I've found that it's important for me to stay connected to the mainland while onboard the Majesty. I usually use the internet to stay connected with my friends, family, local sports teams, and current events. Okay, not so much on the current events, but still. So, when the invitation came from Blair to go check out an afternoon game at Marlins Park while in port in Miami I accepted without hesitation.
I'm not a huge baseball fan. When I am cheering for a pro team it's gotta be the Tigers. However, baseball is one of those games that I like to go watch in person. All the cliches apply: the green grass, brown dirt, white lines, cold beer, hot dogs, etc etc etc. It all works for me in person. Plus, this is the inaugural season (actually, the first MONTH of the inaugural season) for the Miami Marlins. Brand new stadium built on the site of the old Orange Bowl. A 12:40 start gave us the opportunity to catch 4 or 5 innings before heading back to the ship.
We caught a cab outside the crew entrance to the Majesty and split the $20 fare to the stadium. Light traffic, so the ride took about 15 minutes. The weather had been rainy all weekend, but, since the new stadium has a retractable roof we knew we were in good shape for some baseball. We arrived around 11:45 am and went to an electronic kiosk to purchase tickets. When I was about to slide my credit card through the machine we were approached by a season ticket holder who wanted to sell his seats for $15 ($5 under face value) so we eagerly accepted. Happily snapping a quick picture of our tickets in our hands, Blair and I stepped into Marlins Park for the first time.
It's a beautiful, small stadium. Rich and bright colors in the hallways and in the outfield. There is a huge marquee painting of a gigantic marlin on a track that jumps up and out of a painted mural of water when the Marlins score. Also, I think they planted a grove of palm trees in the outfield as well. Looking forward to seeing those trees develop through the years. We wandered around the stadium for about 20 minutes and then made our way to a restaurant inside for lunch called The Clevelander.
The Clevelander is a South Beach bar and nightclub that now has a location at the baseball stadium. For a $10 cover, Blair and I were allowed access. Located at the grass level in left field, The Clevelander offers a baseball experience that I've never even heard of. There are tickets that can be purchased for fans to sit right at the fence to watch the game and receive bar/food service. Blair and I took a high top table in the back next to the bar. I ordered a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries that may be the best damn sandwich I've had of that variety. Ever. The fries were actually in "tot" form and could not have been tastier. The chicken was perfectly cooked and topped with tangy buffalo sauce, lettuce, onion, and scads of blue cheese dressing. Truly outstanding. Blair got a pizza that was equally as good as my sandwich.
The entertainment didn't stop there. In true cliche South Beach fashion, The Clevelander boasts an all female waitstaff and bartender staff that are among the most attractive set of people I've ever seen. Must be awful hot in there as well, because, they were not wearing much. There's also a pool that can be enjoyed by patrons, but, is where 4 bikini models spent their time as soon as the first pitch was thrown. Dancing girls in Marlins "uniforms" (read: go-go outfits) and another trio of women dressed in what can I can best describe as "traditional dance" outfits walked around mingling with everyone and posing for pictures. Topped off with cold beer and a DJ, The Clevelander was the place to BE for pre game, during the game, and (I'd imagine) post game.
These outfits seem traditional, don't you think?
"Hello, ladies!"
Rules of play in the Clevelander include only cheering for the Marlins. If you catch a home run ball from a Marlin you get a free bucket of beers. Catch a home run ball from any other team and you are encouraged to throw it back. Swimming encouraged. Smiles mandatory (and easy to come by). Miami just does baseball differently…and I LIKE IT!
Blair put it best when we left the bar during the middle of the 3rd inning to take in a few at bats from our seats right on 3rd base,
"That was a lot of pizza and boobs."
We did make it up to our seats in the front row of the upper deck right above 3rd base. Great sight lines. An awesome place to take in the game. We left in the top of the 5th inning with the Marlins down by 5. But, had I been "watching the game" from the Clevelander the whole time, I don't think I would've noticed or cared about the score.
No comments:
Post a Comment