The process of removing the home run sculpture at Marlins park concluded yesterday, and former team President David Samson took to Twitter to "denounce" structure's removal from inside the ballpark, according to Douglas Hanks of the MIAMI HERALD. Samson wrote, "Mindboggling. In every way. All artists: beware that permanent public installations are now subject to the taste of temporary tenants." Hanks notes the structure, which was made by a friend of former owner Jeffrey Loria -- Samson's stepfather -- was a "signature legacy of the previous ownership group" that new CEO Derek Jeter "privately pushed to have excised" from Miami-Dade County-owned Marlins Park. Jeter wants to "replace it with a new multi-level spectator area that will cater to fans willing to stand during the game in exchange for discount tickets." Marlins VP/Communications & Broadcasting Jason Latimer said that the dismantling of the statue "took about a week," and the sculpture will be "stored in the park before it is eventually rebuilt on a plaza outside." Hanks notes the "contentious" sculpture "isn't expected to return in time" for the '19 season. The county is "allowing the team to wait" until the beginning of '20 to reassemble the sculpture. Once outside the ballpark, the sculpture will "still whir to life with every Marlins home run," and will "activate after home wins and every day" at 3:05pm ET, a tribute to the Miami area code (MIAMI HERALD, 11/6).
Marlins Park's "Homer" statue will be replaced by a standing-room only, discounted fan sectiongetty images
