116-513: LoanDepot Park (officially stylized as loanDepot park , and named Marlins Park until 2021) is a retractable roof stadium located in Miami , Florida , United States. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball 's Miami Marlins . It is located on 17 acres (6.9 ha) on the site of the former Miami Orange Bowl in Little Havana about 2 miles (3 km) west of Downtown Miami . Construction
232-463: A 100-mile (160 km) radius of the stadium. Approximately 6 million US gallons (23,000,000 L) of water a year are saved with the use of 249 waterless urinals . An early aim of the new ballpark was to become the first retractable-roof ballpark to be Silver Certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). On May 25, 2012, Marlins Park surpassed that goal by officially becoming
348-405: A 1970s or '80s doughnut ... I wanted it to be a statement of what Miami is all about—a contemporary city. Miami is an important American city and architecture makes your city great. The idea was to create something very contemporary. Loria then sketched his idea of a round building on a napkin and told the architects to bring him back some real drawings. Exec architect Earl Santee, who was present at
464-402: A Rangers pre-game warmup session, where Rogers had shoved two local news reporters and knocked one camera to the ground. One of the reporters resumed filming after picking up said camera, which angered Rogers into shoving him again, after grabbing and throwing the camera to the ground, kicking it. He was then led away by a teammate and later sent home by the club. While an appeal of his suspension
580-481: A bar or restaurant a retractable roof measuring 20' by 30'; and a meeting hall a 50' by 100' bi-parting-over-stationary. Stadium retractable roofs are generally used in locales where inclement weather, extreme heat, or extreme cold are prevalent during the respective sports seasons, in order to allow for playing of traditionally outdoor sports in more favorable conditions, as well as the comfort of spectators watching games played in such weather. Unlike their predecessors,
696-545: A field cost prohibitive. Installations throughout the world employ a variety of different configurations and styles. The first retractable roof sports venue was the now-demolished Civic Arena in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States. Constructed in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera , the arena was home to minor league basketball, college basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams before becoming
812-464: A first-round pool of the 2017 World Baseball Classic , the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game , and the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic . The park also hosts soccer matches, fundraising galas, and other events during the winter. It also hosted the Miami Beach Bowl from 2014 through 2016. The stadium is designed in a neomodern form of baseball architecture. Prior to
928-537: A fully functional retractable roof at its debut in 1989 . Architecturally speaking, retractable roofs vary greatly from stadium to stadium in shape, material and movement. For example, American Family Field has a fan style roof, while Toyota Stadium in Japan has an accordion -like roof. Most retractable roofs are made of metal, while some, such as the roof of State Farm Stadium , are made of water-resistant fabric. Although each retractable roof differs in these aspects,
1044-566: A hotel lobby to begin discussing design ideas. Loria described the meeting: When it all started, the architects came to me and asked what I had envisioned. Was I looking to have a retro stadium? Did we have that in mind? I said, "No retro, no art-deco, no looking back. Miami is a spectacular city, looking ahead. We need to be looking forward. I'd like to see us build a great, 'contemporary' building." We had to think about some kind of design for it and what it might look like ... I really did not want it to be just another ballpark. I wasn't interested in
1160-718: A look of disdain on his face. Bud Selig also did not attend the San Francisco Giants ' game on August 7 when Barry Bonds hit his record-breaking 756th home run against the Washington Nationals ; after the event, Selig released a statement congratulating Bonds. On December 13, 2007, former senator Mitchell released his report on the use of performance-enhancing substances by MLB players . The report names many current and former players who allegedly used performance-enhancing drugs during their careers. Selig has been widely criticized for not taking an active enough role to stem
1276-487: A message about its location. It can be interpreted in a fresh way." The stadium would also not be symmetrical like the "cookie-cutter" stadiums of the pre-Camden, modern era. Populous began conducting feasibility studies for their "primary design objectives." The top objective was creating "a ballpark that is quintessentially Miami," which meant, according to a list of adjectives that the architects drew up: "palms, destination, diverse, recreation, and beach." A similar list
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#17328556225451392-509: A new ballpark should be built. The team's desire to leave their original home made for an awkward business relationship over leasing issues with Huizenga, who continued to own the then-named Pro Player Stadium. By January 2002, Henry's stadium proposals were effectively scrapped when MLB Commissioner Bud Selig engineered a three-franchise ownership swap—Henry left to own the Boston Red Sox , while Montreal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria took over
1508-429: A panoramic view of Downtown Miami , and a huge air-conditioning system. The stadium is also said to be designed to withstand strong hurricanes . "If our ballpark would speak, its first words would be, '¡Hola, Miami!,'" Loria said during a new-era ceremony. Instead of framing new technology with nostalgic elements as in retro parks, LoanDepot Park emphasizes the future. Besides electronic mixed-media artwork, technology
1624-406: A part of the sustainability equation but the park opened without solar panels. However, engineers optimized lighting, mechanical controls, and electrical aspects enough to achieve a 22.4% reduction in energy usage, which exceeded the 14% required for certification. The U.S. Green Building Council noted an innovation which earned the facility three credits: Throughout areas of the stadium, including
1740-473: A result, classic elements such as redbrick, limestone, and muted forest-green seats or fences, would not be found anywhere in Marlins Park. Any visible steel trusses would be functionally required to be that way, unlike retro-style trusses which tend to be exposed and bare for aesthetics. According to Sherlock, the structure would convey "that a ballpark doesn't necessarily have to be bricks and steel to translate
