Another New Ballpark

Marlins Park is the new home of the Miami Marlins. Anything is better than playing baseball in a football facility.  Judging by what I could see on TV, it looks like another good effort by HOK. They’ve done the architectural work on virtually every ballpark in the last 20 years.
I like the extra large outfield.  The Marlins will need center fielders that can handle that.   Willie Mays made a name for himself in the Polo Grounds in New York. Yankee Stadium had a huge outfield too. It was the perfect place to show off the skills of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.  When the Cardinals moved into Busch Stadium II in 1966, Curt Flood got to show his skills in running down fly balls that fell within 414 feet of home plate. Later we saw Bake McBride, Willie McGee and Jim Edmonds cover all that ground.  During the mid 80’s to late 90’s, I also saw quite a few games in Tiger Stadium where it was 440 feet to dead center.  Few things beat seeing a great center fielder with room to work.
I can grudgingly accept the retractable roof because of the daily threat of rain in south Florida. Closing the roof because of temperatures alone is unacceptable. Baseball is an outdoor game.
I am still trying to figure out why the walls are painted with the same green the folks in TV use to put weather maps and graphics behind the anchors. Maybe the stuff was on clearance while they were trying to sign Albert Pujols.
I still don’t understand why that “thing” is out there in deep left center. Looks like a rejected cover art concept from a Jimmy Buffett album.
The above comes from an observer who has been to Busch Stadium II&III, Kauffmann Stadium, The Big A in Anaheim, (when it still was the Big A in 1978) Wrigley Field, Tiger Stadium, Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Skydome in Toronto, Riverfront Stadium,  Old Comiskey & New Comiskey,  Fenway Park, Mile High Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Coors Field.