For the best ideas of how the batters eye looks, check out the marlins trailer from MLB the show.

 

If that videos is to scale, it doesn't look to affect it much.

IIRC, the thing was 3 million of the 4 million (or 4 of 5, I forget which) total of "public art" around the stadium. It ain't going anywhere out-of-sight since it's required "public art." It won't be covered for the same reason. I don't ever recall there being any plan for it to "pop-up," that's impossible -- it's 73 feet tall and they've known from day one that it was going to be huge. If it's a problem for lefties, it's certainly not going to be easy to move further towards left field as it's in its own concrete oval. Moving it would be a major and expensive project.

IIRC, the thing was 3 million of the 4 million (or 4 of 5, I forget which) total of "public art" around the stadium. It ain't going anywhere out-of-sight since it's required "public art." It won't be covered for the same reason. I don't ever recall there being any plan for it to "pop-up," that's impossible -- it's 73 feet tall and they've known from day one that it was going to be huge. If it's a problem for lefties, it's certainly not going to be easy to move further towards left field as it's in its own concrete oval. Moving it would be a major and expensive project.

 

It was supposed to rise out of the ground, as seen in this.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h2MmD-mKH4

Batter's eye:

That's more the catcher's eye.

That's more the catcher's eye.

 

Hey.

 

It's the best I could find.

 

Don't complain.

That's more the catcher's eye.

 

Hey.

 

It's the best I could find.

 

Don't complain.

I'm not complaining, my good sir, but being realistic.

That's more the catcher's eye.

 

Hey.

 

It's the best I could find.

 

Don't complain.

I'm not complaining, my good sir, but being realistic.

You know I was just messing with you, Mike.

It was supposed to rise out of the ground, as seen in this.

 

Maybe in the mind of whoever did the video, but that video doesn't mean there was ever any serious plan to have it rise and retract. Beyond the 50+' deep hole needed, it would defeat the entire "public art" purpose. Something that's visible to the public for 30 seconds or a minute once or twice per game on average obviously doesn't qualify. Even 150 HRs per 81 games at a minute a pop means the public could view the "art" for 2.5 hours per year.

For those who are wondering, he ended up hitting it out to LF...

If that game photo is completely accurate to the ballpark, then the only problem it would pose is if some right-handed pitcher's delivery takes his arm way out towards third base in a side arm motion, I'd imagine.

It was supposed to rise out of the ground, as seen in this.

 

Maybe in the mind of whoever did the video, but that video doesn't mean there was ever any serious plan to have it rise and retract. Beyond the 50+' deep hole needed, it would defeat the entire "public art" purpose. Something that's visible to the public for 30 seconds or a minute once or twice per game on average obviously doesn't qualify. Even 150 HRs per 81 games at a minute a pop means the public could view the "art" for 2.5 hours per year.

 

Its not just public art, its a home run celebration. What home run celebration feature do you see in major league baseball that is as big and obvious as this one? It should only be visible and noticeable during an actual home run, not a permanent part of the stadium.

Game comes out tomorrow, someone can just check it then.

Batter's eye:

 

 

 

 

If he was two feet tall, hunchback and didn't know where to stand to bat.

 

:nogood

If that game photo is completely accurate to the ballpark, then the only problem it would pose is if some right-handed pitcher's delivery takes his arm way out towards third base in a side arm motion, I'd imagine.

 

 

They would have to be way way out there. I don't think the ball will every travel in front of the sculpture. Might be very close though.

It was supposed to rise out of the ground, as seen in this.

 

Maybe in the mind of whoever did the video, but that video doesn't mean there was ever any serious plan to have it rise and retract. Beyond the 50+' deep hole needed, it would defeat the entire "public art" purpose. Something that's visible to the public for 30 seconds or a minute once or twice per game on average obviously doesn't qualify. Even 150 HRs per 81 games at a minute a pop means the public could view the "art" for 2.5 hours per year.

"Whoever did that video" was the Marlins. They released that for public consumption to the Herald.

