Copyright 2003 Daily News, L.P.  
Daily News (New York)
October 23, 2003, Thursday RACING FINAL EDITION
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 69 BLEACHER CREATURE

LENGTH: 732 words

HEADLINE: THIS IS MY KIND OF WATERING HOLE HOT TUBS MAKING BIG SPLASH

BYLINE: BY FILIP BONDY

BODY:
MIAMI - The three hot tubs bubble and froth by the right-field foul pole, enticing guests to climb in and miss the next pitch from Roger Clemens. A bartender rips open another cardboard case and pops open several beer bottles, then heads off to serve mixed drinks and chicken tenders.

Standing just outside this eden come to earth, one lonely Bleacher Creature, all the way from Section 39 in the Bronx, rubs his eyes and shakes his head.

"Maybe this would be okay for one night," says Rocky Belbol, visiting from Long Island with a handful of bleacher regulars. "But not every night. I really wouldn't want to see Tom Brown or the other Creatures without their clothes on."

Yes, here in the corner of Pro Player Stadium, is an ode to America's key advertising demographic, the type of place where males 19 to 35 might be rewarded in the afterlife for skipping Poker Night, just once, to take their girlfriends to a chick flick.

The Oasis. Hot-tub central.

"I really love this," says Kathleen Beggs, bustling about, before excusing herself to prepare some more seasoning for the chicken.

Beggs, bartender extraordinaire, is dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and is shaking blue-tasseled maracas. She serves the hot tubbers, her little slice of eden. She has a lot of help. A group of Marlin dancers, the Mermaids, is expected to make its way to this area later. Game 4 of the World Series is going on, live, mere yards away. The water is warm. The beer is cold. There are pretzels, nuts, carrot slivers, popcorn, all neatly separated.

The hot-tub seats opened for the first time 41 games into this season in Miami when an elevator was completed and the area became legally accessible to handicapped patrons. Since these are the Marlins, tickets are usually available for any party of 20-30, except during the playoffs.

To sit here, you pay just $35 apiece during the regular season and $100 a pop during the Series. Here is what you get for your money (such a deal!):

. Those three hot tubs of varying depths, monitored carefully so that their temperature is always therapeutic and never, ever harmful. "We get a lot of overweight people in here, and they're drinking, so we have to be careful about their hearts," Beggs explains.

. A view of the game from playing-field level, not too different from the view of the right fielder - who conveniently approaches within heckling distance, particularly while chasing foul balls.

. Enthusiastic cheerleaders in shiny, skimpy outfits, who often visit and don't seem the slightest bit self-conscious about their odd vocation.

. Access to a theme bar, set up cabana-style to look like it's on a beach somewhere. Except it's not at the beach, because 65,000 people and 130,000 eyes are staring down at it.

. An adjacent bullpen, close enough to splash, featuring Marlin relievers who sometimes like to flirt with the dancing women.

This is a Bizarro World beyond the comprehension of any grumpy, frostbitten, serious baseball fan from New York. And yet, many people who now roam this area are ex-New Yorkers, including Beggs. She is a Met fan who hates the Yankees, a transplanted Manhattanite who loves the Celtics.

The people down here are so blissed out, such Stepford spectators, they almost always behave themselves amid this universe of temptation.

"Nine out of 10 fans here are great," Beggs says. "There's plenty of security and FBI during the Series. Once in awhile, we'll have to escort somebody out."

One time this season, Beggs turned her back on the crowd, and then a man with a stuffed monkey on his shoulder jumped from the regular seats into the hot-tub area. Beggs spotted the intruder right away, because of the monkey. The monkey was his big mistake.

Not too many people actually climb into the tubs. It requires both bravado and swimming trunks. Brian Britto wasn't climbing in last night. He says he is too self-conscious. But he and fellow Oasis visitor Chris Bowling agree on one thing:

"The Mermaids are the best thing about the Marlins," they say.

Beggs makes a rough estimate this particular group for Game 4 last night will go through about 100 beers. She makes one request to a reporter, in turn for granting him such access.

"When you write the article, make it funny," she says.

No deal. This is the World Series. Back in New York, it's serious business.

E-mail: fjbondy@netscape.net



GRAPHIC: MIKE ALBANS DAILY NEWS POOL PARTY In right field at Yankee Stadium, you'll find Bleacher Creatures. At Miami's Pro Player Stadium, you'll find Jacuzzis, and comforts that go with them.

LOAD-DATE: October 23, 2003