Miami

‘Fulfilling The Promise': Miami Marlins Work to Rebuild Fan Base, Earn Their Trust in 2019

What to Know

  • First pitch Thursday is at 4:10 p.m. and fans are being encouraged to arrive at 1:30 p.m. for festivities on the West Plaza.

Thursday, season number 27 begins for the Miami Marlins when take on the Colorado Rockies – but for the organization, it means more than just the game on the field.

It’s not just a new day, but a new shift from a whole new look to a whole new looking ballpark all in an effort to win back to trust of their fans.

“We want people to look at Marlins Park and to know this is Miami, when you see it on TV that is the Miami I know, the Miami I love and appreciate,” said Chip Bowers, the team’s President of Business Ops, in an interview with NBC 6’s Sheli Muniz. “Before we had a lot of different colors and things that were different in their own right, but we wanted to create a clean canvas.”

Bowers says since the new ownership under Derek Jeter took over, they’ve been working on listening to fans through a campaign called Dimelo.

“The enhancements that we’ve made to this ball park and the things were doing on the player development side is our way to show were fulfilling the promise to our city,” Bowers added.

Getting them back to the park is job number one after a season that was anything but a home run and ended with the lowest attendance in Major League Baseball.

“We’re doing all the things on the player development side to be a winning organization and that starts with a commitment to excellence,” Bowers said. “The guys we’ve been able to bring on board here within the last year account for 10 to 12 of our top prospects in the system and are some of the bright talent.”

The more obvious changes will be seen as soon as you walk in. Revamped food options include 18 new concessions — featuring new partnerships with local restaurants like Suviche, Pincho, Novecento as well as a 305 menu with $3 or $5 options.

The colorful home run sculpture is gone and replaced by a 3-tiered standing structure while standing room areas are in right field with reduced pricing. Appealing to that millennial fan base is a plus with themed weekends with Party en el Parque, Sunday Fundays and Little Havana nights on Fridays.

“I use the analogy that our fan base probably felt like scorned lovers in the past, and we had to re-earn their trust and we still got work today and were very honest with ourselves,” Bowers added. “I feel like people are going to come in on opening day and say ‘I feel like I was heard. I feel like I’m appreciated.’”

First pitch Thursday is at 4:10 p.m. and fans are being encouraged to arrive at 1:30 p.m. for festivities on the West Plaza.

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