Toronto Blue Jays at Miami Marlins - June 22-24, 2012

The Florida Marlins were one of baseball's laughingstocks, playing in front of tiny crowds in the worst stadium in the majors. Ownership fought for a new ballpark and finally got local government to agree to partially fund a new venue on the site of the Orange Bowl.

Definitely an improvement over Sun Life Stadium, Marlins Park has received mixed reviews since its opening earlier this season. There are a few minor problems that are to be expected, but I found this place to be welcoming and enjoyable; it is too bad that more local fans don't feel the same way.

Marlins Park



Located in the Little Havana community just north of downtown, Marlins Park is severely out of place. It appears to be a spaceship that has landed amongst the single-story stucco houses that make up the rest of the neighbourhood. There are a couple of transit options to get there, with the shuttle from Culmer Metrorail Station the one that I tried and would strongly recommend that you avoid. On weekdays after 9 pm and weekends, the train operates on a half-hour basis, and it happened to be 15 minutes late on the night we used it, making the schedule meaningless. It took well over an hour to get home after the Friday night game, when it should take about 30 minutes. For the weekend, I found free street parking just two blocks away, on 19th Avenue at 6th Street. Within a minute walk I saw people charging $10 to park at their house and the $20 lot next to the stadium was just five minutes away. In other words, you need not pay for parking here.



As you walk to the stadium, you might be stunned by the sheer size of the building. The roof may be open as it is in the shot above as they are trying to get as much sun onto the natural grass field as they can, but even then there are teething problems with some of the outfield suffering as you can see below.



There are plenty of ticket options but in the three games we saw, there was no need to purchase from the box office, which made us happy as we would rather not give any money to Jeffrey Loria, who destroyed the Montreal Expos. There are scalpers, but we ended up getting lower deck seats between the bases for less than half of face value from normal fans who had extras. Be patient and you should get a deal.



Before you walk into the ballpark, pay a visit to the Holiday Bakery right next to the Home Plate Entrance in the West Plaza. This is perhaps the best value of any eatery associated with an MLB stadium; I had a wrap for $4 and a guava pastry for $2.50 or so. Cuban sandwiches were $8.50, a $4 savings on the same item inside. This place is tasty, cheap and hard to beat, with a few tables outside to enjoy your meal before you enter the facility.



Once inside, you will likely be underwhelmed by the lack of attractions. There are four colour-coded quadrants that represent the four entrances; in the picture below you can see the transition from the green behind center field to the red that represents third base.



Walking around the concourses is usually problem free, but inside the seating bowl a number of sections close to the field are restricted to ticket holders, making autographs a bit difficult to get for those without the necessary documents. However, I found that ushers rarely checked tickets for the rest of the seating bowl and you could easily move down to a better seat should you be so inclined. The second level is mostly club seats and so I didn't explore here, with the third deck cheap but a bit far away.



Behind home plate you will find the Bobblehead Museum, a collection of hundreds of these giveaway items collected from every MLB stadium and then some. It can take a while to go through them all, so they are organized by team within each league to make it easier to find your favourite. There are even placeholders for bobbleheads that have been given away (such as Brandon Morrow last month) but yet to be delivered.



As the site used to be the Orange Bowl, there is a single pole acting as a tribute to this great stadium. As well, the east side of the stadium has an art installation that represents the letters of Orange Bowl as they fell when the facility was blown up, so make sure to walk around before you go inside.



There are two aquariums in the backstop behind home plate, but you need to have the very expensive Field Level seats to get a close look.



Of course, the most obvious attraction is the Home Run Feature, a mechanized sculpture that is illuminated and shows leaping Marlins after each home team homer. This was voted the worst ballpark landmark by Jim Caple at ESPN, but I beg to differ. Yes, it is rather garish, but the Chick-Fil-A ad at Turner Field is far, far worse, as are the roof rings at Tropicana Field.



Typical concessions are plentiful but must be ignored as there is only one place where you should dine once inside the ballpark. Along the left field concourse lies Taste of Miami, highlighting three local restaurants that offer unique tastes that are not available anywhere else in the venue. My favourite was the side of pork at Papo Llega y Pon; at $6 it is simply the best value in all MLB stadiums; tasty, relatively healthy, and freshly made. Coupled with the bakery outside, Marlins Park is tops for specialty food in the majors. In other words, avoid the hot dogs and pretzels here.

