CEO Derek Jeter gets his way: The home run sculpture in the Outfield of the Marlins Park of Miami is removed. This was unanimously decided by Miami-Dade County authorities on Tuesday.
The board of the Art in Public Places Foundation decided that the sculpture with the moving parts that are moved when the Marlins hit a homerun would be removed from the ball park. It is to be moved to a location outside the stadium.
The multi-coloured sculpture, over 22 metres high, was commissioned by the then Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria for 2.5 million dollars. The multimedia artist Red Grooms created the artwork in time for the stadium opening in 2012.
“It’s a passionate subject among Marlins fans. Either they like the sculpture or they don’t,” Jeter said before the 2018 season, “we always try to improve our fan experience and we listen to what you tell us.
The Marlins want to use the free space on the grandstand in the Center Field for a standing area.
The statue will continue to move when the Marlins hit a home run. In addition, it will move daily at 9.05 p.m. local time – i.e. 3.05 p.m., according to the postal code Miamis, 305.
This article was published without prior review by Major League Baseball.