Marlins eye 'home of béisbol' title with Serie del Caribe

MIAMI – The city of Miami has often been referred to as the “Capital of Latin America.” Now, loanDepot park could be on its way to honoring that distinction in a baseball sense.

The 2024 Caribbean Series, the first edition of the tournament of Latin American and Caribbean winter league champions played at an MLB stadium, is the latest chapter in a series of international events that have taken place at the home of the Marlins. loanDepot park was the site of some of the most memorable moments of the 2017 and '23 World Baseball Classic, including the semifinal and final rounds of last year’s edition.

With a built-in fan base in South Florida, the Marlins aspire to be the “Home of Béisbol," according to the club’s president of business operations, Caroline O’Connor.

“We are the home of 'béisbol,'" O’Connor said this week during the Caribbean Series. “We have a lot of local fans coming out to see the games, but also a lot of people that love to travel to Miami and it just feels like the right place for these games … [for] the energy, the music, the dancing. This is the ideal place for these to be played.”

The largest crowd at loanDepot park, which opened its doors in 2012, was 37,446 during the 2017 World Baseball Classic for a Dominican Republic-United States matchup. Six years later, Miami was part of the most attended Classic ever, which culminated in Japan’s victory over the U.S. in the championship game.

Last Saturday, the Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico game drew 35,972 fans, a Caribbean Series record for a single contest in the event’s 66-year history.

Now, the Marlins are eyeing future international events at loanDepot park, including a formal application to host the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

“We’re still working with MLB, and we work with them a lot,” O’Connor said. “They’re the experts at running a tournament like this, and we’ve learned a lot from Jim Small and the whole MLB International team. We’re hoping to hear back from them in early April.”

Can the enthusiasm seen during this year’s Caribbean Series at loanDepot park translate to the upcoming Marlins season?

“We want to exceed their expectations and give them a great time while they’re here, but the great part is that we see people walking from the local streets to come to the game,” O’Connor said. “So, we know a big part of this fan base is here all the time and we really want them to come back to Marlins games. While they’re here, we’re promoting Opening Day on March 28, and hopefully they’ll come back and join us, because there’ll be a lot of Caribbean players on the field March 28, and so it’s a continuation.”

The Caribbean Series will be played at Mexicali, Mexico, in 2025, followed by San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2026 and Hermosillo, Mexico, in 2027. After that, O’Connor and the Marlins would be open to hosting the event once again, in conjunction with the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation.

“I think at some point in the future we’d love to host the tournament again,” O’Connor said. “I think [2028] would be the first opportunity, but yeah, we would love to host it again and we’ve expressed that to the Confederation.

"They really support Caribbean baseball. They know it should be on the biggest stage, and where bigger than loanDepot park in the center of Miami? I think we’ve shown that the fan base is here. People want to come out, they want to have fun and support these teams.”