Marlins Park

Marlins Park is a baseball park located in Miami, Florida. It is the current home of the Miami Marlins, the city’s Major League Baseball franchise. It is located on 17 acres of the former Miami Orange Bowl site in Little Havana, about 2 miles (3 km) west of Downtown. Construction was completed in March 2012, in time for the 2012 season.

General information

Arena capacity: 37,442 spectators

Address: 501 Marlins Way, Miami, FL 33125, USA

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 25.7781° N, 80.2197° W

Year of construction: April 4, 2012

Construction cost: $515 Million

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 340-L, 384-LC, 407-C, 392-RC, 335-R

Seating plan of the Marlins Park

Diamond Club

Widely considered the best seats for a Marlins game, the Diamond Club offers unforgettable views of the field and outstanding service and amenities. These club seats seats are located on the Field Level directly behind home plate and just beyond the team dugouts.

Fans are treated to an all-inclusive food and beverage experience, and will also have access to the exclusive Diamond Club Lounge where they’ll find multiple carving stations, healthy options and dessert stations. Don’t miss a second of the game with in-seat service. With over-sized and extra-padded seats to sit in while enjoying the game, these seats are a perfect option for impressing a guest or enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Dugout Club

Dugout Club seats are located just beyond the first and third base dugouts. These seats give fans access to the exclusive Dugout Club Lounges located on either side of the field, and also provide cushioned seating and in-seat food and beverage service. Enjoy access in and out of the stadium as well as private restrooms at field level.

Legends Platinum

All Legends Platinum seats are well cushioned for a comfortable viewing option, and also give fans access to the climate controlled, upscale Legends Level concourse which features premium food and beverage available for purchase.

Clubhouse Box

Clubhouse Box seats are located in the first nine rows behind the team dugouts (Sections 8-10 and 19-21) and will provide fans with access to the Dugout Club lounges. Aside from being a good spot to purchase premium food and beverage, the Dugout Club lounges can also be used to enter and exit the ballpark.

Best Seats for Great Views of the Field at Marlins Park

Fans can find great spots for watching a ballgame on any of the three main seating tiers at Marlins, but you will find the very best in the lower level near the corner bases. Seats in rows 1-10 of sections 7-9 and 21-23 provide excellent viewing angles from close to the field, and also give you a clear look at the infield. The lettered rows here get you closer to the field, but the lower numbered rows are located just behind with better
elevation, and often are more affordable.

Staying on the lower seating tier, you can also find excellent views when sitting behind home plate in the upper half of sections 12 through 17 (rows 10-24). You’ll have scout style views, getting to watch pitches break across the plate and big hits which look like they’re exploding off the bat. Being higher in these sections not only provides ample viewing height, but also helps to minimize the distraction of being behind the netting (sit too close, and you’ll notice it much more). Just be sure to avoid the very top rows as the overhanging deck above can create a bit of tunnel vision.

If you prefer a bit more seating height above field level, Legends Level sections 209-210 and 220-221 are the place to be. The second seating tier of the ballpark has idyllic seating height great for seeing all areas of the field, and these seats near the dugouts keep you pointed right at the heart of the infield for an almost perfect natural sight line to the action.

We recommend avoiding the front row as the safety railing in front may require shorter fans to lean forward to minimize any viewing restriction. Smaller sections here (just 8 rows in each) also helps minimize time away from the game for trips to and from the restrooms and concessions.

Should the lower tiers be a bit pricey for your budget, the upper deck (also known as the Vista Level) has some options worth considering in sections 320-322. Viewing angles here keep you facing toward the middle of the infield, helping dial you in to all the excitement. But should you miss a highlight, you’ll have an excellent angle for catching the replay on the videoboard above right center field.

Seating here is divided into a lower and upper portion by an aisle between the lettered rows (closer to the field) and numbered rows. The spots to be are in rows C through J, which will put you in the lower portion but safely back from the railing at the front of the tier which can be a viewing limitation for some.

While not the best place to be for the most avid of baseball fans, you can actually find good views of the game when sitting beyond the outfield wall in the front rows of section 40. Stick to rows A-G in this right field location and you’ll have a good angle into the infield as well as the Marlins dugout along the third base line. A chain link fence near the right field corner helps you keep track of balls hit deep to the near corner, and there are only a small fraction of areas where you’ll potentially lose sight of the ball up against the outfield wall.

