April 26, 2017
The game between the Phillies and Marlins was postponed Tuesday night thanks to a steady downpour of rain, meaning a day off in the Delaware Valley for the visiting fish.
For the Marlins, however, that didn't mean enjoying the hustle and bustle of downtown Philadelphia. The Inquirer's Matt Gelb reported that thanks to the upcoming NFL draft in Philly, there weren't any open hotel accommodations. So instead, they got to enjoy the sights and sounds of... Wilmington, Delaware!
The Marlins, who were in Seattle and San Diego before here, have to stay in Wilmington, Del., because the NFL booked all rooms in Philly.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) April 25, 2017
Look, I don't have a problem with Wilmington. It's a fine city. But for professional major league baseball players used to Miami and coming off trips to Seattle and San Diego, Wilmington might not be as exciting.
It sure wasn't.
For all the times Marlins manager Don Mattingly has come to Philadelphia as a player and manager, this trip represents the first time he's had to stay in Delaware.
"It was a good sleep day [Monday]," Mattingly said. "A good day to sleep. Not quite as much to do in downtown [Wilmington] than Philly. But again, it was a good day to get some rest and get back on track to East Coast time from our trip."
And from former Phillie A.J. Ellis, who slept and watched movies the whole day:
"It was uneventful, is a pretty good word," Ellis said. "There's never really a bad off day. Regroup, recharge for the grind of the season.
"I don't know how I feel about [getting displaced by the NFL Draft]. But yeah, it's a bummer. I love downtown Philly. I love staying at that Westin. There's so much cool stuff to do around that area. Kind of bummed out we'll only get to [stay there] two times this year instead of three."
In all fairness to Wilmington, I'm sure they could have found something to do, as it sounds like they didn't even try. Tax-free shopping, anyone? No matter, roll the clip anyway!
