March 13, 2017 [LINK / comment]
Baseball in South Florida
On my way back from South America last week, I spent a few days in the "Sunshine State" of Florida, where I saw a baseball game. My late father often complained about the two baseball teams in Florida, which he believed was just not right. As good baseball traditionalists know, Florida is for spring training!! (Likewise for Arizona, I suppose.) But like it or not, with the Marlins' shiny new retractable roof stadium, major league baseball is here to stay in Miami for at least as long as the lease continues, and probably for good. (St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay is another question.)
Visits to Marlins Park
Soon after arriving in Miami on March 5, I drove past Marlins Park. The skies were mostly clear, and I wanted to make sure I got some good exterior photos in case it was cloudy the next day, when I planned to take a tour there. I'm glad I did! As so often happens whenever I get too ambitious in planning long-distance travels, minor contingencies upset my carefully-laid plans, and I was unable to get to the stadium for the scheduled 2:00 tour on Monday, March 6. So, I contented myself with taking exterior shots from the east side, which is on the left field side. That structure is certainly imposing in size, and the palm trees, gardens, and various works of art give the Marlins' home a lot of class.
That photo, as well as a panoramic shot taken at dusk from the east side, are now displayed on the Marlins Park page. I'll probably add a couple more photos later on.
Spring training game!
The following day, March 7, I saw my first-ever spring training game, at the brand-new spring training home of the Washington Nationals: "The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches." The Nats were facing the Boston Red Sox, once again expected to make it to the postseason. I was surprised by how heavy the traffic was on the way to the ballpark, and didn't make it inside until the first two batters in the top of the first inning had been put out. Almost as soon as I walked through the turnstiles, Mookie Betts smashed a home run way up onto the grass slope beyond left field. It wasn't a good sign for the Nats' young starting pitcher Joe Ross, who is being counted on to pull an extra load since Max Scherzer's finger has not yet fully healed. Then the very next batter, Hanley Ramirez, did the same thing, making the score 2-0. The Nats bounced back with a run in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a single by Bryce Harper and a double by Anthony Rendon, and they tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning. But the Red Sox staged a three-run rally in the fourth inning, thanks to a clutch double by Pablo Sandoval. (I was told by some Red Sox fans that the stocky former Giants slugger has lost some weight, and is expected to do better than he did last year.) The Nats had bases loaded with nobody out in the seventh inning, but could only manage one run on a walk. D'oh! Final score: Red Sox 5, Nats 3. Attendance was 6,701 -- a virtually sell-out, apparently. I'm glad I bought my ticket in advance!
Ballpark of the Palm Beaches
So, of course I had to make a quickie diagram of the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches*, and a rudimentary page with some of the photos I took there. The grandstand appears to be positioned exactly like Nationals Park, with the same angles and curves. The outfield dimensions are likewise very similar, but with right field (335 feet) and left field (336 feet) switched, and with a more symmetrical and slightly deeper (406 feet) center field. The design being so similar to Nationals Park makes one think that the Nationals were intended as the primary resident, with the Houston Astros being junior partners in the project.
* So just how many Palm Beaches are there? FOUR: Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, North Palm Beach, and Royal Palm Beach.