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miami15

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  1. I for one am hoping that the opening night remains at 8:00pm. It'll be an excellent display for the whole country to see in primetime. In '10, the Twins opened on a weekday in the afternoon. I remember being a little sad that I wouldn't get to see it. I understand that the players aren't thrilled to be getting in to Cincy at 2-3 a.m. and then having to play the Thursday game. But (If I understand this correctly...) they'll then have the Friday off before finishing the series. So yeah, let them be tired on Thursday in Cincinnati. But primetime nationally televised games are a once-a-decade thing for this franchise, so I'm hoping they don't move our opener up.
  2. I wouldn't be surprised to see World Baseball Classic games there. Weather will be perfect, the Latin American countries do well attendance-wise here, and it'll be good for the stadium to get national publicity. Have they announced the venues yet? Edit: Just realized they are now doing it every 4 years...so 2006, 2009, next one will be 2013 and then 2017.
  3. Re: the green and yellow tiles. That's just what the transition area between the two zones will look like. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this comes out. We aren't one of those older east coast cities...a brick concourse would have looked fugazy. Plus, I can't imagine the concourses looking any worse than that unfinished exposed concrete look at AA Arena. I think they're going to get this thing right.
  4. Greetings Marlins fans, I haven't posted here in quite too long, but I still lurk. I have Marlins fever in the worst way. April can't come soon enough. In December I was able to go on a brief tour of the construction site also known as the new Marlins ballpark...one of those know somebody who knows the right person deals. It was truly a surreal experience. My many experiences on the site for college football and my intense civic pride really made the tour even more emotional for me. It'll be a wonderful moment when the Fishies (or WBCers?) first take the field and I'm excited for how the team will be able to incorporate the baseball experience in Miami. I don't want to pretend that I'm a stadium know-it-all from my 45 minute brush with greatness. Surely those of us that are on the construction webcam weekly will have a feel for how its going to be. I'm just looking to share what I saw and help get people fired up for April '12. Thoughts on the stadium: -the left field window and view of the skyline will dominate the stadium. The park is not enormous and neither is the jumbotron, so in a sense that area seems like it'll be a main focal point. The homerun feature will probably be a bit over-the-top, but I doubt it is overwhelmingly so. But the left field "window" area feels so close to the homeplate seats. After spending my whole life in a football stadium, it's going to be an adjustment getting used to just how close the jumbotron and right field upper deck feels. -the color-coded sections is going to look GREAT! The stadium may have a white exterior (which in itself, I think, will be unique...like Skydome maybe), but the colorful concourses will be vibrant. Remember, there will be standing room behind the bleachers (like in Philadelphia, Citi Field, etc) so I imagine the colorful concourses will be visible from throughout the interior bowl. I don't imagine it'll be fruity or anything...instead a tasteful and exciting touch, that will work well with the skyline and really give the stadium a neat feel at night. -It is a tiny stadium. This is obvious. I think attendance might actually do well in the sense that there won't be many bad seats at all. -The aquarium between the batter's boxes is silly, but I am looking forward to seeing how the open spaces within the stadium (underneath the scoreboard, behind the left field stands) are used to craft a local flair. -I'm a little disappointed with how tall the parking garages along 7th st. ended up. I loved driving along 7th, where the Wendy's and Walgreens are, and looking up at the imposing (and quite hideous) Orange Bowl. That view is now gone and replaced with the boxy garages. The premier view is now from 836. But it's also exciting to look out and see the cranes and the retractable roof from Julia Tuttle Causeway, McArthur Causeway etc. A whole new touch to the skyline that really competes with the AA Arena, Performing Arts Center, for your attention. And driving around Flagler and 22 or coming up 17th ave from 8th street is a thrill. -Not sure how the big open plaza area is going to end up. How accessible will it be? Will it be deserted during non game-days? It'll be interesting to see how they fill that in and I'm looking forward to seeing what they end up doing with the Orange Bowl block letters. Some pictures: If the pictures don't work, I can put a photobucket link in or something. Enjoy. Go Fish.