There is also a designated driver program booth right across from the Bobblehead Museum, but get there early as they run out of soft drink vouchers well before the game even starts.



The roof is retractable but shut for nearly every game due to the oppressive humidity that dominates the area. After the game though, the roof is opened to allow the grass to receive the sunshine, so stay there for a few minutes to see that (above). There is also a glass wall behind left field that offers views of downtown (below). The wall is operable in that it can be opened, although it remained closed during the weekend.



Finally, a word about the Clevelander. This is a famous bar on South Beach that has opened a branch behind the left field fence, right next to the Marlins' bullpen. There are seats available right behind the fence during the game that look pretty cool but were not available while we were there.



However, the Clevelander really demonstrates its value after the game, when it turns into a party spot for a couple of hours. There is a small dance stage and even a swimming pool. We stopped by on both Saturday and Sunday and were impressed with the entertainment (example below). Drinks are as expensive as those in the ballpark plus a gratuity so arrive with plenty of cash if you plan to imbibe. The crowd was quite varied on both days, with Blue Jays fans mingling with the locals and everybody having a good time. Naturally you'll need to keep yourself in control if you drive, but the high prices should help you there. Regardless, make sure to pay a post-game visit and see what is going on.



Overall, I enjoyed my three days here immensely. Early buzz on the stadium was somewhat negative, but this is because most people doing ballpark reviews follow the same cliched template. For me, Marlins Park is unique in many positive ways. Yes, it is a covered stadium but that is a necessity here. Sure, the colour scheme is rather ugly, but this is Miami, where old art deco hotels line South Beach. The ballpark succeeds in so many other areas: free parking nearby, cheap and delicious food, good seats that are easy to acquire, friendly fans, and a great bar for post-game partying. You heard it here first: Marlins Park is a winner. Seriously, who cares if there is an ugly home run sculpture; that is not what ballparks are about; they are about being entertained. Simply put, get yourself to Miami and have fun! Billy the Marlin is waiting for you!



Game 1 - Toronto 12, Miami 5

Ricky Romero started for Toronto, the third time that I would see him this year. The other two times, the Jays gave him 14 and 12 runs of support, and today was no different as they thumped Marlins pitching for another dozen, winning 12-5 in a  game that was a lot of fun to watch from behind the plate.



Brett Lawrie (above) was 3-5 with 3 runs scored and Joey Bautista went 2-3 with his 23rd home run, tying him with Adam Dunn for the league lead. The Marlins did hit three home runs so I was able to witness the hated home run sculpture in action. Romero improved to 8-1 on the season but a lot of that is due to this enormous run support.

The Marlins lost their 5th straight. Maybe if manager Ozzie Guillen spent less time checking out the ladies in the dugout seats and more time focused on the game, they might win more often.



Game 2 - Toronto 7, Miami 1



Brett Cecil (above) was making his second start of the season against Marlins' ace Josh Johnson. The Blue Jays got a run with no hits by playing small ball, using two walks, a sacrifice, and a squeeze to take an early 1-0 lead. In fact, they didn't have a base knock through 4, leading me to briefly hope they would win 1-0 without a hit. Yunel Escobar ruined that dream with a 5th inning single.


Joey Bautista singles in the ninth

Cecil managed to keep the Marlins off the board until the 7th, when Justin Ruggiano bunted for a lead-off single and Omar Infante doubled him home. Jason Frasor replaced Cecil and retired all three batters he faced, including Greg Dobbs, who was pinch-hitting for Johnson. This was the key moment as the game remain tied, preventing the Marlins from using closer Heath Bell in the ninth, instead forcing them to rely on their less than stellar bullpen.

After a scoreless eighth, Steve Cishek was left in to pitch the ninth for Miami and gave up a lead-off homer to Edwin Encarnacion, which garnered loud cheers from the many Blue Jay fans in attendance. A single, sacrifice, intentional walk, and balk put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Jeff Mathis tried a squeeze and Cishek muffed the play to the plate, giving the Blue Jays an insurance run. Edward Mujica came on to get pinch-hitter Omar Vizquel but then hit Lawrie to load the bases for Colby Rasmus, who popped a grand slam to deep right that sealed the contest.

