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Miami Marlins

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Florida Marlins
2024 Florida Marlins season
File:Floridamarlins.gifFile:FLA Marlins.PNG
LogoCap insignia
Major league affiliations
Current uniform
File:NLE-Uniform-FL.PNG
Retired numbers5, 42
Name
  • Florida Marlins (1993–present)
Other nicknames
  • The Fish
Ballpark
Major league titles
World Series titles (2)1997 • 2003
NL Pennants (2)1997 • 2003
East Division titles (0)None
Wild card berths (2)1997 • 2003
Front office
Principal owner(s)Jeffrey Loria
General managerLarry Beinfest
ManagerFredi Gonzalez

The Florida Marlins are a Major League Baseball team based in the Miami, Florida metropolitan area and play their home games in Dolphin Stadium, in the suburb of Miami Gardens. They are in the Eastern Division of the National League.

In only a decade since their inception into the majors, the Marlins have been highly fortunate in that they played in the era where "wild card" teams can win the World Series. The team has never finished first, yet won two World Series, in 1997 and in 2003, and have never lost a pennant race. The Marlins had their best success under Jack McKeon, who led the Marlins to their only stretch of three consecutive winning seasons.

Most of the time, however, the franchise has suffered from relatively low attendance, poor on-field performance and, arguably, negligent ownership. The fire sale after the 1997 World Series is often cited as an example of the negligent ownership. In recent years, current owner Jeffrey Loria has been pushing for a new stadium in Miami often with threats to move. Former team owner H. Wayne Huizenga, who instigated the 1997 fire sale and owns their current venue Dolphin Stadium, has threatened to evict the team after the 2010 season, new stadium or not.[1]

Franchise history

1991 - 1996: Early Years

On June 10, 1991, the National League awarded a franchise to Wayne Huizenga, chief executive officer of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation, for a $95 million expansion fee.

Huizenga immediately announced plans to convert Joe Robbie Stadium (later Pro Player Park/Stadium and now Dolphin Stadium), home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, from a football-only stadium into a multipurpose stadium. The renovation cost only $100 million, largely because Dolphins founder Joe Robbie had anticipated that baseball would eventually come to South Florida, and built the stadium with a wider field than is normally the case for the NFL. Purists feared the result would be similar to Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. However, Huizenga decided to cut down capacity from 67,000 to just over 43,500, in order to create a more intimate atmosphere. Aside from this, many of the upper deck outfield seats would have been too far from the field. The stadium's baseball capacity has been reduced even further in recent years, and it now seats just over 36,500. Huizenga eventually bought the Dolphins, and the stadium, in 1994.

In November of 1991, the Marlins hired Fredi Gonzalez as the Marlins first Minor League manager.

Marlins selected catcher Charles Johnson of the University of Miami with their first-ever, first round draft pick in the June amateur draft of 1992. Later that year Marlins President Carl Barger collapsed during an owners meeting during the baseball winter meetings in Louisville, Kentucky, and died a few hours later in Humana University Hospital due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The Marlins would go on and retire the number 5 in honor of Barger's favorite player, Joe Dimaggio.

The Marlins' first manager was Rene Lachemann, a former catcher who had previously managed the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers, and who at the time of his hiring was a third base coach for the Oakland Athletics. The team drafted it's initial lineup of players in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft.The Marlins defeat the Houston Astros 12-8 in their inaugural Spring Training game. Jeff Conine hit Florida's first homer before a crowd of 6,696 at the Cocoa Expo Sports Complex. The Marlins won their first game on April 5, 1993, against the Dodgers. Jeff Conine went 4-4 in this game, making him an immediate crowd favorite, and by the end of his tenure with Florida, would earn the nickname "Mr. Marlin." The Marlins would go on to have Gary Sheffield and Bryan Harvey represent the Marlins as the club's first All-Star Game selections. Sheffield homered in the Marlins first All-Star Game at-bat. Lachemann kept Florida out of the Eastern Division cellar during the 1993 season as the team finished the year five games ahead of the last-place New York Mets and finished with an attendance of 3,064,847 in their inaugural season. In that season, the Marlins traded their young set-up reliever Trevor Hoffman and two minor-league prospects to the San Diego Padres for third baseman Gary Sheffield, as part of San Diego's cost-cutting at the time. While Sheffield would help Florida succeed immediately and become an all-star, Hoffman would eventually emerge as the best closer in the National League. After the 1993 season, Donald A. Smiley was named the second President in club history. After the Marlins finished last (51-64) in their division in the strike shortned season of 1994 and fourth (67-76) in 1995, Lachemann was replaced as manager midway through the 1996 season with the Marlins' director of player development, John Boles.

Notwithstanding problems in the dugout and on the field, the Marlins had some bright spots on the mound and behind the plate in 1996. The team's 3.95 ERA ranked third in the NL, led by newcomer Kevin Brown, who finished the season with a 17-11 win-loss record and an impressive 1.89 ERA. On May 11, Al Leiter pitched the first no-hitter in Marlins history. Catcher Charles Johnson led the league with a .995 fielding percentage, threw out a league-high 48 percent of base runners, and collected his second straight Gold Glove Award for fielding excellence. After a slow start, the Marlins finished the year with an 80-82 win-loss record to place third in their division. Boles then returned to his previous position as director of player development, and former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland was hired to lead the club in 1997.

1997: First World Series title

In addition to hiring Leyland as manager, Huizenga kept his checkbook open that offseason, signing third baseman Bobby Bonilla, outfielder Moises Alou, and pitcher Alex Fernandez to lucrative free-agent contracts, raising expectations to levels far beyond what they had ever been in franchise history.

The Marlins' franchise got its second no-hitter from ace Kevin Brown on June 10. Brown nearly had the perfect game, but he hit the Giants' Marvin Benard with a pitch in the 8th inning. With Brown, Leiter and Fernandez heading the rotation, and Robb Nen closing out games, the Marlins' staff was almost systematic during their regular season run. In 1997, the Florida Marlins, led by new manager Jim Leyland, finished nine games back of the Division Champion Atlanta Braves. But despite this shortcoming, they earned the wild card. RF Gary Sheffield followed his 40 HR 120 RBI season with a .250 average, but 6.5 million dollars richer. Veteran additions such as LF Moises Alou, 3B Bobby Bonilla, and trade-deadline addition Darren "Dutch" Daulton added experience and clutch hits. Talented young stars and starters Luis Castillo (2B) and Edgar Renteria (SS) were one of the best double play combos in the League. Castillo did not perform to expectations offensively, and was replaced by Craig Counsell before the playoffs began. They swept the San Francisco Giants 3-0 in the National League Division Series, and then went on to beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 in the National League Championship Series, where the Marlins overcame the loss of Alex Fernandez to a torn rotator cuff, and Kevin Brown's missing two scheduled starts due to a virus. His place was taken in Game 5 by rookie pitcher Liván Hernández, who had earned a spot in the rotation in the second half of the season, but was not in the rotation during the postseason until circumstances made it necessary. Hernandez would proceed to strike out 15 Braves and outduel multiple Cy Young award-winner Greg Maddux to a 2-1 victory and a 3-2 series lead. Brown would return to the mound for Game 6, pitching a complete game victory to secure the Marlins their first-ever National League pennant.

