U2 Concert Moving Marlins, Mariners to Seattle

The Florida Marlins will still be the home team in their interleague series against the Seattle Mariners on June 24-26, 2011, but they’ll actually be 3000 miles from home.  U2 has a concert scheduled for Sun Life Stadium June 29th, but because the band’s show requires several days to construct the stage and set things up, the Marlins won’t be able to play the series at home.  So, the series will be played in Seattle with the Marlins designated as the home team batting last, and no designated hitter.  Florida officials say this was the best possible solution.  Season ticket holders will only be billed for 78 games instead of 81.  Based on the Marlins’ attendance last year (28th out of 30 teams) attendance probably will be better in Seattle anyway. The Marlins don’t own Sun Life Stadium so they have to go along with the scheduling.  In 2012, they’ll move into their own new stadium.

We can’t recall offhand any baseball games moved to other cities for a concert scheduling conflict, but they have been moved for other reasons.  When the Republican National Convention was held in the Houston Astrodome in 1992, the Houston Astros hit the road for a month long road trip.  The Astros also vacated Minute Maid Park in September 2008 as Hurricane Ike bore down on the city.  The Astros – Chicago Cubs series was moved to Milwaukee’s Miller Park, and the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano threw a no hitter in one of the games.  And the Cleveland Indians—Los Angeles Angels moved a three game set scheduled for Cleveland in early April 2007 to Miller Park as well to escape snowy conditions in Cleveland.

So  for any Marlins fans willing to trek to Seattle for that “home” series, we’ll tell you the weather in Seattle in late June is much more pleasant than the south Florida heat and humidity, and no, it does not rain every day.  The salmon is great, but there’s lots of really good seafood.  And that big mountain with the snow on it is Mount Rainier. Enjoy.

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Tags: baseball, bono, Florida Marlins, seattle mariners