The Arizona Diamondbacks bat boy pics up broken safety glass from in front of the aquarium built into the backstop during the first inning at Marlins Park. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Marlins pull plug on aquariums behind home plate

Originally posted on Sportress of Blogitude
By Jason Rowan | Last updated 3/19/21

Marlins Park has been regarded throughout its existence as one of the quirkiest baseballs stadiums in MLB, and that’s perhaps putting it in the kindest possible terms.

Critics have been far less complimentary when weighing in on Marlins Park since it opened in 2012, but the organization has been tweaking and even removing some of the odder aspects of the stadium in recent years.

Heading into the 2021 MLB season, another change is underway, and it arguably has been a long time coming, at least according to many who have railed against Marlins Park’s bizarre setup and peculiar adornments.

Ahead of the Marlins’ Opening Day showdown with the in-state Tampa Bay Rays at Marlins Park on April 1, the polarizing aquariums located behind home plate have been removed.

No more fish tanks at Marlins Park anymore pic.twitter.com/BKgGqYgYPH
— Mike Cugno (@MikeCugnoCBS4) March 18, 2021

The fish tanks — which measured 24 feet long, 36 inches deep and held 450 gallons of saltwater behind 1 ½-inch shatterproof glass — were one of the gaudier features at Marlins Park. There are probably a lot of fans who are happy to see them go for a multitude of reasons.

That being said, there presumably is a contingent of Marlins fans who are left disappointed by the removal of the aquariums, proving once again you can’t make everyone happy all the time.

One thing, however, that likely generated a wider consensus of support is when one of Marlins CEO and co-owner Derek Jeter’s first order of business after taking control of the ball club was expressing a desire to do away with the garish, ostentatious 76-foot-tall home-run sculpture that ominously loomed in the outfield and stuck out like a sore thumb.

The sculpture was ultimately dismantled and removed from the ballpark in November 2018.

This article first appeared on Sportress of Blogitude and was syndicated with permission.

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