Marlins Call Up Big-Time Cheerleaders

Weighing in between 225 and 435 pounds, the Florida Marlins' new cheerleaders may take up space better than they dance. But on opening day, the Marlins will introduce fans to the Manatees, baseball’s first all-male, all-plus-sized cheerleading squad, the Los Angeles Times reports. “There are more people who look like them than have those perfect bodies,” says a charter Marlins Fan Club member.

The idea is to connect with the average fan. “I’m doing this for guys like me, the regular guys who haven’t been that active lately,” said one Manatee. Unfortunately, the average fan isn’t going to Marlins’ games. The Fish owned the worst attendance in baseball last season—fewer than 17,000 per game—and that was before they traded their biggest stars this winter. (More baseball stories.)