We’re guessing there will be very few tears shed on Wednesday when the Florida Marlins play their last game at Sun Life Stadium, one of the last multiuse venues in Major League Baseball.
As a football stadium, the former Joe Robbie Stadium isn’t all that great; the NFL demanded a slew of improvements a few years ago before agreeing to bring future Super Bowls to South Florida. As a ballpark, the place pretty much sucks: the Marlins are clearly a secondary tenant and were the victims of benign neglect.
Players, including Mr. Marlin — Jeff Conine — will not miss playing there: “If I was to say I’m sorry to see it go, I’d be lying — big time,” Conine told AP. “There are some good memories here for sure, but I won’t shed a tear when we move.”
Even Jack McKeon, a notable optimist who saw some pretty bad conditions while serving as a minor-league manager, admits the place is falling apart: “The last couple years it’s going downhill. It’s getting to the point that you’ve got to think about doing a little renovation down around here and the clubhouses. It needs a lot of repair.” Of course, the current Sun Life Stadium management has had zero incentive to invest a single dime on the baseball side of things after the Marlins achieved a deal for a new ballpark.
There are only two multiuse venues left in the NFL: the Toronto Blue Jays share Rogers Centre with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, while the Oakland Athletics share O.co Coliseum with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. The Athletics are pursuing a new ballpark, and the Argos have sought a smaller outdoor stadium in the past.
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