For those who are wondering, he ended up hitting it out to LF...

 

 

 

 

That dark green actually looks really good compared to the greenscreen green they have now (or even black for that matter).

OK. Pretty sloppy on the Marlins' part. Subsequently, they were probably told by their structural engineers how much putting it in a 50' hole would add to the cost and certainly told by Miami-Dade (or the City of Miami, I forget which it is that has the "public art" requirement) that a piece of art that's hidden from public view over 99.9% of the time doesn't qualify as required "public art."

Or maybe the design changed a lot.

They don't necessarily need a 50 foot hole in the ground to conceal that thing between innings. All they would have to do is make it collapsible. It would take more moving parts, but it's definitely doable.

 

On top of that, I'd highly doubt that the city/county would cause a fuss if their public art could only be seen after a home run or victory.

Art should be sited in areas that are visible and experience high levels of activity. The artwork should effectively enhance, anchor and activate the proposed site.

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/publicart/pdf/Professional%20Advisory%20Committee%20Guidelines%20and%20Criteria%20for%20Deliberation%20%282%29.pdf

Art should be sited in areas that are visible and experience high levels of activity. The artwork should effectively enhance, anchor and activate the proposed site.

 

http://www.miamidade...n%20%282%29.pdf

...which can be open to interpretation.

 

An artwork that unpacks every time the home team hits a home run or wins a game is arguably highly active, visible, and also anchors the park.

 

The essence of the piece is supposed to be largely it's movement and flashing lights--which you lose when it's not being used. You probably aren't doing the piece a huge disservice by tucking it away when it's dormant.

Open to interpretation?

 

"Visible" means visible. You can't propose to stick a piece of "public art" in a closet and get it approved. Nor can you keep it in a 50' hole (or even a 20' hole) 99.9% of the time and get it approved by the M-D Art in Public Places Professional Advisory Committee.

 

And it's not that the "art" is "highly active," the wording is that any area where the art is placed is "visible and experience high levels of activity." Got nothing to do with what the "art" does or doesn't do. It could be completely inanimate, as is most art. They're talking about the number of eyeballs which can view the visible, public, required "art."

 

Think maybe there's a reason that the Marlins started out with a video of the thing rising from its crypt for a HR, but wound up with something that is visible 100% of the time in the highest-eyeball area in the joint?

 

I do. It's obvious that the Marlins and Grooms were told that a hidden "pop-up" was unacceptable.

 

Some minor things. Clearly the government entity with the "art" requirement is M-D County. I also ran across the cost of the thing as $2.5 million, at least at the proposal stage. The design didn't change significantly, the representation in the video is almost precisely as it actually turned out, the basic animal is the same. 4 levels, same fish, birds, etc. Even the height appears to have remained about the same, it's shown in the video as about 8 horizontal movable-window panes high, which is what it appears to actually be.

 

One other minor thing. Somebody said something about HR features being hidden until they go off. The only one that's hidden that I can think of offhand is the Mutt's apple. Doesn't Bernie the Brewer slide down the slide in Milwaukee when they hit a HR? That slide is visible 100% of the time and so is Bernie. Doesn't the train engine chug along a hunk of track along one wall in Houston? That thing is visible 100% of the time. Doesn't the stupid Chick-fil-A cow in Atlanta do the chop? That cow is visible 100% of the time. Not to mention the video-equipped chopping Coke bottle, which is also visible 100% of the time.

 

The visibility of our HR feature actually seems to be a commonplace.

Read the rest of Buck's comments. He says if there is a blind spot he will use it to his advantage. Like when he is uncertain of the next pitch to call, he will use the blind spot. Other parks have blind spots that their catchers' use to their advantage. It's part of the home field advantage thing.

 

Like it or hate it, it ain't going anywhere.

Like it or hate it, it ain't going anywhere.

 

Probably not.

 

Moving it even 3 feet would have to be at least a million dollar proposition. I'd guess that Loria would fight that tooth and nail, with the possible exception of the case where a whole bunch of Marlins insisted on it.