This was a great game for me as the Jays used small ball to take the lead early while Cecil performed admirably despite not having his best stuff. Then the late explosion for the win, helped by a perfect bullpen combo of Jason Frasor, Darren Oliver, and Casey Janssen. The entire team and coaching staff did so well and the Marlins' fans in our section complimented the performance. Their team were no slouches either, with Ruggiano making an amazing catch in center field that was the top play on ESPN that night.



Late in the game, Marlins catcher Brett Hayes fouled one off straight at us (above) and the ball bounced around, landing next to a little girl a few seats away. An older guy in front of her took the ball and was immediately hounded by boos until he sheepishly returned it to her, although she had no idea what was going on, asking "Why did I get this?" Exactly. Teaching kids undeserved entitlement when they are young is the wrong lesson; they need to learn to work to get their rewards. They'll have plenty of time to get their own foul balls, if they really want them.

Game 3 - Miami 9, Toronto 0



With rookie Jesse Chavez starting against veteran Mark Buerhle (above), I expected a Marlins' blowout win and that's what I got. Chavez didn't pitch poorly but gave up a couple of long balls, including a 3-run shot to John Buck that hit the HR sculpture. The Jays managed 8 hits but no runs, with Brett Lawrie thrown out at home in the only real chance they had. Below is the fantastic scoreboard with the Marlins already up 4 in the second inning.



The Marlins ended a streak of 25 straight games scoring 5 runs or less. At least Toronto took 2 of 3 in the series, and split the 6 road games I saw on this trip.

Notes

The Marlins need to hire some knowledgeable baseball people to run their trivia contests. On two separate occasions on Saturday, they misspelled a hall-of-famer's name.





Next Up

Back to the Florida State League, with 6 games in the next 5 days, weather permitting (Florida has been hit by Tropical Storm Debby over the past couple of days). Tomorrow I return to Roger Dean Stadium to check out the Palm Beach Cardinals so come back on Tuesday for an update.

Best,

Sean

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Miami Marlins at Tampa Bay Rays - June 15-16, 2012

With the Florida State League on its all-star break, I spent the weekend in Tampa Bay where the Rays were hosting the Marlins in what is dubbed the Citrus Series. The Rays swept the Miami games the previous weekend so Ozzie Guillen's boys had revenge on their mind.

Tropicana Field

The Florida Suncoast Dome was opened in 1990 in an attempt to get an MLB franchise to move from another city. Despite coming close a couple of times, the Tampa Bay area was unable to attract an existing team, and salt was rubbed on those wounds when the Florida Marlins were awarded an expansion franchise for 1993. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning and AFL's Tampa Bay Storm made use of the new facility to put St. Petersburg on the major league sports map, but it was an MLB tenant that the city really wanted. Finally, in 1995, the Devil Rays were awarded, with play to begin three years later. in 1996, the other franchises moved across the Bay to Tampa's new and more suitable Ice Palace (now the Tampa Bay Times Forum), opening up the renamed Tropicana Field for the Devil Rays to call home.

I visited The Trop on my MLB road trip in 2001 and found it to be one of the worst venues at that time. Since then though, it has undergone some additions that make it a much more enjoyable spot to watch a game despite a relatively poor fan base.



The first thing to do is find parking. There are plenty of lots immediately surrounding the ballpark but they are expensive, with prices varying depending on the day of the week. Better to make your way to the other side of town where you can park along the street around 1st Street and Central Avenue. There are meters there that expire at 6 pm (and are free on weekends).  From there you can enjoy a drink or two at one of the Central Avenue bars (Five Bucks Drinkery and Midtown Sundries are two that I liked) before taking the free shuttle from 2nd Street and Central. You will be dropped off right at the stadium, a five-minute ride, and the shuttle will pick you up there after the game.



