No More Marlins Scoreboard?

[rmackman]

ORIGINAL NON-DIGITAL VERSION

MID-90's TO 2009

CURRENT VERSION

Florida Marlins remove scoreboard from left-field wall at Sun Life Stadium

by Tom D'Angelo

With two seasons of baseball remaining at Sun Life Stadium, the Marlins have decided to save some money on the amenities.

What was once known as the Teal Monster – the wall in left field – is now a solid wall of advertising. Gone are the out of town scoreboards – replaced by two huge MLB network ads - and lineups.

The Marlins are tenants in a stadium owned by Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross, who wasn’t about to sink money into the venue to enhance the baseball experience. And Marlins senior vice president for communications P.J. Loyello said it was “cost prohibitive” for the Marlins to replace the burned out light bulbs and to keep the scoreboard from malfunctioning.

The biggest losers are the fans. Out of town scores only will be displayed on the ribbon scoreboard, but one game at a time. The former scoreboard had every game in progress. Lineups are displayed on the large video scoreboards at either end of the stadium.

Left fielder Chris Coghlan was testing out the new wall before the team stretched, throwing balls against it to see how they caromed. During batting practice Coghlam was joined by coach Dave Collins, who was hitting balls off the wall.

Tonight’s game is the first for the Marlins at home since the newest name change. The last time the Marlins played a game in South Florida the stadium was called Land Shark Stadium.

“I almost missed it,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “I was looking for Pro Player.”

[aci]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

[rmackman]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

My point exactly. Sure there may be only 5,000 fans at the game, but if you did BRING A LIGHTBULB TO THE GAME TODAY promotions, they'd have enough to fix the freakin' board.

[TrueYankee26]

They can't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

[rmackman]

Now that I think about it, if they aren't going to maintain it, just take the stupid wall down! It would increase scoring at least.

[Viper]

Well, I guess now that the Twins have hightailed it out of the Metrodome Mall of America Field, someone else had to step up and claim the title of Biggest Joke Of A Ballpark In The Majors.

[ltjets21]

What a joke of a stadium, why can't they just play at some minors stadium.

[NJTank]

It is now official Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphin/Dolphins/Land Shark/Sunlife Stadium is the ugliest in MLB.

It is a good football stadium and should only be a football stadium

[the admiral]

Hey, aquarium backstops don't pay for themselves. Or maybe they do. If it's done properly, a fish won't even know it has Cash4Gold ads on its sides.

[ltjets21]

It is now official Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphin/Dolphins/Land Shark/Sunlife Stadium is the ugliest in MLB.

It is a good football stadium and should only be a football stadium

I hope that renovation happens so the super bowl can return to miami, and miami will return to a football only facility.

[JQK]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

They can't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

Really? That's all you could add to this conversation? All you could post was the same thought someone else had posted not seven minutes before?

-smh-

I understand the money reasons behind ditching the scoreboard. It's not like anyone is down at these games to notice anyways. The Marlins are busy putting all their resources into their new digs, and the Dolphins don't give a s**t. It's not suprising.

I mean, after all, aquarium backstops don't pay for themselves. Or maybe they do. If it's done properly, a fish won't even know it has Cash4Gold ads on its sides.

[mania]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

They can't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

Really? That's all you could add to this conversation? All you could post was the same thought someone else had posted not seven minutes before?

-smh-

It's TrueYankee. I'm surprised he was able to use something beyond monosyllabic words.

Anyways, it actually looks from photos (obviously never seen a game live there) like it was a nice scoreboard, and that's a shame.

[Eye]

So, is nobody allowed to sit in those orange seats directly behind the scoreboard. Whenever I see highlights of Marlins games nobody is in those seats (not like anyone is in the green seats behind the orange ones anyway though.)

[aci]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

They can't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

Really? That's all you could add to this conversation? All you could post was the same thought someone else had posted not seven minutes before?

-smh-

I understand the money reasons behind ditching the scoreboard. It's not like anyone is down at these games to notice anyways. The Marlins are busy putting all their resources into their new digs, and the Dolphins don't give a s**t. It's not suprising.

I mean, after all, aquarium backstops don't pay for themselves. Or maybe they do. If it's done properly, a fish won't even know it has Cash4Gold ads on its sides.

Epic.

[TrueYankee26]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

They can't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

Really? That's all you could add to this conversation? All you could post was the same thought someone else had posted not seven minutes before?

-smh-

It's TrueYankee. I'm surprised he was able to use something beyond monosyllabic words.

Anyways, it actually looks from photos (obviously never seen a game live there) like it was a nice scoreboard, and that's a shame.

TrueYankee is cool like that

[cmm]

So, is nobody allowed to sit in those orange seats directly behind the scoreboard. Whenever I see highlights of Marlins games nobody is in those seats (not like anyone is in the green seats behind the orange ones anyway though.)

I don't think there's a railing to keep people from falling behind the scoreboard in front of those orange seats so they don't let people in there. But they do fill the green seats during the postseason:

LF seats

2003 WS pic

[Lee.]

New levels of cheapness... they couldn't buy new lightbulbs?

They can't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

Really? That's all you could add to this conversation? All you could post was the same thought someone else had posted not seven minutes before?

-smh-

I understand the money reasons behind ditching the scoreboard. It's not like anyone is down at these games to notice anyways. The Marlins are busy putting all their resources into their new digs, and the Dolphins don't give a s**t. It's not suprising.

I mean, after all, aquarium backstops don't pay for themselves. Or maybe they do. If it's done properly, a fish won't even know it has Cash4Gold ads on its sides.

:golfclap:

[Shmee]

They couldn't afford to buy new lightbulbs?

[DustDevil61]

So, is nobody allowed to sit in those orange seats directly behind the scoreboard. Whenever I see highlights of Marlins games nobody is in those seats (not like anyone is in the green seats behind the orange ones anyway though.)

Well, maybe ownership wants to let fans know, as far as the Marlins are concerned, that orange is the new teal, perhaps.

If they can't even replace lightbulbs, then that train of thought isn't too far behind.

[ElwoodCuse]

I saw another version of this story where they said no stadium needs out-of-town scoreboards anymore since anyone who cares can just look up scores on their phone.

It is now official Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphin/Dolphins/Land Shark/Sunlife Stadium is the ugliest in MLB.

Tropicana Field is still worse. It's like going to a baseball game in a Sam's Club.