  5. Ahhh, I remember this! Looking back at the Herald's coverage of the day really says a lot about the steroid era and the national craze for long homeruns. Enjoy MARLINS, HR BALL TAKE A BEATING \ 529-FOOT SLAM BY GALARRAGA LEADS ROCKIES Miami Herald, The (FL) - Sunday, June 1, 1997 Author: GREGG DOYEL Herald Sports Writer One Marlins pitcher gave up the longest home run in years to Rockies first baseman Andres Galarraga , while another triggered a benches-clearing brawl by hitting Galarraga four innings later. Other than that, the Marlins left 13 runners on base, walked six batters, hit two more, committed three errors and suffered an altogether ugly 8-4 loss Saturday to the Rockies. Well, at least the game wasn't on national television. Oops. Yes, it was. ``We just didn't play very good,'' Marlins Manager Jim Leyland said. No, but the Marlins gave the Fox audience and the Pro Player Stadium crowd of 35,032 something different to watch. Where do you begin? With Galarraga . Where do you end? Galarraga . The Big Cat was swinging The Big Bat in the fourth, when he launched a 529-foot shot to left for a grand slam and a 7-0 lead off struggling Marlins ace Kevin Brown . The Big Cat later was in the middle of The Big Spat when he charged Marlins reliever Dennis Cook, who hit Galarraga with an eighth-inning pitch that players in both clubhouses conceded had a purpose. The purpose? Sticking up for Marlins franchise player Gary Sheffield, who was hit by a Kevin Ritz pitch in the seventh. ``You have to look at it that way,'' Sheffield said. ``My teammate's got my back, and it makes you feel good.'' It didn't make Galarraga , or his left elbow -- which absorbed the pitch -- feel good. ``Believe me I don't like to fight with anybody,'' Galarraga said. ``I know sometimes teams try to pitch you inside, and sometimes it's difficult to say whether it's intentional or not. But there's no question he threw at me.'' Not true, Cook said. Cook also disputed Rockies Manager Don Baylor's assertion that he overheard someone in a Marlins uniform say, ``What does Galarraga expect after hitting a ball nine miles?'' ``I was just trying to pitch him inside, because he's been extending his arms,'' Cook said. ``I couldn't care less if he hit it 10 miles. No one in this league is going to hit someone for hitting a long home run. That's ridiculous.'' The Rockies weren't surprised that the normally mild-mannered Galarraga went after Cook after being hit for the sixth time this season. ``It was 100 percent justified,'' Rockies pitching coach Frank Funk said. ``You can only take so much when your livelihood is at stake.'' Brown hit Rockies outfielder Ellis Burks, like Sheffield an MVP candidate last season, in the third inning, but no one said that had anything to do with the events that followed. Galarraga 's home run and the ensuing brawl removed the spotlight from Brown (5-3), who suffered his worst outing since 1994. He allowed seven runs and nine hits in five innings. Despite playing sloppy defense and leaving runners on base throughout the game, the Marlins had a chance to tie the score in the ninth with the bases loaded and Jeff Conine at bat. Conine tied the score Friday night with a solo home run in the ninth, but he couldn't duplicate the feat Saturday, striking out. Gregg Zaun then popped out to end the game. `` Kevin Brown had a rare bad day, and we didn't play well,'' Leyland said. ``We still had a shot there at the end. It just didn't work out.'' Brown didn't have his typical stuff, but he wasn't above using any part of his body to try to get the Rockies out. In the third inning, he tried to knock down Vinny Castilla's grounder with his right foot, but the ball rolled into center to score two runs for a 3-0 Colorado lead. In the fifth, Brown stuck up his pitching hand to stop a grounder by Kevin Ritz (5-4), but succeeded only in deflecting it for an infield single. The Marlins had no luck in this particular area all game. Jim Eisenreich lost an RBI, and Florida a run, in the fifth when his single up the middle glanced off the foot of second-base umpire Randy Marsh, who was on the infield grass. Edgar Renteria scored from second, but was told by umpires to return to third base, their argument being that a runner can advance only one base if ball hits an umpire inside the bases. Renteria left in the eighth with a mild left-knee sprain but was believed to be OK after