Looking back (2026): Some context on how this one even happened. We were in Florida for a family cruise, 30 or so family members strong, headed for the Caribbean. This game was something we squeezed in around a whole lot of pool time. So while this post reads like we flew to Miami for baseball, the truth is the Marlins were the opening act for a boat.
Marlins Stadium is a very nondescript bland stadium that you'd almost miss if you didn't know what to look for. And, the insides of the stadium are equally as bland with poor food and beer choices. The stadium was mostly empty as we expected and the energy was low and slow. But, the good news? We had a great time! We got right down to the field, we got a chance to stand next to the first base manager George Lombard, that was cool. And, we got a chance to get up close and personal with the pre-game warmup routine for Walker Buehler!
Is this A Dodgers Home Game?
I have never been to a ballpark where there were 10:1 AWAY fans to HOME fans. This was a crazy experience. I mean from the time we parked the car until the time we left the game, the stadium jerseys were all Blue and White. There were more people wearing Cody Bellinger jerseys than there were fans wearing ANYTHING Marlins related. And, my wife asked the question of the day. "Since this was a blow out win for the Marlins, and if all the Dodgers fans left early, was there anyone there to see the Marlins win?" Its question for the ages. And, we'll never know the answer.
Cheetah Print & Culture
I was told very accurately so, "there is no bad and there is no good, there is just different." I sorta' agree. The difference here was very apparent during our trip to Whole Foods post game. In Southern California, a trip to Whole Foods is usually met with the typical liberal hippies buying up all the organic granola. And, I just sorta' expected this to be the same here. But, much to my DELIGHT, we witnessed something spectacular. Outfits that you would only expect to see on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11. Girls wearing cheetah print bikini tops and shorts so short that they don't qualify as shorts …. IN WHOLE FOODS. Too much to list here, let your imagination run wild. And, remember, not bad, not good …. JUST DIFFERENT.
I would love to say I'd come back here but there is absolutely no chance. Not even to see the Marlins complete a perfect season in Game 4 of the World Season, undefeated. 173-0. Derek Jeter has a lot of work on his hands.
Looking back (2026): A few updates from the future. First, it turns out Jeter agreed with me. He stepped down and sold his stake in the Marlins in early 2022, so that "lot of work" line ended up being a prediction of his surrender. Second, the stadium isn't even called Marlins Park anymore. It's loanDepot park now, which feels about right. A ballpark so nondescript that even its name is forgettable. And third, for those wondering if time softened my stance on returning: it did not. Never going back. The vow holds.