BASIC FACTS:
-Location: 2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami Gardens, Florida 33056
-Opened: August 16, 1987
-Surface: Grass
-Dimensions:
- Left Field - 330 ft / 101 m
- Left-Center - 361 ft / 110 m
- Center Field - 434 ft / 132 m
- Right-Center - 361 ft / 110 m
- Right Field - 345 ft / 105 m
- Backstop - 58 ft / 18 m
-Location, Location, Location! Southern Florida, due mainly to its climate, is a baseball haven (famous for being one of the two Spring Training regions), so you can get a lot of baseball for the price of one roadtrip. In addition to being the home of the Grapefruit League (MLB Spring Training), the region also hosts many minor league professional teams, including the Jacksonville Suns (AA Dodgers), the entire Florida State League (High-Class A Professional Baseball), and the entire Gulf-Coast League (Rookie Class Minor League Baseball). (See map to the right.) Also, Dolphin Stadium is only 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. away from another MLB stadium, Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays--which is an AL stadium and, therefore, means you can access both AL and NL games in the region. Ideally, you would make your roadtrip in March and April: that way you can first attend Spring Training games (and get LOTS and LOTS of autographs) in March, and then attend MLB and MiLB regular season games in April.
-Within the stadium itself, the primary highlight is its structural centerpiece: an enormous, 33 foot-high scoreboard, known as "The Teal Monster" (see picture), which is in play, rivaling Fenway's "Green Monster" as an intimidating factor for right-handed pull hitters.
-The Cubano Sandwich gives you an authentic regional flavor and it is soooo worth the money!
-Watching a day game under Miami's unparallelled sunshine is quite an experience.
NOT-SO-HIGH-LIGHTS:
-"Convertible" football/baseball stadium; in some sections, the seats are not lined-up correctly for baseball-watching. Football atmosphere disrupts baseball atmosphere a bit.
-Of the 77,000 seats that are open for football games, about 30,000 are closed off during baseball games--which means that even when 40,000 fans attend the game, the impression one gets is that there is that the stadium is half empty and that Marlins fans are "dead."
-There is way too much advertizing in the stadium, especially on the outfield fence, which looks like a minor league fence.
-The stadium has that old feel to it ("old," not as in "quaint, vintage, classy"--but as in "outdated and obsolete"): it was built in '85, and it is neither modern nor old-fashioned. It is just out of style. The teal and pinkish colors are "sooo early-nineties"!
-The "Mermaids" (the Marlins' cheerleaders) are corny, scantily-dressed, badly-choreographed, sexually-suggestive dancers that do no more than distract fans from much of the interesting stuff that is happening between innings and between pitching changes. No matter where you're sitting, even in the nosebleed sections you will get a closeup of their rear ends on the two huge screens. There is no way to avoid them. They are neither a good example nor appropriate entertainment for our children (nor ourselves)--all of which goes against the family atmosphere that should prevail in our National Pastime.
-Tickets and food prices reflect the high cost of living of the South Florida region; if you're not smart about saving money, they will suck you dry. For instance, I once ended up paying nearly $40 for gyros for my wife and two older girls (ages 2 and 4).
-The security is unfortunately a bit tight (something necessary in Miami), which means it's hard to get autographs (see below). The Marlins players are not too eager to sign autographs, either--which makes no sense, since they are obviously in need of attracting fans and increasing attendance, and they are going to end up moving to a different city if they don't.
SEATS/PRICING:
-Cheapest Tickets: "The Fishtank" (Right-Center Field seats), sections 125-127, which go for $9 if bought in advance. Not a bad view (see picture to the left), and you may even catch a home run ball--especially during low-attendance games.
-Cost of Seats Behind Home Plate: $100 for the front row ("Founder's Club MVP"). However, eight rows back (the "MVP" section) seats are only $45. Your feet, rather than your face, will be on TV, but you get essentially the same view and you get to keep $55!