collapsing in the third inning on an attempted steal. CUTLINES NURI VALLBONA / Herald Staff AFTERMATH: The Rockies' Andres Galarraga is congratulated by Eric Young after hitting his mammoth home run Saturday. NURI VALLBONA / Herald Staff GRAND DAY'S UGLY MOMENT: The Rockies' Andres Galarraga brings down Marlins pitcher Dennis Cook in the eighth inning Saturday after a Cook pitch struck Galarraga in the left elbow. Marlins players Bobby Bonilla, on top of Galarraga , and Gregg Zaun, left, try to separate them. HOW FAR IS IT? 529 feet is: * Far enough to make Galarraga the Dolphins' third-leading rusher last season. * Nearly three times the height of Pro Player Stadium (188 feet). * 9-1/2 JumboTRONs stacked on top of each other. * About 1/10th of a mile. * Still nowhere near Tiger Woods' class. Woods drives about 294 yards, leaving Galarraga 118 yards short. BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK . . . BIG CAT HITS 529-FOOT BLAST Miami Herald, The (FL) - Sunday, June 1, 1997 Author: GREGG DOYEL Herald Sports Writer Clouds immediately gathered over the spot that marked one of the longest measured home runs in baseball history. It was unclear whether the clouds were meteorologically affected by Andres Galarraga 's 529-foot rainbow Saturday at Pro Player Stadium -- or whether they just wanted to see the spot for themselves. The Marlins' 8-4 loss to the Rockies featured 26 runners left on base, 24 hits, three errors, three hit batters and one benches-clearing brawl . . . but did you see Galarraga 's home run? A ball hit that far should be worth more than one run, and in this case it was. It came with the bases loaded off struggling Marlins starter Kevin Brown in the fourth inning. ``I'd rather not relive it,'' Brown said when asked about the homer. Galarraga 's grand slam was the longest home run at Pro Player Stadium by almost 50 feet, eclipsing Pete Incaviglia's 482-foot shot last May off Al Leiter. It was the longest home run in baseball in years, exceeded only by a handful of blasts that include Mickey Mantle's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., in 1953 and Reggie Jackson's 537-footer during the 1971 All-Star Game at Tiger Stadium. The longest home run this season had been Mark McGwire's 514-footer April 20 in Detroit. McGwire and Galarraga are the only players to hit home runs over 500 feet since all homers started to be measured in 1992. ``He hit it to the moon,'' said Rockies outfielder Admin Walker of Galarraga . In the dugout, Rockies Manager Don Baylor said, the feeling was ``disbelief.'' ``Some guys probably couldn't hit it there from second base,'' Baylor said. Galarraga 's home run originally was measured at 573 feet by one stadium official based on a printed sheet of paper called a ``trajectory scenario'' prepared years ago by another stadium official, which assumed the ball landed 30 rows up in section 413. After that figure was met with scoffs, stadium officials determined the ball actually landed on the 20th row and settled on 529 feet. Marlins third baseman Bobby Bonilla admired the shot. ``If I'm a pitcher, I'd want to give up one like that,'' Bonilla said. ``Forget just making it over the fence. Give me some distance.'' Galarraga did it with a broken left hand. Here's something else to chew on: If Galarraga had hit that ball at Coors Field, where the altitude is said to produce 9 percent more distance, it would have gone 577 feet. On Monday, Galarraga hit one of the longest ever at Coors Field against the Cardinals, a blast that landed on a refreshment stand in left 469 feet away. The longest at Coors is a 483-footer by Ray Lankford of St. Louis. A handful of tickets remain for today's game, the finale of the four-game series, and any fan considering coming to the ballpark might want to consider this: Galarraga has hit a home run in each of the first three games, with increasing distance each time -- 451, 455 and 529 feet. That's an average of 478 feet. NO CHEAP SHOTS' IN COOK- GALARRAGA BRAWL Miami Herald, The (FL) - Sunday, June 1, 1997 Author: GREGG DOYEL Herald Sports Writer Dennis Cook saw a 6-3, 245-pound body -- an angry body -- hurtling toward him and one thought registered on his brain. ``Hope he doesn't kill me.'' Cook was referring to Andres Galarraga , who charged the mound after being hit in the eighth inning by a Cook pitch -- four innings after Galarraga hit a 529-foot home run off Kevin