1856-573: A temporary restraining order that forced the Twins to honor their lease and play the 2002 season at the Metrodome . In August 2002, the effort to contract the Twins officially fizzled as players and owners reached a consensus on a new labor agreement which extended the team's Metrodome lease. The 2002 All-Star Game , played in Selig's hometown of Milwaukee , was tied 7–7 after nine innings, and remained tied after
1972-432: A year in 1993 for repeated racially insensitive and prejudicial remarks and actions. The same year, Selig reinstated New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner from a lifelong suspension that was instituted by Selig's predecessor Fay Vincent . Pete Rose has claimed that he applied for reinstatement over the years and received no such consideration. Rose, along with his close friend and former teammate Mike Schmidt (who
2088-821: Is a piece of art." "If you're looking for a label, I'd say 'contemporary'," Sherlock said. As well: In this particular case, we didn't adopt anything stylistically. It's sculpture quality, and with sculpture, there are no rules. We wanted an experience that connects the fan experience to the city of Miami and its people and its climate and culture. The ballpark is intended to embody Miami so much that its emblematic features would look out-of-place if they were put in other cities. "We used Miami as an excuse to do things that other cities couldn't get away with," team President David Samson said. "Everywhere you look, it's things that if they were anywhere else, people would say, 'You can't do that.' In Miami, people say, 'Oh, that's Miami.' You have to take advantage where you are." "Marlins Park
2204-433: Is a strong supporter of Rose's reinstatement into baseball), met with Selig in 2002, where Rose privately admitted to Selig (two years before going public with his admission) about betting on baseball . Bud Selig was a close friend of the late Bart Giamatti , who was the commissioner when Rose was first banned from the sport in 1989. As acting commissioner, Selig represented MLB during the 1994 players strike and cancelled
2320-430: Is all about Miami," said Sherlock. The exterior is a sculptural monument consisting of gleaming white stucco, steel, aluminum, and glass. The inclining elliptical form avoids creating many rigid, right angles. Angled, cantilevered pedestrian ramps also form elegant geometric shapes. "It's consistent with the essence of the buildings that are down here – white plaster and graceful forms, which are somewhat of an abstraction of
2436-463: Is also unmistakably used for commercial purposes. As a way to market to Latino fans, many digital menu boards on the concession stands continuously switch from English to Spanish and back. Also, there are no hand-operated advertisement signs; ads are all computerized. Santee explains: It's really just how technology is everywhere. You don't see any static ad panels in this building. It's all video-based, IPTV-based. It's all connected. The technology
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#17328556225452552-545: Is an American baseball executive who currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball. Previously, he served as the ninth commissioner of baseball from 1998 to 2015. He initially served as de facto acting commissioner beginning in 1992 in his capacity as chairman of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Executive Committee before being named the official commissioner in 1998. Selig oversaw baseball through
2668-642: Is any significant threat of precipitation.) Depending on the stadium, weather or gameplay conditions, and the judgment of the officials, play may or may not continue until the roof is fully closed. If the game begins with the roof closed, it may be opened under some circumstances depending on the venue. If it is closed after the game begins, typically it must remain closed for the duration of the game. Some modern athletic facilities are using less-complex roof systems commonly referred to as open roofs . These are constructed with similar materials as retractable roofs, such as polycarbonate or tempered glass roofs. Hinged at
2784-453: Is better able to tolerate shaded areas. During the first months of games played at the new park, at least four leaks showed themselves in the retractable roof. Fans sitting in at least four seating sections still got wet under the drippy roof on rainy days. Leaks have progressively appeared under different spots as stadium workers kept plugging them by opening up the roof panels and patching the joints. Samson said it will take time to work out
2900-480: Is not an easy task. The team that's up here did some amazing things to bring this plaque to the building. "It was our desire from the onset to not only build America's greatest new ballpark, but also its most environmentally friendly," said Loria. Since sod was first laid down in early February 2012, the grass has had difficulty growing under the frequently-closed roof. Planners had selected a strain of Bermuda grass —named Celebration—for its reputation of doing well in
3016-450: Is the blood of the building. It flows through every vein, every piece of building. What it means is that [stadium operators] could run a third-inning (concession) special and it would pop up ... You could have the whole building with one sponsor for one moment, if you wanted to. Or you could do zones. It gives them maximum flexibility for however they want to present their partners as well as themselves. As part of its forward-thinking design,
3132-708: The 1994 strike , the introduction of the wild card , interleague play , and the de facto merging of the National and American Leagues under the Office of the Commissioner. He was instrumental in organizing the World Baseball Classic in 2006. Selig also introduced revenue sharing. He is credited for the financial turnaround of baseball during his tenure with a 400 percent increase in the revenue of MLB and annual record breaking attendance. During Selig's term of service,
3248-787: The Miami Arena , in August 2007, the Miami Hurricanes announced they were leaving the Orange Bowl, which made the newly-vacant site the most attractive option for local governments. In February 2008, the Miami city commission and the Miami-Dade county commission came to an initial agreement to fund the new stadium. The Orange Bowl was subsequently demolished in March 2008 to make way for the new ballpark. A delay in
