#4/30: loanDepot Park, Miami
Party in the city where the heat is on.
Friday, April 26, 2024
Let's go with the classic ice breaker and talk about the weather. Miami is humid. And even in April, Miami can get pretty warm. The night I visited there was no exception. In my banner selfie here from loanDepot Park I look like I've just spent a few hours in a sauna.
I suppose I could blame the Miami Marlins for the climate. Their stadium has a retractable roof that is closed more often than not - sometimes due to rain, but just as easily to beat that South Florida humid heat. But this evening was an uncommon one where they had the roof open, as well as the 60-foot-high windows that span across 240 feet in left field. They could have just kept everything closed and cranked on the air conditioning. I'm glad they didn’t. Supposedly loanDepot Park is one of the best stadiums in baseball - but only when the weather is “nice” and the ballpark is in the open air configuration.
So basically… I should stop complaining and be grateful that my visit came on one of those “nice weather” days. And I will admit, the climate wasn’t too uncomfortable. Mostly it was just different. We don't get tons of humidity in Central Illinois.
The hype is real, by the way. loanDepot Park is indeed an awesome venue. What baffles me is that very few people actually attend games there. Besides Oakland (they don't count), the Marlins are drawing the lowest attendance in the MLB this season. Why? Because of the weather? Doubtful. Because the Marlins have an abysmal 6-20 record? Probably. But there are lots of crappy teams that still draw huge crowds. Miami is the closest major US city to the Caribbean - a region that has produced a ton of major league stars. Over 20% of current MLB players were born in the Caribbean. Over 70% of Miami’s population is Hispanic/Latino and a majority of those are surely from Caribbean countries. Somehow it just doesn't seem to add up. The Marlins fan base should be large enough that they can sell more than a few tickets.
Again… I shouldn’t complain. After all, a scarce crowd always makes it easier to catch a ball. Guess what?!
Score! And to credit the friendliness of Miami fans, I didn't even catch this ball myself. It was hit it into deep left foul territory about five rows behind me as the visiting Washington Nationals took batting practice. I tried to run it down but someone else was closer. However, to my surprise, that person immediately gave me the ball.
I was feeling great. I grabbed my scorecard, found a local beer - for which I can now officially thank my friend Tim B! - and headed to my seat near shallow left field.
Come on now - even with a great beer exclusive to loanDepot Park, STILL the Marlins can't get any fans to show up?
As for the actual baseball game… all those people who stayed home didn't miss much after all. The Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd, but the Nationals clawed back and eventually got a 3-1 lead. That was the final score. And it was all small ball - no home runs from either team.
Once more… I won't complain. It was a fun night at the ballpark.
Extra Innings
I was in Miami for two nights. The 2nd was spent at loanDepot Park. The 1st was spent in South Beach cruising around in my rental car and exploring on foot.
Naturally, I had to include Ocean Drive.
If you've ever seen a movie or TV show based in Miami, chances are you would recognize the area.
The iconic ten-block stretch adjacent to Lummus Park, known for its Art Deco architecture, is also very walkable. I tooksome of it in on foot.
Hotels and restaurants dominate the area, but there was one spot I had my eye on. 728 Ocean Drive is where the gnarly chainsaw scene from Scarface was filmed. Unfortunately, over 40 years later, it is barely recognizable. The building is now a CVS.
Still, there are a few efforts to prominently mark the location. A white Cadillac convertible sits in front of the building with a hilariously unrealistic Tony Montana dummy (with a mustache?) in the driver's seat. Problem is… Tony wasn't the driver sitting outside in that scene. And the car was on the other side of the street. And it wasn't a white Cadillac in the movie… it was a red Chevy.
Oh well. I shouldn't complain.
I capped off the evening at South Pointe Park with an amazing view of the setting sun over PortMiami and downtown. I also brought some delicious takeout from Joe's Stone Crab.
No complaints there.
Next stop: April 27, Atlanta