MIAMI GARDENS Next April 1 marks the beginning of the end of the Marlins' 19-year run at Sun Life Stadium.
Major League Baseball on Wednesday released the 2011 schedule, which features the Marlins hosting the Mets in an earlier than usual kickoff. Opening Day is Thursday, March 31, to avoid the possibility of November World Series games.
Set to move into their new Little Havana facility in 2012, the Marlins won't play all 81 home games at Sun Life. An alternate venue is being sought for the June 24-26 interleague series against the Seattle Mariners because of the June 29 U2 concert.
Relocating it to Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico, where the Marlins this season hosted a three-game set against the Mets, is one option but hardly ideal. Both teams subsequently are scheduled for West Coast series, the Marlins in Oakland and the Mariners back home to host the Braves. The Marlins have a travel day, whereas the Mariners do not.
Among the locales being discussed is Vancouver. BP Place, the domed facility built in 1983 to attract a major league team, is undergoing a roof renovation and may not be available in late May. Nat Baily Stadium, home of the short season-Class A Vancouver Canadians, might be an option, but capacity at that facility is about 7,000.
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