The underdog Florida Marlins went on to face the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series, and won in seven games. It ended with a two-out walk-off 11th-inning single by shortstop Edgar Rentería off of Cleveland pitcher Charles Nagy, which barely cleared his glove on its way to center field, scoring Craig Counsell to win the deciding game 3-2. The Marlins had tied the game with 2-out in the bottom of the ninth when Craig Counsell drove home Moises Alou with a sacrifice fly. Liván Hernández was named the MVP.

1998-2002: Fire sale, New stadium hopes, New ownership and Front office

Following the World Series victory, Huizenga claimed massive financial losses. He dismantled the team by trading off most of the club's best players. Among them, Moises Alou was traded to the Houston Astros, Bobby Bonilla was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kevin Brown was traded to the San Diego Padres and Gary Sheffield was traded to the Dodgers as well (for Mike Piazza, who was immediately traded again, this time to the New York Mets). The Marlins got promising youngsters in these trades as the Marlins got 1B Derrek Lee and P A.J. Burnett. Fans were outraged by this "fire sale," some comparing it to Huizenga's Blockbuster Video selling used tapes at bargain rates. Some disgruntled fans came up with the slogan, "Wait 'til last year!"

The Marlins' record in 1998 slumped to 54-108, the worst record in the National League and second worst next to their instate rival, Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They are the only team to lose 100 games a year after winning the World Series. Leyland resigned as manager in October 1998 following his disgust at the team's fire sale, and he was then replaced by John Boles. Moreover, Huizenga soon sold the club to businessman John Henry during the off-season. John W. Henry unveiled his vision of a new ballpark and revealed six possible sites which included Miami River, Bicentennial Park, Miramar, Davie, Lauderhill and Downtown Fort Lauderdale. The Marlins had the second overall pick in the 1999 draft and drafted P Josh Beckett from the state of Texas. The Marlins finished the 1999 season with the worst record in baseball as they went 64-98 and traded World Series MVP Livan Hernandez to the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins also drafted P Johan Santana from Houston in the Rule V Draft but traded him to Minnesota in a prearranged deal for P Shawn Camp.

During the 1999 season, the Marlins announced selected Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami as their site for a new ballpark and name HOK as design architect and architect of record. Marlins continued focus on the Bicentennial site in downtown Miami as the possible location for a new baseball-only ballpark. The team hosted a design charrette to further address concerns relating to the location of the ballpark and began to develop a site plan that addresses or mitigates core community concerns.

A month prior to the regular season, the Marlins then hired David Dombrowski as the third President in club history, becoming President and General Manager. After the hiring, the Marlins announced their funding plan for a new, state-of-the-art, retractable roof ballpark in Downtown Miami. The key component of the proposed plan was the establishment of an independent "trust," empowered to initiate a tax referendum. The legislation allowed the right of self-determination for the citizens of Miami-Dade County by assuring that the plan can only be implemented by the vote of the people. A month later the Marlins announced they will no longer pursue a Cruise Passenger Surcharge as part of their financing plan for a new ballpark after Florida Governor, Jeb Bush stated his opposition to the proposal.

After posting the worst record in baseball for the 1999 season, the Marlins for the first time had first overall pick in the 2000 first-year player draft and selected first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, a 16-year-old native of Bonita, California. The Eastlake High School product agreed to terms with the Marlins that same day. The Marlins went on that season to finish 79-82 and third place in the NL East. This was thanks to the emergence of OF Preston Wilson who had 31 home runs and 121 RBI's. Derrek Lee and Luis Castillo broke out this year as well, Castillo posted a .334 batting average and Lee had 28 homers in his first full season. Antonio Alfonseca posted a then club record 45 saves.

The club slowly worked back to becoming a respectable ballclub with its third place finish in 2000, driven by young stars such as A.J. Burnett, Brad Penny, Preston Wilson, Luis Castillo, and Mike Lowell. Burnett pitched the Marlins' third no-hitter against the Padres on May 12, 2001. In what was a truly extraordinary performance, he walked nine batters and threw 129 pitches, 65 of which were strikes. Three weeks after the no-no, Manager John Boles was fired as Hall of Famer Tony Perez was named interim manager for the rest of the season. The club went on to finish 76-86, and in fourth place thanks to Brad Penny's and A.J Burnett's emergence.

The offseason after the 2001 regular season proved to be a big overhaul that included the ownership and front office as Tony Perez resigned and returned to his previous role as the front-office Baseball Operations assistant. About a month later, David Dombrowski resigned as President and General Manager of the Florida Marlins and accepted the position as President of the Detroit Tigers. Entering the new year, Major League Baseball Owners approved sale of the Boston Red Sox to current Marlins owner John Henry and the sale of the Marlins to Jeffrey Loria. Once Loria was owner of the Marlins he began naming the new front office as he named David Samson as President of the Marlins and Larry Beinfest as General Manager. He then continued on to the managerial position as he hired Jeff Torborg as manager.

Prior to the 2002 season, the Marlins traded RHP Matt Clement and RHP Antonio Alfonseca to the Cubs for RHP Julian Tavarez, LHP Dontrelle Willis, RHP Jose Cueto and C Ryan Jorgensen. The club would be highlighted by ups and downs as well as trades and legal problems. In 2002, the club would also be distracted by new owner Jeffrey Loria becoming the co-defendant (along with Commissioner Bud Selig) in a RICO Act lawsuit filed by the former minority partners of the Montreal Expos, the team Loria previously owned. The minority owners (many of whom were now minority partners of the Marlins) claimed that Loria and Selig deliberately defrauded the minority owners and devalued the team for personal gain. The case was sent to arbitration in 2004 and was settled for an undisclosed sum. The Marlins had their ups as Luis Castillo set a team record 35 game hitting streak and Kevin Millar had 25 game hit streak. Around the all-star break they made their second big trade with new ownership and front office as they traded OF Cliff Floyd to the Expos for RHP Carl Pavano, RHP Justin Wayne, INF Mike Mordecai, LHP Graeme Lloyd, RHP Don Levinski and INF Wilton Guerrero. The same day, the fish dealt RHP Ryan Dempster to the Cincinnati Reds for OF Juan Encarnacion and LHP Ryan Snare. The Marlins went on to go 79-83,at that point, tied for second best in team history but the Marlins' fifth straight losing season since winning the World Series. Their attendance on the other hand wasn't so good, the team drew a franchise-low 813,111 fans, averaging just 10,038 per game. It was the first time they drew under 1 million and this was in comparison to the Dodgers' 3,131,255 fans drawn that same year. Most thought this was because of the trades they had made which were almost similar to those of the 1997 as they traded veterans for youngsters and mainly because of the huge overhaul of the ownership and front office.

