What to Know
- The two rivals from Broward County played their annual game Wednesday night in a different location from their high school fields.
- It’s the latest event the Marlins have held to honor the school where 17 people lost their lives in a deadly mass shooting on February 14th.
For most high school baseball players, the chance to take the field in a major league stadium will never happened. For the players at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Coral Springs high schools, the dream became a reality.
The two rivals from Broward County played their annual game Wednesday night in a different location from their high school fields – instead, stepping inside the batter’s box at Marlins Park.
It’s the latest event the Marlins have held to honor the school where 17 people lost their lives in a deadly mass shooting on February 14th. The team invited members of the baseball and softball teams to their spring training opener less than two weeks later – setting in motion the phone call invite to play an actual game at the park.
“All I know is I heard (Marlins CEO) Derek Jeter’s voice on the phone…he goes ‘Coach, I’m not playing.’ Then he invited the guys out, said the place would be ours and that’s what it’s been ever since we got here,” Douglas head coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said.
Both Douglas and Coral Springs used the actual major league locker rooms, took batting practice like the big leaguers and soaked in the memories before the Eagles got a 9-4 win, staying undefeated in district play while being ranked one of the top 25 teams in the nation.
The Marlins have placed a sign on the outfield wall to honor MSD while also placing a “MSD Strong” patch on their uniforms. During the opening series of the season against the Chicago Cubs, survivors of the shooting as well as the families of several victims were on hand to throw out the first pitch of a game.
Local
Miami will hold Stoneman Douglas Day for their game on April 15th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where all students and faculty will get two free tickets to the game.
