Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
ALL-STAR GAME
FanFest a playground for lovers of the game
Meet Marlins greats, see exhibits and show off your stuff at Fanfest.
MIAMI BEACH — The best players in baseball will be on center stage at Marlins Park during All-Star Week.
That’s the big show. For those who want to experience the game first-hand and brag about it later, FanFest offers a giant indoor playground for fans to pick up tips and show their skills during the next five days at what Major League Baseball calls the world’s largest interactive baseball theme park.
“If you’re a fan or you have any interest in baseball whatsoever, this is the place you need to be,” former Marlin Jeff Conine said Thursday during a preview tour of the sprawling expanse of exhibits and interactive baseball activities at Miami Beach Con- vention Center.
Conine and Hall of Famer Tony Perez were diving right into their duties as AllStar ambassadors, working with a group of kids from the Boys and Girls Club in the batting cages of the Home Run Derby exhibit where pitching machines lob meatball offerings over the plate and the object is to belt them over an outfield wall a la Giancarlo Stanton.
There are also opportunities to show off your fastball in the fast-pitch exhibit, field popups and grounders and to compete against major-league baserunners (projected on the screen) in the Steal a Base challenge.
“I’ve seen dads with strollers tearing down there [on the base path],” said Jacque-
“If you’re a fan or you have any interest in baseball whatsoever, this is the place you need to be.” Jeff Conine, former Marlin
line Seciara-Cotto, director of special events for MLB.
FanFest was both a multi-ring circus and a construction site as crews hustled to complete the setup of the massive exhibition hall in time for the Friday morning opening. After today’s 8:30 a.m. ribbon cutting, FanFest runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day except Tuesday, when it closes at 6 prior to the All-Star Game.
While there were plenty of details to finish in the final push, the interactive exhibits were up and running and being tested by some young would-be stars.
“That’s what I like the most, the interactive stuff,” Conine said. “We were over there with the Boys and Girls Club, and they get to actually get in there and take swings and field ground balls and throw pitches. And to get instruction by some of the guys who are going to be here, I think that’s probably the coolest thing, for kids any way.”
The coolest interactive challenge, for kids of various ages, is the Virtual Reality Derby, debuting this year. Put on the VR headset and the virtual slugger has the view of the inside of Marlins Park. Then step to the plate with virtual bat in hand and see how many homers you can hit in 90 seconds.
The results are visible to the hitter and to those watching the TV monitor, with balls soaring over the fence highlighted with Statcast distances.
A local TV journalist who clubbed several into the seats found it realistic and not at all disorienting while in the virtual world.
“It takes a little bit of transition,” said Peter Banks, of MLB Advanced Media. “We don’t let anyone move around too much so that [nausea] level is pretty low. But if you want to go Happy Gilmore and go charging around the cage you can probably make yourself throw up if you try.”
Conine said he is avoiding the VR Derby for a different reason.
“I’m awful at video games, and I haven’t swung a bat in about 10 years, so I don’t know if I’m going to get myself mixed up in that,” he said. “Might be embarrassing.”
Tickets to FanFest range from $15-$35, depending on age group. Children under 2 get in free.
Seciara-Cotto said MLB research shows that the average visit to FanFest lasts about 3½ hours. There is no additional charge for any of the activities once inside. Those using the FanFest Experience Pass can accumulate points by scanning the QR code at about 30 stations around the hall for prizes, including a chance to win tickets to the All-Star Game or Home Run Derby.
Along with the tests of skill, FanFest offers plenty to look at and learn.
There is the world’s largest baseball, certified by Guinness, measuring 13 feet in diameter and bearing the signatures of many Hall of Famers who have participated in FanFest in previous years. Numerous former stars and some current will be signing autographs and taking part in Q&A sessions as well as conducting clinics on the diamond turf, which will also be the site of a mascot home run derby.
Inside info has it that a certain mascot always wins because he has a better view through his costume head than the others, but his identity wasn’t revealed.
There is a hometown heroes exhibit on the second floor devoted to history of the Marlins and baseball in South Florida. There are some Jose Fernandez artifacts in the National Baseball Museum exhibit in the main hall, and the Negro Leagues exhibit has a Jackie Robinson uniform.
In recognition of the diverse culture of South Florida, there is a Latin Legacy section highlighting some of the great Hispanic players. In addition, a large collection of Roberto Clemente memorabilia is on display and will be up for auction during FanFest, including the Hall of Famer's 1960 World Series home uniform, his 1971 World Series MVP Award, his National League batting champ bats and his ’60 and ’71 World Series rings.
For Perez, who was born in Cuba and has worked for the Marlins throughout their 25 years, serving as ambassador for the AllStar Game in his adopted hometown is a source of pride. Tuesday will mark the 50th anniversary of his winning home run in the 15th inning of the 1967 AllStar Game off Catfish Hunter at Anaheim.
“It’s the first All-Star Game here and I think everybody is going to enjoy it,” Perez said. “The people in this city have never had this before. When I walk around and see what they’ve got for the fans, seeing those kids swing the bat over there, I’m already having fun.”