De Nicola Newsletter: Get ready for Marlins' home opener

Tasty bites

• Magic City BBQ will be located at Section 7, serving up smoke house-inspired southern flavors.
• Bites de la Calle will offer Latin-inspired street eats, with a Latin flavor-inspired bar.
• New menu items will be featured at PINCHO, Miami’s Best Pizza, SuViche and Fowl Pole.
• Venezuelan-brand PAN will inspire the menu at La Arepera, a new arepa portable at Section 32.

Quench your thirst

• A Jim Beam-branded premium bar has been installed at Section 24.
• Tito’s Handmade Vodka will feature the “Miami Mule” at various locations throughout the ballpark.
• Marlins Lager returns at the Biscayne Bay Brew Hall.
• Locally owned and operated Islas Canarias will serve coffee, croquetas and pastelitos from the coffee counter at AutoNation Alley. 

Of note: There is a cashless payment policy at all locations. CHEQ mobile order for pickup has expanded to all stand locations on the promenade level and self-ordering kiosks at select locations.

Do it for the ‘gram

loanDepot park became the first U.S. baseball facility to install color-capable LED lights, and a light show will debut following the home opener. I can’t guarantee it’ll feel like a rave, but you’ll be snapping plenty of photos and video. And let’s not forget about “Homer” and “Folklore,” which return as the perfect Instagram-worthy spots. Be sure to #MakeItMiami.

Free-flow parking returns 

Fans are able to pay ahead of time or by using their mobile devices rather than stopping to pay in cash upon entry into the parking garages.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

There are several newcomers to the Marlins this year, so what better way for fans to get to know the players both on and off the field than through a fun Q&A? In this installment, we catch up with left fielder Jorge Soler, with the help of interpreter extraordinare Luis Dorante Jr.

Jorge Soler

Birthdate: Feb. 25, 1992

Hometown: Havana, Cuba

Beginnings: Nine-year, $30 million deal as international free agent

MLB debut: Aug. 27, 2014

Teams: Cubs, Royals, Braves, Marlins 

What has been your favorite moment in your career so far?

I will say winning the World Series those two times. I was also there with the Chicago Cubs. I was not a main character there, but it was a wonderful feeling winning that World Series.

What was going through your mind during that Game 6 homer in last fall’s World Series?

It was a ‘pretty’ moment. That’s how I can describe it. I knew we were winning the game while I was running the bases. I couldn’t feel anything. It was just a moment of me running the bases. (Note: Soler went on to win World Series MVP.)

At what age did you realize you were strong and could hit the ball very far?

When I was 14 years old, a lot of teammates, they were hitting the ball way further than me. And I kept asking myself like, ‘Why don’t I have that strength?’ But when I turned 15, I was able to hit one ball really far away, more than anybody else. After that, it just became something natural, where I was hitting home runs and being very, very strong.

You’re going to be playing in Miami now. You’re Cuban. What’s your favorite meal?

White rice. Sweet plantains. And the mix of the tail of the cow: rabo encendido.

You’re known for your chains. One of them even had a Twitter account. When did that become a thing for you?

It’s always been something I liked since Cuba, but when I came here to this country, I was able to provide myself with nice chains. I always have to have something around my neck.

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?

I like horses and hunting. Horses my whole life, and hunting in the last couple years.

I heard you like reading. What’s your favorite book, and why?

I’ve been reading “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s about how to be better in life.

TRIVIA

How many seasons did Moises Alou play for the Marlins? 

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4

A GLOVE STORY

Trades — regardless of when they occur during the year — can be a logistics nightmare. When the Marlins acquired relievers Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser from the Orioles, there were only two days remaining before spring camp broke. 

Naturally, all of their gear was in Baltimore’s orange and black colors. So one of the first things new teammates told them was to find reliever Tommy Eveld, who is known as the “Glove Guy.” Eveld learned the trade during his time at the University of South Florida, where teammate Casey Mulholland showed him how to add colored laces to his plain black glove.

Prior to his scoreless debut on Opening Day at Oracle Park, Scott filled in the orange lettering of his glove with a Sharpie to look a bit like Miami’s “Caliente Red.” It was a temporary fix until his order for leather stain would arrive at the ballpark. He also called the sports equipment company Marucci, which makes his gloves, asking if he could change the color scheme on his previously placed order. 

After his outing, Scott handed Eveld, who has been on the taxi squad for this opening road trip, his glove to work his magic. An inning later, it was done. 

“It’s something I was called by a bullpen catcher coming up through the Orioles organization,” Scott said of the writing on his glove. “He always called me ‘La Tormenta’ [The Storm]. I think this glove was made in 2017, and I’ve just always had it.”

TRIVIA ANSWER

A: 1

Alou signed a five-year, $25 million contract as one of the Marlins’ first offseason additions ahead of their 1997 World Series run. The Marlins then dealt Alou to the Astros less than a month after he homered three times during the Fall Classic.

THIS WEEK IN MARLINS HISTORY

April 11, 1997: Going the distance

Twenty-five years ago this week, right-hander Pat Rapp collected one of his five career shutouts. He scattered five hits, walked two and struck out just one batter — the only time in franchise history a pitcher achieved that feat in a shutout — in a 10-0 victory in Cincinnati. The Reds’ lineup included Deion Sanders and future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. Rapp would compile a 4.47 ERA across 17 starts for the Marlins before being dealt to the Giants in mid-July for a pair of Minor Leaguers.

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