3364-463: The NFL and MLB , as well as from stadium to stadium. In general, if a game begins with the roof open and weather conditions become less favorable, the home team may, with the approval of the field officials and visiting team, request the roof be closed. (Such a scenario is generally rare, due to the accuracy of modern weather forecasting and a general err on the side of caution that keeps a roof closed if there
3480-604: The Oakland Athletics regarding the Athletics' proposed move to San Jose . Selig established a blue-ribbon panel in 2009 to resolve the dispute; however, despite years to find a resolution, the blue-ribbon panel completely failed to make any progress toward resolving the issue, leading San Jose to sue MLB. The lawsuit, which is currently ongoing, questions the league's anti-trust exemption and its ability to enforce particular clubs' geographic territories. In addition, he blocked
3596-551: The U.S. Army before working with his father who owned a car leasing business in Milwaukee. Selig continues to be involved in the automotive industry, serving as president of the Selig Executive Lease Company. Selig's interest in baseball came from his mother. An immigrant from Ukraine , Marie Selig attended college, a rare accomplishment for a woman in the early 20th century, and became a school teacher. When Selig
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3712-552: The World Series , marking the first time the annual event had not been staged since 1904 . After a six-year search for a new commissioner, the owners voted to give Selig the title on a permanent basis midway through the 1998 season . During his tenure the game avoided a third work stoppage in 2002, and has seen the implementation of interleague play . Whereas in the past, the National and American leagues had separate administrative organizations (which, for example, allowed for
3828-420: The domes built primarily during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, retractable roofs also allow for playing of the same traditionally outdoor sports in outdoor conditions when the weather is more favorable. Another purpose of retractable roofs is to allow for growth of natural grass playing fields in environments where extreme hot and/or cold temperatures would otherwise make installation and maintenance of such
3944-598: The minor league team of the same name that he had watched in his youth and had existed until the arrival of the Braves in Milwaukee in 1953. Selig was credited with keeping baseball in Milwaukee. The Brewers went to the 1982 World Series (but were defeated in seven games by the St. Louis Cardinals ), and Selig won seven Organization of the Year awards during his tenure. Selig remains a resident of Milwaukee. On January 17, 2008, Selig's contract
4060-560: The terror attacks on New York and Washington . The games were postponed not only out of respect and mourning for the victims, but also out of concern for the safety and security of fans and players. After the conclusion of the 2001 World Series , Selig held a vote on contracting two teams, reportedly the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos . This action led to Selig (along with former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria ) being sued for racketeering and conspiring with Loria to deliberately defraud
4176-541: The "growing stain on baseball." Selig has pledged on numerous occasions to rid baseball of performance-enhancing drugs, and has overseen and instituted many rule changes and penalties to that end. A Milwaukee native, Selig was previously the owner and team president of the Milwaukee Brewers . The franchise, originally known as the Seattle Pilots , was acquired by Selig in bankruptcy court in 1970, and renamed after
4292-464: The 2012 season. He further decided against retirement, and after a two-year extension for the previous deal was agreed to on January 12, 2012, it was announced that Selig would remain commissioner until the end of the 2014 season. In 2021, Selig was appointed as "non-voting co-Chair" (with Jane Forbes Clark) for the December 2021 Early Baseball Era Committee meeting, to consider candidates for election to
4408-523: The 2013 All-Star Game, Selig complained, "People say, 'Well, you were slow to react.' We were not slow to react. In fact, I heard that this morning, and it aggravated me all over again." By early 2006, Selig was forced to deal with the issue of steroid use. On March 30, 2006, as a response to the controversy of the use of performance-enhancing drugs and the anticipated career home run record to be set by Barry Bonds , Selig asked former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell to lead an independent investigation into
4524-462: The Braves left Milwaukee, he divested his stock in the team. As a youngster, Selig's favorite player was Hershel Martin . He developed a friendship with Hank Aaron , when the young player joined the Braves. The elder Selig's company provided loaner cars to Braves players, which gave the family access to the clubhouse and players. The pair later attended Green Bay Packers games together and sat together on
4640-523: The Bronx ), Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , San Diego , San Francisco , Seattle , Arlington , St. Louis , and Washington, D.C. Selig and his family served a supportive role on the advisory board of the Israel Baseball League during its inaugural season in 2007. In response to issues with the league's financial management, after the season, the Selig family requested that their names be removed from
4756-514: The Dodgers to point out a double standard in treatment of MLB owners. More specifically in regards to the Mets, critics have accused Selig of favoritism towards the Mets due Selig's personal relationship with Wilpon, claiming that it motivated him to stall any possible removal of Wilpon as that club's principal owner. Selig also notably failed to resolve a 6-year conflict between the San Francisco Giants and
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4872-612: The Dolphins, and since 2008, the Miami Hurricanes from the University of Miami . After the Marlins began play, multiple issues were soon raised regarding the unsuitability of Joe Robbie Stadium for professional baseball. Among those cited were the poor seat and sight-line configuration for baseball viewing, references to Miami's NFL team such as the logos and color scheme remaining visible in
4988-524: The Expos minority owners. If found liable, the league could have been ordered to pay as much as $ 500 million in total damages. The judge ruled that the Expos could not be moved or contracted until the case was over. The case eventually went to arbitration and was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. A week after Selig's announcement, Hennepin County Judge Harry Seymour Crump issued
