Baseball lives in Flordia: Marlins' new stadium passes all hurdles, team to be renamed Miami Marlins

[adamb100]

It looks like the new Marlins stadium passed all the hurdles and ground breaking is set to happen later this year. As part of the deal the team will be renamed the Miami Marlins when the stadium opens.

 

The team on Monday cleared the last political hurdle in its decade-long quest to get its own ballpark in Miami when the Miami-Dade County commission voted to approve the multi-million dollar deal.

 

The team will be renamed the Miami Marlins when the stadium opens.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4010908

[Invader3K]

Kind of surprised they finally got it done, especially given the current economy. I guess all that remains to be seen is if people will actually show up to their games when the new park is built.

[adamb100]

I find it funny that a Marlins spokesperson said they expect near sellouts for the first season and 2 million+ attendance for the next 7 years afterwards. I know that the Marlins play in a dump but I think there expecting too much there.

[TooLiveBrew]

Part of the attendance problem was also due to the stadium's location relative to Miami proper, iirc.

 

The vote came four days after Miami city commissioners approved the stadium, which will be built near downtown in the city's Little Havana neighborhood on the site of the demolished Orange Bowl. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the stadium opening for the 2012 season.

That location should help quite a bit. Also, "Miami Marlins" sounds a lot better than their current name imho

[Invader3K]

Yes, I believe the current stadium is something like 40 minutes from Miami's actual downtown. I could be wrong, though.

 

I do like the name change...no real point in still being the "Florida" team, what with the Rays also in the state.

[bthurley19]

Anyone think of Back to the Future Part 2 with there now being an actual Miami team?

[Invader3K]

I was actually thinking of that earlier, yes. I don't remember what the team in the movie was called, though.

 

Hopefully the part in the movie about the Cubs winning the World Series is wrong, though. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Blancofan1]

Having a stadium with a retractable roof should really give their attendance a boost as well. I'd feel a lot better about going to a game there if I knew it wasn't going to be halted by rain or just plain uncomfortably humid.

[MessiahRp]

I was actually thinking of that earlier, yes. I don't remember what the team in the movie was called, though.

 

Hopefully the part in the movie about the Cubs winning the World Series is wrong, though. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

The Miami team had a gator in its logo IIRC. And hey if it takes until 2015 for the Cubs to win their first World Series since 1908, that is a pretty good losing streak. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Rp

[endaround]

Keep in mind the Marlins didn't want fans to show up. The stadium revenue was still flowing in large part to the Huzingas. They were better off with sparse crowds trying to force a stadium issue.

[Teatoe993]

Marlins would have to move to the AL if a Marlins/Cubs World Series were to happen in 2015. That is if they remain playing with todays rules.

[steve267268]

Great news for Marlin fans. I've always loved the idea of a downtown ballpark, provided there is room to tailgate.

[Tailgat0r76]

Having a stadium with a retractable roof should really give their attendance a boost as well. I'd feel a lot better about going to a game there if I knew it wasn't going to be halted by rain or just plain uncomfortably humid.

I think this will help more than anything else, really. When I went down to Miami for the Brewers/Marlins series two years ago I remember talking to an old man who said he had season tickets but rarely came. He explained most nights he was worried about rain-outs; and he also said he never came on Sunday-afternoon games because it was just too hot. Good for Miami, they have an exciting young team (as usual)

[CarRamrod01]

Anyone think of Back to the Future Part 2 with there now being an actual Miami team?

Jeffrey Loria flipped his shades down, turned to me, and said, "When this stadium hits 88 miles an hour you're going to see some serious [redacted]."

[pitchleague]

Is it just me that remembers this or others? In the movie that is being referred to, doesn't Marty McFly also see the words, "Three in a row" on the board that declares "Cubs Win World Series" or am I mis-remembering?

And if I am remembering this, does it refer to three championships in a row or the fact that they won three games in a row over Miami to win the Series?

On topic, good for the Marlins. A stadium that is downtown is very much an upgrade and will get fans to the ballpark. Huzzah! Now all they need to do is change their color scheme.

[owbc]

Great for the Marlins! The question is, what will be the new bottom team in attendance after the new stadium opens?

 

Now all they need to do is change their color scheme.

That would be terrible. We already have enough MLB teams wearing red or blue--it's nice to have some with teal or purple or other interesting colors.

[Patrick425]

I liked this year's Red Sox St. Patrick day uniforms. Except I think I would make the red B on the caps white (and no, I'm not talking about the Leprechaun)

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/bmp/32a1529175f8981ba90c1d11a86eeef9407c067.bmp

[BCZF]

So.. We have a Minnesota team with a new stadium and no roof, and a Florida team with a new stadium and a retractable roof?

[SeriesFinale]

I hear you, but anyone who's spent an August in Florida can attest to the necessity of a retractable there

[razzzorsharp]

I think every stadium should have a roof, everyone one.

[Diskono]

it's nice to have some with teal or purple or other interesting colors.

They need to keep on selling those Starter jackets somehow.

[Invader3K]

I've always thought the Marlins had one of the best color schemes, personally.