Marlins say shared playing surface is still “a concern”

In this era of single-sport stadiums, it’s becoming rare to see the shadows of a baseball diamond on a football field. Or vice-versa.

But that’s exactly what the Marlins and A’s go through every time summer turns to fall and it causes stress for at least one infield coach.

The Marlins’ Joe Espada told Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post on Saturday that the shape of the field at Sun Life Stadium in Miami is “a concern” and that he worries about it every time the NFL’s Dolphins play a game during the baseball season.

“If there’s a tackle right over the shortstop area. They beat that place up,” said Espada. “I want to make sure when we get there the surface is playable and guys
aren’t getting bad hops and the track is good. After the last time, the
field was in decent shape.

I’m very aware of it. It’s a concern.”

That’s exactly how we feel here at Hardball Talk when PFT’s Mike Florio stops by and

drops some knowledge. Well, not really. But that joke had to be made out of pure convenience.

The Marlins and Espada won’t have to worry about sharing a stomping grounds with a football team for much longer. In 2012, the Fish will move into a baseball-only downtown stadium and the Dolphins will take over Sun Life for good.