MIAMI–With its futuristic ballpark in the gateway to Latin America, Miami is well-equipped to host the premier international baseball event. Tonight, LoanDepot Park staff embraced the calm (Israel vs Netherlands) before the storm (tomorrow’s Venezuela vs Dominican Republic game).
I navigated a maze of barriers to enter the West Plaza, which welcomed me with Duloc vibes. Unlike Shrek, I did not have the strength nor the lack-of-care to plow my way directly to the entrance.
The security queue, the performance stage, and the vast West Plaza will not be this empty again—after tomorrow’s matchup, Miami will welcome crowds from Japan and Korea for the quarterfinals before also hosting the semifinal and championship rounds.
I made my way into the stadium to peruse to cuisine, which featured mostly normal Marlins concessions plus international hot dogs at The Change Up stand. I sampled the Venezuela-inspired “perro con todo,” the dog with everything. Everything, in this case, included onion, cabbage, whatever “pink sauce” is, cotija cheese, and potato chip slices.
Good? Yes. Worth the $13.50? Debatable. Did it sit well? We’ll find out tomorrow.
On my walkabout, I heard a marching band from afar. As it marched closer, I chuckled at the solitary Israel fan leading the procession of five Hispanic musicians through the concourse. I think he was just filming the band, but he walked with them for so long that I wondered if he was actually in charge.
When Netherlands’ lineup was announced starting with its manager, Andruw Jones, and its leadoff hitter, Druw Jones, I wondered if a specific name was a prerequisite to joining this team. Turns out, Druw is the manager’s (and Atlanta Braves great’s) son, and no other Netherlands players share the name.
Israel’s lineup included Shrek…well, RJ Schreck…which was appropriate given how I had to enter the park.
When Israel’s Harrison Bader stepped up to the plate in the first inning, a man in my section heckled him like he was A-Rod. The negative sentiments echoed in the close-roofed ballpark, which was somehow even emptier than it is for most Marlins games. Also, I never knew the longtime St. Louis Cardinals infielder Bader was such a disliked player in certain circles.
Israel churned out a productive sixth inning to take a 6-2 lead before I left. I figured a good night’s sleep was an acceptable reason to skimp out on the back half of my $10 seat. Tomorrow, I’ll be lucky to get in for less than $200. I won’t even be able to afford a Dominican Republic hot dog.
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