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Florida Marlins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Florida Marlins Established 1993 |
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| Major league affiliations | |||
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| Current uniform | |||
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| Retired Numbers | 5, 42 | ||
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| Major league titles | |||
| World Series titles (2) | 2003 • 1997 | ||
| NL Pennants (2) | 2003 • 1997 | ||
| East Division titles (0) | None | ||
| Wild card berths (2) | 2003 • 1997 | ||
| Owner(s): Jeffrey Loria | |||
| Manager: Fredi Gonzalez | |||
| General Manager: Larry Beinfest | |||
The Florida Marlins are a Major League Baseball team based in the Miami, Florida metro area and play their home games in Dolphin Stadium, a 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. 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 over from relatively low attendance. The Marlins management has insisted that a new baseball-only stadium with a retractable roof is imperative to survival in South Florida, and that if one would not be built, the team would seek relocation to another city. Although San Antonio, Texas, has pushed hard to receive the team, recent months have seen a new push for the Marlins to stay in South Florida, with the Miami suburb of Hialeah making strides in securing the stadium the team wants (see Possible relocation, below). The Marlins have also declined San Antonio's deadline of May 15, 2006 to accept their stadium funding proposal, signaling that the team may indeed stay in South Florida. [1] MLB President Bob DuPuy informed San Antonio in a letter that the 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. [2]
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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 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 $10 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. However, even without this in mind, 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.
The Marlins' first manager was Rene Lachemann, a former catcher who had previously managed the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers and at the time of his hiring was a third base coach under Tony La Russa for the Oakland Athletics. 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." 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. In that season, the Marlins traded their young set-up reliever Trevor Hoffman and two minor-league prospects to the San Diego Padres for 3rd baseman Gary Sheffield as part of San Diego's cost-cutting at the time. While Sheffield would help Florida succeed immediately, Hoffman would eventually emerge as the best closer in the National League. After the Marlins finished last in their division in 1994 and fourth in 1995, Lachemann was replaced as manager midway through the 1996 season with the Marlins' director of player development, John Boles.
Despite 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.
In addition to hiring Leyland as manager, Huizenga kept his checkbook open that offseason, also signing Bobby Bonilla, White Sox pitcher Alex Fernandez and Expos outfielder Moises Alou to lucrative free-agent contracts, raising expectations to levels far beyond 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 9 games back of the Division Champion Atlanta Braves. But in spite of this shortcoming were still handed 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, in which the Marlins overcame the loss of Alex Fernandez to a torn rotator cuff and Kevin Brown 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 Edgar Renteria drove home Craig Counsell. Liván Hernández was named the MVP.
Following the World Series victory, Huizenga claimed massive financial losses. He dismantled the team by trading off most of the club's most talented 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). 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. They are the only team to lose 100 games a year after winning the World Series. Leyland resigned as manager in October 1998, being replaced by Boles, and Huizenga sold the club to businessman John Henry during the off-season. In 2002, the Marlins' fifth straight losing season since winning the World Series, the team drew a franchise-low 813,111 fans, averaging just 10,038 per game.
The club slowly worked back to becoming a respectable ballclub despite attendance issues, driven by young stars such as A.J. Burnett, 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. From 2000 through 2002, the Marlins consecutively put up three 75+ win seasons. In 2002, Jeff Torborg replaced Tony Perez as the Marlins' manager. Torborg put up a 79-83 record in his first season with the team.
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.
In the offseason, the Marlins acquired 10-time Gold Glove Award winner Iván Rodríguez from free agency and Juan Pierre from the Colorado Rockies after trading off home run sluggers Cliff Floyd and Preston Wilson.
The Marlins struggled in the opening stages of the season, going 16-22. In that span, Florida also lost its top three pitchers, A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett, and Mark Redman. On May 11, Florida replaced manager Torborg with 72-year-old Jack McKeon. On May 22, Florida was at its lowest point, with a major league worst record of 19-29, having lost 6 straight games.
Around the same time (May 9), the Marlins called up high-kicking southpaw Dontrelle Willis from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats, who helped carry the injury-plagued Marlins with an 11-2 record in his first 3 months (17 starts). Miguel Cabrera (also from the Mudcats), Jeff Conine, an original Marlin and member of the 97 World Series team, (from Baltimore) and Ugueth Urbina (from Texas) were all acquired mid-season as well. The moves did little for them in the pennant race as yet again, the Marlins finished 2nd to the Braves, this time 10 games back. However, the team once again was give the runner up prize of the wild card playoff spot. And once again, the Marlins got hot at the right time.
