THE BALLPARK - I did not have great expectations for LoanDepot Park. When I watched games played there on TV, the place seemed to lack personality. What I found in person was something else entirely: a ballpark that truly represents its vibrant city. LoanDepot Park's modern, gleaming white exterior with blue tinted glass captures the feel of Miami.
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| LoanDepot Park |
LoanDepot Park opened in 2012. It has a seating capacity of approximately 37,400. The roof is retractable, and the playing field is artificial turf. The ballpark sits on the former site of Roddy Burdine Stadium, which hosted the Orange Bowl and University of Miami football for 60 years. The location has plenty of good sports karma.
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| View from center field |
Like many newer ballparks, the concourse is open, providing nice field views. There's a unique feature in the concourse beyond center field that's a must-see:
The Bobblehead Museum. It's a large two-sided glass display case filled with bobbleheads from all 30 MLB franchises. The shelves of the display case are mechanically agitated to keep those bobbleheads gently bobbling, while a mirrored surface behind the bobbleheads lets you see them, front and back.
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| The Bobblehead Museum |
The food was great. There were many local options to choose from. I had my first-ever Cuban sandwich, which was served with plantain chips. I loved every bite. My only criticism with the concessions is that there were not many gathering spaces where you could sit down and eat. I opted to stand and eat rather than schlep my food to our seats.
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| Cuban sandwich with plantain chips |
The place draws modest crowds, so ticket availability on a weeknight was excellent. We walked up and bought good seats in the lower level behind the visitors' dugout. The Marlins were playing the St. Louis Cardinals, and we quickly noticed that Cardinals fans travel well. It felt like there were almost as many Cards fans in the park as Fish fans.
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| Field view - LoanDepot Park |
THE GAME - All those Cardinals fans were in for a disappointment. The Marlins shut out the Cardinals 5-0. The big story of the night was Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez. He got married to his wife, Kaylee on an off-day during the homestand (April 18). Three days later, he took the mound and pitched seven dominant innings of three-hit, shutout baseball. Along the way, he struck out future hall-of-famer Albert Pujols three times! Pablo Lopez left the game with an ERA of only 0.52 through his first three starts of the season.
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| Albert Pujols at the plate |
This was the final season for Albert Pujols - an 11-time All-Star, 2-time World Series Champ, and 3-time National League MVP. St. Louis signed Pujols for the 2022 season so he could retire as a Cardinal, and he rewarded them with a productive year. He finished his career with 703 home runs. This night, though, was not his night. After the newly-wed Lopez struck Pujols out for a third time, the Cards lifted Albert for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning. The pinch-hitter struck out to end the game. They should have let Albert hit.
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| Greetings from Miami |
My LoanDepot Park experience easily beat my admittedly low expectations. When it comes to ballparks, it's a solid double.
