Results tagged ‘ marlins park ’
May The 4th Be With You… Pitch, Hit & Run
On Cuatro de Mayo, kids from City of Miami Parks and Recreation and Miami PAL were bussed out to Marlins Park for the 2nd Jr RBI Pitch, Hit & Run Competition. This baseball skills challenge measured who could drive the ball the furthest off a tee, throw the most strikes with 6 pitches, and blaze around the bases the quickest. This was a welcomed experience for the kids who had their games rained out from the nasty weather earlier in the week… but on this day, with the ballpark as the backdrop, it was picturesque. At the end of the day 12 kids from 4 different age groups advanced to the sectional round and we hope to see those Jr RBI shirts back at Marlins Park for the on field Regional Championships. The Jr RBI program is supported by Marlins Ayudan volunteers and sponsored by Marlins players Adeiny Hechavarria, Donovan Solano, and Nathan Eovaldi.
-Juancho
Role Model Apprentice Day
On Tuesday, April 13 the Marlins partnered with the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project to welcome five 5000 Role Models mentees for the Annual Take a Role Model Apprentice to Work Day. All of the high school senior mentees shared the day on the job with various Role Model Mentors while they performed their daily professional responsibilities, with the goal of exposing the Mentees to potential career opportunities. The Mentees enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of Marlins Park before sitting down with the Marlins in house Role Model Mentors, Derek Jackson, VP and General Council, and Mike Hill, Marlins General Manager. After a thrilling morning learning about the front office aspects of a professional baseball team, they all enjoyed lunch where they exchanged riveting stories about their lives at Harvard and shared much needed advice with the Mentees.
For more information about the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, please visit http://www.5000rolemodels.dadeschools.net.
Opening Night – Play Ball!
My first Opening Night was met by 34,000 Marlins faithful ready for another season of baseball in Miami. On behalf of the Marlins Foundation, I would like to wish everyone a happy 2013 baseball season!
A special thanks to some of our community partners who came out to support us: Miracle League of Miami-Dade, Best Buddies, City Year, Villa Lyan, Special Olympics Florida – Miami-Dade County, Breakthrough Miami, Easter Seals, Miami Children’s Museum, the Ann Storck Center, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Young at Art, Biscayne Nature Center, Seraphic Fire and Shake-a-leg Miami.
As you enjoy some photos from Opening Night, remember to value every moment this great game has to offer. Willie Stargell put it best:
When you start the game, they don’t say “Work ball!” They say “Play ball!”
Field of Dreams
Benny Rodriguez: Man, this is baseball. You gotta stop thinking. Just have fun. – The Sandlot
On Sunday, October 28th, Marlins Park hosted a once-of-a-lifetime game between the mighty South Florida Sandlot 13u’s and the brave Pembroke Lakes 13u Bulldogs! These little leaguers got to play ball like the big boys with access to the club houses, dug out and a Fox Sports Florida presence. The game was a teeth clincher as it ended tied at 2-2!
This opportunity was given to these two incredible teams through the Field of Dreams Experience, won at the Marlins’ Foundation Fantasy Auction Event.
I Threw It To The Grounds!
There are a lot of people who make the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program possible. One group of people that seldom gets the recognition they deserve are the park staff that arrive early every Saturday morning and stay late on weekdays, making sure that the fields are lined properly and playable.
Dealing with inclement weather and fields that are less than pristine (through no fault of their own), they face many challenges. As a thank you for all of their hard work and dedication, we invited members of the North Miami, North Miami Beach, Hialeah, and City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department to attend a grounds crew clinic at Marlins Park led by Chad Mulholland, Director of Grounds for your Miami Marlins.
Chad answered questions regarding the drainage system as well as the proper slope behind the infield dirt. He talked about the best grass and dirt to use for the parks, their unique features, and what type of grass could hold up against the constant beating the fields take on a daily basis. The group then made their way to the visiting bullpen to take part in a pitching mound maintenance and restoration demonstration. Chad used the tools that they have access to in their respective parks and even taught them how to make homemade tools so that the techniques learned could be reproduced with their tools.
Not only did the park staff members receive quality instructions and helpful tips to maintain their field of dream, but they were also given a full behind the scenes tour, complete with a break in the grounds crew lounge in centerfield!
In Chad’s closing message to them, he shared how much he appreciated the work they do saying, ”the work you guys do is definitely the hardest. With the amount of people that are constantly on your field and the unpredictable weather that hits you, it’s not an easy job.”
Adrian Mora
David Allende
Joanne Messing
Juancho
Angela Smith
sgaywood
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