Marlins fans angry after team blocks popular spring autograph spot
The Miami Marlins have done it again. They’ve found another way to anger their fans, this time by blocking one of the few prime locations for autograph seekers at their spring training facility in Jupiter, Fla.
According to the Palm Beach Post’s Joe Capozzi, fans have gathered outside an aluminum gate that borders the players parking lot at Roger Dean Stadium for 13 years. On many days, players would greet those fans and sign as many items as they could fit through the gate. It was another way for fans to connect with their favorite Marlins players, and it always seemed like the players didn’t mind.
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Apparently they did, or perhaps more accurately, apparently Marlins officials started to mind. When fans arrived to Marlins camp this week, they found the team had installed a mesh screen that now prevents fans from reaching through the gate. And not surprisingly, there’s a strong feeling of disappointment and in some cases anger over the change.
“I don’t understand why after all of these years they’re doing this now,’’ Jupiter resident Richie Nestro told the the Palm Beach Post. “This ballpark used to be real fan-friendly. I used to bring my grandson. He got to get close to Giancarlo and all the players. Now, by putting up this fence, that’s out the window.’’
The Marlins contest the decision was made in part to protect Nestro’s grandson and other children who would gather around the parking lot area. Those children, and especially those who might have been unsupervised, were at risk of being struck.
“We were having a lot of issues with people and kids going into the parking lot as players were backing out their cars last year. We wanted to take everything out of the parking lot. This is really a safety issue for us and a control mechanism,’’ he said.
“The last thing we want is to wait for an incident to happen and then say ‘we should have’ (done something to prevent it).’’
That makes a ton of sense. If that’s the driving force behind the change, then the Marlins actually deserve some credit for taking preventative action.
According to people familiar with the situation, some players last year complained to team officials about the same “autograph brokers” – adults with bags full of baseballs and bats — who would set up on lawn chairs behind the fences at 5 a.m. every day to get signatures.
Ichiro was the big draw last spring, attracting fans who would gather four deep against the fence. With all-time home run king Barry Bonds joining the team as hitting coach this year, the Marlins decided to restrict access, the sources said.
It’s always the adults that ruin it.
The complaints haven’t been limited to this one area though. Fans aren’t too pleased that new manager Don Mattingly has blocked access to the two practice fields closest to the clubhouse, which will supposedly allow players to go back and forth without interruption. As for when the spring games begin, the Marlins also eliminated the grass berm in right field where fans could pay $15 to $20 to sit and watch games. It was replaced with a 136-seat capacity Bullpen Club section. Those tickets will range $52 to $60.
[Elsewhere: Report: Aroldis Chapman could end up banned from spring training]
Needless to say, Marlins’ fans are not a happy bunch right now, and Capozzi drove that point with this.
All of the changes are prompting some fans to say they will abandon Jupiter next year and spend time instead at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the new spring training home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals south of 45th Street in West Palm Beach.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
