Dolphin Stadium Sucks

This story comes from Forbes Magazine via Yahoo! Sports, with a hat tip to Big League Stew which is where I found it

Forbes Magazine recently ranked all 30 Major League ballparks based on several predictable categories such as food and affordability. When I first stumbled onto the article and starting reading, I knew our precious Dolphin Stadium would be somewhere in the bottom five and sure enough, not only did it achieve that, but it was rated the worst. Judging by the wording below, it wasn't close.

Any debate about the relative merits of ballparks is sure to set off a slew of arguments between purists and casual fans alike. But there wasn’t much contest for the title of baseball’s worst ballpark. That dubious distinction went to Dolphin Stadium, home of the Florida Marlins, which earned poor marks in every category besides affordability. The designation comes as no surprise for an arena whose main purpose is to host football games.

“What’s the point of going to a ballgame and feeling as if you are waiting to see them kick a field goal?” asks Shapiro.

Okay, that quote from Shapiro was kind of a low blow and really doesn't make sense but it doesn't matter. Let's take a look at how the stadium fared in the five categories.

Intangibles: D
Fan Participation: D
Accessibility: C
Affordability: B
Food: C

It's actually better than the grades I would probably give. There are no real intangibles that count positively. The building has character . Fan participation getting a "D" is right on, although the low number of people that attend games are every bit as passionate as most baseball crowds. I'm surprised Accessibility got a "C" because I wouldn't call it average. The location is in between the two big population areas and there is no public transportation remotely close to it. It would be better off firmly entrenched in one area (which the new park will be). Affordability is about all the stadium and the team have going for it and it's only because they have to. It's just simple supply and demand. Once attendance goes up, I'm sure the prices will too. Finally, I don't know what food they are eating but I'd love to know. That subject would get a failing grade from me.

The reason I chose to bring this all up, is because getting a new ballpark will help change the baseball scene in regards to most of these criteria. It's all been discussed before but the location and the fact the team will have 100% control over miscellaneous stadium responsibilities like parking and concessions will allow the club to create the perfect ballpark for this market. For now though, we are stuck with this.