August 29, 2008 (Miami)

I take a Labor Day weekend trip to South Florida, mainly to visit Dolphin Stadium, which is a football stadium only, for so many reasons. For starters, the name itself, after the football team.

Some issues with this place. It was quite a drive to the stadium, as this would be the first time that I would drive to a baseball game. It is located in a residential neighborhood, and there just doesn't seem to be any public tranportation to the stadium. Also, the humidity is very oppressive, as I came here during the Florida summer. The breeze does not provide much relief, but at least it's not too hot.

I arrive at the stadium, and the first thing I see is some people tailgating, an activity that I associate with football. Once inside the stadium, there are names of great Miami Dolphins around the place, and the place is so orange. Plus the football field was not covered up very well, as I could still see the yard lines and numbers of it. And a lot of empty seats.

I would see the Florida Marlins take on the New York Mets, in a key NL East battle. I decided to root for the Marlins, since I see the Mets as more of a threat in the division. Even more so, since the Phillies lost earlier. I would get to see Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat throw the first pitch.

A lot of Mets fans at the game, probably almost as much as Marlins fans. I guess most of them are transplants, but there are always those who travel with the team. As it turned out, these Mets fans are not exactly friendly, and just gave me the cold shoulder. I would have to endure "Let's Go Mets" chant, but the Marlins fans countered with "Go Home Mets".

I did sit next to some female Marlins fans, who were very friendly. They are big sports fans, rooting for all the local teams. We talked for a bit, before the game started.

The Marlins would have a 2-1 lead going into the 9th inning, until Carlos Beltran hit a grand slam off Kevin Gregg, giving the Mets a 5-2 lead. The Fish would score 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th, but fall short, as the Mets win 5-4. First time I would see the home team lose outside of Philly.

Not a good day, with the Mets winning, and the Phils losing. The Mets would increase their lead in the division. And here's hoping the Marlins get a new stadium.