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Small crowd greets Florida’s debut as “home” team in Seattle

Florida MarlinsIt was an unusual game last night at Safeco Field, as the Florida Marlins suited up as the “home” team against the “visiting” Seattle Mariners, with a series shift caused by a scheduling conflict at Sun Life Stadium.

The Marlins were displaced by a U2 concert during this weekend previously scheduled interleague series. Rather than reschedule or look for a neutral site, the decision was made to play the series at Safeco Field. The arrangement: the Marlins would wear their alternate black tops and white pants and play as the home team under National League rules (no DH). The Mariners will wear road grays for the three games. The National League rules mean that for the just the second time in club history, Mariners pitchers bat in Seattle. (Mike Schooler grounded out in an extra innings game against Boston in 1990.)

A Marlins-like crowd of 15,279 showed up; the game was not included as part of the M’s season-ticket base. 

Despite what some media outlets are reporting, it’s not the first time a National League game has been played in an American League ballpark — heck, in 1911 the New York Giants played home games in Hilltop Park, home of the New York Yankees, after a fire harmed the Polo Grounds — and there are plenty of instances where AL teams played home games in NL park (a fire at Fenway Park forced the Boston Red Sox to play home games at Braves Field; more recently the Toronto Blue Jays moved a “home” series to Philadelphia).

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