The Marlins won the Division Series against the favored San Francisco Giants winning 3 games to 1. But to do it, the Marlins not only needed to be playing their best but needed the favored Giants to play their worst. Fortune favored the Fish because both conditions occurred. The series ended with Marlins catcher Rodríguez tagging out a charging J.T. Snow at the plate after catching a perfect throw from Jeff Conine, which arrived just in time to make the play. Snow saw the throw beat him knew his only chance was to try and knock the ball out of Rodriguez' grip, but the Marlins catcher held on to the ball for the out. It was 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 2003 National League Championship Series, after falling three games to one before coming back with a Beckett complete-game shutout in Game 5; The Inning, with Steve Bartman, in Game 6, (October 25, 2003) and a come-from-behind win in Wrigley Field in Game 7 to take the series, staking claim to their second NL pennant and advancing to the 2003 World Series, where they defeated the heavily favored New York Yankees in six games, winning the sixth game in Yankee Stadium. Starter Josh Beckett was named the Most Valuable Player for the series after twirling a five-hit complete-game shutout in Game 6.
- Dontrelle Willis named NL Rookie of the Year
- Jack McKeon named Manager of the Year
- Derrek Lee traded to Chicago Cubs for Hee Seop Choi
- Iván Rodríguez up for free agency (signed by the Detroit Tigers)
- Ugueth Urbina up for free agency (signed by the Detroit Tigers)
Although posting 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.
A series of rain-outs in September (due to hurricanes in Florida), the delayed doubleheaders that followed, and losing three key players from the Marlins' previous championship year (Rodríguez, Lee and Urbina) factored in the team's downfall during the season's stretch run.
However, the team was able to retain Jack McKeon as manager for the 2005 season.
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. Higher that was was probably realistic. 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.
McKeon, still the oldest manager in the majors at age 74, 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), and New York Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi were named as possible replacements for McKeon. [3] 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. [4]
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 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. Reliever Jim Mecir retired following the Marlins' last game of the season.
Todd Jones, A.J. Burnett, Jeff Conine, Lenny Harris, Juan Encarnación, Alex González, Brian Moehler, Ismael Valdéz, and Paul 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 Conine, Valdez, Quantrill, Encarnacion, Damion Easley, and Mike Mordecai, therefore ending their tenures with the club. [5] 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. 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. [6]
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. [7] 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.
The Marlins made MLB history when they started six rookies in their Opening Day lineup. [8] Critics were saying that the Marlins would lose more than 100 games this season and be in last place. 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, people had voted Miguel Cabrera and rookie Dan Uggla 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. [9] Uggla's relative obscurity going into the season prompted Marlins television announcers Rich Waltz and Tommy Hutton to start saying, "And his name is Dan Uggla!", on the air whenever he hit a home run. [10]. 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.[1]
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. [11] 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. [12]
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. [13] 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. [14] 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. [15]
Shortly after the 2006 season ended, after months of speculation, Marlins manager Joe Girardi was fired on October 3, 2006. Within hours, Fredi González was named his replacement and signed on to a 3-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. The Marlins are leaving the door open for Borowski to return, but based on the teams history, they may likely explore other closer options for next season. On December 29, 2006, the Marlins signed a one-year contract with infielder Aaron Boone[16].
- 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. [17]
- Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez won the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year award, as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America. 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. [18]
- Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera earned the 2006 Silver Slugger Awards in National League, and finished second in batting average in National League.
- Former Marlins manager Joe Girardi earned the National League Manager of the Year award for his performance as manager of the Marlins in 2006. He was also named Manager of the Year by the Sporting News based on voting of all National League Managers. [19]
- Marlins General Manager Larry Beinfest finished in second to Minnesota Twins General Manager Terry Ryan in Executive of the Year voting.
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; Monterrey, Mexico; northern New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; and San Antonio, Texas as possible places where they could move. [20] 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 cultural and urban 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; North Carolina is the largest state in the U.S. that does not have a baseball team either within or adjacent to its territory (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. [21]
Marlins officials will soon be meeting with New Jersey, 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. [22]
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." [23]
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. [24]
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. [25]
According to news reports, the Marlins and Major League Baseball are analyzing not only the stadium proposal from San Antonio, but 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. [26] 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. [27]
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. [28] During the meeting, owner Jeffrey Loria stated 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. [29] 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. [30] The Marlins have indicated their first choice would be to remain in south Florida.
