Miami Marlins ballpark

[Danielh41]

I don't trust everything I see on Wikipedia, but I came across this article today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Marlins_Stadium

The article states that the new Marlins Stadium is a done deal (and that the team would be renamed the Miami Marlins as part of the agreement), but I don't see anything about it on the Marlins' official website. I don't live in South Florida, so I hadn't come across this before. I checked ballparksofbaseball.com, and they have the same information. Those artist renderings of the exterior of the ballpark with the roof open and closed look pretty interesting, much more modern than the latest retro-parks. The article does say that the Marlins will be releasing more sketches this summer.

[marlins739]

No news is good news, or so I hope. The city of Miami and the county finalized an agreement with the team a few months ago to finance the stadium at the Orange Bowl site and have it open by 2011, just in time for the Marlins to not be kicked out of the Dolph. Demolition has started on the Orange Bowl already, but there's been nothing in the papers about it down here since the agreement was reached in February. The renderings on the page are from a long time ago. I don't know how old the ones halfway down the page are, but neither version is the final copy because they include the Orange Bowl, which will now be torn down. Until I see some shovels in the ground, I'm cautiously optimistic that this is really going to happen, and the 2011 Miami Marlins (the name change is part of the agreement) will finally have a home

[parlo]

No news is good news, or so I hope. The city of Miami and the county finalized an agreement with the team a few months ago to finance the stadium at the Orange Bowl site and have it open by 2011, just in time for the Marlins to not be kicked out of the Dolph. Demolition has started on the Orange Bowl already, but there's been nothing in the papers about it down here since the agreement was reached in February. The renderings on the page are from a long time ago. I don't know how old the ones halfway down the page are, but neither version is the final copy because they include the Orange Bowl, which will now be torn down. Until I see some shovels in the ground, I'm cautiously optimistic that this is really going to happen, and the 2011 Miami Marlins (the name change is part of the agreement) will finally have a home

Do any of you remember the old Miami Marlins Stadium ? I went to a spring training game there back in the 1980s. The Orioles vs Mets. It was in pretty rough shape and was torn down not long after, I think. But it looked like it was probably very unique in its better days.

[six4three]

Congratulations - you caught Wikipedia in a goof. The citation for "done deal" isn't as assured as the text itself. That marlins739 is "cautiously optimistic" leads one to believe that the deal ain't so "done" as all that.

marlins739, you seem to know what you're talking about. Care to help prune the article down to established, verifiable fact?

[Milwaukee T]

Love the Marlins

If you read the stories about the last games at the Orange Bowl; they often refer to new Miami Marlin Stadium that will break ground in 2008 and be completed in 2011. That is what sports folks say.

Now, let's just put a little reality check on this. Simply froma construction aspect; this could go sour real fast. That site has not been tested for anything since the new regulations went into affect post Dolphin stadium. One spot of funk under the surface and that constructions comes to a grinding hault. One endangered bird flutters in one night and the job is put back by months.

There are reasons that new stadiums are built before old ones come down. Reasons more than just using the old one. These old structures are much more likely to sitting atop something undesirable than the ground around them. You build the new one, then as you tear down the old you find the funk. Too late then. This a rare case where the old has to come down first to make room for the new. It may play out badly for the Marlins.

Has it been reported anywhere about Miami changing team colours once they switch names?

[six4three]

Don't think they're waiting until the name change - reports have been around for at least a year that they're going to emphasize the orange secondary color, and phasing out teal (don't know if that means phase it out completely).

[PeteU]

It's not a done done deal, but it is pretty much as done as it can be. I'd handicap the chances that the Marlins get to play in a new ballpark in 2011 at 95%.

All financing is in place and approved. All parties are in agreement. The Orange Bowl is coming down as we speak. Contracts still need to be handed out. There was an issue as to who would provide security for the ballpark--City of Miami or Miami-Dade County, but I believe a comprimise has been reached.

The only potential roadblock may be a lawsuit filed by former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norm Braman, who owns several car dealerships in South Florida and for whatever unexplained reason is gung-ho against the finance agreement to build the ballpark. But I don't see that suit really going anywhere--Braman comes off looking like an annoying interloper trying to undo something that's already been done.

