2003 World Series Championship – Defeated New York Yankees 4–3 in Game 7

Lore & Background

The Marlins started the season 16–22 when they fired manager Jeff Torborg and hired Jack McKeon, who had been retired from baseball for over two years. They went 75–49 under McKeon to win the wild card. At 72, McKeon became the oldest manager to win a World Series. This was the Marlins' second World Series championship win, having won their first in 1997. The Marlins would not return to the postseason until 2020.

Reader's Guide

The series was played from October 18 to 25, 2003. The Yankees had been awarded home-field advantage because the AL won the 2003 All-Star game. The Marlins won Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, Game 4 in extra innings, Game 5, and Game 6 to clinch. The Yankees won Game 2 and Game 3. This was the most recent Series in which the losing team outscored the winning team until 2025; the Yankees lost despite outscoring the Marlins 21–17 in the Series.

Did You Know?

• The Marlins became the second straight wild card team to win the World Series, following the Anaheim Angels in 2002.
• The 2003 World Series was advertised as the 100th anniversary of the World Series, but it was only the 99th event due to the strike cancelling the 1994 Series and the boycott of the 1904 Series.
• By losing the series, the Yankees became the first team to lose two World Series to post-1960 expansion teams, having previously lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.