Notes: Spring radio broadcasts; live BPs
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Marlins on Saturday released their 2021 Spring Training radio broadcast schedule. A source told MLB.com that the club intends to have a video element accompany the radio broadcasts to start the spring.
The Marlins Radio Network driven by AutoNation will broadcast audio feeds for all but three of the 24 Grapefruit League games, with 15 airing on 940 AM WINZ. Six games will air on MLB.com. The three contests against the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla., will not have a Marlins feed, but SNY is scheduled to broadcast them and they can be streamed on MLB.TV.
• Marlins Spring Training schedule
Miami, which opens Grapefruit League play against Houston at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday in West Palm Beach, Fla., is finalizing a new television deal.
Closer to games
The Marlins took live batting practice from the main field at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for the first time this spring. Among the pitchers to throw off the mound were projected starter Elieser Hernandez, late-inning reliever Yimi García as well as newcomers John Curtiss, Adam Cimber and Ross Detwiler. Outfielders Monte Harrison, Jesús Sánchez, Peyton Burdick and Connor Scott were among the prospects to join Garrett Cooper, Isan Díaz, Lewis Brinson and others in getting at-bats.
Familiar face stops by
Longtime Marlins baseball operations executive Michael Hill caught up with his former club during live BP. Hill, who is overseeing MLB’s umpiring and on-field discipline at both the Major and Minor league levels, was on hand to test the automated strike zone. Hill spent the past 18 years with the Marlins before parting ways with the franchise this past fall.
Constructing an outfield
Marlins manager Don Mattingly was asked how many true outfielders the Marlins intend to carry on the 26-man roster this season. Barring injuries, Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte and Adam Duvall will be the starters. Magneuris Sierra, who is out of options, is the likely fourth outfielder. Given Jon Berti and Garrett Cooper's versatility, how might that impact Miami's allocation of spots?
"I think that'd be a question that we'll answer as camp goes," Mattingly said on Zoom. "Obviously we'll have four, and depending what we're looking at, it could be five. So that'd be a question that we answer as we go. With Bert being a guy that can go both ways, can go infield or outfield, it gives you a little more versatility, which allows maybe to do something different with your roster. So right now we're going to let it play out, let these guys go. See how camp kind of shapes out with our whole roster, and then just make the best decision to try to put the best group together."
More spring tickets available
Due to demand, there will be additional seating in the John C. Cassidy Cool Zone at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for Spring Training games. The open-air section will give fans their own private, socially distanced pod. For more information, visit here. The Marlins' first Grapefruit League home game is Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET against the Mets.
He said it
"Honestly, [I] sense the same kind of vibe we had last year, going to [the] first Spring Training we had last year. We knew we had a good group of guys, very good group of humans -- not only teammates and baseball players but good people around the clubhouse. I think we have that same vibe this year. Definitely more swagger, more confidence. We know each other, we know each other's buttons -- what to push, what not to push. From the guys coming back from last year, and then the new guys just fit right in. Honestly, everybody's been very open, a lot of questions, a lot of giving feedback of pitchers to hitters when we're facing them for live [batting practice]. So I think the chemistry is there, it's only going to get better as games start." -- Lewis Brinson, on the vibe at camp