5104-573: The Florida Marlins were the only team in baseball playing in an NFL-configured sporting stadium. After original owner Wayne Huizenga claimed he lost more than $ 30 million on the team, he sold the Marlins in early 1999 to John W. Henry . Thereafter, the Marlins began a concerted effort to get their own baseball-only venue. Henry's vision included a retractable roof, believed by this time to be essential due to South Florida's climate and baseball's summertime schedule. Several ideas were explored on where
5220-654: The Hall of Fame whose major contributions to the game took place prior to 1950. The committee elected Bud Fowler and Buck O'Neil . Bud Selig has overseen the following changes in Major League Baseball: During Selig's terms as executive council chairman (from 1992 to 1998) and commissioner, new stadiums opened in Arizona , Atlanta , Cincinnati , Cleveland , Colorado , Detroit , Houston , Miami , Milwaukee , Minneapolis , New York City ( Flushing, Queens and
5336-515: The Marlins of its intention to terminate the lease at Joe Robbie Stadium by 2010, potentially leaving the Marlins without a stadium to host its home games. In the ensuing years between 2004 and 2009, the Marlins negotiated with local and state officials regarding funding the construction of a baseball-specific stadium before the termination of its lease at Joe Robbie Stadium. In 2005, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson failed to come to an agreement with local and state officials regarding
5452-405: The Marlins' and Populous' favorite choice was a design of an angular white-curves-and-glass facade—a metaphor for the "water merging with land" landscape of the Miami area—which was close to what eventually became the final design. "For the first time, you can embrace art and architecture and baseball in one building form," Santee said. "It's not just the art in the building, but the building itself
5568-640: The Marlins. Loria and president David Samson continued the search for a new, baseball-only retractable-roof ballpark. The Marlins' second World Series championship in 2003 created some local exuberance for a new ballpark. Then, in January 2004, the City of Miami proposed building a baseball-only stadium for the Marlins at the site of the Miami Orange Bowl that would adjoin the existing football stadium along its northern flank. In December 2004, Miami's NFL team notified
5684-570: The Miami Marlins. A group of investors led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman took over the Marlins organization in August 2017. Changes to the stadium, including a new color scheme, moving the Home Run sculpture, and obtaining naming rights to the stadium were achieved during the Jeter regime. On March 31, 2021, the Marlins announced that it had sold naming rights to Marlins Park to LoanDepot , renaming
5800-494: The Wild Card see it as diminishing the importance of the pennant race and the regular season, with the true race often being for second rather than first place, while those in favor of it view it as an opportunity for teams to have a shot at the playoffs even when they have no chance of a first-place finish in their division, thus maintaining fan interest later in the season. Selig suspended Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott for
5916-554: The bars or the bobblehead museum. Dazzling colors are found throughout the interior, including fluorescent lime-green fences, and in modernist & contemporary works of art—including the much-debated animatronic home-run sculpture—that relate to baseball and Miami. "My idea was to have people use their eyes and encourage them to use their eyes," said Loria. "We wanted a ballpark filled with great baseball, great entertainment, and occasionally, some images to be seen and enjoyed. It's not about an art gallery. But it's about images relating to
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#17328556225456032-418: The bottom of the 11th inning. Due to the recent managerial trend of granting playing time to as many available players as possible within the regulation nine innings, both managers had used their entire roster. Concerned for the arms of the pitchers currently on the mound, Selig made the controversial decision to declare the game a tie, to the dissatisfaction of the Milwaukee fans. Selig later said that this call
6148-660: The club, but the American League vetoed the sale, preferring to keep an American League team in Chicago, which at the time was still America's second-largest city. Selig turned his attention to other franchises. In 1970, he purchased the bankrupt Seattle Pilots franchise, moving them to his hometown and officially renaming the team the Brewers . During Selig's tenure as club president, the Brewers participated in postseason play in 1981, when
6264-460: The clubhouses, the floor is made of a synthetic pouring made from recycled Nike shoes. The Council presented Loria with a plaque to signify the entire gold-certification achievement. Rick Fedrizzi , President, CEO and Founding Chair of U.S. Green Building Council stated: A lot of people have often thought this [LEED Gold Certification] is an award. I'd like to think about this as 'the organization has earned its Ph. D,' because earning one of these
6380-680: The construction of LoanDepot Park, the Marlins played home games at what was originally known as Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens , which was known by a number of different names during the Marlins' tenure there. Joe Robbie Stadium was built in 1987 as home to the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL), and was designed as a multi-purpose stadium built primarily for football , but its design also accommodated baseball and soccer. Dolphins founder Joe Robbie believed it
6496-438: The day and reduces reliance on artificial light. The suites are built with replenishable bamboo paneling instead of hardwood. Most construction waste was hauled away to recycling centers during the building phase. Palm trees and other native plant species around the building encourage biodiversity . Levy Restaurants , which runs some of the kitchens, gets most of its fresh-food supply directly from local farms that are within
6612-449: The design of the asymmetrical fence. The height of the tall wall varies from 10 to 16 feet (3.0 to 4.9 m). There are also commemorations to the beloved old Orange Bowl both inside and outside of the park. A critical design point addresses the tropical climate of South Florida. Fans are provided with the comfort they longed for at Sun Life Stadium with a 5.27-acre (2.13 ha) retractable roof, retractable-glass wall panels that offer