-Worst Seats for the Price: The nosebleed upper deck sections (400s) go for $20 for Saturday Games. You can barely tell who's who on the field and you're paying twice as much as the fans in the Fishtank. Not to mention you may get vertigo from being up so high (see picture below).-How to Avoid Paying More: Buy tickets in advance, and avoid Saturday Games (prices are higher because of the concert after the game). Cheap tickets for all premium games and other popular games (e.g., all-fan giveaway games) get sold out fast; if you don't buy at least a week in advance you may get stuck with crappy, expensive tickets.
PARKING:
There is plenty of parking in the stadium grounds, and it costs $10. However, close by, to the southwest of the Stadium, there is a Walmart with a huge parking lot with plenty of space (see satelite picture below). The Walmart lot says it is for Walmart customers only. I usually park there and get myself Cracker Jacks and other snacks and bring them to the game (so no one can tow my car and say I'm not a customer). I've never had a problem. Plus, food is more expensive at the ballpark than at Walmart. (Remember, however, that you will be asked to leave cans and unsecured liquid containers behind when entering the ballpark.)
AUTOGRAPHS:
-Difficulty of Getting Autographs at this Stadium: I would say it's about a 7 out of 10 (10 being impossible, 1 being a piece of cake). It is a bit hard because the security is high, but it is not impossible because at least one or two players will always make it a point to sign, and in this stadium there aren't a whole lot of fans trying to get autographs, so there is no competition.
-Before the Gates Open: All players (both Marlins and visitors) enter through Gate A, on the third-base side (see picture), between three and four hours before the game. There is a semi-secured entryway (fans can sneak in for autographs), and then a highly-secured, fenced-in, gated parking lot (fans cannot go in without a special pass).A few Marlins will park on the semi-secure entryway, just outside of the fenced-in, gated parking lot. It is relatively easy to ask these players for autographs.
Other Marlins will drive straight into the fenced-in lot. You can stand behind the traffic dividers and ask (politely, but loudly and insistently) for autographs. Few will stop their cars and roll-down their windows to sign items. If they don't stop (and most won't) you won't be able to get them when they get out of their cars.
Yet others will be dropped off outside of the semi-secured entryway. It is very easy to ask for autographs if this happens.
At some point, the visitors' bus comes in. It usually drives up right in front of the gate to the secured area, with the door facing towards the gate, so you have very little time to sneak in and ask for autographs. You will be lucky if you get one.
Be nice to the security guard (don't sit on the railing, be polite, engage in small talk with her) and she might even give you the green light to run in to get an autograph or two.
Also, if you are lucky enough to find one or two people doing the same thing you are doing, stick close to them because they are local autograph junkies and they really know what they're doing. You'll learn a lot from them and, most importantly, they'll give you specific details about how best to get autographs there.
-Saturday Autograph Sessions: The first 100 kids 12 and under through the gates at each Saturday home game in 2007 will receive an invitation for an exclusive pre-game autograph session with a Marlins player or coach.
-When the Gates Open: An hour and a half before the game, the gates will open; the players will be most likely taking batting practice. At this time, go right behind, or right next to, one of the dugouts. (Be sure not to climb onto, of put your stuff on top of, the dugouts.) Technically, there is a no-autograph policy--and the security staff will tell you this. This just means that the players are technically violating the "policy" when they sign an autograph, so don't be offended if they don't sign. However, at least one or two players (different players every day, depending on what role they are scheduled to play in the game) always make it a point to sign a few autographs.
In my experience, I have had much better luck with the Marlins than with visiting teams.
Around 45 minutes before gametime, you will be asked by the ushers to go back to your seat. If you have Founders Club seats (behind dugout) you may stay, and you will have a few extra minutes during which you may get lucky.
-After the Game: In general, players--especially those in the losing team--are not likely to sign autographs on the field right after the game. Most of them just go straight into the clubhouse when it's over. However, about 30 minutes after the game, after they've showered, etc., they begin leaving the ballpark, again through Gate A. Follow the same tips as before the game.
COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS? I intend this post to serve as a resource for fans who want to be smart about visiting Dolphin Stadium, especially for those wishing getting autographs there. If you have any comments, suggestions, or tips that you would like to share to help me improve this post, please submit a comment below or email me at: Phil_050@yahoo.com
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