Nonetheless the Marlins showed promise entering the offseason as they had a rotation of starters Josh Beckett, Carl Pavano, Brad Penny, and A.J Burnett.

2003: Second World Series title

Main article: 2003 Florida Marlins

During the offseason, the Marlins signed free agent catcher Iván Rodríguez - a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner - and acquired speedy outfielder Juan Pierre from the Colorado Rockies hoping to offset the loss of sluggers Cliff Floyd and Preston Wilson. The Marlins did acquire P Mike Hampton but dealt him and his hefty contract to the Braves for P Tim Spooneybarger.

The Marlins struggled in the opening stages of the season, going 16-22. During that span, Florida lost its top three pitchers: A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett, and Mark Redman. On May 11, Florida replaced manager Jeff Torborg with 72-year-old Jack McKeon. On May 22, the Marlins hit bottom with a major league worst record of 19-29, having lost 6 straight games. However, help was on the way.

On May 9, the Marlins called up high-kicking southpaw Dontrelle Willis from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats and helped carry the injury-plagued Marlins with an 11-2 record in his first 17 starts. Miguel Cabrera (also from the Mudcats) filled in well for an injured Mike Lowell at third base, Jeff Conine - an original Marlin and member of the 1997 World Series team - returned from Baltimore, and closer Ugueth Urbina arrived from the Texas Rangers. These acquisitions impacted the team just enough to stay in contention, and although they finished ten games behind the Braves, they did capture the NL wild card.

The Marlins won the Division Series against the favored San Francisco Giants three games to one. The series ended with a dramatic collision between Marlins catcher Rodríguez and Giants first basemen J.T. Snow, making it the first postseason series ever to end with the potential tying run being thrown out at the plate.

On October 15, the Marlins defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to three in the Championship Series, coming back from a three games to one deficit. A Beckett complete-game shutout in Game 5, "The Inning" incident with Steve Bartman in Game 6, and a come-from-behind win in Wrigley Field in Game 7 would help the Marlins capture their second NL pennant.

In the 2003 World Series, the Marlins defeated the heavily favored New York Yankees in six games, winning the sixth game in Yankee Stadium. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez helped the Marlins in Game 4 of the series with a walk off home run in extra innings. Josh Beckett was named the Most Valuable Player for the series after twirling a five-hit complete-game shutout in Game 6. To this day, skipper Jack McKeon is the oldest manager ever to win a world series title.

2003 offseason

The offseason after their second World Series title involved no fire sale of that of the 1997 offseason but the Marlins did make a questionable move as Derrek Lee was traded to Chicago Cubs for Hee Seop Choi in a move that the Marlins did to save money. The Marlins also lost key parts to their second championship title, Ugueth Urbina and Iván Rodríguez left via free agency (signed by the Detroit Tigers). The Marlins did get good news though as Dontrelle Willis was named NL Rookie of the Year and Jack McKeon named Manager of the Year.

2004: Rise of Miguel Cabrera and attempt at repeating

The Marlins opened the 2004 season with expectation for another World Series title as they had their rotation back from last season with the subtractions of Ivan Rodriguez, Derrek Lee, and Ugueth Urbina. They hoped newly acquired 1B Hee Seop Choi would emerge and that the combination of Ramon Castro and Mike Redmond would also come to life. As well as promising outfielder Miguel Cabrera and high kicking pitcher Dontrelle Willis.

The Marlins started the 04' season with a record of 30-20 but struggled in June with a 11-16 record. 5 of the 11 June wins came from pitcher Carl Pavano who had the best month of the season. They entered the all-star break with a 45-43 record and the Marlins went on to struggle as they went 11-14 in the month of July.

These struggles prompted the Marlins to make a trade. The Marlins pulled off one of the biggest trades in club history as Los Angeles got P Brad Penny, 1B Hee Seop Choi and Double-A lefthander Bill Murphy in exchange for P Guillermo Mota, C Paul LoDuca and OF Juan Encarnacion. This trade really didn't pan out for either side for the remainer of the season as Penny's season was cut short after having a great first half, Choi struggled in his tenure with the Dodgers. Lo Duca had his usual second half outage, Encarnacion was injury prone during the remainder of the season, and Guillermo Mota had his share of struggles in the second half.

Despite a great August which included a nine game wining streak into September, the Marlins went on a 15 game stretch in which they played two double headers going 7-8 in 13 days. This lead to call-ups and emergency starts by relievers as well as fatigue. The three game home series in which the Marlins and Cubs missed due to a series of rain outs near South Florida, was technically only made up in two games while the third was played in Chicago considering it a home game. The attendance for that third game did not count for either team.

Afterwards the Marlins collapsed as they went on a 6 game losing streak which included division rivals the Phillies and Braves who were also in contention. They swept the Expos to make up some ground but lost the remainder 3 of 4 games to the Philles which knocked them out of contention. Despite missing the playoffs, a 21 year old Miguel Cabrera had 33 home runs and 112 RBI's, numbers that started to draw comparisons of him and Albert Pujols.

The Marlins posted a winning record of 83-79 (only their third winning season of their history), the Marlins' aspirations of successfully defending their World Series title fell short as they finished thirteen games back of the division champion Atlanta Braves), thus the Marlins became the fourth consecutive major league team not to repeat as World Series champions since the New York Yankees in 2000.

2005: Carlos Delgado steps in

While losing All-Stars Carl Pavano and Armando Benitez in the off-season, the Marlins signed P Al Leiter and 1B Carlos Delgado. Delgado's contract was the biggest in franchise history at $52 million over 4 years, with an option for a fifth year. Meanwhile, play-by-play TV broadcaster Len Kasper was also lost to the Chicago Cubs and replaced by Rich Waltz (who had previously been with the Seattle Mariners), and radio announcer John "Boog" Sciambi was replaced by Roxy Bernstein.