6728-520: The elements, as well as the option of having an open roof during favourable weather. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records show that David S. Miller, founder of Rollamatic Retractable Roofs, filed U.S. patent 3,277,619 in August 1963 for "a movable and remotely controllable roof section for houses and other types of buildings". While any shape is possible, common shapes are flat, ridge, hip-ridge, barrel and dome. A residence might incorporate one or more 3' by 5' retractables;
6844-413: The facility LoanDepot Park; terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The naming rights to the stadium reportedly brings $ 10 million per annum to the Marlins. LoanDepot Park has the distinction of being the first MLB park designed in what stadium planners are calling the " contemporary " architectural style. The architecture is intended to make a statement about the present-day culture of the city in which
6960-406: The facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights . The term operable skylight , while quite similar, refers to a skylight that opens on a hinge, rather than on a track. Retractable roofs are used in residences, restaurants and bars, swim centres, arenas and stadiums, and other facilities wishing to provide protection from
7076-711: The facility. A permanent, fixed roof was installed in 1998. The Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre , now called the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia opened in January 1988. It was the first retractable roof system installed in a Grand Slam tennis venue. The roof enables matches to continue during rain, extreme heat, and in the presence of smoke from bushfires in surrounding regions. The Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) in Toronto , Ontario had
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#17328556225457192-472: The first MLB stadium—and the first retractable-roof stadium in any sport—to achieve LEED Gold Certification, anointing the facility as the most sustainable ballpark in MLB. The LEED-NC (New Construction) rating system credited the stadium with 40 points toward certification, the highest total of any LEED-certified park in the majors—the retro-contemporary ballparks of Oracle Park , Target Field and Nationals Park are
7308-632: The franchise out of bankruptcy, claiming McCourt violated the Baseball Agreement. In comparison, no action was taken against New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon despite being in a similar position. United States bankruptcy judge Kevin Gross rendered a stern warning to Selig, stating: "Should the Commissioner falter in proving alleged wrongdoing, the Court may allow LAD (Los Angeles Dodgers) to take further, limited discovery." Some critics have used Selig's handling of
7424-414: The funding of a baseball-specific stadium. Subsequently, the Marlins explored relocation options in the ensuing years from Las Vegas , Portland , and San Antonio . The specter of relocation pushed Charlie Crist , then Governor of Florida and other local mayors to release statements in favor of public funding for the new stadium. After the Marlins explored other options, including at the former site of
7540-431: The game. There are a few of them in the park." A nightclub featuring loud music and a swimming pool just beyond the left field fence brings a touch of South Beach into the park. Taste of Miami food court includes such local cuisine as Cuban sandwiches , pork sandwiches, and stone crabs. There's even an aquarium inside the walls of home plate backstop containing live, tropical fish. LoanDepot Park pays tribute to
7656-491: The games played in Milwaukee that year was against the expansion Seattle Pilots , the team that would become the Brewers. Those Milwaukee "home" games were phenomenally successful, with the handful of games accounting for about one-third of total White Sox home attendance. To satisfy that fan base, Selig decided to purchase the White Sox (with the intention of moving them to Milwaukee) in 1969. He entered into an agreement to buy
7772-857: The grounds that Selig had been "unduly absenting yourself from the home of the parties and isolating yourself ... in pursuit of your baseball interests to the detriment of your marriage." Chaimson later stated that the marriage ended because her husband "divorced me and married baseball." Since 1977, Selig has been married to the former Suzanne Steinman, who has a daughter from a previous marriage. In 2009, Selig began teaching as an adjunct professor of sports law and policy at Marquette University Law School . His classes have covered numerous topics, including "the history of collective bargaining and free agency, baseball's antitrust exemption, revenue sharing – as well as finer points of sports law like intellectual property rights, ambush marketing, and why baseball does not allow game footage on YouTube." In 2010, Selig endowed
7888-678: The home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, as well as hosting over a dozen regular season National Basketball Association (NBA) games in the 1960s and 1970s. The arena's dome-shaped roof covered 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ) and was made up of eight equal segments constructed from close to 3,000 tons of steel, in which six segments could retract underneath
8004-448: The introduction of different rules such as the designated hitter ), under Selig, Major League Baseball consolidated the administrative functions of both leagues into the Commissioner's Office in 2000. The last official presidents of the NL and AL were Leonard S. Coleman Jr. and Dr. Gene Budig respectively. On September 11, 2001, Selig ordered all baseball games postponed for a week because of
8120-407: The kinks: We knew going in that other retractable-roof ballparks had to make adjustments for one or two years to get their field right. We hoped that we'd get it right the first time. So far it's not right. We're going to keep working and find a way to make it better. Retractable roof A retractable roof is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of
8236-483: The leader of a group of owners seeking his removal. Selig has never stated that the owners colluded , while Vincent has: The Union basically doesn't trust the ownership because collusion was a US$ 280 million theft by Selig and Jerry Reinsdorf of that money from the players. I mean, they rigged the signing of free agents . They got caught. They paid $ 280 million to the players. And I think that's polluted labor relations in baseball ever since it happened. I think it's
8352-499: The lifetime of the bonds. Between 2009 and 2010, a series of leaked documents from Major League Baseball showed a disparity between the Marlins’ intake in MLB revenue sharing compared to the operating costs of the franchise, suggesting a willful misrepresentation of the Marlins’ profit margins under the Loria ownership as well as Loria and Samson's mismanagement of the Marlins in order to leverage