Recommended Seats for Kids and Family

Sections 311, 312, 313 and 314:

• Close to a lot of concessions on the upper level, makes trips to the concourse shorter;
• Close to the Bobblehead museum on the lower level, a must see for young Marlins fans;
• On the first base side of the stadium, which is the shady side.

Recommended Seats for Impressing a Guest

Sections FL4, FL5, FL6 and FL7:

• Incredible views from directly behind home plate;
• Right next to the players on the on-deck circle and those around the dugout;
• Ticketholders receive all-inclusive food and beverages as well as access to the Diamond Club Lounge.

Recommended Seats for Partying and Socializing

Sections 320, 321 and 322:

• Close to a lot of alcohol concessions on both the upper level and lower level directly below;
• Close to a bar in the stadium to get a variety of types of alcohol;
• Ticket prices in the lower tier on the upper level.

Where to buy tickets?

The Marlins Park North Ticket Office is located on Felo Ramirez Drive (NW 6th Street). To purchase individual game tickets online or by phone, please visit marlins.com/tickets or call (305) 480-2521.

Hours of Operation

Non Game Day:

• Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM;
• Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM;
• Sunday: Closed.

Game Day:

• Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – end of the 7th inning;
• Saturday: 10:00 AM – end of the 7th inning;
• Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM:
  • Section 15 will available for Guests to purchase tickets until the end of the game.

Ticket Office hours are subject to change without notice.

All seat locations are subject to availability and dynamic pricing.

Tickets may not be used by the ticket holder/licensee or anyone else other than the Marlins for advertising, promotion or other commercial purposes, including but not limited to: contests, auctions, sweepstakes and giveaways. Time, opponent, date and team rosters and lineups, including the Marlins roster and lineup, are subject to change. For more information, please visit marlins.com/tickets.

Miami Marlins, L.P. reserves the right to decline, reject, and/or cancel any ticket or ticket package purchase and refund the purchase price paid for any remaining games for violation of any Marlins ticket sales policy or the terms and conditions printed on each ticket, as determined in the Marlins’ sole reasonable discretion.

Miami Marlins, L.P. also reserves the right not to sell to and/or cancel any purchase made by individuals or companies whose intent is to resell more than 30% of a purchased season ticket package. The purchase of a season ticket package by an individual or company with such intent shall require the expressed written consent of Miami Marlins, L.P., as provided by a Ticket Sales executive at the Vice President level or higher.

Digital Ticketing

Tickets purchased at marlins.com can be viewed, scanned and forwarded using the official Marlins Park mobile app: the MLB.com Ballpark app. Once a Guest has logged in with a marlins.com account username and password, he/she can view tickets and display ticket barcodes directly on his/her mobile devices for entry into Marlins Park. Guests may also easily forward tickets to friends directly from the app.

Advance Tickets

Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets well in advance of game day, at the Marlins Park North Ticket Office, by phone, online and during any game day at the Ticket Office Windows or kiosks located around Marlins Park.

Group tickets

Groups of 20 or more save 10% – 20% off the single game ticket prices. In addition there are a number of unique gameday special events scheduled throughout the season. The Marlins also offer various gameday suite rentals and party area options. For more information, visit marlins.com/groups or contact the Group Sales Department at (305) 480-2523 or [email protected].

Upgrades

Guests hoping to upgrade or change their seat location may inquire with the Ticket Office staff at Guest Services Centers inside Marlins Park until two (2) hours after the scheduled start time. In the event that an upgrade is available and the new ticket(s) value is greater than the original ticket(s) being presented for upgrade, the difference in price may be paid by cash or credit card.

Ticket Offers

The Miami Marlins offer recurring ticket offers for fans to enjoy.

• All You Can Eat Saturdays: Scheduled on select Saturdays during the season to be a feast for those who purchase a special All You Can Eat Saturday ticket offer package. Bring your appetite, Miami. From Nathan’s hot dogs, popcorn and nachos to your favorite Pepsi soft drink or Aquafina water, we’ve got a value package that will leave you feeling… full!
• Aquafina Family Four-Pack: That’s four Aquafina waters or Pepsi soft drinks, four Nathan’s all beef hot dogs and four tickets. Games start at just $84. Our Sunday games feature kid-friendly pregame entertainment, live music, games, giveaways and so much more. Plus, kids can run around the bases as part of Diamond Dash after each Sunday home game! Scheduled on select Sundays during the season.

