John Sherman Ownership Era (1993–2009)
From expansion to champions: the Marlins' story of fire sales and World Series glory.
The Miami Marlins are a Major League Baseball team that plays in the city of Miami as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Founded as an expansion team, they were originally called the Florida Marlins. Their first game was in Sun Life Stadium. The team changed their name to the Miami Marlins and moved, still playing their home games at LoanDepot Park. As of the end of the 2025 regular season, the Marlins have the second lowest winning percentage (.460) and the fewest post season appearances among active MLB franchises (four). In their first two playoff appearances, the Miami Marlins won the World Series.
Quick Facts
- Owner
- Wayne Huizenga (1993–1998)
- Team name
- Florida Marlins
- Founded
- 1993 (National League expansion)
- World series
- 1997 — defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games
- Ballpark
- Shared stadium with the Miami Dolphins (Miami, FL)
- Ownership sold
- 1999, to John Henry
Lore & Background
On March 7, Wayne Huizenga, CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation, announced he had purchased 15% of the NFL's Miami Dolphins and 50% of the Dolphins' home, Joe Robbie Stadium, for an estimated $30 million. Huizenga stated his intention to aggressively pursue an expansion franchise. On June 10, the National League awarded a Miami-based franchise to Huizenga for a $95 million expansion fee. The franchise adopted the nickname 'Marlins' from previous minor league teams.
The Marlins' first manager was Rene Lachemann. The team drafted its initial lineup of players in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft. The Marlins won their first game on April 5 against the Dodgers. After the 1993 season, Donald A. Smiley was named the second president in club history.
The Marlins finished last (51–64) in their division in the strike-shortened season and fourth (67–76) in . Lachemann was replaced as manager midway through the by director of player development John Boles. After a slow start, the Marlins finished 80–82 to place third in their division. Boles returned to his previous position as director of player development, and former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland was hired to lead the club.
Reader's Guide
In 1997, the Marlins finished nine games back of the Division Champion Atlanta Braves, but earned the wild card berth. The Marlins 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. The underdog Marlins went on to face the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series, and won in seven games. Following the World Series victory, Huizenga dismantled the team, claiming financial losses despite winning the World Series. He traded most of the club's best players in one of the biggest fire sales in sports history. The Marlins did manage to win a second World Series just six years later in 2003. One player played on both championship teams despite being included in the 'fire sale': Jeff Conine.
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