Florida Marlins

Tonight we saw the Florida Marlins play their 2003 Season Opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. This is the 10th anniversary year of the Marlins. They play in Pro Player Stadium. They share the stadium with the Miami Dolphins football team. The game started at 4:05 in the afternoon, so the sun was out, but it was cold. A windy cold front had moved into Florida yesterday afternoon and the temperature at game time was 69 degrees. When the game ended it had dropped to 59 degrees. With the Marlins losing, many fans left before the game ended. The final score was Phillies 8 and Marlins 5. The box score was Philadelphia R-8, H-10, E-2 and Florida R-5, H-7, E-3. Because the field was built for football it has some different field lines than a field made for baseball. The lines are RF-345', RC-385' CFR-404', CFL-434' with a wall projection sticking out, LC-361', and LF-330'. The Marlins went through at least 6 pitchers. We lost count. We saw David Bell, ex-Mariner, playing for the Phillies. He went 2-4. Jim went out during the second inning to take his pictures and get the food data costs. He was unable to find a program, all the program stands in the stadium were sold out. We were talking with a couple of men behind us. One indicated that last year there were no programs available for the whole year. This probably explains why they had such a limited number for the first game of the season. On leaving the stadium after the game we found one in a souvenir stand outside the stadium. He tried to leave the stadium to take a picture of the outside, but was told if he did he could not re-enter which is why there is a bad picture taken in the dark as we were leaving. Everyone who attended the game received a coupon for a free hotdog, so that was dinner along with the chocolate chip cookie we received from the motel when we checked in. It would be nice if there were consistent rules on what you can take into stadiums. Andrea could not bring in a clear plastic bag with her sweatshirt, shirt, and visor. So we backed out of line, removed everything, put the bag in Jim's pocket, and walked back in a different line. Billy is the Marlin's mascot, appropriately garbed as a Marlin. There were 37,137 in attendance. 2012 new logo with new stadium.