Miami and loanDepot park will be the ‘Home of Béisbol’ for the World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic, after a six-year hiatus, is finally back.
And Miami is at the center of it all, with loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins, becoming the “Home of Béisbol’ for the two week tournament. It is first venue in tournament history to host games in every round — pool play, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship — in the same year.
The action in South Florida begins Saturday and runs through the championship game on March 21.
“We’ve been waiting for this for years,” Marlins president of business operations Caroline O’Connor said.
She’s not exaggerating.
The tournament, held once every four years ahead of MLB’s regular season, was originally supposed to take place in 2021 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. loanDepot park was originally slated to host all three rounds of the tournament then.
With the status of the tournament in a holding pattern for more than a year, O’Connor said the Marlins stayed in constant contact with Major League Baseball and reasserted their desire to be a big player in this year’s tournament. Principal owner Bruce Sherman advocated for the club at the highest levels as well, O’Connor added.
“It was kind of an unknown at that point,” O’Connor said. “We knew there was great demand for the World Baseball Classic, and we knew a lot of people were very excited about it so that helped.”
What also helped, O’Connor said, is the Marlins have done this before. They have hosted portions of the past three tournaments: The quarterfinals in 2009 at Dolphin Stadium (now known as Hard Rock Stadium), the quarterfinals in 2013 at Marlins Park and pool play in 2017 at Marlins Park.
The 2017 tournament stands out in particular. Miami had two games during pool play that had above-capacity crowds: 37,446 for the Dominican Republic’s 7-5 win over the United States and 36,952 for the Dominican Republic’s 10-3, 11-inning win over Colombia.
“That’s the best atmosphere I ever felt in my life and my career,” Jean Segura, a Dominican infielder and 11-year MLB veteran who played in the World Series last season for the Philadelphia Phillies and signed a two-year deal with the Marlins this offseason, said of the Dominican’s win against Columbia. “The stadium was all packed. This stadium’s big. When you see the stadium packed with people from your country, it gets you more motivated, gets you super excited.”
The crowds could be rowdy again this year considering the field. Miami’s five-team pool for the opening round of the tournament: The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and Israel.
Each team will play each other once over a five-day span from Saturday to Wednesday. The top two teams advance to the quarterfinals on March 17 and 18, which will also be hosted at loanDepot park. The semifinals are March 19 and 20. The championship is March 21.
The Marlins late last season unveiled a World Baseball Classic mural in the left-field concourse that shows the tournament bracket. Above the bracket are the words “Home of Béisbol, join us for all three rounds!” in all capital letters.
“I think the final rounds being in Miami, we can add a few decibels to it and the way we live baseball here,” Marlins vice president of marketing Tiago Pinto said during the mural unveiling in September. “We celebrate through the year here on the Saturday [Legacy] nights that we celebrate all these different communities. Seeing everybody come together and celebrate the game in such a passionate way, it’s our small tribute to those communities, the spelling of ‘Home of Baseball.’ We truly believe that from the end of the MLB season towards March, I think we’re going to see that fever just get higher and higher.”
O’Connor said all game presentation for each game will be themed for the countries playing in that specific game.
Fans are allowed to bring an assortment of instruments — including but not limited to bongos, cowbells, maracas, tambourines and trumpets (but not bullhorns, pots and pans or vuvuzelas) — and flags that are no larger than 3 feet by 5 feet to the ballpark to bring a festive environment and represent their countries.
The Marlins Pachanga band, which has been a staple during the team’s Heritage Saturdays the past two seasons, will also make an appearance during the tournament.
There will be pregame concerts and activities on the ballpark’s West Plaza as well as around the concourse and a variety of new food options that tailor to the cuisines of the countries playing in the tournament.
A few examples: Bites del Caribe (Section 24), which will feature arepas, tequenos and other Caribbean-inspired delights; Queso Grande (Section 40), a quesadilla concept with fillings including Firecracker Chicken, Steak Carnitas and Impossible Bulgogi (a vegetarian option); and Rincon Habana, which will have classics like the Cuban sandwich and pan con croqueta.
“[The ballpark will] look different, and it’ll taste different with the foods,” O’Connor said. “We’ve been really excited about it. Our chef has been really taking a lot of interest in this and looking at the countries that are coming to play and what are some delicacies and special dishes that they would like. You’re going to see everything from the beers of that country to the food of that country.”
And, above all, quality baseball in the Home of Béisbol.
World Baseball Classic schedule in Miami
Gates will open two hours prior to first pitch for the day games and one-and-a-half hours prior to first pitch for the night games during pool play.
For the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, when there is only one game per day, gates open three hours prior to first pitch.
All games will be televised on Fox, FS1 or FS2.
Saturday, March 11
Nicaragua vs Puerto Rico, noon, FS2
Dominican Republic vs Venezuela, 7 p.m., FS1
Sunday, March 12
Nicaragua vs Israel, noon, FS2
Venezuela vs Puerto Rico, 7 p.m., FS1
Monday, March 13
Dominican Republic vs Nicaragua, noon, FS2
Israel vs Puerto Rico, 7 p.m., FS1
Tuesday, March 14
Nicaragua vs Venezuela, noon, FS2
Israel vs Dominican Republic, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 15
Venezuela vs Israel, noon, FS2
Puerto Rico vs Dominican Republic, 7 p.m., FS1
Friday, March 17
Quarterfinal, matchup TBD, 7 p.m., FS1
Saturday, March 18
Quarterfinal, matchup TBD, 7 p.m., Fox
Sunday, March 19
Semifinal 1, matchup TBD, 7 p.m., FS1
Monday, March 20
Semifinal 2, matchup TBD, 7 p.m., FS1
Tuesday, March 21
Championship (Miami), 7 p.m., FS1
