Joe Robbie Stadium

Walking up to Joe Robbie Stadium, Aug-1993.

The outfield seats fill up for football, but seldom for baseball.

• Location: 27th Avenue at 199th Street Northwest, Miami, Fla.
• Opened: 1989 as Joe Robbie Stadium (1993 for baseball)
• Additional names: Pro Player Stadium (1997); Dolphin Stadium (2005)
• Home team: Florida Marlins, National League (1993-present); Miami Dolphins, National Football League (1989-present)
• Capacity: 40,585 for baseball

Rating: 2 baseballs

The reason for the Florida Marlins’ discontent is simple. They’re a second-class occupant of a football stadium, originally named for the owner of the Miami Dolphins (and, after a time bearing the label of a clothing manufacturer, now bearing the name of the NFL team: Dolphin Stadium), and shoehorned in like Oprah Winfrey in a size-6 dress.

Which isn’t to say that it’s the worst place in the world to watch a ball game. The old manual scoreboard, visible in left field in the photo above, was replaced several years later by an electric board that people could actually read. And the upper deck seats in the outfield, generally not available during baseball season, did get filled up during the 1997 World Series ... after which the owner promptly shed payroll because he said he was hemorrhaging money, dooming those seats to being void of patrons except during football season. The seats filled up again when the Marlins played in, and won, the 2003 World Series.