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."[31]
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. [32]
According to reports, the Marlins will not meet the San Antonio deadline to accept the funding proposal to build a stadium in San Antonio, but will 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. [33]
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. [34] 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. [35] 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. [36]
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. [37] 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. [38] The Hurricanes said on March 12 that they would move to Dolphin Stadium if they do not get renovations for the Orange Bowl.
| 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 | Won World Series |
| 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 | Won World Series. |
| 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 | |
| Totals | 1041 | 1166 | .472 | 23,140,951 | ||||
- Totals 1041-1166 .472 (through 2006)
- Playoffs 22-11 .667 (6-0, 1.000 in Postseason Series')
- 2 World Series Championships (◊=Won Wild Card)[39]
- 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 "Get Hooked!"
- 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.
- On November 22, 2005, after not being able to get a stadium deal in the city of Miami, it was announced that the team had the permission of Major League Baseball to explore relocation as an option if a retractable-roof stadium deal is not reached in South Florida.
- In 2004, the Marlins became the only current MLB club with a cheerleading squad.
- Released May 31, 2006, MLB Slugfest 2006 became the first video game to feature a Florida Marlin on the cover. Dontrelle Willis is featured, along with Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols, and Jason Giambi.
- In the 2006 season, the Marlins became the first club in Major League Baseball history to climb above .500 after being 20 games under. The Marlins accomplished this feat while having the youngest team and lowest payroll in the major leagues.
- 5 Carl Barger, team President who died just prior to the start of the Marlins' first season. The number 5 was selected for Barger in honor of the fact that Barger's all-time favorite player was New York Yankees Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio. [40]. The number 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, number retired by all major league teams to commemorate his breaking the baseball color barrier
Active roster
Last updated on April 2, 2007
|
Pitchers
Catchers
|
Infielders
Outfielders
|
Extended roster Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders Outfielders
* 15-day disabled list |
Coaching staff
Manager
Coaches
- 67
Pierre Arsenault (bullpen coordinator) - 54
Steve Foster (bullpen) - 9 Andy Fox (first base/infield)
- 39 Rick Kranitz (pitching)
- 16 Bo Porter (third base)
- 19 Jim Presley (hitting)
- 10
Carlos Tosca (bench)
| World Series Champions | ||
| Preceded by: Anaheim Angels |
2003 | Succeeded by : Boston Red Sox |
| Preceded by: New York Yankees |
1997 | Succeeded by : New York Yankees |
| National League Champions | ||
| Preceded by: San Francisco Giants |
2003 | Succeeded by : St. Louis Cardinals |
| Preceded by: Atlanta Braves |
1997 | Succeeded by : San Diego Padres |
| National League Wild Card Winners | ||
| Preceded by: San Francisco Giants |
2003 | Succeeded by : Houston Astros |
| Preceded by: Los Angeles Dodgers |
1997 | Succeeded by: Chicago Cubs |
- AAA: Albuquerque Isotopes, Pacific Coast League
- AA: Carolina Mudcats, Southern League
- Advanced A: Jupiter Hammerheads, Florida State League
- A: Greensboro Grasshoppers, South Atlantic League
- Short A: Jamestown Jammers, New York-Penn League
- Rookie: GCL Marlins, Gulf Coast League
- Rookie: VSL Marlins Universidad, Venezuelan Summer League
As of 2006, the Marlins' flagship radio station was WQAM 560AM. Dave Van Horne and Allen Bernstein split the play-by-play assignment.
Games are also heard in Spanish on WQBA 1140AM. 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. 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.
- Marlins all-time roster
- Marlins award winners and league leaders
- Marlins statistical records and milestone achievements
- List of Florida Marlins broadcasters
- Managers and ownership of the Florida Marlins
- 2007 Florida Marlins season
- Florida Marlins official web site
- Baseball-Reference.com
- Florida Marlins: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
| Preceded by New York Yankees 1996 |
World Series Champions Florida Marlins 1997 |
Succeeded by New York Yankees 1998 and 1999 and 2000 |
| Preceded by Anaheim Angels 2002 |
World Series Champions Florida Marlins 2003 |
Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 2004 |
| Preceded by Atlanta Braves 1995 and 1996 |
National League Champions Florida Marlins 1997 |
Succeeded by San Diego Padres 1998 |
| Preceded by San Francisco Giants 2002 |
National League Champions Florida Marlins 2003 |
Succeeded by St. Louis Cardinals 2004 |
| Florida Marlins Franchise | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | AA | A | Rookie |
| Albuquerque Isotopes | Carolina Mudcats |
Jupiter Hammerheads Greensboro Grasshoppers Jamestown Jammers |
Gulf Coast Marlins VSL Marlins |
