Ballpark Groundbreaking Reactions

Two interesting columns following the groundbreaking ceremony for the Marlins' new ballpark:

The Miami Herald's Dan LeBatard touches on the emotional side of the event:

It is a beautiful thing, really, that all those kids holding hands with their parents Saturday morning were making their way toward a lifetime of new memories. And that all those sons, all grown up now, were pushing fathers in wheelchairs over the dirt where progress will be built and tomorrows will be remembered.

That is priceless . . . even as it will cost our city either hundreds of millions or billions, depending on whom you believe. So I kept making U-turns in Abuelita's old neighborhood Saturday until I could finally follow the crowds and the noise toward the big party on the burial ground meant to celebrate tomorrow.

It is hard to make a sound argument for our broke city spending these kinds of dollars to build a new palace for a bunch of rich guys to play games, but that argument is emotional, not logical, and it certainly felt good on this morning.

The Sun-Sentinel's Ethan Skolnick has a spot-on request for David Samson and the Marlins:

Let's hope (the Marlins) understand the stadium deal is a beginning, not an end, and that the burden is on them, not the public, since the latter entity has already contributed more than enough. Let's hope team President David Samson reconsiders his recently-stated position that they'll show players the money only after fans show their support at the gate. Let's hope that, at the very least, he keeps similarly buzz-killing declarations to himself from here forward.