
MIAMI—Lamenting how congested the roads would be if he left the stadium now, Marlins fan Ed Padilla admitted Thursday that he was only staying until the end of the game to avoid traffic. “Getting out of this place can be an absolute nightmare, but if you can last until the sixth or seventh inning, you’re usually in the clear,” said Padilla, who woefully recalled sitting in gridlock traffic for hours when he left a Marlins game after the third inning last year. “I know some people would say I’m not a true Marlin’s fan for hanging around to see the end of the game, but it is just easier this way. I would love to miss out on our bullpen getting shelled night after night, but it beats being stuck in wall-to-wall traffic, and this way I don’t have to suffer listening to the game on the radio when I leave.” At press time, a visibly frustrated Padilla was trying to navigate the crowds to the parking lot after he, multiple Marlins players, and most of the stadium staff elected to leave right after the eighth inning.