IN AN attempt to boost the attendance at their baseball game against Tampa Bay Rays in Miami at the weekend the Florida Marlins, inspired by the World Cup, decided it would be a good idea to give away vuvuzela-type horns to the first 15,000 fans through the gate. The resulting cacophony was . . . well, you know yourself.

“It was absolutely outstanding,” said Marlins president David Samson, but other than the kids who got to blow the blasted things, he was alone in his delight.

“This isn’t soccer. I know the World Cup is going on, but this is baseball. That was the worst handout or giveaway I’ve ever been a part of in baseball,” said Dan Uggla, the Marlins second baseman who was one of several players and umpires who wore earplugs.

“There’s cool things and there’s very non-cool things – that’s a non-cool thing,” said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, while Marlins centre fielder Cody Ross was left reaching for the Aspirin. “I couldn’t tell you how awful it was. I had a headache in, like, the third inning. I couldn’t hear anybody when I was sitting on the bench. Please don’t do it again.”

The Marlins lost but they’d have been cheered by the crowd of 23,242, 7,000 above their average.