8468-639: The list of board members. In May 2015, the Milwaukee Brewers honored Bud Selig with the unveiling of the Selig Experience exhibit at American Family Field (formerly Miller Park .) The Selig Experience is a fifteen-minute documentary showing Bud Selig's life and work for the Milwaukee Brewers. Selig has been married twice. He married his first wife, Donna Chaimson, in the 1950s, and they had two daughters: Sari (born 1957) and Wendy (born 1960). The couple divorced in 1976 after 19 years of marriage on
8584-438: The local government to provide a lion's share of the funding for the stadium. During the 2011–12 offseason, Mayor of Miami Regalado publicized details of the contract and expressed concern regarding certain clauses dedicated to the parking facilities and the maintenance of the stadium. Marlins Park began operations on April 4, 2012, for Opening Day of the 2012 season. In 2017, the Loria ownership announced its intention to sell
8700-511: The look and feel of Miami Deco", Sherlock continued. Even the parking-garage walls are tiled in Miami-Deco pastels that connect with Little Havana. As visitors walk from the outside in, they step right on metaphors for Miami's topography, including concrete pavers that in general are either green or blue ("grass" or "sea"). They walk past landscaping that evokes the "beach"—there's even sand—in places. There's cobalt-blue glass at eye level ("ocean"),
8816-482: The meeting, said, "Mr. Loria told us to make a piece of art." The architects returned to their Kansas City offices and began brainstorming in April 2008. "We were waiting for a client willing to break the [retro] mold", said Greg Sherlock, the project's lead designer at Populous. Loria "sort of let us do our thing and explore something unique. We knew from the beginning that this was going to be something new and different." As
8932-663: The office when his current term expired on January 24, 2015. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. Selig was born in Milwaukee , and grew up in a Jewish family. His father, Ben Selig, had come to the United States from Romania with his family when he was four years old. Selig graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a B.A. in American history and political science in 1956. He served two years in
9048-405: The only others to achieve LEED certification. Although they were publicly seeking silver, Loria had privately challenged engineers to shoot for the higher gold certification. The most difficult aspect of achieving gold, though—and one the design team had doubt it would be able to accomplish—was concerning the energy required to operate the retractable roof. Populous thought renewable energy would be
9164-449: The opening of the new stadium. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2009. The total cost of construction for the ballpark was estimated to be $ 634 million, with 80% of that funded by the city and the county. Due to the structure of the bonds financed over 40 years, it was estimated that the principal and the interest paid by the city and county would accrue to $ 2.4 billion over
9280-460: The park—green (outfield), red (third-base line), yellow (first-base line) and blue (behind home plate). "If you look carefully, in those sections, they dissolve into the next color, and the colors mix," Loria said. Wide open plazas at the east and colorful west ends of the building, as well as a 360° concourse inside called the Promenade encourages fans to walk around—and to intermingle at stops such as
9396-444: The plan for benefiting only the Brewers, noting that the contraction of the Twins would benefit the Brewers, as they would potentially claim the Twins' share of the upper Midwest market. During the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute , he was accused of not acting in good faith towards and treating the Dodgers differently from other teams when he rejected the television deal that Frank McCourt negotiated that intended to bring
9512-441: The players. Upon his assumption of the commissioner's role, Selig transferred his ownership interest in the Brewers to his daughter Wendy Selig-Prieb in order to remove any technical conflicts of interest, though it was widely presumed he maintained some hand in team operations. Although the team was sold to Los Angeles investor Mark Attanasio in 2005, questions remain regarding Selig's past involvement. Selig's defenders point to
9628-595: The poor management of the team after Selig-Prieb took control as proof that Selig was not working behind the scenes. Selig was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. On August 24, 2010, a statue of Selig, the Selig Monument , commissioned by Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and designed by artist Brian Maughan, was unveiled outside Miller Park in Milwaukee. Selig became an increasingly vocal opponent of Commissioner Fay Vincent , and soon became
9744-589: The possibility that he and Henry Aaron would not attend Bonds' games as he closed in on the record. Selig announced in July 2007 when Bonds was near 755 home runs that he would attend the games. Selig was in attendance for Bonds' record-tying home run against the San Diego Padres , sitting in Padres owner John Moores ' private suite. When Bonds hit his 755th home run, Selig refused to applaud Bonds' accomplishment, instead choosing to keep his hands in his pockets and have
9860-460: The public funding of the ballpark was caused by a lawsuit filed in the Miami-Dade circuit court by a local car dealer, upon which the circuit court judge ruled in favor of the Marlins in November 2008. That following March in 2009, both the city and the county commission finalized approval for the sale of bonds for funding of the stadium, along with the Florida Marlins to be renamed the Miami Marlins upon
9976-541: The reason MLBPA executive director Donald Fehr has no trust in Selig. Following an 18-9 no-confidence vote , Vincent resigned. Selig had by this time become chairman of the Executive Council of Major League Baseball , and as such became de facto acting commissioner. His first major act was to institute the Wild Card and divisional playoff play, which has created much controversy amongst baseball fans. Those against
10092-508: The remaining two, supported by a 260-foot (79 m) long exterior cantilevered arm. Olympic Stadium in Montreal , Quebec was slated to be the first outdoor retractable roof stadium at its debut for the 1976 Summer Olympics . However, plagued by construction problems, the roof was not installed until 1987, and was not retractable until 1988. Even then, movement of the roof was impossible in high wind conditions, and technical problems plagued