Brown , and one inning after Marlins star Gary Sheffield was hit by a Kevin Ritz pitch. Cook's safety was taken care of by 6-4, 240-pound Bobby Bonilla, who rushed from third base to tackle Galarraga after Cook sidestepped the oncoming Big Cat, grabbed him around the waist and held on for dear life. ``I didn't want the Big Cat killing Cookie,'' Bonilla said. ``That's a big boy. I just wanted to make sure he didn't get out of control.'' The normally jovial and supremely friendly Galarraga has been telling teammates for weeks he was about to snap. He has been hit six times this season, and is playing with a broken left hand from being hit last month. Bonilla and Galarraga disappeared in the scrum of Marlins and Rockies, and order was restored after about five minutes. Bonilla said it was a clean brawl, as far as brawls go. ``There were no cheap shots,'' he said. ``That was nice. Because if someone had hit me . . . oh, man.'' On the periphery, 6-3, 220-pound Marlins pitcher Rick Helling pulled 6-3, 225-pound Rockies outfielder Admin Walker from the pile. Rockies outfielder Dante Bichette and Marlins pitcher Alex Fernandez -- two more big bodies -- grabbed each other. Marlins catcher Gregg Zaun and Rockies second baseman Eric Young seemed to go at it briefly, with words if not fists. Of Helling's choice to grab Walker, Bonilla said: ``Helling's one of our strongest players. He's got thighs the size of the Twin Towers.'' White, Castillo rest aches Center fielder Devon White (knee) and second baseman Luis Castillo (heel), recently activated from the disabled list, rested their ailments Saturday. White's day off was planned. ``I told him [Friday] night he wouldn't play [saturday], coming off the surgery and playing 12 innings, and it turns out he's a little sore,'' Marlins Manager Jim Leyland said. Castillo's situation is more murky. ``It's a mystery to me,'' Leyland said. ``Your guess is as good as mine. One play he's perfectly fine, one play he's not. At one point he ran 3.9 seconds home to first, and the next it looked like he could hardly move. We had a doctor look at him after the game, and he said [Castillo] is A-OK.'' Leyland wanted to give Bonilla a day off to rest his battered legs, but not with the game on national television. ``He really wants to play,'' Leyland said. ``But I do need to give him a day off.'' Conine: Sorry Marlins first baseman Jeff Conine nearly hit first-base umpire Harry Wendelstedt Jr. in the head with his batting helmet Friday after bouncing the helmet off the ground in disgust after grounding out in the 10th. ``We had a conversation,'' Conine said. ``And I apologized.'' Remembering Wehner Utility player John Wehner was designated for assignment to make room for White coming off the DL, a move that saddened Leyland, who also managed Wehner with the Pirates and likes him for more than his playing ability. ``That broke my heart. He was absolutely perfect for this team,'' Leyland said. ``He's a winner. He's special. He didn't play real well, but he's a special guy. They tell me he's a pretty good card player.'' Buck up, Skipper. Unless a team claims Wehner for its major-league roster -- an unlikely proposition -- he will return to Triple A Charlotte by the middle of next week.
  6. The Marlins play the Jacksonville Suns on Friday night next week in Jacksonville. Does anyone plan on going to this? The Marlins once played in Greensboro a few years back...does anyone remember if any prominent players made the trip? Considering going, but the ticket pricing is a little ridiculous.
  7. its all Freddi's fault! At least it worked for the double play. But still this is absurd. Anyone else leave any messages with FSN?
  8. wow this dumb informercial !! FML (954) 845-9994 FSN's general office in Broward. I've been calling and leaving messages to show my distaste. Hopefully tomorrow morning some intern has to sit through them all. This really ruined my afternoon. How sad is that?
  9. miami15

    IT IS SAD

    Honestly I thought we had a very solid crowd last night. The fans were into the game and energetic and the stands behind the Marlins dugout were somewhat "crowded". It's one thign to take the easy route and bitch and complain about numbers but with the understanding that we'll never get 20k on a weeknight, you have to look at things differently. There was a good walk up crowd. 13k is better than 7k. Things won't change over night.
