Outside The Confines: Bad Name Stadium

The day before Opening Day dawned, the Miami Marlins announced they had come to an agreement with a sponsor for the naming rights of Marlins Park. When the Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays took to the field on Opening Day, it might have seemed like an April Fools joke, but indeed, the stadium’s name had been changed to loanDepot park.

Yes, that’s a lowercase L and they did insist on a lowercase P in park.

This might be the most absurd update to stadium news since since the Rangers finally showed off their BBQ warehouse of a stadium last season. While it doesn’t top Smoothie King Stadium, it’s still pretty bad.

• Eric Fisher brings us two news stories, one explaining the naming rights of the new loanDepot park, and that Rob Manfred is eager to see full parks by mid-season.
• If you’re not already a FanGraphs member, the stats site is doing a spring membership drive.
• Tom Verducci believes the future of baseball relies on what happens this season.
• Bradford Doolittle takes a way too early look at where different teams fall in the World Series likelihood tiers.
• Ben Lindbergh and Rob Arthur are pretty darned sure the ball is still juiced.
• Evan Drellich writes about how the new sign-stealing prevention methods don’t make sign-stealing impossible, just a bit harder. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Fabian Ardaya talks to Mike Trout about the October baseball missing from his resume. Trout is well aware it’s his time to shine in postseason ball. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Miguel Cabrera hit the first home run of the 2021 season and did it in a blizzard, basically.

• Brendan Gawlowski brings us a preview of the 2021 KBO season.
• ESPN brings us the best moments of Opening Day.
• Zach Kram has some snap judgement predictions after Opening Day.
• Yup, it was an unusual Opening Day, and Jayson Stark covers most of the more unusual moments. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Joe Rivera takes a look at one unusual rule that really messed with the Yankees yesterday.
• Mike Axisa writes a bit more about the Yankees loss to the Jays.
• There was a truly bizarre play in the Dodgers/Rockies game yesterday and Nick Selbe wrote a bit about it.
• Here’s the play in question...

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.