New Florida Marlin Luis Gonzalez Wonders Where Old Marlin Fans Are

Pity Luis Gonzalez. The 18-year MLB veteran has been one of the main leaders on the surprising Florida Marlins club that is first in the NL East, in front of teams that spend 20-times they do like the Mets. So when the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks and 9-0 Brandon Webb came to town, all those years of baseball experience told him that it would be a ticket hotter than midday on South Beach. It turned out to be as tepid as a senior’s dance-off in Coconut Grove.

True to form here in South Florida, the announced attendance for the game was 11,227, but the actual turnstile count was more like 5,000 at Dolphins Stadium.

Gonzalez used that turnout to call out Marlins fans after the game, in a comment reported by the MIAMI HERALD today (and aired by local Miami radio station WQAM-AM this morning):

”Everyone was watching,” Gonzalez said of the historic night. “Of course, our fans didn’t know it. They were worried about [NBA Draft talk] on the radio.”

We never thought we’d say this, but we bet Gonzalez’s tenure with the Dodgers last year beats this one. Say what you want about leaving by the 7th inning, at least there are enough fans to notice such an exodus.
Earlier: Jai-Alai Now Outdrawing The Florida Marlins In Miami
We Didn’t Know Fish Had Any Fans (Thanks Luis!) [Sports By Brooks]
Image [MSNBC]