With the addition of Delgado, the Marlins were expected to finish the 2005 season in either first or second place in the NL East by many sportswriters. However, at the All-Star break they were 44-42, and the NL East was unusually competitive, as all five of its teams had a winning record at the break. As a result, the Marlins were criticized for underachieving in the first half of the season. While Cabrera, Willis, and several others posted very good first-half numbers, Lowell was one of the worst offensive producers among regular major-league starters, and Leiter went 3-7 with an ERA of 6.64 before being traded to the New York Yankees on July 15 for a player to be named later. Additionally, Guillermo Mota, who was acquired by Florida in 2004 along with Paul Lo Duca and Juan Encarnacion and was expected to be their closer, turned out inconsistent, and the Marlins gave the closer job to veteran Todd Jones, whom they signed in the offseason. However, the Marlins did send four players to the All-Star Game (Willis, Lo Duca, Castillo, and Cabrera), tying a team record.

The club was expected to be quite active at the trading deadline (July 31), as Burnett was slated to be a free agent after the season and had already declared his desire to test the market like Pavano did rather than stay in Florida. Burnett was mentioned in possible trades with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Texas Rangers, with many rumors also including Lowell or Encarnacion. There were also rumors that Jack McKeon would be fired, with former Marlins manager Jim Leyland and Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi being among the rumored replacements. The Marlins did not make a huge move at the deadline, instead trading minor-leaguers Yorman Bazardo and Mike Flannery to the Seattle Mariners for left-handed pitcher Ron Villone.

The Marlins did have some pleasant surprises during the season. Dontrelle Willis became the 13th member of the Black Aces when he defeated the Washington Nationals to earn his 20th win. He finished the season 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA, and he was considered a favorite to win the Cy Young Award for much of the season. Also, Jones, a journeyman who had been signed as a setup man, had one of the best years of his career as a closer; he earned 40 saves and had a 2.13 ERA. In addition, late-season callup Jeremy Hermida, a highly-regarded prospect who has been compared to the Atlanta Braves' Jeff Francoeur, hit a grand slam in his first major-league at-bat and a game-tying two-run homer in the last game of the season.

The Marlins led the NL wild-card race as late as September 13, but they then lost 12 of their next 14 games. Adding to the controversy was the September 26 dismissal of A.J. Burnett from the team for making disparaging comments about the Marlins' lack of offense, their "scared" ways of playing and coaching, and Jack McKeon's management of the team. The Marlins closed the season by sweeping the Braves, and their final record for the season stood at 83-79.

2005 offseason: "Market Correction"

The 2005 offseason would prove to be one of busiest for the Marlins in years, Jack McKeon announced his retirement on October 2 after the Marlins' last game of the season. Former Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella, Braves third base coach Fredi González (who previously managed in the Marlins' farm system), New York Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi, and even Yankees manager Joe Torre who most thought could have been let go after a short stint postseason. were named as possible replacements for McKeon. [1] On October 19, Girardi was hired as the new manager. Girardi, who was hired at age 41, became the youngest current manager in the major leagues. [2]

Few of the coaching staff, aside from infield/first base coach Perry Hill and bullpen coordinator Pierre Arsenault, were expected to return, as Marlins GM Larry Beinfest told them to seek employment elsewhere. Pitching coach Mark Wiley and bullpen coach Luis Dorante came under fire during the season due to the late-season struggles of Burnett and the season-long struggles of the Marlins' bullpen. Similarly, hitting coach Bill Robinson was often blamed for the Marlins' offensive woes throughout the season, and in particular for his failure to get Pierre and Lowell out of season-long slumps. Girardi hired Jim Presley as a replacement for Robinson, and also hired Rick Kranitz as the new pitching coach and Bobby Meacham as the new third-base coach.

On October 3, the first day after the end of the regular season, the Marlins made their first offseason moves, releasing relief pitchers John Riedling and Tim Spooneybarger. Riedling had a 4-1 record and a 7.14 ERA during the season; Spooneybarger, who had not played since 2003 due to rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery, had to have the surgery a second time during the season and missed the 2006 season as well. Screwball specialist Jim Mecir retired following the Marlins' last game of the season.

Closer Todd Jones, P A.J. Burnett, 1BJeff Conine, INFLenny Harris, OFJuan Encarnación, SSAlex González, PBrian Moehler, PIsmael Valdéz, and PPaul Quantrill were among the Marlins players whose contracts expired following the 2005 season. Following the playoffs, they declared free agency. Burnett signed a five-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays worth 55 million; Jones signed for two years with the Detroit Tigers, and Moehler elected to remain with the Marlins. The Marlins declined to offer arbitration to Jeff Conine, Ismael Valdez, Paul Quantrill,Juan Encarnacion, Damion Easley, and Mike Mordecai, therefore ending their tenures with the club. [3] Soon after announcing a plan to relocate (see below), the Marlins started to shed payroll by dealing their highest-paid players for minor-league prospects, in a series of moves reminiscent of the "fire sale" in the 1997 offseason but the club announced that it was more in their opinion of a "market correction". On November 21, it was reported that Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell would be traded to the Red Sox for minor-league prospects shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and pitchers Aníbal Sánchez and Jesús Delgado. The deal was made official three nights later, and also included the Marlins sending Guillermo Mota to the Red Sox and receiving minor-league pitcher Harvey Garcia. The Beckett trade left the Marlins with just one member of their rotation on Opening Day in 2005, Dontrelle Willis. The Marlins will fill most of the remaining rotation spots with young pitchers such as Jason Vargas, Josh Johnson, and Scott Olsen, all of whom they had recalled from their Class AA affiliate during the 2005 season. [4]

On November 23, the Mets and the Marlins agreed on a deal to move Carlos Delgado to the Mets for first baseman Mike Jacobs and pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit. Also, the Marlins would have to pay $7 million of Delgado's remaining contract. When the deal was made official the next day, the Marlins also received minor-league infielder Grant Psomas. According to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins passed up the Mets' offer to give them center fielder Lastings Milledge, who was at the time ranked the Mets' top prospect according to Baseball America. [5] Combined, the two trades allowed the Marlins to reduce their 2006 payroll by $27 million.

However, the Marlins were not yet done reducing payroll. Paul Lo Duca was traded to the Mets for two players to be named later; these players turned out to be pitcher Gabriel Hernandez and outfielder Dante Brinkley. Longtime second baseman Luis Castillo was traded to the Twins for pitchers Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler, and Juan Pierre to the Cubs for pitchers Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco, and Renyel Pinto. Of the seven players that the Marlins acquired in these three deals, only Mitre and Bowyer had any major-league experience when they came to the Marlins. To replace Castillo, the Marlins selected Dan Uggla from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 draft. Uggla played in the Arizona organization at the Class AA level in 2005, and he became the Marlins' starting second baseman in 2006 after veteran INF Pokey Reese went AWOL in spring training.