For tickets, there are four game types depending on the opponent and day of the week, and twelve seating areas which I will not rehash here. I like the first row of the upper deck, at $24 for a platinum game, it was a reasonable price. Tickets are $3 cheaper if bought more than 5 hours before game time. If you prefer the unofficial route, I saw a few scalpers outside the box office as well but in the heat I'm not sure it is worth wandering around that much. Once inside, if you want to try sitting in a better location than you have paid for, be careful. The Rays employ ushers to keep riffraff out of the good seats but if you are shameless, you might get lucky and find a nice guy who will let you stay.

Before the game, most of the excitement is on the lower concourse behind the outfield fence. There are three "streets" named for the outfield positions, each with several attractions. If you are in right field, entered the seating area and have a look in section 144, where a solitary yellow seat stands out in a sea of blue. This is where Wade Boggs' 3000th hit landed, he was the first to hit that milestone with a home run.



The highlight here is the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame, with memorabilia from Williams' career as well as small displays for a number of baseball's best batters, such as Ernie Banks (below). A section commemorates the Negro Leagues, there is a window on Japanese baseball, and a number of other exhibits that make this a must-see. There are even a few pitchers inducted, making it a bit of a misnomer.  It is free to enter and not that crowded, and might take you up to 30 minutes depending on how much you want to read.



For kids, the Rays Touch Tank allows fans to touch live cownose rays and for $5 you can even feed them. Expect to wait here for a while as there was a lineup well before game time.



As you walk around the area, note the wall murals that explain the history of baseball in Tampa Bay, both on and off the field. Above is an example showing Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe who spent time together in St. Petersburg in 1961, just before her death.



A new addition here is the timeline from September 28, 2011, when the Rays beat the Yankees while Boston lost to the Orioles, giving Tampa Bay the Wild Card berth in one of the most electrifying days in baseball history. Still, it always annoys me to see Wild Card Pennants; finishing second is not worth celebrating.



There is also a cigar bar on the second level of Center Field Street that has plush chairs and big screen TVs that let you live it up for a while. If you prefer the game live, the Batters Eye Restaurant across the way is a full-service eatery with two seatings: one in the two-hour period before first pitch and the other during the game.



I did not eat any food as the prices were rather expensive, but the Cuban sandwiches looked interesting as did an Italian meatball sandwich, both at $9. Don't bother with the designated driver program, you are supposed to get a 12-oz pop but instead you will get a 12-oz cup filled with 11 ounces of ice and 1 ounce of soda. The above photo shows the food court near gate 5, smartly designed apart from the concourse to prevent crowding. Below is the main entrance at gate 1, with a nice thank you to the fans.



The main scoreboard is big and has all the info you need. I like how the positions and uniform numbers change in the lineups; below you see the positions but every few seconds these become uniform numbers. There are also a few stats boards around the ballpark, and a dot matrix board that shows the pitch count among other info.



One final touch is that the roof glows orange after the Rays win. As I drove by after Friday's game, it was quite cool but I couldn't stop on the highway to grab a picture.

Overall, Tropicana Field makes the best of a bad situation. It is just a year younger than the nearly-obsolete Rogers Centre, but has undergone the changes necessary to keep itself as an attraction. There are rumours that a new stadium will be necessary to keep the team in town, so if you have yet to visit, do make an effort in the near future and check out a game or two at the Trop.

Game 1 - Tampa Bay 11, Miami 0



Carlos Zambrano (above) got the start for Miami against Matt Moore. The Big Z should have been called the Big W as he walked 6 batters in 2+ innings and Tampa Bay made him pay, scoring 3 of those walks on their way to a quick 4-0 lead.

The Marlins offense was as inept as their pitching. Donovan Solano singled as the second batter of the game and that was the only hit they could muster off Moore, who was solid through seven. Meanwhile, the Marlins added two more in the 5th and then another five in the 7th, highlighted by a Desmond Jennings bases-clearing double (below).



The Rays' relievers had no trouble shutting down the anemic Marlins' bats over the last two frames and the home team walked away with an 11-0 victory, a combined 1-hitter.

Carlos Pena was the star, walking 4 times and scoring each time he walked. Hideki Matsui went hitless in 5 trips and is definitely struggling.