*To view a calendar of available games and ticket offers, go to marlins.com/ticketoffers. For a full list of promotions and giveaways, visit marlins.com/promotions.

Marlins Teamco, LLC reserves the right to decline, reject, and/or cancel any ticket or ticket package purchase and refund the purchase price paid for any remaining games for violation of any Marlins ticket sales policy or the terms and conditions printed on each ticket, as determined in the Marlins’ sole reasonable discretion.

Marlins Teamco, LLC also reserves the right not to sell to and/or cancel any purchase made by individuals or companies whose intent is to resell more than 30% of a purchased season ticket package. The purchase of a season ticket package by an individual or company with such intent shall require the expressed written consent of Marlins Teamco, LLC, as provided by a Ticket Sales executive at the Vice President level or higher.

How to get there?

Marlins Park is located at 501 Marlins Way (NW 16th Avenue), Miami, Florida 33125. Marlins Park is less than two miles from downtown Miami, only three-quarters of a mile from the westbound SR 836 exit at 12th Avenue, and 0.4 miles from the eastbound exit at 17th Avenue. Via Interstate 95, the site is 1.25 miles from the NW 8th Street exit.

From The North East (Ft Lauderdale/North Miami):

• Interstate 95 South to Florida State Road 836 West;
• Exit NW 12th Avenue and turn Left at light;
• Proceed straight, and then reference the Inbound Traffic Map to determine where to route yourself to best enter your specific pre-assigned parking lot.

From The North West (Weston/Sunrise):

• Interstate 75 South and exit towards Florida State Road 826 South, Continue on FSR 826 South and then exit towards Florida State Road 836 East (left ramp, same as airport);
• Continue on FSR-836 East and Exit on NW 17th Avenue (ramp is found on the far right of the toll plaza);
• Turn right onto NW 17th Avenue southbound, and then reference the Inbound Traffic Map to determine where to route yourself to best enter your specific pre-assigned parking lot.

From the West (Doral):

• Take Florida State Road 836 East and Exit towards NW 17th Avenue (ramp is found on the far right of the toll plaza);
• Turn right onto NW 17th Avenue southbound, and then reference the Inbound Traffic Map to determine where to route yourself to best enter your specific pre-assigned parking lot.

From Downtown:

• Take West Flagler Street until NW 12th Avenue;
• Turn Right on NW 12th Avenue;
• Proceed straight, and then reference the Inbound Traffic Map to determine where to route yourself to best enter your specific pre-assigned parking lot.

From South East (Coral Gables/Coconut Grove):

• Take US- 1 North to I-95 North;
• I-95 North to FSR 836 West;
• Exit NW 12th Avenue and turn Left at light;
• Proceed straight, and then reference the Inbound Traffic Map to determine where to route yourself to best enter your specific pre-assigned parking lot.

From South West (Kendall/Homestead):

• Take FSR 826/Turnpike North to FSR 836 East;
• Continue on FSR 836 East and Exit towards NW 17th Avenue (ramp is found on the far right of the toll plaza);
• Turn right onto NW 17th Avenue southbound, and then reference the Inbound Traffic Map to determine where to route yourself to best enter your specific pre-assigned parking lot.

Parking and Transportation

Marlins Park provides our Guests with four (4) parking garages located on the north and south side of Marlins Park and six (6) surface parking lots located on the east and west sides of Marlins Park, totaling nearly 5,700 parking spaces. Advance purchase rates are $15 for Monday – Thursday games and $20 for Friday – Sunday games (exceptions apply for the Home Opener and Premium Games). Day of game, cash and credit card parking will be sold based on availability with costs ranging from $15 to $25. Guests are encouraged to pre-purchase their parking to ensure convenient, on-site parking.

Accessible parking is available for Guests with handicap/disabled plates and/or tags based on a first come, first served basis.

Bus Parking

• Surface Lot West 3: Located on the southwest corner of Marlins Park. Enter through NW 4^thStreet and NW 16^th Avenue. Parking is $50 per bus;
• Cash and credit cards are accepted on game days based on availability.

