Like it or not, Marlins players - and fans - will get an earful of World Cup soccer atmosphere Saturday night at Sun Life Stadium.
Plastic horns will be given to the first 15,000 fans as part of a promotion to capitalize on the World Cup buzz.
The promotion has been planned since winter, long before many soccer players and fans began to complain about the incessant drone of the horns - or vuvuzelas - blown by spectators in South Africa.
"It's not really a noise you hear at a baseball game. It's obviously going to be loud,' said third baseman Jorge Cantu, a soccer fan who admits that the World Cup vuvuzelas can be "a little annoying.'
The horns to be given away before Florida's game against Tampa Bay are similar to but not the same as the soccer horns, said Sean Flynn, the Marlins' vice president for marketing.
"They're not as buzzing as vuvuzelas, but they're loud,' he said.
Flynn said a fan at Yankee Stadium tried to bring in a vuvuzela this week but was rebuffed.
In South Africa, the vuvuzelas sound like a swarm of bees, prompting some players to call for a ban. Marlins players don't think it will be that bad Saturday.
"It's not like it's going to distract us or anything,' said catcher Brett Hayes. "As long as we don't kick the ball around or start heading the ball. That would be bad.'
--Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Plastic horns will be given to the first 15,000 fans as part of a promotion to capitalize on the World Cup buzz.
The promotion has been planned since winter, long before many soccer players and fans began to complain about the incessant drone of the horns - or vuvuzelas - blown by spectators in South Africa.
"It's not really a noise you hear at a baseball game. It's obviously going to be loud,' said third baseman Jorge Cantu, a soccer fan who admits that the World Cup vuvuzelas can be "a little annoying.'
The horns to be given away before Florida's game against Tampa Bay are similar to but not the same as the soccer horns, said Sean Flynn, the Marlins' vice president for marketing.
"They're not as buzzing as vuvuzelas, but they're loud,' he said.
Flynn said a fan at Yankee Stadium tried to bring in a vuvuzela this week but was rebuffed.
In South Africa, the vuvuzelas sound like a swarm of bees, prompting some players to call for a ban. Marlins players don't think it will be that bad Saturday.
"It's not like it's going to distract us or anything,' said catcher Brett Hayes. "As long as we don't kick the ball around or start heading the ball. That would be bad.'
--Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