Game 2 - Miami 4, Tampa Bay 3 (15)



This game was the opposite of the blowout the day before. James Shields (above) started for Tampa Bay and was the victim of poor defense, giving up 3 unearned runs early. The Rays scratched a couple of runs back and were trailing 3-2 at the 7th-inning stretch.


Hanley Ramirez returned after missing Friday's game due to a nose injury suffered in batting practice.

I had bought the cheap seats and was sitting upstairs for most of the game but at this point, I moved down to watch what I thought would be the last couple of innings. Just as I sat down, the Rays tied it up in the bottom of the 7th when Sean Rodriguez tripled home Pena.


B.J. Upton singles in the 13th

After that, the bullpens took over, throwing one scoreless frame after another as we headed to extra innings and then some. The battle was in its 15th frame when Scott Cousins tripled home Justin Ruggiano, the fourth three-bagger of the evening. Heath Bell struck out the side for the save, getting Matsui looking to end the game. Matsui went 0-for-6 with a walk and is simply not that effective anymore.



In fact, the only memorable hit he had in these two games was a foul ball that nearly beaned me. A kindly usher had let me sit in the wheelchair section that had been abandoned by the ticketed patron. This was just a folding chair on the concourse along the third base line. I was trying to get pictures of Matsui when he fouled one off right at me (above). It took me a second to see the ball, at which time I realized that I had no free hands to try to catch it. I ducked and the ball fortunately fell just in front of me and shattered the plastic fence that is "supposed" to protect disabled fans from foul balls. The ball bounded past me, but I was too confused by the shards of plastic flying about to bother to chase it. When all settled down, the guy next to me had the ball and I got a picture of the hole in the fence.



If you believe in karma, then perhaps Matsui was telling me to stop ragging on him. Sorry Hideki, but it is time to retire.

Notes

If the Rays strikeout 10 or more batters, all fans get a free small pizza from Papa John's. However, you have to go to a local furniture store to pick up the coupon, so for most people, the hassle factor is not worth the $8.50 you would save, since the stores are generally not conveniently located. Very smart promotion in that you get the publicity without having to pay out that much.

I had originally planned to see the Florida State League All-Star Game on Saturday, which was being held in Port Charlotte. I changed my mind when I saw that the giveaway item at Tampa Bay was an MLB drawstring backpack. Any time I can acquire a one-of-a-kind item that makes me even geekier, I cannot resist. Have a look at this baby below - fits a scorebook, two pens, and a camera comfortably!



A Special Memory

In 2001 I saw all 30 MLB ballparks and the Trop was the site of one of the best games I saw. Roger Clemens took the hill for the Yankees in the early August affair, while rookie Jason Standridge was given his first MLB start for the Devil Rays. Clemens was on an 11-game win streak yet Standridge was the star, throwing over 6 scoreless innings only to have his bullpen blow it in the 9th. Clemens went on to win 19 in a row and the Yankees took the ALCS, knocking off 116-win Seattle.

Fast-forward to Game 7 of the World Series in Phoenix. Clemens started and I was again in attendance. As you all remember, the Yankees lost in the 9th on Luis Gonzalez' squib single off Mariano Rivera and Phoenix went crazy, winning the title in just their 4th year of existence. It was great fun being there as I celebrated with the locals.

For me though, things got even weirder the next day. I went to an Arizona Fall League game in Maryvale and the starter for one team was none other than Standridge! He tossed four hitless innings and his team then went on to a 7-inning, 3-pitcher, combined no-hitter. It amazed me that they could be on the same stage in August and then so far apart, baseball-wise at least, just three months later and no one ever made the connection.

Interestingly, Standridge never realized the promise he showed in his first start, bouncing between the majors and minors before moving to Japan in 2010, where he still throws for the Hanshin Tigers.

Next Up

The FSL season resumes tomorrow and I am in Bradenton to watch the Marauders hosting the St. Lucie Mets. As usual, updates will be posted here.

