I haven’t lived in Florida for a decade, but the roof alone should make a huge difference.

(Of course, if they insist on keeping it open in 90-degree heat, it won’t make as much of a difference.)

And live games aside, the Marlins are a tougher sell these days. The way to grow the fan base used to be to get people who were nominally Yankees/Mets/Braves/whatever fans who moved to Florida into the games, because that was what was on TV.

Well, they blew that for the first decade or so with inconsistent television coverage.

And now, League Pass cuts into that strategy.

The fact that the Marlins aren’t contending is probably a factor. (Especially coupled with the fact that the Devil Rays ARE contending. I still don’t get baseball’s decision to build an expansion team right next to an expansion team that was still establishing itself.)

But the success or failure of the team is far from the main factor.

It’s in a craphole neighborhood. I went down there a few months ago. It’s a bitch coming from Broward County at the 5pm/6pm hour for a 7:05/10 weekday game. I’ve been working Marlins games for nearly 15 years. I may do a few weekend games at the new stadium the first year. After that I’m quitting. It’s a 2nd job and just do it to keep busy but I don’t need it that badly. Won’t pay me to drive 40 miles each way. I will NOT even use my credential to take in a game down there.

Come off the 836, 12th Ave exit, sit at the traffic light and just try to count all the people living under that bridge before the light turns green. You can’t finish counting.

Not to mention, “IF” you get a lot of people (Mets/Yankees in town) traffic will much, much more horrible for people who live further away from downtown.