The Marlins have unveiled the new aquariums behind home plate at Marlins Park. There are some photos of the aquariums, sans fish, at Sportress of Blogitude.
Gaby Sanchez fired baseballs as hard as he could at the tank to prove they were safe and that thousands of gallons of water wouldn't flood the field in case of accidental breakage.
Almost two years ago, though, PETA said the Marlins shouldn't do this, because:
"Being exposed to the loud crowds, bright lights, and reverberations of a baseball stadium would be stressful and maddening for any large animals held captive in tanks that, to them, are like bathtubs," PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman wrote to the Marlins.
There's no record of any response to PETA from the Marlins, either in 2010 or when the fish tanks were revealed to the public earlier this month. But one wonders whether simply having a player throw baseballs really, really fast at the aquariums is enough to prove that they are shatterproof. What if a foul ball hits them going much faster than a thrown ball? What if a catcher tries to slide to catch a popup and his spikes hit the glass and break through?
Those are questions the Marlins have yet to answer. But perhaps the most interesting event could occur if a warning given in the 2010 article linked above comes to pass:
Expect a naked PETA protest on Opening Day 2012.
And that game is on ESPN, national TV, on April 4! The NBC Miami link also says:
Or you could just put mascot Billy the Marlin in the tank and call it a day.
That might be the best idea of all.