Tartan Army Invades Miami Marlins Baseball Game
They drank Boston dry, packed Fenway Park, and the Red Sox sent them a heartfelt farewell letter. And now the Scots have brought the portable party to South Beach.
Monday night, as Scotland’s run in the 2026 World Cup continues, the Tartan Army attempted to recreate that iconic baseball invasion this time at loanDepot Park, home of the Marlins.
For a variety of reasons, nothing will likely top the specialness of that night in Boston, but what the Marlins Park invasion did accomplish was a unique moment in MLB history in itself and an overall unforgettable experience.
There will likely never be a night like Monday night again, as the Marlins, due to their well-publicized struggles with attendance, might end up being the one-and-only baseball team to ever see a game attended by almost a majority of sports fans who have, at best, a rudimentary understanding of the game being played.
And the result was not only a barrel of fun, but absolutely hilarious at times.
For context, the Marlins are averaging just over 12.5 thousand fans per game this season, and Monday’s game saw a boosted attendance of just over 20,000, with around 8,000 members of the Tartan Army taking in the game.
The evening started with a march to the stadium from Miami’s historic Little Havana neighborhood, which mirrored the march to Fenway, although differed substantially by about 10 degrees of heat and direct sunlight.
Temperatures in Boston topped out at 80 degrees the day of the Fenway invasion, while highs reached 90 degrees with a 100-degree heat index on Monday.
I, at least, felt every bit of that on the roughly 20-minute walk to Marlins Park, and it was perhaps the hottest I’ve ever felt in my life, and that’s coming from a born-and-raised Floridian.
I could only imagine what the Scots, conditioned to their UK summer temperatures, were going through, though you wouldn’t be able to tell based on the undefeated vibes of the Tartan Army.
Upon arriving at the park, the army gathered for some live music and a rendition of one of their favorite tunes, Bacarra’s 1977 hit Yes, Sir I Can Boogie, before filing into the, thankfully, air-conditioned arena.
What followed was a night of pure nonstop entertainment as a baseball fan. Getting to watch an entire stadium of non-baseball fans figure out the ins and outs of the game on the fly, all while getting trashed on the ballpark’s likely increased stockpile of alcohol, was an experience that I and certainly every other American in attendance will never forget.
First came a march of army members playing bagpipes all along the warning track to excited applause, culminating in the playing of Scotland’s national anthem, Flower of Scotland.
The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by young Scotland star Billy Gilmour, who had his 2026 World Cup dream ended prematurely by a knee injury in a warm-up victory over Curacao. It was an emotional moment that saw Gilmour rise to the occasion.
Then there were the real opening pitches of the game that saw the fans throw out some unorthodox cheers to get into the heads of the opposing Texas Rangers batters. Whether they worked or not, the Marlins did get out of the inning unscathed, so maybe it’s time for MLB fans to take notice.
As I made my way around the ballpark, jumping from section to section as one is often wont to do (the security policing each section at loanDepot is very lax due to a section rarely being actually full), I was able to take in the moment from a variety of angles, and what a moment it was.
What I had not realized coming in was that Monday was a weekly Bark at the Park Night promotion for the Marlins, which only added to the utter novelty of the evening. Not only were the Scots invading, but pooches of all shapes and sizes could be found around every corner.
In between innings, one could find masses of cheering fans clustered around someone playing bagpipes. With such fun to be had all around the park, it’s not hard to understand why the game actually being played became almost secondary.
At one point, the Rangers hit a home run that was met at first by cheers, and then boos as fans quickly came to the realization that the wrong team had just scored.
“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was heard in small pockets during the seventh-inning stretch, as most fans were likely too drunk or too Scottish or both to attempt to learn the words. It did not matter.
The whole thing was just surreal to experience, and it was a night I found myself hoping would never come to an end.
The game finished, regrettably, as a 4-3 victory for the visiting Rangers, but despite the home team’s struggles, fans were left with yet another unforgettable experience thanks to the amazing tourists that the Tartan Army continue to be.
The overwhelming predominant sentiment amongst at least my own responses on Instagram regarding the event appears to be “just let them stay forever.”
I couldn’t agree more, as for as long as this run by Scotland continues, and this unprecedented World Cup journey rolls on, life just seems a little more fun.
As both a baseball and international football fan, watching the two worlds meet, party, and share drinks together made for an evening that will live on in my mind and certainly the minds of many Marlins fans for years to come.