  10. You're quite the fan to be checking webcams of Pro Player early on a Saturday morning.
  11. Once the Marlins move to Miami, I wonder if the other teams will stay in Miami-Dade County ? Of course not! They'll drive 30 miles in traffic each way and stay in Broward. C'mon buddy! :cool
  12. I think we have one of the fresher looking uniforms in the league. It's very easy on the eyes and definitely a good looking jersey. With that being said,iti is pretty likely that Loria is going to give the team a makeover (not just new jerseys, but new colors, logos, etc) when the new stadium opens. Not only has he mentioned that he would do so before, but it is very common for teams to get new uniforms when a new facility opens. Even the Heat switched jerseys when they opened the new arena. It's all part of branding your team. In the middle of the 2003 season we all were witness to Loria starting to use orange (I've seen him quoted as saying its his favorite color) as our alternate color. I don't think we'll ever have an orange jersey but we will definitely see orange in the Miami Marlins. I bet we look like the Dolphins when the new park opens.
  13. Baseball is certainly not what Israel knows best. He was originally the Herald's Heat beat writer, and now writes occasionally on UF athletics. It's really amazing what a piece of crap the Herald sports section is.
  14. Pretty awesome bus. Not familiar with how much they use it though. I lovvvve the old batting practice logo on the front. I'll get that tattooed on my forehead when we open the stadium. Signing the contract.
  15. I just got back from it. There was a stage set up on the baseball fields across 16th ave from the Orange Bowl. I'd say there were about 150 people there, and they had a small set of bleachers for fans. There was also a tent directly in front of the stage for the writers. Hanley got there like exactly when I did (about 11:20). He was brought into the little baseball field on a big luxury bus the Marlins have ( I guess for promotional and Cornerstone for Kids events). Hanley came off the bus, along with his parents, Fredi Gonzalez, Loria, PaperBoy, Beinfest, and a handful of other executives and security. First Loria spoke about how Miami is thought highly of in many of the cities he has visited. He also said something cheesy about little leaguers soon playing in the new Marlins stadium as professionals. Hanley was on the stage with his son. Beinfest spoke about the need to lock up Hanley long term, blah blah he can do it all. He did kid Hanley though for going 0-5 and commiting a throwing error last night. Then Hanley spoke. His English was better than I thought it would be so kudos for him. There are plenty of people that don't ever learn English well after immigrating here but he was definitely capable. The crowd urged him to speak in Spanish so he did. Fredi was also on stage, but I dont think he said anything. They had the mermaids there giving out free Hanley t-shirt jerseys (only childrens sizes) and the big inflatable Billy the Marlin. All in all it was pretty surreal seeing a Marlins event in Miami. Hopefully all goes well and we'll be breaking ground in a few months. I have some pictures too. If anyone is interested I can post them.
  16. Niiiiice Rose Wade Marion Haslem Zo that'd be amazing. That'd be a good video game team.
  17. Dammit, I'm really rooting for him to have a healthy and fun season. Poor guy.
  18. Sounds like fun... wish I were there I laughed out loud.
  19. My dad lives in the Houston area and I find it to be one of the most pointlessly boring areas ever. Hahaha, while I was there all I could think of is jeez I am in a massive Broward County with more interstates/less palm trees.
  20. And for the record he left the game with the Detroit up 3-1 and the reliever inherited his runners on 1st and 2nd. He technically allowed 3 runs but just looking deep into the box score...
  21. I passed by it this afternoon. The pressbox area is pretty demolished, but Im surprised that it takes that long to destroy a stadium. There were some railings outside, but most of the stands are still standing. I think because the City recently passed a law that states that the demolition of all buildlings must be done to recycle parts of it. So they aren't just imploding it, they're going piece by piece systematically.
  22. Thanks for the pictures. So many mixed emotions. Last time I was down in Miami (early March) I did a lap around the park taking photos. It's going to feel so damn weird driving on 836 and not seeing it there. But sooo dreamy (no homo) driving by and seeing Hanley's House going up. You are a liar. You are totally homo for the new stadium....sicko... Honestly, when construction starts in a few years you never know.
  23. Carroll's throw had me up off my couch and punching the air. Tremendous play. This team is fun to watch.
  24. Thanks for the pictures. So many mixed emotions. Last time I was down in Miami (early March) I did a lap around the park taking photos. It's going to feel so damn weird driving on 836 and not seeing it there. But sooo dreamy (no homo) driving by and seeing Hanley's House going up.
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