Bicycle Parking

The Miami Marlins encourage Guests to ride their bicycles to Marlins Park. Bicycle racks are available on the first floor of the Third Base and Home Plate Garages located on the north side of Marlins Park. Guests should bring their own locks.

Bike Share

Located on the ground level in the Third Base Garage you can park or pick up a CitiBike for easy access to and from the Marlins game.

Fuel Efficient Vehicle

Marlins Park offers Fuel Efficient Vehicle (FEV) parking spaces in two (2) – Home Plate & First Base, of the four (4) parking garages. These spaces are reserved for electric and hybrid vehicles as part of the Marlins Park green initiatives. Please contact the Miami Parking Authority at (305) 373-6789 for further information.

Parking Garage and Surface Lots

Pre-paid ONLY Garages & Surface Lots:

• • Home Plate Garage: Located on the northwest corner of Marlins Park. Enter via NW 7^thStreet and NW 15^th Avenue. Identified by BLUE banners and signs.
  • Third Base Garage: Located on the northeast corner of Marlins Park. Enter via NW 7^thStreet and Orange Bowl Way (NW 14^th Avenue). Identified by RED banners and signs.
  • West Lot 2: Located on the southwest corner of Marlins Park. Enter via NW 5^th Street and Marlins Way (NW 16^th Avenue).

Pre-paid, Cash & Credit Card Garages & Surface Lots:

• • First Base Garage: Located on the southwest corner of Marlins Park. Enter via NW 3^rdStreet and NW 15^th Avenue. Identified by YELLOW banners and signs.
  • Center Field Garage: Located on the southeast corner of Marlins Park. Enter via NW 3^rdStreet and Orange Bowl Way (NW 14^th Avenue). Identified by GREEN banners and signs.
  • East Lot 3: Located on the southeast corner of Marlins Park. Enter via Bobby Maduro Drive (NW 4^th Street) and Orange Bowl Way (NW 14^th Avenue).
  • West Lot 1: Located on the northwest corner of Marlins Park. Enter via NW 6^th Street and Marlins Way (NW 16^th Avenue).
  • West Lot 3: Located on the southwest corner of Marlins Park. Enter via Bobby Maduro Drive (NW 4^th Street) and Marlins Way (NW 16^th Avenue).

Uber Lot:

• • East Lot 1: Located on the northeast corner of Marlins Park. Riders can enter via NW 5^th Street & Orange Bowl Way (NW 14^th Avenue) as well as on NW 6^th Street & NW 14^thAvenue.

Mass Transit Information

Bus: Miami-Dade Transit offers bus transportation to and from Marlins Park.

• 1. #6 Bus / Stop – W Flagler Street and NW 22^nd Avenue.
  2. #7 Bus / Stop – Orange Bowl Way (NW 14^th Avenue) and NW 7^th Street.
  3. #11 Bus / Stop – NW 15^th Avenue and West Flagler Street.
  4. #12 Bus / Stop – NW 12^th Avenue and NW 3^rd Street.
  5. #17 Bus / Stop – NW 17^th Avenue and NW 3^rd Street.
  6. #21 Bus / Stop – NW 22^nd Avenue and W Flagler Street.
  7. #51 Bus / Stop – NW 27^th Avenue and W Flagler Street.

Train: Both the Tri Rail and Metrorail Systems are available to Guests attending events at Marlins Park. The closest train stations to Marlins Park are the Civic Center Train Station, located at 1501 NW 12^th Avenue, and Culmer Station, which is located at 701 NW 11^th Street.

Miami Dade Transit Route 55: For all baseball games and other select events, Miami-Dade County provides a bus service to and from Culmer Station and Marlins Park.

Trolley: The City of Miami’s Trolley to Marlins Park has a convenient pick up location outside the Civic Center Train Station and drops off and picks up passengers at Marlins Park on the corner of Orange Bowl Way (NW 14^th Avenue) and Felo Ramirez Drive (NW 6^th Street).

Features

The Marlins’ front office commissioned several works of art and other notable features around the stadium.

Retractable roof and outfield glass panels: The retractable roof consists of 8,300 tons of steel. The Marlins covered it with a white membrane because “we want to make sure we’re not absorbing heat in the roof”, said Claude Delorme, the Marlins executive vice president/ballpark development. Separate retractable glass panels offer uninterrupted views of the downtown Miami skyline, and also allow in a natural breeze when they are open.

