My first 2024 visit to see the Marlins was prompted by the visiting Dodgers, their superstar Shohei Ohtani, and the prospect of witnessing baseball history. Ohtani came into last night's game with 48 home runs and the same number of stolen bases, on the verge of becoming the first player ever to get 50 of each.
He led off the game with a single, promptly stole second (#49), and sprinted to third on the errant throw. This I learned later, as my friend Mark and I were stuck in traffic. Never underestimate the desire of people to witness history.
In his next four at-bats, Ohtani failed to reach base, striking out twice, once while looking. This was a huge disappointment to the fans, many of whom wore Dodgers caps. But even Marlins fans, I suspect, were looking for something to celebrate in a very dismal season.
My solace came at the end of the sixth inning when, on my way to buy my beloved arepa, I spotted a new stand selling Asian food. I passed on the bao buns holding miniature hot dogs – though they looked very cute – and got bao buns stuffed with pork. They were excellent.
