The players soaked in the moment Friday as they took batting practice swings on their home field against first-base coach Billy Hatcher and assistant hitting coach Robert Rodriguez. In a few hours, Pablo Lopez will throw out the first pitch, the Miami Marlins will test out Marlins Park’s new synthetic grass surface and adjusted outfield dimensions, and a three-game series between the top two teams in the National League East will commence.
They felt the emotions a little more as the pre-game introductions took place. All 28 Miami Marlins players heard his name called as he trotted down the third-base line before the team took the field to face the Atlanta Braves.