The six panels are a combined 240 feet long and 60 feet high. An air-conditioning system will cool the average temperature to 75 °F (24 °C) with the roof and glass panels closed. The Marlins expect for the roof to be closed for about 70 of the 81 home games and likely to remain open on some dry nights in April, when the weather is not too hot. It takes approximately 14½ minutes to open the roof, and 7–8 minutes to open the transparent outfield panels.

Home run sculpture: Red Grooms designed a 65 and 75 feet (20 and 23 m) tall sculpture displayed behind the left center field wall, consisting of a tropical scene with clouds, flamingos, seagulls, marlins, and palm trees. Marlins home runs activate the sculpture, resulting in motion, a light show, and water blasts. It was budgeted at $2.5 million with funding provided by the county’s Art in Public Places department. The piece is unnamed; the Miami Herald invited its readers to submit nickname ideas for the sculpture, with “the Marlinator” as the winner.

The sculpture sparked heated conversation among Miami-Dade taxpayers well before the park opened and has since continued. The Miami Herald reported that many fans thought it was “tacky” or “ugly”, while others felt it captured the “essence of Miami”. Marlins players wondered if the upcoming sculpture could cause a distraction to left-handed batters.

However, MLB officials have approved the batter’s eye (after a separate area in dead center was repainted from fluorescent green to black) and, so far, the sculpture has not been an issue for hitters. In 2018, after Derek Jeter took over as team CEO under a new ownership group, it was widely expected that the new ownership would seek permission to remove the unpopular sculpture as part of a larger series of operational changes.

In October 2018, the Miami Art in Public Places trust voted to move the sculpture from the ballpark to the outdoor plaza; it will be replaced by a new, multi-level standing room area.

Outfield walls: The distance from home plate is specified on the outfield walls in meters in addition to feet, making Marlins Park the only such major league ballpark to do so outside of Canada.

Aquatic home plate backstop: Dual bulletproof aquariums serve as a home-plate backstop. They were built on each side of home plate and are positioned to prevent any disruption to players on the field.

The aquarium to the right of home plate (when looking from the pitcher’s mound) measures 34 feet (10 m) long and 36 inches (91 cm) high and holds over 600 US gallons (2,300 L) of seawater, while the aquarium to the left is 24 feet (7.3 m) in length and holds 450 US gallons (1,700 L) of water. Each aquarium was constructed using a durable fiberglass structure, while crystal-clear acrylic panels 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) thick are used for the viewing windows that run the entire length of the aquariums.

To safeguard the exhibits from impacts, Lexan was installed in front and in back of the acrylic panels to protect the aquariums from foul balls, errant pitches or any other unexpected contact.

Clevelander Bar and swimming pool: The Clevelander is a South Beach-themed nightclub that takes its name from a 100-year-old Miami institution. It holds approximately 240 guests and offers a variety of food selections, entertainment (dancers, DJs and body painting), field-level seating, and a swimming pool. The new poolside bar and grill is available on gamedays for private events for groups, on a per-game basis.

Bobblehead museum: A display showcases hundreds of bobblehead dolls from all over baseball, jiggling in unison.

Commemorative marker: Daniel Arsham and Snarkitecture were commissioned to design a work to commemorate the former Miami Orange Bowl, which was demolished to make way for the new stadium. The piece uses the letters from the original “Miami Orange Bowl” sign as the basis for the 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) orange concrete letters rearranged across the east plaza so that they form new words as visitors move around them. They spell out both “ORANGE BOWL” and “GAME WON”, for example.

Parking complex and trolley service: The stadium is surrounded by four main parking garages along with six other lots, with a combined capacity of about 5,600 vehicles. The garages extend the contemporary design of the park with walls of pastel, Miami-Deco tiles. Garages are conveniently color-coded with pennant banners to match their corresponding color quadrants of the stadium: blue for home plate, yellow for first base, red for third base, and green for center field.

In addition to the main commemorative marker, three mosaic panels from the old Orange Bowl hang on the facade of the southwestern garage, and a few of the old bowl’s plastic seats punctuate a small plaza in front of the parking structure, as a nod to the past. As final public art project, large-scale bit-map paintings of children peering through a ballpark chain-link fence are being installed on the garages.

