The carnival ride you see in the photo above is not a carnival ride. It’s a home run sculpture. In an attempt to start a new tradition with their team relocating and a new stadium being unveiled, the Marlins have built this Las Vegas hotel-looking fun machine that will do all kinds of weird things when a player from the home team cracks a homer. Maybe it will be fun to trot around the bases and look up at the fish going around and around. Who knows? What we do know is that some of the Marlins’ left-handed hitters are concerned that it may be a distraction while they’re at the plate.
“If it is an issue, it can no longer be there,” infielder Greg Dobbs said of the sculpture — which is located in left-center field — according to the Miami Herald. “I won’t be the only left-handed hitter saying something. If other teams have a problem with it, they’re definitely going to voice their concern to the league.”
Catcher John Buck, who has squatted behind home plate and stared out at the eye sore new sculpture, agrees with Dobbs that it could potentially cause issues.
“It’s kind of my job to scope those things out,’’ he said. “It might be close. It might be all right. I don’t know. We’ll see. I think for left-handed batters it might be trouble.”
Naturally, Marlins team president David Samson said it is “not an issue whatsoever.” Whether the sculpture stays or goes, something tells me “I can’t hit with that thing out there” won’t be an acceptable excuse from any of Ozzie Guillen’s players.
H/T Hardball Talk
