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If you are in Miami for a college football bowl
game, you would likely think the Orange Bowl.
However, starting in 2014 another bowl game will be
played in the city, at Marlins Park, home of Major
League Baseball's Miami Marlins. The annual Miami
Beach Bowl matches the BYU Cougars against an
American Athletic Conference opponent.
For 18 seasons the Marlins played at the multipurpose Sun Life
Stadium, a stadium built primarily for the Miami Dolphins (NFL). Not
only did the team have to play at a massive stadium built primarily
for football, but games were often plagued by rain. These factors
led the Marlins to seek a new ballpark for over a decade. Numerous
ballpark sites and financial proposals were discussed but none
became reality. In February 2008 the Marlins reached an agreement to
build a new ballpark after City and County Commissioners approved
funding for a new stadium. Originally scheduled to open in 2011,
construction was delayed by a lawsuit challenging the public funding
of the project. Built at a cost of $515 million, Miami-Dade
County contributed to the majority of the construction costs while
the City of Miami contributed $13 million and the Marlins $155
million. Located in Little Havana on the site of the former Orange
Bowl (Miami Hurricanes/NCAA), construction began in July 2009.
On
April 4, 2012 a new chapter began in the history of the Marlins as
they played their first game against St. Louis Cardinals. The team
moved from the largest stadium in baseball to the smallest
as Marlins Park has a seating capacity of 37,000. Three levels of
seats extend from the left field foul pole around homeplate to the
right field foul pole. Two levels of seats are located above the
right field fence with limited seating located behind the left field
fence. Unlike the majority of MLB ballparks built, Marlins Park has
a futuristic design that looks forward and breaks away from the
traditional retro ballpark design. A brick facade is not found here.
Instead, the facade consists of white stucco, silver metal and
glass. The three panel retractable roof prevents any rain delays and
opens or closes in 13 minutes. When open it sits behind the first
base grandstand on the west side of the ballpark. Here, on the
outside of the ballpark, is a large gathering plaza that allows fans
to mingle before games.
Marlins
Park has a number of unique features around the ballpark. Not only does
the ballpark feature a retractable roof, but retractable outfield glass
panels. Located behind left field, these panels, six combined at 240
feet long and 60 feet high, open or close in eight minutes and provide a
panoramic view of the downtown Miami skyline. Behind the outfield fence
in left-centerfield is one of the most unique homerun features in
baseball. The colorful, $2.5 million, 75 feet tall structure features
moving waves along the bottom
and spins marlins, seagulls and flamingos
anytime a Marlins player hits a homerun. Marlins Park will be the
second ballpark in baseball to feature a pool. The Marlins teamed up
with a South Beach icon, the Clevelander, to bring a party atmosphere
to the ballpark. Located on the field level next to the Marlins bullpen,
this private seating area will seat 240 fans, providing classic
Clevelander food and entertainment next to the pool.
One of the
most unique features in any ballpark is located directly behind home
plate. On both sides of the backstop are twin 450 gallon saltwater
aquariums containing up to 50 fish. Bulletproof glass prevents the
aquariums from shattering in the event a foul ball strikes one of them.
The main HD video/scoreboard is 101 feet wide by 51 feet high above the
right-centerfield stands. Another 100 feet wide display within the left
field wall will display scores and stats from games throughout MLB. The
ballpark will have many amenities including a Taste of Miami food court
including three restaurants, Latin American Grill, Pap Llega Y Pon and
Don Camaron. Although the Marlins have won two World Series since their
inception in 1993, they hope to bring World Championship baseball back
to South Florida. |
