MIAMI (AP) – Perched atop the Miami Marlins’ colorful, provocative home-run sculpture is a blue marlin, poised for splashdown whenever the home team hits one out. Call the artwork what you will – gaudy, goofy, grotesque, great – but there’s no denying it’s new. For the Marlins, that’s what this season is all about. They’ve become a big-spending, attention-grabbing team as they open the season at home Wednesday night against the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Marlins predict they’ll contend for the NL East title – and more. When ace Josh Johnson throws the first pitch in the new ballpark, the Marlins will begin trying to supplant the Cardinals, who mounted an improbable late-season charge to the World Series title.