Glenn Geffner challenges Marlins fans to attend more home games

The Marlins have returned to Miami to kick off a six-game homestand on Tuesday. This will be the last opportunity for local fans to see the Fish prior to the All-Star break.

In what he called “my first real thread” on Twitter, Marlins radio play-by-play broadcaster Glenn Geffner urged South Florida to support a team that’s been fun and competitive in recent weeks:

I love the enthusiasm I’ve seen on social media over the last several days. The young starters have been fun to watch. Bats are coming alive. Guys are playing hard every night. Win or lose. 20-15 over the last 35 games.

More and more fans are telling me that they now see where this is headed, and they’re getting excited for the future of the Marlins franchise. They see great talent graduating from the minors to the majors with more talent developing in waves that will arrive later this season, next year and down the road.

Now it’s time for people to start showing up at Marlins Park to support this team. You think it’s a coincidence they play better in front of 40,000 fans in St. Louis and Philadelphia than they do in front of 9,000 at home? Having energy in the ballpark makes a huge difference.

Seriously. You can get tickets for $10. There are even free tickets available to select games for first responders, active and retired military and seniors.

You wanted a new ballpark? You got one. You wanted a roof to get you out of the heat and rain? You got one. You wanted a new owner? You got one.

For anyone who claims they’re not coming to games because of players who were traded away, this team was last in attendance (and below .500 annually) with all the guys you now claim you can’t live without.

This ownership group is doing what they said they were going to do. They’ve invested in the ballpark experience and the community. And they’re building a team from the bottom up that will be able to compete annually, not once a decade.

I know there is a small core group of you who come out regularly. In some cases literally every night. I love you guys, your incredible passion and undying devotion. You deserve a winner more than anybody.

But for the rest of you, it’s time to start showing up. You’ve never been to Marlins Park? Grab the family and check it out once. You come once a year, come 2 or 3 times.

There is no doubt this team and this franchise is headed in the right direction for the long haul. It’s time for you guys to start showing up. The Nationals and Phillies are in for 6 Tuesday-Sunday. Final home games before the All-Star break. Enough with the excuses. Grab some tickets and allow yourself to have some fun and support the hometown team. It’s time.

The ballpark is great. The food is great. Parking is close, safe and convenient. And, in my experience, it’s cheaper than other pro sporting events in town or at any other big league park I’ve seen for comparable convenience.

Geffner truly put in a hard night’s work (1:45 in the morning!), personalizing rebuttals for each person who attempted to poke holes in his argument.

During year one of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding process, the Marlins set an all-time franchise low with an average announced attendance of 10,014 fans per game. They are behind that pace so far in 2019—9,378 per game—despite a slightly improved product on the field.

Promotions and special ticket deals applicable to the upcoming Nationals and Phillies series include:

• Social Media Night (Friday)—professional panel and Marlins player meet-and-greet
• Tómale Suave (Friday)—curated wine and food pairings; must be 21 or older
• Miguel Rojas bobblehead giveaway (Saturday)—first 10,000 fans
• Beerfest (Saturday)—early entry into the ballpark two hours before first pitch; must be 21 or older
• Kids pullover giveaway (Sunday)—first 5,000 fans 14 or younger

Aside from the encouraging team performance that Geffner detailed, the Marlins are expecting Neil Walker (quad strain) back from the injured list in the coming days. Jorge Alfaro (concussion) is eligible to return on Friday.

This is a topic that Danny addressed on the podcast last week. “The Marlins don’t only have to ‘win’ this rebuild: they have to dominate it” to bring back fans who chose self-imposed exile over Jeffrey Loria’s dysfunction. And even then, it’s hard to say what share of the population can bring themselves to step inside a building that was inefficiently funded with the community’s tax dollars.

For those of you who live within 100 miles of Little Havana, when’s the last time you attended a game at Marlins Park? And what factors could persuade you to attend more often in the future?