Best,

Sean

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Fours Are Wild Road Trip

I like to post road trip ideas here even when I'm not taking them as it keeps the creative juices flowing. While browsing the NCAA Baseball home page, I noticed that the Final Four and Frozen Four were being held one week after the other, with both taking place in the southeast; New Orleans is hosting the hoops on March 31 and April 2, while Tampa showcases the hockey on April 5 and 7. At the same time, the newly-named Miami Marlins open their ballpark on 4/4. Fours everywhere! A bit of searching to find some other games in between and we have the following:

Sat Mar 31   NCAA Final Four at New Orleans
Sun Apr  1   Arkansas at LSU (NCAA Baseball at Baton Rouge)
Mon Apr  2   NCAA Basketball Championship Game at New Orleans
Tue Apr  3   Winnipeg Jets at Florida Panthers or Florida Gulf Coast at Florida State (NCAA Baseball at Tallahassee)
Wed Apr  4   St. Louis Cardinals at Miami Marlins (Stadium Opener)
Thu Apr  5   NCAA Frozen Four at Tampa
Fri Apr  6   New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (Home Opener)
Sat Apr  7   NCAA Frozen Four Final at Tampa

It would be a long drive (850 miles) from New Orleans to Sunrise to see the Panthers, so Tallahassee might be a more reasonable stop. In reality though, you'd probably want to reserve that day for recovering from the post-game party that is sure to rock Bourbon Street.

Best,

Sean

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2012 Florida Road Trip Planned!

The Majors released the 2012 schedule about a month ago and I knew that I would be visiting Miami to see the Marlins' new stadium. When I saw that the Blue Jays would be playing there over a weekend in June, I knew that would be the linchpin of a great Florida trip, where I hoped to also see games in the 12 Florida State League parks as well as the Southern League's Jacksonville Suns and the Tampa Rays. I initially thought I would fly to Miami, but then I saw the Jays would be in Atlanta two weeks before their Marlins visit, so I added those 3 games onto the list and will fly straight there.

Next up was to find out if I could easily add the 13 other games plus some Rays' action. I don't think I've ever had a roadtrip schedule work out so perfectly - as I went from ballpark to ballpark in more or less the same order you would drive, each team had a home game on that day. Of course, the FSL is geographically concentrated, so you can choose from 2 or 3 locations but still, it was a lot of fun to have it work out so well.

Game times are mostly TBD, but there are no difficult drives on this jaunt, so it shouldn't be a problem. Without further ado, here's the schedule:

Fri Jun 8   Toronto Blue Jays at Atlanta Braves
Sat Jun 9   Toronto Blue Jays at Atlanta Braves
Sun Jun 10  Toronto Blue Jays at Atlanta Braves
Mon Jun 11  Jackson Generals at Jacksonville Suns 7:05
Tue Jun 12  Daytona Cubs at Brevard County Manatees 6:35
Wed Jun 13  Dunedin Blue Jays at Lakeland Flying Tigers
Thu Jun 14  Tampa Yankees at Clearwater Threshers
Fri Jun 15  Florida Marlins at Tampa Rays
Sat Jun 16  FSL All-Star Game at Port Charlotte
Sun Jun 17  Florida Marlins at Tampa Rays
Mon Jun 18  St. Lucie Mets at Bradenton Marauders
Tue Jun 19  Palm Beach Cardinals at Charlotte Stone Crabs
Wed Jun 20  Fort Myers Miracle at Jupiter Hammerheads
Thu Jun 21  Jupiter Hammerheads at Palm Beach Cardinals
Fri Jun 22  Toronto Blue Jays at Miami Marlins
Sat Jun 23  Toronto Blue Jays at Miami Marlins
Sun Jun 24  Toronto Blue Jays at Miami Marlins
Mon Jun 25  Daytona Cubs at St. Lucie Mets
Tue Jun 26  Tampa Yankees at Fort Myers Miracle
Wed Jun 27  Bradenton Marauders at Dunedin Blue Jays
Thu Jun 28  Brevard County Manatees at Tampa Yankees
Fri Jun 29  Dunedin Blue Jays at Daytona Cubs

June is still a very long time away, and I am planning a Prairie hockey trip for February to see the Leafs in Alberta as well as a couple of Jets games and a number of WHL contests. When that trip is set and booked, I'll post the schedule here. I'm also going to be seeing a few more events in Japan in the next month, so check back for reports on those.

Best,

Sean

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