2006: Rebuilt Marlins

At the start of the year, the Marlins had a team salary close to $21 million. Not only was it the lowest team salary in all of MLB, but New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez himself made more money then the entire team. The Marlins made MLB history when they started six rookies in their Opening Day lineup. [6] Critics were saying that the Marlins would lose more than 100 games this season and be in last place as well as even being a threat to match the Mets past record of 120 losses. The Marlins started losing games, just as people predicted; by May 22, they reached a record of 11 wins and 31 losses. Although the Marlins kept losing games, Miguel Cabrera and rookie Dan Uggla were selected to the All-Star Game. Though Uggla did not play in the All-Star game, he became the first Rule 5 draftee to be selected for an All-Star team in the next year after he was taken in the Rule 5 draft. [7] Uggla, Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs are the first rookie teammates in NL history to hit at least 20 home runs in the same season.[2]

After the All-Star break, the Marlins began to break both franchise and MLB records. They came back from 11-31 to reach the .500 mark at 68-68. No team has come back to the .500 mark from being 20 games under since 1899. Then, on September 4, 2006, the Marlins rallied from down five runs to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5. This improved the Marlins' record to 69-68, marking the first time in Major League history a team that was 20 games under .500 went back over .500 in the same season. [8] Additionally, as of September 8, 2006, three of their rookie starting pitchers (Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, and Ricky Nolasco) have each won at least eleven games; the Marlins joined the 1934 Philadelphia A's and the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers in accomplishing this feat. [9]

On September 6, rookie Aníbal Sánchez pitched the fourth no-hitter in franchise history. During September, the Marlins advanced to within one game of the NL wild-card lead, but they were eliminated from contention after losing to the Cincinnati Reds on September 26. [10] However, on the next day, Sánchez won his tenth game as a Marlin against the Reds, giving the Marlins four rookie starters who had each won ten or more games: Sánchez, Nolasco, Johnson, and Olsen. The 2006 Marlins were the first team in major-league history to have four rookie pitchers accomplish this feat. [11] Because, as of September 27, Willis has won 12 games, the 2006 Marlins also had five ten-game winners for the first time in franchise history. [12]

Shortly after the 2006 season ended, after months of speculation, Marlins manager Joe Girardi was fired on October 3, 2006 not long after winning the National League Manager of the Year award. This was due because of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the year in which Girardi did not challenge the call that pitcher Taylor Tankersley thought was a strike and this prompted owner Jeffrey Loria who was in the stands and a few feet away from the dugout, called out Girardi who refused to listen to him. This wasn't the only thing that trigged the feud, earlier in the year Girardi reported wanted 1B Mike Jacobs to start off the year in triple A, Willingham to start at catcher, Miguel Cabrera to start at firstbase. This was just of the few of the other things that got Girardi fired from the Marlins.[13] Within hours, Atlanta Braves third base coach Fredi González was named his replacement and was signed to a three year contract. On October 28, 2006, first baseman Wes Helms and pitchers Matt Herges and Brian Moehler have filed for free agency. On October 29, 2006, Closer Joe Borowski filed for free agency, joining Helms, Moehler and Herges. On December 29, 2006, the Marlins signed a one-year contract with infielder Aaron Boone[14]. The Marlins also made some minor signings as they signed Lee Gardner and Justin Miller in hopes of rejuvenating their careers with the fish.

  • Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla was named the Sporting News Rookie of the Year for the National League and won the Players' Choice award as the league's most outstanding rookie. [15]
  • Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez won the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year award, as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Ramirez's numbers at season's end drew comparisons to Alfonso Soriano. For the first time in league history, six of the twelve players that received Rookie of the Year votes were Marlins. Uggla finished third in the voting and starting pitcher Josh Johnson, fourth; starting pitchers Scott Olsen and Anibal Sanchez and left fielder Josh Willingham received one third-place vote each. [16]
  • Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera earned the 2006 Silver Slugger Awards in National League, and finished second in batting average in National League.

2007: An injury filled season

The Marlins opened the 2007 season with high hopes after a successful 2006 season in which most expected they lose 100+ games. The season before the underdog Marlins remained in the Wild Card race until mid-September before finishing a respectable 78-84. The Marlins had a rotation that included Dontrelle Willis, Scott Olsen, Anibal Sanchez, Sergio Mitre, and Ricky Nolasco. The fish entered spring training in hoping their rotation would blossom to one of the best in the National League with Willis who was a Cy Young runner up in 05', Sanchez who threw a no-no in 06', Olsen who led the team strikeouts in 06', and Mitre who tried to break out in 07'. The Marlins also banked on starter Josh Johnson to come back from an arm injury suffered the season before. Things got worse for Johnson entering spring training as MRI's discovered he had nerve damage in his throwing arm. This injury prompted Ricky Nolasco's move to the rotation after the fish planned on putting him in the bullpen. The Marlins got even more bad news as spring training went on, INF/1B coach Perry Hill retired which left the Marlins with huge hole as Hill was considered for the defensive success of Gold Glovers Luis Castillo and Mike Lowell who were previously with the fish. The Marlins also lost OF Jeremy Hermida as an MRI taken his right kneecap revealed a deep bone bruise. On the bright side of things in spring training, the fish pulled of a trade for a veteran reliever. Days before opening day, the Marlins traded P Yusmeiro Petit for P Jorge Julio who they put the closer's role starting the season.

The Marlins started the season with the struggles of closer Jorge Julio who became unreliable after he went on the disabled list with a calf strain. P Kevin Gregg then emerged as the new closer. Injuries then became the center of focus for the Marlins as Opening Day centerfielder, Alejandro De Aza had an ankle sprain, P Sergio Mitre had a blister problem and P Ricky Nolasco had a sore elbow. The Marlins entered the month of May only to run into to more bad news. Marlins sent P Anibal Sanchez to the minor leagues only to then be put on the Minor League DL with shoulder tendinitis and be out for the remainder of the season when he had a tear in his labrum repaired for season ending surgery. The fish also put promising pitcher Henry Owens on the DL as well as 1B Mike Jacobs. The fish then sought out to get bullpen help as they dealt P Jorge Julio who amassed 2 blown saves and 2 loses in his tenure with the fish to the Rockies for P Byung-Hyun Kim. The fish did get good news that May as Hermida returned with the ballclub and position players Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla showed they were going through no sophomore slump with great numbers.