10208-529: The roof of T-Mobile Park is unique in that it is the only one in North America that does not form a climate-controlled enclosure when in the extended position; rather, it acts as an "umbrella" to cover the playing field and spectator areas during inclement weather, with no side walls enclosing the stadium. In North American major sports leagues , specific rules exist governing the movement of retractable roofs before and during gameplay. These rules vary between
10324-565: The sale of the Athletics in 1999 to an ownership group led by Bob Piccinini, then the CEO of Save Mart Supermarkets , and Joe Lacob , who would later purchase Golden State Warriors , from purchasing the Athletics in 2005. Both potential ownership groups were committed to keeping the team in Oakland that would render this territorial dispute meaningless. Instead, Selig permitted only Lew Wolff , his fraternity brother from college, and John J. Fisher to buy
10440-403: The scrutiny of the sports and national media upon this issue, Selig put forth a proposal for a stricter performance-enhancing drug testing regime to replace the current system. This proposal also included the banning of amphetamines , a first for the major North American sports leagues. The MLB Players Association and MLB reached an agreement in November on the new policy. Selig's testimony on
10556-581: The season. You shouldn't even have two days off after the season." Selig has been embroiled in a number of controversial decisions during his tenure as commissioner. Notably, he has been accused of favoring the Milwaukee Brewers , his former team, such as he was during the 2001 contraction controversy when it was suggested the Minnesota Twins be one of two teams (the other being the Montreal Expos ) to be contracted for economic reasons. Sportswriter Rob Dibble posted an open letter to Bud Selig, criticizing
10672-462: The shade. Even so, with the grass receiving only about 4 hours per day of sunlight, some of the sod kept turning brown. The worst-affected area is in deep right field where patches of dead sod have been replaced multiple times. Grow lights are pointed by groundskeepers on the area to nurse it to health on non-game days. As of 2014, the Bermuda grass has been replaced with Platinum TE Paspalum . Paspalum
10788-557: The stadium despite being in baseball configuration, and poor fan environment due to the distance of the action in relation to the seats. The climate in Miami during baseball season was not conducive for the sport and the audience, as games were often either played in 95 °F (35 °C) heat or would be rained out, owing to the tropical climate in South Florida. These were suspected by the Florida Marlins for having poor fan attendance, as well as players’ performance at home games. By 2004,
10904-544: The stadium stands. It rejects the nostalgic idiom of the 20 consecutive new (plus three renovated) retro ballparks that opened in the two decades after Camden Yards was built. Owner Jeffrey Loria , who spearheaded the design, wanted his building to be "different and experimental." Loria said, "I thought it was time for baseball to be innovative." In early 2008, Loria was in London at the same time as some architects from Populous who were there on another project. The group met in
11020-439: The structure's gutters, open roofs fully close and open by the mechanics of a rack and pinion system or a push/pull drive system. Open roofs are typically seen at smaller athletic venues such as country clubs and universities, and also in the construction of commercial greenhouses and garden centres for climate control purposes. Bud Selig Allan Huber " Bud " Selig ( / ˈ s iː l ɪ ɡ / ; born July 30, 1934)
11136-432: The stucco and concrete ("land" or "buildings"), and the paler blue-gray glass at the upper levels ("sky"). The seats are also cobalt-blue, facing the naturally green, Bermuda grass field. When Marlins fans first realized that the original colors of the team would not appear on the seats in the new stadium—and ultimately not on the new uniforms either—some angrily started a petition known as "Project Teal." But Samson said it
11252-421: The subject has been contradictory. In 2005, Selig told reporters, "I never even heard about them [steroids] until 1998 or 1999. I ran a team and nobody was closer to their players and I never heard any comment from them. It wasn't until 1998 or '99 that I heard the discussion." But a year later, testifying to Congress in 2006, Selig claimed personal credit for spotting the problem early: "In 1994, before anybody
11368-537: The team finished first in the American League East during the second half of the season, and in 1982, when the team made it to the World Series , under the leadership of future Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor . Under Selig's watch, the Brewers also won seven Organization of the Year awards. Selig was part of the owners' collusion in 1985–1987, resulting in the owners paying US$ 280 million in damages to
11484-630: The team in Milwaukee finally failed after the 1965 season , he changed the group's name to Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Inc., after the minor league baseball team he grew up watching, and devoted himself to returning Major League Baseball to Milwaukee. Selig arranged for major league games to be played at Milwaukee County Stadium . The first, a pre-season match-up between the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins , drew more than 51,000 spectators. Selig followed this up by hosting nine White Sox regular-season games in 1968 and eleven in 1969. One of
11600-517: The team plane. As a minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves , Selig founded the organization Teams, Inc. , in an attempt to prevent the majority owners (based out of Chicago) from moving the club to a larger television market. This was challenged legally on the basis that no prior team relocations (in the modern era) left a city without a team. Prior movements had all originated in cities that were home to at least two teams. When his quest to keep
11716-499: The team. The latter has since initiated the process to move the Athletics from Oakland to Las Vegas . On December 1, 2006, Selig announced that he would be retiring as commissioner of baseball upon the expiration of his contract in 2009. Selig earned $ 14.5 million from MLB over the timespan October 31, 2005 to October 31, 2006. However, in January 2008, Selig agreed to a three-year contract extension, announcing he planned to retire after