Parking tickets are pre-purchased like seating tickets, raising the probability that parking spaces could be sold out even before game day. Due to the limited public transportation at Marlins Park, free trolleys shuttle fans to and from the downtown Miami civic center or a nearby train station on game days only.

Entrance/West Plaza paving: Pathways paved on the west entrance plaza of the stadium are created by Venezuelan-born and Parisian-based kinetic-op artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. It’s entitled Chromatic Induction in a Double Frequency and uses 1-inch tiles to form a rhythmic pattern that perceptibly changes for visitors as they walk on it and at times almost seems to vibrate.

Column illumination: Daniel Arsham and Snarkitecture were also selected for the lighting of the four super columns which support the retractable roof. The lighting is designed to give the illusion of the columns being concealed and revealed through programmable LEDs that fade up and down the columns in subtly shifting patterns, evoking the rhythm of a human breath.

Modern and contemporary artist replicas: A large, ceramic-tile reproduction of a Joan Miró mural (1930s) is on a promenade wall behind home plate. A reprint of pop culture artist Roy Lichtenstein’s painting of “The Manager” (1962) is displayed near the main concourse. A nearly 40-foot reprint of Kenny Scharf’s mixed media work “Play Ball!” (2011) is in a corner behind the team store.

Sports & The Arts graphics: In addition to other artwork, California-based consultant “Sports & The Arts” was retained to curate the photography and wall and column graphics components. Nearly 500 pieces of photography and over 15,000 square feet of wall and column treatments were planned.

History

2012–present

Marlins Park hosted a trio of soft openings prior to Spring training. The first baseball game took place on March 5, 2012, with a high school baseball game between Christopher Columbus High School and Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. The Marlins played an exhibition game on March 6 against the Miami Hurricanes (defeating the Canes 7-6) and on March 7 against the FIU Golden Panthers (defeating the Panthers 5-1). The Marlins then hosted two spring training exhibition games at the new ballpark against the New York Yankees on April 1 and 2, 2012.

Before a sellout crowd of 36,601, the Marlins played their first regular season game on April 4, 2012, against the St. Louis Cardinals (losing to the Cards, 4-1). The inaugural game was nationally televised on ESPN. As part of the Opening Night fanfare, players were announced onto the field while escorted by scantily-clad Brazilian dancers in full headdress. Muhammad Ali threw out the ceremonial first pitch after he was carted out to the field alongside Jeffrey Loria.

In 2011, the Marlins attendance had ranked 28th in majors during their final year at Sun Life Stadium. With a brand new ballpark, hiring manager Ozzie Guillén, and the team’s payroll expansion to over $100 million (a club record resulting from the signings of free agents José Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, as well as the trade acquisitions of Carlos Zambrano and later Carlos Lee), Marlins officials expected attendance to skyrocket.

“With the team we are putting together, we expect there to be very few empty seats at this ballpark ever,” David Samson told reporters. “We have always told ourselves build it small and sell it out, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

The Marlins went on to finish the ballpark’s inaugural season 18th in MLB attendance, averaging 27,400 per home game. The increase was a significant improvement, but far short of expectations. In fact, Marlins Park had the smallest first-year attendance of the 11 ballparks that had opened between 2001 and 2012. The disappointing figures are largely attributed to the team’s poor play on the field, as they finished in last place (69-93) in the NL East Division. Other cited explanations as to why some fans stayed away include opposition to the stadium’s Little Havana location, and resentment over the use of public money to build it.

Marlins Park on the team’s final workout day prior to Opening Night. The nationally televised game was filled with fanfare and people, but was also the only sellout produced by the stadium in 2012.

As the team underperformed both on the scoreboard and at the box office in their new ballpark, the Marlins traded away the face of the franchise, Hanley Ramírez, and 4 other veterans with contracts (Aníbal Sánchez, Omar Infante, Randy Choate, and Edward Mujica) in exchange for lower-salaried prospects in midseason 2012. The moves caused more tension with fans and made headlines around baseball that the Marlins had begun the third fire sale in team history—except this time it followed the opening of a new stadium instead of a World Series championship.

But Marlins’ President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest insisted that trades were not signaling a “fire sale” or a “white flag,” despite the sudden drop in payroll. “We understand there’s skepticism here,” he said. “Yes, we have our history [of fire sales], but that’s not what’s going on here. This was about the current mix wasn’t winning, so let’s try something else.”