As injuries amassed the Marlins entering June, the fish made even more changes as they traded P Randy Messenger to the Giants for P Armando Benitez. Desite the trade the fish still kept the former marlin in the setup role and Gregg in the closer's. The fish in the June draft drafted 3B Matt Dominguez out of high school, it marked the first time since 2002 that the fish got a position player rather than pitcher in the first round. The fish got good news on as Josh Johnson was ready to make his return and Jacobs also returned but 1B Aaron Boone was sent to the DL with a knee injury leaving the fish without their main backup infielder. The fish entered July with a few more minor injuries entering the All Star break, SS Hanley Ramirez had a hamstring injury and Miguel Cabrera missed the Home Run Derby with a shoulder injury. The Marlins sent only one player to the All Star game as Miguel Cabrera went for a franchise record fourth time and fourth straight overall. Many considered teammate Hanley Ramirez as a snub when he didn't get voted in to go to the All Star game as he had 14 homers along with 27 steals. Many also thought Miguel Cabrera should have been the starting third baseman as he had better numbers than that of the Mets David Wright. The Marlins had a record of 42-47 at the all star break.

The Marlins have since been hit with even more bad news and the inconsistent performances of Willis, Kim, and Olsen. Scott Olsen was arrested by Aventura, Florida Police after refusing to pull over for being clocked at 48 MPH in a 35 MPH zone. Olsen failed a field sobriety test and refused a breath test, he was booked on charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest with violence and fleeing and eluding a police officer. Earlier in the month, Olsen was suspended for insubordination. The fish continued to amass more injuries, SS Hanley Ramirez had a partial dislocaton of his shoulder. The day Hanley suffered the injury the Marlins were 48-51 and still in the mix of the wild card picture in the weak National League, but Ramirez missed the next four games and the Marlins lost all of them against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Marlins have since fallen apart with the pitching woes of Willis, Olsen, and the rest of the rotation. The Marlins have gone 9-23 as of August 26, since the day they were only 3 games under at 48-51. The fish also went on to lose P Josh Johnson for the remainder of the 2006 and all of the 2007 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Stadium/relocation issues

Possible relocation

Soon after the end of the 2005 season, the Marlins reported that their proposal for a new stadium had died due to the rising costs of building a new stadium. Team president David Samson stated that the Marlins would explore relocation, and mentioned Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Charlotte, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Monterrey, Mexico; northern New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; and San Antonio, Texas as possible places where they could move. [17] On December 6, 2005, Marlins officials met with San Antonio city leaders, including Bexar County Judge Nelson W. Wolff, Mayor Phil Hardberger, and various city councilmen, concerning relocating the franchise to San Antonio. Potential sites for a new stadium were toured, and San Antonio leaders discussed various proposals for funding and building a baseball only stadium. City leaders stated they were confident funding could be arranged using hotel/motel taxes to fund the city's portion of the stadium. Marlins officials stated at a press conference that they were serious about negotiations to relocate the franchise. At Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff's annual state of the county address in January of 2006, he reiterated his desire to bring Major League baseball to San Antonio.

On January 9, 2006, Marlins officials met with Portland city leaders, including Mayor Tom Potter. Following the meeting, Mayor Potter announced that the city would not finance a baseball stadium, despite the Oregon Legislature's 2003 approval of a plan to finance a stadium. Whether this has put Portland entirely out of the running is unclear.

On January 18, 2006, Terrie Suit (R-Virginia Beach) submitted a bill to the Virginia legislature at the request of William Somerindyke Jr., who last year headed a group called Norfolk Major League Baseball Co. and led an effort to bring the Montreal Expos to Norfolk (which had failed when the Expos moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Nationals). Somerindyke has been in contact with the Florida Marlins about moving to Norfolk. Rep. Suit’s bill would require the state government to forward state taxes generated at a major-league sports facility to the city to pay off the arena or stadium debt. That would include income, sales and corporate taxes. The legislation is open to any jurisdiction in the state able to attract a major sports team. However, Norfolk is considered the likely site because of its position as the urban and cultural center of the state and its centrally located downtown. Land for the new stadium is already owned by the city, adjoins the current Harbor Park stadium (home to Baltimore Orioles AAA-affiliate Norfolk Tides) and is located on the route of a planned commuter rail line. Virginia has no major sports franchise in the state.

Marlins officials also plan to meet with civic leaders in Charlotte about moving to that city; the Atlanta Braves are the closest team to that state, and many of its residents are Braves fans. Attorney Jerry Reese has proposed building a 38,000 seat baseball stadium downtown on the site of a current park that will include a retractable roof to use for large-scale events such as concerts and the Final Four; the stadium, if built, will be privately funded and will be the anchor for a redevelopment of the former African-American neighborhood of Brooklyn. Initial response from local governmental officials have been positive, but no commitment has been made as many feel that Charlotte does not have the necessary population to support Major League Baseball (even with the presence of the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Bobcats, Lowes Motor Speedway and NASCAR). Reese has been given until April 1 to prove to the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners that he has the necessary investment to build the stadium; if he can't come through, the board will instead pursue a smaller downtown stadium for the AAA Charlotte Knights. The mayor of Charlotte won't lobby for the team to come to Charlotte. [18]

Marlins officials will soon be meeting with New Jersey, Orlando, Monterrey, Mexico and Las Vegas in the near future. The state of Oklahoma has also expressed their interest in hosting the Marlins, based on Oklahoma City's successes temporarily hosting the New Orleans Hornets NBA team in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. [19]

According to a March 2, 2006 report by the Miami Herald, the Marlins are focused on relocation to San Antonio. According to the published report, there are ongoing serious discussions 3-4 times per week between San Antonio and Marlins officials, and relocation efforts at this point are focused on San Antonio, Texas. Marlins officials expect to visit San Antonio for a second time in the near future. Marlins President David Samson said the Marlins are "very encouraged" about how aggressively San Antonio is pursuing the Marlins and that the city is "under very serious consideration." [20]

According to a March 3, 2006 San Antonio Express News report, San Antonio officials will present the Marlins with a stadium financing plan in San Antonio, using a combination of public and private funding, similar to what was used to build the AT&T Center for the San Antonio Spurs. [21]

On March 9, 2006, Bexar County (the county where San Antonio is located) presented a stadium financing plan to the Florida Marlins in which Bexar county would pay $200 million towards an estimated $300 million stadium in San Antonio. The financing plan would be put to San Antonio voters in November 2006, if accepted by the Marlins. [22]

