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Next April 1 marks the beginning of the end of the Marlins 19-year run at Sun Life Stadium.
Major League Baseball on Wednesday released next season's schedule, which features the Marlins hosting the Mets in an earlier than usual kickoff. Opening Day is Thursday, March 31, to avoid the possibility of November World Series games.
Set to move into their new Little Havana facility in 2012, the Marlins won't play all 81 home games at Sun Life. An alternate venue is being sought for the June 24-26 interleague series against the Seattle Mariners because of the June 29 U2 concert.
Relocating it to Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico, where the Marlins this season hosted a three-game set against the Mets, is one possibility but hardly ideal. Both teams subsequently are scheduled for West Coast series, the Marlins in Oakland and the Mariners back home to host the Braves. The Marlins have a travel day, but Mariners do not.
Among the venues being considered: BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. The domed facility originally was built to attract a major league team. It's now the home of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.
The Vancouver Canadians played in the Pacific Coast League from 1978-99 before the franchise relocated to Sacramento.
If the Mariners series is not moved to Puerto Rico, the Marlins could play another team there next season. The Sept. 5-7 Mets series has been mentioned, but that essentially would create a 12-game, 14-day road trip for the Marlins, who starting Sept. 9 play consecutive away series in Pittsburgh, Washington and Atlanta.
Save for that three-game set at PNC Park and three more at Milwaukee the final weekend, the Marlins will play National League East teams the entire month of September, capped with a season-ending three-game set against the Nationals at Sun Life Stadium.
In addition to the Mariners and Athletics, the interleague slate features the usual two series against the Rays (May 20-22 at home and June 17-19 at Tropicana Field). The Marlins also host the Angels June 20-22 and visit the Texas Rangers July 1-3. The Marlins-Rangers series will be the fifth in nine years between the two clubs.
Major League Baseball on Wednesday released next season's schedule, which features the Marlins hosting the Mets in an earlier than usual kickoff. Opening Day is Thursday, March 31, to avoid the possibility of November World Series games.
Set to move into their new Little Havana facility in 2012, the Marlins won't play all 81 home games at Sun Life. An alternate venue is being sought for the June 24-26 interleague series against the Seattle Mariners because of the June 29 U2 concert.
Relocating it to Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico, where the Marlins this season hosted a three-game set against the Mets, is one possibility but hardly ideal. Both teams subsequently are scheduled for West Coast series, the Marlins in Oakland and the Mariners back home to host the Braves. The Marlins have a travel day, but Mariners do not.
Among the venues being considered: BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. The domed facility originally was built to attract a major league team. It's now the home of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.
The Vancouver Canadians played in the Pacific Coast League from 1978-99 before the franchise relocated to Sacramento.
If the Mariners series is not moved to Puerto Rico, the Marlins could play another team there next season. The Sept. 5-7 Mets series has been mentioned, but that essentially would create a 12-game, 14-day road trip for the Marlins, who starting Sept. 9 play consecutive away series in Pittsburgh, Washington and Atlanta.
Save for that three-game set at PNC Park and three more at Milwaukee the final weekend, the Marlins will play National League East teams the entire month of September, capped with a season-ending three-game set against the Nationals at Sun Life Stadium.
In addition to the Mariners and Athletics, the interleague slate features the usual two series against the Rays (May 20-22 at home and June 17-19 at Tropicana Field). The Marlins also host the Angels June 20-22 and visit the Texas Rangers July 1-3. The Marlins-Rangers series will be the fifth in nine years between the two clubs.
Don't the schedulers take stuff like concerts into consideration when making the schedule? We may as well just play the series in Seattle if they're considering playing in Vancouver and both teams will be on the west coast after that series anyway.
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