IT’S MIAMI
Marlins’ new park truly a field of dreams
MIAMI — Once everyone was able to get past the sort of kinks you might expect from a dry run grand opening — little things like the general manager of the home team being told he couldn’t board the elevator upstairs because it was for “media only,” or Joe Girardi being stopped from attending his own press conference — the retractable roof ballpark that was 30 years in the making shines like a brilliant tropical green and glass gem in Little Havana where the deteriorating Orange Bowl once stood.
Indeed, the Marlins and Yankees were merely the backdrop for the first game between major league teams in the $600 million Marlins Park Sunday. The ballpark itself, with all its unique features — from the aquarium ringing the area behind home plate, to the swimming pool in left, to the 73-foot tall multicolored “home run feature” in center (which reportedly cost $2.5 million but wasn’t yet working) — was the star attraction. On first blush, you’d have to say Marlins owners Jeffrey Loria and David Samson got everything right, even if everything wasn’t quite working only three days before the official opening of the baseball season here Wednesday night.
The first inclination of that was the specter of dozens of white-shirted Marlins minions milling around the media gate at 8:45 a.m., clueless as to when to allow the media into the ballpark. Finally, at a little after nine, the media door opened and standing there, as the official greeter, was none other than Samson, the team president himself.
“Welcome, welcome,” Samson said, extending his hand to the media masses as they trudged through the door.
On the field, Kevin Mathis, the Marlins Park maintenance chief, was in the process of scrubbing down the artificial coral in the twin saltwater aquariums that form the wall behind home plate — with what looked like an oversized tooth brush.
“We’ve got 10-12 different species of fish here,” he said proudly, adding that each aquarium tank holds 450 gallons of salt water. And if the thought of water and fish gushing out all over as a result of a wild pitch or foul tip crashing against the glass is somewhat horrifying, fear not, Mathis said.
“I’m told they tested it thoroughly with pitching machines,” he said assuredly.
Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez, Miami product who grew up within 15 miles of Little Havana and played ball as a youth at Westminster Christian High some 20-25 miles to the south, was almost misty-eyed at the sight of the glistening new ballpark. “This is a very special day for someone who grew up in these streets. I used to have to take three to four different buses to get here. I’d sneak into the old Orange Bowl to see Dan Marino and (U. of Miami 1992 Heisman Trophy winner) Gino Torretta,” A-rod said. “This is such a beautiful stadium for the city of Miami. I know they won two world championships in Joe Robbie or Pro Player Stadium (the Marlins shared a home with the Dolphins from 1993 until last season) and that’s pretty amazing. But it’s not quite the same. For me, this is the ‘hood.’ ”
You could hardly tell, gazing out through the massive hurricane-proof glass windows that stretch from the left-field corner to straight center field, which offer a spectacular view of the Miami skyline from the upper deck level. As for that garish “Home Run Feature” in center — a cacophony of Miami colors and the city’s unique features including pink flamingos, green palm trees, a bright yellow sun and blue Marlins, one of which supposedly dives off the top, presumably into the water at the bottom of the painted mural, setting off water fountains from behind with every Marlin home run — well, if it’s a little over the top that’s just the way Loria is sometimes. The Marlins’ diamond-encrusted 2003 world championship rings, each of which is the size of your standard Oreo cookie, always will be the baseball gold standard for wretched excess.
“We’re very proud of the experience the fans are going to have here,” Loria said about the stadium that finally was built after countless fruitless negotiations between three different Marlin ownerships and south Florida bureaucrats. “At last we have a ballpark. The architecture is exquisite, innovative, colorful and dazzling.”
Still, the diving Marlin remained station-
ary when the Marlins’ Gaby Sanchez homered leading off the second inning against CC Sabathia, although club officials assured he (or she) will be fully functional come Wednesday night. Hopefully, by then too, the Marlins’ security force will be able to identify some important people at the stadium.
When Hill attempted to board the elevator taking a bunch of media up to the press box, the guard put out his hand and said: “Sorry, media only.” Hill smiled sheepishly, then pulled out his Marlins “GM” identification badge and was allowed on the elevator. A few minutes earlier, Girardi, in full uniform, was stopped by the security guard manning the interview room. “Are you media?” the guard asked. “When Girardi, glancing down at his uniform, said no, the guard replied: “Well, this is a press conference.”
Looking at the guard somewhat askance, Girardi said: “I know. It’s my press conference!” A mid all this first-day confusion it took the inimitable Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen to put everything about the new ballpark in proper perspective. “I hope that Dolphin or Marlin or whatever is out there drowns,” Guillen said, implying he hopes for many Marlin home runs. “You can have a beautiful ballpark, with a beautiful view, but people living here, if we stink, it ain’t gonna be so beautiful.”