There could plausibly be the construction delay Milwaukee T mentioned (archeological or environmental), but I sincerely doubt it--the ballpark is not being built on virgin, undeveloped land (thank God--that's the last thing we need in Florida!) but rather an urbanized site which has been used for sports purposes for decades. There might be some cleanup issues but I seriously don't think it would permanantly stop construction altogether. At most it may delay things a bit.

Bottom line is that barring some very unforseen circumstance, the new ballpark will get built and it will likely open in 2010.

As for a change in Marlins colors, it could happen, especially with the change to the Miami Marlins moniker. But I for one hope it does not. The teal scheme is a great one if you ask me. I'd like to see the Marlins return to the teal lettering on their uniforms they had prior to 2003--the black and silver is too boring and ubiquitous across baseball. Teal seats would be a neat effect in the new park.

[PeteU]

Don't think they're waiting until the name change - reports have been around for at least a year that they're going to emphasize the orange secondary color, and phasing out teal (don't know if that means phase it out completely).

I don't think orange has ever been a secondary color of the Marlins to this point--it has always been black, silver and teal. They have increasingly emphasized the black and silver (overemphasized in my book, if you ask me) and de-emphasized the teal (big mistake, but that's what happened).

Orange has been associated with the Marlins simply because they play in Dolphin Stadium and orange is a secondary color of the Dolphins. But that would be stupid for the Marlins to use orange---orange is an awful reminder of the orange seats at Dolphin Stadium, something that were way too empty during their tenure there and something Marlins fans don't want to be remembered by. I would stay away from orange as much as possible.

[aqib]

Do any of you remember the old Miami Marlins Stadium ? I went to a spring training game there back in the 1980s. The Orioles vs Mets. It was in pretty rough shape and was torn down not long after, I think. But it looked like it was probably very unique in its better days.

I thought it was called "Miami Stadium" that was the spring home of the Orioles, I went there twice. The last time was 87 when I was on the verge of moving to NYC and the Orioles were playing the Mets so I was rooting for the Mets since thats where I was going. The crowd was 80% Mets fans. I don't recall a minor league team being there full-time but I was 12 back then.

[six4three]

I don't think orange has ever been a secondary color of the Marlins to this point--it has always been black, silver and teal. They have increasingly emphasized the black and silver (overemphasized in my book, if you ask me) and de-emphasized the teal (big mistake, but that's what happened).

Orange has been associated with the Marlins simply because they play in Dolphin Stadium and orange is a secondary color of the Dolphins. But that would be stupid for the Marlins to use orange---orange is an awful reminder of the orange seats at Dolphin Stadium, something that were way too empty during their tenure there and something Marlins fans don't want to be remembered by. I would stay away from orange as much as possible.

As would I, but that's largely because of the Orioles and Giants, who use black and orange to such strong effect.

Nonetheless, that is apparently what the team intends to do. David Samson said so on his radio show on 790 The Ticket They have been emphasizing the orange in print materials and the website (and it is a secondary color, just one that used to never see action beyond the primary logo, like the Brewers' brick red).

Looking for verification, I found this article:

When the Marlins eventually move into their park, they will officially change to the Miami Marlins. At that time, they also will revise their uniforms.

"There will be a complete change," Loria said. "Nothing has been designed yet. It will be different. It will be fun. It will be something we can all grab on to and call our own."

Well gee, Jeff. Teal with black accents was pretty much all your own, but you guys abandoned a great uniform to look like everybody else....

[aqib]

Do any of you remember the old Miami Marlins Stadium ? I went to a spring training game there back in the 1980s. The Orioles vs Mets. It was in pretty rough shape and was torn down not long after, I think. But it looked like it was probably very unique in its better days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Stadium

[Yoda]

Wow. What a dump

[bigtime39]

Orange has been a tertiary logo color for the Marlins for a while (any time they use a baseball in a logo, it has orange stitches, IIRC). If they were to drop any color from their scheme, I'd be in favor of dropping SILVER.
Teal, orange and black would be a unique and interesting set. I would hope that this time, they'd get front numbers on all jerseys. (Although, as always, I'm fearing the advent of yet another, custom, beveled-'cause-it's-easy-now number font.)

[PeteU]

Wow. What a dump

Actually, in its heyday Miami Stadium was a classic minor league and spring training ballpark. Far from a dump.

[six4three]

Yeah, most buildings are dumps after they stop being used. Nature reclaims her territory pretty quickly.

In the older photos, looks like a pretty interesting little ballpark.