Marlins Stadium Update No. 188 (Countdown edition)
Former Marlins and current Chicago Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper did the honors Sunday. Boog Sciambi and Don Sutton have done it, too. Former Marlins manager Jack McKeon was the first one to do it. It’s also been done by The Village People (see photo by the Marlins' Robert Vigon) and longtime fan Bob Ramer.
IT is the nightly unveiling of the number of regular season home games left until Opening Day of the Marlins' new ballpark, expected in 2012. There’s a Game Countdown board in left field at Land Shark Stadium. The number is pulled after the fifth inning of home games once the games become official. The number is currently 188.
The Marlins are calling on celebrities and longtime fans to help with the new in-game ritual, which started after the team held its official ceremonial ground-breaking for the $515 million ballpark at the former site of the Orange Bowl on July 18.
CRAIG DAVIS In more than 33 years at the Sun Sentinel, Craig Davis has written about a wide variety of sports topics from baseball to yachting, fishing to triathlons, and also worked as a copy editor and page designer. Recently he reported on local sports, including running, swimming, cycling, equestrian and beach volleyball. He enjoys sports as a participant as well as a spectator, is active in the South Florida running scene plays in the curling club at Saveology Iceplex. This blog offers a glimpse at the business side of sports in the interest of enhancing enjoyment of the games and sporting options as a spectator as well as a participant.