According to news reports, the Marlins and Major League Baseball are analyzing not only the stadium proposal from San Antonio, but also the San Antonio market viability to host a MLB franchise before continuing negitiations with San Antonio officials. If negotiations continue to progress, Marlins officials are set to make a second trip to San Antonio to discuss stadium locations and specifics of the stadium proposal. [23] In addition, a recent economic study and report completed by Austin Economist John Hockenyos showed that the San Antonio area could support not only a Major League Baseball franchise (most of its residents are Houston Astros fans), but an NFL franchise as well (having served as a temporary home of the New Orleans Saints in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and also as a site for many NFL exhibition games), in addition to the NBA San Antonio Spurs. [24]

San Antonio officials have also received and accepted an invitation to join Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria in the owners' suite at the season opener against the Houston Astros, to meet and discuss the relocation option to San Antonio. [25] During the meeting, owner Jeffrey Loria stated that the Marlins were very serious about relocation talks with San Antonio. However, Major League Baseball may be concerned with the TV deal the Marlins would receive in San Antonio, and San Antonio's market size. The Marlins would need the go ahead from MLB, before finalizing any deal with San Antonio. [26] Bexar County (San Antonio) Judge Nelson Wolff has stated there is a May 15 deadline for the Marlins to accept the proposal, that way a suitable stadium site can be found, a memorandum of understanding can be reached, and a campaign can begin before he submits the proposal to Bexar County taxpayers, by putting the item on the ballot by Aug. 15, 2006. [27] The Marlins have indicated their first choice would be to remain in south Florida.

Staying in South Florida after all?

Recent reports indicate that the San Antonio option may have run out of steam, and the team may instead look at building a stadium in Hialeah, FL, a predominantly Cuban-populated city in Miami-Dade county. On May 4, 2006, Florida state senator from Hialeah Rudy Garcia and Miami senators Alex Villalobos and Alex Diaz de la Portilla quietly collected votes for their plan for a $60 million subsidy to build a new ballpark and tacked it onto a bill that guarantees the Orlando Magic basketball team the same type of tax break. City officials are also considering using property taxes from a proposed industrial park to finance construction of a stadium with a retractable roof. "Hialeah is a baseball town," Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said. "Baseball is in our culture. Hialeah will support the Marlins." Governor Jeb Bush, who killed the first Marlins tax-break plan in 2000, supported the subsidy concept last year. And the Florida House of Representatives will likely approve it as well, said Miami Rep. David Rivera. "Just as the House led the way to support the Marlins last year, I'm confident we'll do it again," Rivera said. "As for the Senate, better late than never."[28]

The Senate passed the proposal, 20-16, but at 11:45pm EDT on May 5, the last day of the Florida Legislature's regular session. The session closed before the House could vote on the measure. Marlins executives pledged that they would continue to work with Hialeah on a new stadium, and rumors of the issue of the state tax subsidy being revived should a special session be convened keep hopes of state support alive. [29]

According to reports, the Marlins did not meet the San Antonio deadline to accept the funding proposal to build a stadium in San Antonio, but instead concentrate on remaining in South Florida, until it has exhausted all avenues to stay in Florida. Officials may re-visit the San Antonio option at a later date, if all options to fund a stadium in south Florida fall through. [30]

On May 15, 2006, MLB President Bob DuPuy informed San Antonio in a letter that San Antonio's offer would be declined at this time, but left open the possibility of relocation in the future, if talks in south Florida did not lead to a stadium deal. [31] Talks about locating a stadium in Hialeah began, even though a $100 million funding gap for the possible ballpark remains that neither the Marlins nor the Miami-Dade County government appear ready to close.

On November 22, talks again centered around the City of Miami, when the city offered nine acres of public land for an urban ballpark. [32] The site in question is between NW 3rd St. and NW 5th St., between the headquarters of Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami Metrorail line. Use of the site would be contingent on moving the site of a proposed juvenile courthouse to a suitable alternate location. Another concern was that the site may not be of a suitable size for a ballpark. [33]

On February 28, 2007, Miami-Dade County unveiled a plan for a retractable-roof stadium at the Metrorail site, with a total cost of $490 million. The county and team hope to have a deal finished in April. The deal remains contingent on locating an alternate site for the juvenile courthouse and securing state funding assistance. Officials state that it is the closest they have ever been to keeping the Marlins in Miami. [34] As the deal was submitted to the Florida Legislature, however, rumors began to surface that the City may permit the University of Miami to leave the Miami Orange Bowl, which they have threatened to do by the end of April if a reconstruction plan is in place, and then tear down the Orange Bowl and replace it with the new stadium for the Marlins. [35] The Hurricanes said on March 12 that they would move to Dolphin Stadium if they do not get renovations for the Orange Bowl. Latest reports say that a move to Dolphin Stadium isn't a done deal. When some asked new Florida govenor, Charlie Crist, who actually agrees that the Marlins ought have to a new stadium due to the revenue it can bring the city and the good it would do, said that the Marlins should keep trying despite the latest failed attempt.

The latest attempt for state funding, the final hurdle that killed the 2006 Stadium push, was approved, 86-24, in the Florida House of Representatives on April 26, 2007. The bill is HB 323 [36]. The Senate version of the $60-million tax subsidy, SB 544 [37], however.

The Miami Hurricanes officially announced on August 21, 2007, that they were abandoning the Miami Orange Bowl for Dolphin Stadium, and immediately went into negotiations to end their lease after the 2007 football season. [38]

With the Miami Hurricanes moving to the Dolphin stadium in 2008, the city is left with the $88 million that the city and Miami-Dade County had identified as money for renovating the Orange Bowl to keep the Hurricanes there. This would almost certainly go toward closing a $30 million gap in a $490 million plan to build a retractable-roof ballpark for the Marlins in place of the storied football stadium instead of turning to the state government which has denied Marlins countless times before.

A full stadium financing plan remains to be worked out. It's expected to cost at least $490 million, but only $460 million has been secured -- $207 million from the club, and $253 million from city and county government.Beyond that question, the Marlins would have to accept the idea of playing at the Orange Bowl site. In the past, though, the club has made clear its preference for a new stadium in downtown Miami which MLB also likes best because of the Metro-Rail system, freeways, and in the surrounding skylines attracting more fans but if all of their efforts in building the stadium in the downtown site fail then they would almost certainly take the OB site in a heartbeat mainly because of the time it take to build a stadium and because their lease with Dolphin Stadium ends after the 2010 season.

The club released this statement on the day the Hurricanes made the decision: ``The Marlins remain focused on building a retractable-roof, baseball-only facility in South Florida. We will continue to work diligently with both the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County. The urgency of the situation has been further crystallized by today's decision by the University of Miami.

Building a baseball stadium at the 40-acre Orange Bowl site would likely require demolition of the current stadium, mainly because of the lack of the space in the surrounding area.

The Orange Bowl is only a mile and a half west of downtown Miami, the perferred site of the Marlins and MLB. Regarding parking -- one of the criticisms of the current Orange Bowl stadium, where many fans must resort to paying homeowners to park on nearby lawns. Parking would also be another top priorty, but one of the things said in the past when the Marlins tried to push for a new stadium next door to the Orange Bowl was a parking garage which could come up. If it ever does happen, the Marlins would be one of the first MLB teams to having a parking garage for its fans.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz said he hoped a Marlins stadium -- and the 81 annual home games it would bring -- would lead to improved retail and restaurant offerings in the surrounding Little Havana area. The redeveloped stadium site could also include public green space, he said.[39]


Season records

National League East Division
Season Won Lost % Games Back Finish Attendance Largest Crowd Post-season
1993 64 98 .395 33.0 6th 3,064,847 45,900 10/3 v. NYM --
1994 51 64 .443 strike 5th 1,937,467 45,037 7/3 v. ATL --
1995 67 76 .469 22.5 4th 1,700,466 42,125 4/25 v. LAD --
1996 80 82 .494 16.0 3rd 1,746,767 41,815 4/1 v. PIT --
1997 92 70 .568 9.0 ◊2nd 2,364,387 44,176 9/21 v. NYM (Postseason: 67,498 10/25 V. CLE) Won NLDS Vs. San Francisco Giants 3-0
Won NLCS Vs. Atlanta Braves 4-2
Won World Series Vs. Cleveland Indians 4-3
1998 54 108 .333 52.0 5th 1,750,395 45,170 9/2 v. STL --
1999 64 98 .395 39.0 5th 1,369,421 42,110 6/12 v. NYY --
2000 79 82 .491 15.5 3rd 1,218,326 35,392 8/26 v. CIN --
2001 76 86 .469 12.0 4th 1,261,220 44,313 7/13 v. NYY --
2002 79 83 .488 23.0 4th 813,111 33,291 6/1 v. NYM --
2003 91 71 .562 10.0 ◊2nd 1,303,214 40,414 9/13 v. ATL (Postseason: 65,975 10/23 v. NYY) Won NLDS Vs. San Francisco Giants 3-1
Won NLCS Vs. Chicago Cubs 4-3
Won World Series Vs. New York Yankees 4-2
2004 83 79 .512 13.0 3rd 1,723,105 55,315 4/6 v. MON --
2005 83 79 .512 7.0 3rd 1,823,388 57,405 4/6 v. ATL --
2006 78 84 .481 19.0 4th 1,165,120 38,014 7/1 v. BOS --
2007 56 70 .444 16.0 5th 1,108,514 as of 8/22/07 42,817 8/18 v. SFO
Totals 1097 1229 .472 24,221,996
  • Totals 1097 – 1229 .472 (through 8/22/07)
  • National League Division Series (Games) 6 – 1 .860 (in Marlins History)
  • National League Championship Series (Games) 8 – 5 .615 (in Marlins History)
  • World Series (Games) 8 – 5 .615 (in Marlins History)
  • Playoffs total (22 – 11 .667 in Postseason Games) (6 – 0, 1.000 in Postseason Series')
  • 2 World Series Championships (◊=Won Wild Card)[40]

Quick facts

Founded: 1993 (National League expansion)
Current Home Stadium: Dolphin Stadium
Uniform colors: Black, Teal, Gray, and White; negligible Orange because of the orange environment of Dolphin Stadium.
Logo design: Circle design with "FLORIDA" and "MARLINS" written around it; a marlin jumping through the circle and a baseball in the background.
Cable television Network: Fox Sports Net Florida is the Florida Marlins home television channel. Sun Sports, owned by Fox Sports Net, also occasionally shows Marlin games. The FSN Florida slogan for the Marlins is "You Gotta Be Here!"
Playoff appearances (2): 1997, 2003
World Series appearances (2): 1997, 2003
Official Television Stations: FSN Florida, Sun Sports
Official Radio Stations: WQAM (560), WQBA (1140)
Spring Training Facility: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, FL
  • Though the Marlins have never won a division title, they have also never lost a playoff series in their history (a perfect 6-0) and the only team able to claim a perfect playoff record. They are also the only team in MLB history to have won two World Series titles as a wild card playoff entrant and the first team in MLB history to win the World Series as a wild card entrant.

Retired Numbers

  • 5 Carl Barger, team president who died just prior to the start of the Marlins' first season. The number, in honor of Barger's favorite player, Joe DiMaggio, was retired during a pre-game ceremony before their first-ever regular season game in 1993, culminated by DiMaggio himself throwing the ceremonial first pitch.
  • 42 Jackie Robinson, retired by all MLB teams.

Current roster

Miami Marlins 2025 spring training roster
40-man roster Non-roster invitees Coaches/Other

Pitchers


Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders







Manager

Coaches



39 active, 0 inactive, 0 non-roster invitees

7-, 10-, or 15-day injured list
 * Not on active roster
 † Suspended list
 Roster, coaches, and NRIs updated December 9, 2024
 Transactions • Depth chart
 → All MLB rosters

Minor league affiliations

Radio and television

The Marlins' flagship radio station is WQAM 560 AM. Dave Van Horne and Allen Bernstein split the play-by-play assignment. Although the Marlins had plans to leave WQAM after 2006, they ultimately remained with WQAM for the 2007 season.

Games are also heard in Spanish on WQBA 1140 AM. Felo Ramirez, who calls play-by-play on that station along with Luis Quintana, won the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Marlins games are televised by FSN Florida and Sun Sports. FSN Florida's slogan of this year is "You Gotta Be Here". There are no games available over-the-air; the last "free TV" broadcast of a game was on WPXM in 2005. Rich Waltz is the play-by-play announcer and Tommy Hutton is the color analyst.

Although Marlins games can be seen throughout Florida without blackout, FSN Florida games cannot be seen on the Bright House Networks affiliate for the Orlando, Florida, area, since that cable system does not carry FSN Florida. Only games shown on Sun Sports appear on Bright House in Orlando.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/marlins/2004-12-11-stadium-lease_x.htm
  2. ^ "Wild-Card Matchup". New York Times. Sept 17, 2006. p. Sports p. 2. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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Achievements
Preceded by World Series Champions
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Series Champions
2003 		Succeeded by
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Achievements
Preceded by National League Champions
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National League Champions
2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National League Wild Card Winners
2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National League Wild Card Winners
1997 		Succeeded by

Template:MLB Team Florida Marlins

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