11832-472: The tide of steroid use in baseball until it had blossomed into a debilitating problem for the industry. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti called Selig the "Steroids Commissioner." Selig has been called to Congress several times to testify on performance-enhancing drug use. Congressman Cliff Stearns said in December 2007 that Selig should resign because of use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball during his tenure. Selig's decision to extend
11948-546: The traditional post-season schedule into November in an attempt to increase Nielsen ratings was met with widespread disdain, both inside and outside the baseball community. Mike Scioscia , manager of the American League West Division Champion Los Angeles Angels, dismissed the decision as "Ridiculous. I don't know. Can I say it any clearer than that? We should have never had a day off last Wednesday. We should never have three days off after
12064-406: The two football stadiums closely associated with the team's stadium history. It transfers over "The Bermuda Triangle" quirk of what was then Sun Life Stadium 's outfield fence as a nod to their team's early years. However, instead of straight lines, the new "triangle" is a wave-like shape that smoothly curves upwardly around the base of the large home-run sculpture, making the nook appear necessary to
12180-577: The use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs became a public issue. The Mitchell Report , commissioned by Selig, concluded that the MLB commissioners, club officials, the Players Association , and the players all share "to some extent in the responsibility for the steroid era." Following the release of the Mitchell Report, Congressman Cliff Stearns called publicly for Selig to step down as commissioner, citing his "glacial response" to
12296-458: The use of steroids in baseball's recent past. Joe Sheehan from Baseball Prospectus wrote that the commission has been focusing "blame for the era exclusively on uniformed personnel", and failing to investigate any role played by team ownership and management. Much controversy surrounded Selig and his involvement in Bonds' all-time home run record chase. For months, speculation surrounded Selig and
12412-418: The venue is an efficient, environmentally-friendly green building in its use of materials, waste, and operation. The selection of building materials included sealants, paint, and adhesives with low VOC ( volatile organic compounds ) to maximize good indoor-air quality. A white rubber membrane lining the roof reflects rays to reduce " heat-island effect ." The extensive glass facade allows in natural light during
12528-828: Was "embarrassing" and that he was "tremendously saddened" by the outcome of the game. Selig subsequently tried to reinvigorate the All-Star Game by awarding the winning league home-field advantage in the World Series; that practice was initiated in 2003 and continued through 2016. The 2003 All-Star Game had the same U.S. viewership as 2002 (9.5 rating ; 17 share ) and the ratings declined in 2004 (8.8 rating; 15 share) and 2005 (8.1 rating; 14 share). The American television audience increased in 2006 (9.3 rating; 16 share). On July 1, 2005, Selig suspended Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers for 20 games and fined him US$ 50,000. The punishment stemmed from an incident on June 29, 2005, during
12644-403: Was a foregone conclusion that MLB would come to South Florida, so he wanted the stadium designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible. The Marlins arrived in 1993 and during their time at the stadium, the Marlins drew more than 3 million people in their inaugural season and also won two World Series titles, in 1997 and 2003 . The stadium continues to be home to
12760-427: Was completed in March 2012 for the 2012 season . LoanDepot Park was LEED certified as the greenest MLB park in 2012. The building is the sixth MLB stadium to have a retractable roof. With a seating capacity of 37,442, it is the third-smallest stadium in Major League Baseball by official capacity, and the smallest by actual capacity. The facility hosted a second-round pool of the 2013 World Baseball Classic ,
12876-555: Was drawn up for the Little Havana neighborhood around the future park: "Cuba, pastels, canopies, organic, and everything is unique." They created a presentation for the Marlins tailored to Loria's background in the art business with concepts such as "the site is a gallery space with the ballpark representing gallery walls", and "pure art ... pure color ... pure baseball." Four different initial designs were presented, all of which were stark departures from previous ballpark architecture. Both
12992-475: Was extended through 2012, after which he planned to retire, but he then decided to stay as commissioner until the end of the 2014 season, a move approved by the owners on January 12, 2012, which would take his leadership past his 80th birthday. Selig made $ 14.5 million in the 12-month period ending October 31, 2005. Selig announced on September 26, 2013, that he would retire in January 2015. On January 22, 2015, MLB announced that Selig would formally step down from
13108-456: Was necessary to ignore fans' complaints: "I think any time you do something new and different, the knee-jerk reaction from bloggers or people who post comments is negative. But we have blinders on. This ballpark would have never been built if we had listened to the negativity." Loria, a notable art dealer, took the four bright primary colors off the palette of the late Catalan surrealist , Joan Miró , to conveniently label different zones around
13224-461: Was only three, Marie began taking him and his older brother, Jerry, to Borchert Field , where the minor league Milwaukee Brewers played. When the Boston Braves relocated to Milwaukee in 1953, Selig switched allegiances, and eventually became the team's largest public stockholder. Selig was devastated when he learned that the Braves were going to leave Milwaukee in favor of Atlanta . In 1965, when
13340-553: Was pending, Rogers appeared at the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit , where fans loudly booed him. On July 22, 2005, Selig heard Rogers' appeal of his suspension. Selig decided to uphold the 20 games, however, an independent arbitrator ruled that Selig had exceeded his authority and reduced it to 13 games, but upheld the fine. In 2005, Selig faced Congress on the issue of steroids . After the Congressional hearings in early 2005, and with
13456-453: Was really talking about steroids in baseball, we proposed a program of testing for such substances to the MLBPA. As early as 1998, I began formulating a strategic plan to eliminate the use of performance-enhancing substances from the game." During the 1988 ALCS , Oakland 's Jose Canseco had been repeatedly taunted by Boston fans with a chant of "ster-oids, ster-oids, ster-oids." Speaking at
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