans in paid attendance, ranking 14th in baseball. A year ago they averaged 19,007 fans at Sun Life Stadium, 28th among 30 major-league teams.
Samson said that while the number of walk-up ticket buyers isn’t large on game days, “we’re selling much more on the day of the game than we had last year.”
Will the large crowds continue to show once the novelty of the new stadium wears off? The Marlins headed into Tuesday’s game at the Giants with an 8-14 record, last in the National League East. In April, the team hit just .228 and scored 73 runs — one of their worst months offensively in franchise history. The team was booed loudly in each of its past two home games.
“Silence concerns me more than boos,” Samson said. “Of course [we want people to come back]. But again, there’s no honeymoon. We need to play the better, and they know it. [Manager] Ozzie [Guillen] knows there’s no excuses about April. But now, it’s time for May.”