Give it up for the Marlins, a Circuit Court-blessed team that keeps reminding fans of the potential thrills in each 1/162nd of a baseball season even as their season lives only on paper. How often do you see a five-run deficit erased by a seven-run, no-home run eighth inning, a run canceled on appeal, then the closer just holds on for an 8-7 win?

Before that inning, sitting through Sunday at Dolphin Stadium felt akin to walking through a dying mall -- empty spaces surrounding the few folks who have wandered in purely out of habit. Murmurs of displeasure greeted each Nationals run. The first six innings, the biggest cheer was for a broken-bat single by the Marlins' Jorge Cantu that robbed the game of a possible no-hitter.

During that time, I couldn't help but ponder the Marlins' future home.

In an era of movable fields, coaching offices worthy of a Fortune 500 CEO and locker rooms in which each locker can be a mini hotel suite with refrigerators, high-speed Internet hookups and stylish lighting, what would the Marlins like to see in their new home? Certainly they have thought about what it would be like to work in a stadium designed with a baseball team as the No. 1 priority.

''For me, I just want to play the game,'' Marlins center fielder Alfredo Amezaga said. ``I don't care if we have computers or TVs all over the place. We don't have that in Mexico, first of all. I'm just a gamer, so I don't care if they have TVs.''

Pitcher Josh Johnson, one of many Marlins who could stare down most of the Heat roster without tilting his head back, mentioned a dugout designed more for the big and tall. Apparently, there's a beam by the water cooler that's got some padding, but dips low, making trips to the cooler a kind of water hazard for taller players.

COMFORTS OF HOME

''Your home clubhouse has to be comfortable,'' he said. ``You're there eighty-something days a year. Probably nice to be comfortable when you're at home.''

And Johnson actually likes their Dolphin Stadium home. Several players lounged about after Sunday's game watching the Jets-Patriots or Dolphins-Cardinals game as Johnson pointed out the recliners and several flat-screen televisions.

'I do like in Philly where they have chairs at each locker that are comfortable,' Johnson said. ``Padded chairs can lean back and can roll.''

SIMPLE TASTES

Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez laughed, ``I'm not really a needy guy. As long as there's a baseball field out there, I'm good. A good playing surface and a good pitcher's ballpark. Forget about the other stuff.''

So, give the man 400 feet down the lines and a center field at Polo Grounds depth and he will be happy.

Part of what got me on this riff was Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, flush with happiness over Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen's ruling against local rich guy Norman Braman's suits, firing off that Braman probably would have opposed the Colosseum had he been around at the time.

Of course, the Colosseum still stands as a sophisticated architectural marvel as timelessly brilliant as an Armani suit. Some aspects of the Roman edifice -- including what amounts to a practice court -- wouldn't be standard in modern arenas until the 1990s.

MODERN AMENITIES

The Colosseum had 80 entrances to accommodate 50,000 fans. Will U Pay Stadium have eight entrances for 5,000 fans?

I toured the 1,900-year-old Colosseum, which with a little less scavenging and a little more preservation through the years, would still be a great stadium, on July 8, 2001. That same day, Indianapolis imploded outdated Market Square Arena. It was 27.

Will (Bleep) You Norman Braman Field have anything that makes it the Colosseum of this era?

EXTRA INPUT

A retractable roof? Big deal. Get the tarp ready. We're talking South Florida, where working drawbridges and electronic garage gates are cutting-edge technology, they get stuck so often.

If they have the gall to sell Personal Seat Licenses, PSL buyers should get personal seat TVs. With a dish. And the MLB Extra Innings package to keep up with teams that stay in the pennant race. Put that on the want list anyway, PSLs or no.

Hopefully they will take suggestions from fans before they finalize the plans. After all, it will be the only voice the public has in the building of We Probably Won't See a Dime Out of This Deal Park.

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