Fan fears of a fire sale in progress appeared to be confirmed during the offseason following the park’s opening season as the front office proceeded to turn over much of the roster (including all recent free-agent signings) while massively unloading payroll. Manager Guillén was fired, in part for comments he made before the season about his admiring Fidel Castro’s ability to stay in power. Heath Bell was dealt away a week earlier for a minor leaguer.

Then, in a bombshell 12-player trade announced during baseball owners meetings in November 2012, the Marlins sent Reyes, Buehrle, ace pitcher Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio, John Buck, and cash considerations to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis, and 5 prospects. (Escobar was then re-traded for a prospect a month later.)

Overall, the Marlins jettisoned more money in contract commitments via trades during the second half of 2012 ($225 million) then they had added in the free agency signings meant to usher in the new stadium era during the previous offseason ($191 million). Team payroll for the stadium’s second opening day in 2013 was projected to be one of the lowest payrolls in baseball once again.

After years of the pretense that a taxpayer-funded ballpark would finally solve the franchise’s cycles of fire sales and low payrolls, the ownership’s apparent return to the same policies merely months after construction completed sparked outrage from many Marlins fans.

Irate fans and a few players vented anger—some tying stadium deal with the trades—on talk radio and social media, with most criticism directed at either Bud Selig, or Samson and Loria. “We finished in last place. Figure it out … We have to take a new course”, a defiant Loria said to one reporter when asked about a fire sale. He dismissed another group of reporters, saying: “Not today boys. If you guys haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not going to figure it out for you.”

In retrospect, the team’s brief honeymoon in their new home made this preseason quip from then manager Guillén sound foreboding: “It’s like having a beautiful house and your marriage stinks. We have a beautiful house here, but if the people who live in it are not good, you’re not going to have fun.”

In a radio interview, Samson sought to put the smaller payroll in perspective with Marlins Park. “It’s a great ballpark and now we need a great team to go with it and we thought we had it last year and the evidence was overwhelming that we didn’t”, he said.

When asked if he and Loria had pulled off a “Ponzi scheme” by fleecing the public in the stadium deal and selling them back a “sham” a year later, Samson replied that the stadium is accomplishing its main purpose of keeping pro baseball in Miami. He drew comparisons to their former ownership of the (now relocated) Montreal Expos and Olympic Stadium:

“The difference in Montreal, there was no ballpark, there was no future. There is a long term future for baseball in Miami. That’s what the ballpark has always been about was making sure an All Star game can come to Miami, making sure that generations will see baseball … [What matters] at the end of the day is not the payroll”.

Samson also said, “let’s not forget how much money Jeffrey Loria himself put in—over $160 million of his money to get a ballpark built, which has been a very positive thing and will continue to be long after all of us are gone.” The stadium contract only required the Marlins pay $125.2 million out of pocket during the early years of the project. Samson was including in his figure the interest-free, $35 million loan that the Marlins will repay to the county by the year 2028.

“Baseball is our core product — it’s perfect for baseball — but as you can see tonight, soccer fits well”, said Sean Flynn, senior vice president of marketing and events at Marlins Park.[108] During the stadium’s negotiations, the plans included a 20,000 to 25,000-seater soccer-specific stadium to be built directly adjacent to the baseball stadium for a possible Major League Soccer expansion team. The expansion bid fell through in 2008, and MLS has since moved away from building next to Marlins Park, with a preference for a downtown location.

2013–present

Marlins Park hosted Pool 2 during the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic on March 12–16, 2013.

The Marlins and their fans experienced the first rain delay at Marlins Park on April 6, 2015. Playing the Atlanta Braves in front of a sold-out Opening Day audience, a shower moved over the stadium with the roof open. The bottom of the 2nd inning was interrupted for 16 minutes while the roof was closed; the field, however, was sufficiently wet to cause players to slip several times during the remainder of the game, a 2-1 Braves victory.

On June 20, 2016, Marlins Park saw the most-ever home runs hit in one game at the park, with 8 homers in a 5-3 win by the Colorado Rockies over the Marlins. The 8 home runs also set a Major League record for solo home runs accounting for all the scoring in a game, surpassing the previous record of 5.

From March 9 to 13, 2017, Marlins Park hosted Pool C in the four-pool, first round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic.