Miami Marlins
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Note: This page is for the major league Miami Marlins. For minor league teams which have played under that name, click here
 Previously known as Florida Marlins (1993-2011) Franchise Record: (through 2011) 1,453-1,575 World Series Titles: 2 (1997, 2003) National League Pennants: 2 (1997, 2003) Ballpark: Sun Life Stadium (1993-2011) Franchise Players: Jeff Conine, Gary Sheffield, Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez |
[edit] Team History
The Miami Marlins are a National League expansion club that began play in 1993 as the Florida Marlins (see Expansion of 1993). They changed their name in 2012 when they moved to a new ballpark in downtown Miami, FL, resurrecting a name that had been used by minor league teams in the past. The change of name was a condition imposed by the city in return for helping to finance the new playing facility.
The Marlins' first selection in the expansion draft was outfielder Nigel Wilson of the Toronto Blue Jays. Led by manager Rene Lachemann and star outfielder Gary Sheffield, the club struggled in their first few seasons. Lachemann was fired in 1996.
Jim Leyland took over as manager in 1997 and armed with a pitching staff of Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, and Alex Fernandez, and a team boosted by a number of high-priced veterans, led the Marlins to the wild card. The team upset the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series and went on to defeat the Cleveland Indians in an exciting seven game World Series.
After winning the world championship, Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga decided to dismantle his club. Within a couple of years, virtually every star of the 1997 club was gone, and in fact the 1998 edition of the team set a record for most losses by a defending World Series champion. The roller-coaster experience left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans and observers. Performance and attendance suffered, and Huizenga sold the team to John Henry. In 2002, Henry in turn sold the team to Jeffrey Loria as part of musical chairs game that landed him the Boston Red Sox, and made the Montreal Expos wards of Major League Baseball. The team's fortunes began to improve, especially as Loria brought with him the Expos' coaching staff, spring training complex and scouts. During the 2003 season, manager Jeff Torborg was replaced with Jack McKeon. Players responded to the change, and McKeon led the club to another wild card. After upsetting the San Francisco Giants in the Division Series, they beat the Chicago Cubs in the League Championship Series. Again they scored an unexpected World Series victory, defeating the New York Yankees in six games.
In each of the next two seasons, the Marlins finished third in the NL East with a 83-79 record. After the 2005 season, owner Loria announced that without a new stadium, the club would be forced to relocate after the team's current lease ends. Within days of the announcement, the team drastically cut its payroll by dealing highly-paid stars Carlos Delgado, Mike Lowell, Luis Castillo, Paul Lo Duca, Juan Pierre, and Josh Beckett. The Marlins surprised fans in 2006, going 78-84 and even contending for the wild card for a time, despite having a lineup mainly made up of rookies and cast-offs. However, after the season, skipper Joe Girardi was fired due to differences with management. Low-key Fredi Gonzalez took over and by 2009 had the team finishing second behind the Philadelphia Phillies, thanks to solid performances by youngsters Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Chris Coghlan and Josh Johnson.
However, the Marlins failed to take the next step in 2010 and flailed around .500. A frustrated Loria had Gonzalez fired, tried unsuccessfully to attract a big-name manager, and then settled on Edwin Rodriguez, a skipper very much in the mold of the man he replaced. The Marlins continued to develop good young players, with Gaby Sanchez, Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison all getting their first regular playing time that season. When the Marlins hit a dreadful slump in June of 2011, Loria changed skippers again; gone was Rodriguez, and back came McKeon, now aged 83. The Marlins played better for a month, but with Hanley Ramirez and Alexis Infante injured in August, and Josh Johnson gone for the season, they had another dreadful month, sinking to the bottom of the NL East standings, a bad omen as they were counting down the games remaining before they would leave their unloved football stadium for a custom-made ballpark in downtown Miami, FL where they would play in 2012 under the name Miami Marlins.
[edit] Marlins Managers
Cookie Rojas 1996 (interim)
Florida Marlins Managers and Coaches
[edit] Related Sites
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