Florida Marlins Inaugural Game April 6 1993

Lore & Background

The franchise began play as an expansion team in the 1993 season as the Florida Marlins. The Marlins originally played home games at Joe Robbie Stadium, which they shared with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). In 2012, the team moved to LoanDepot Park (then known as Marlins Park), their first exclusive home designed for baseball. As part of an agreement with the park owner, Miami-Dade County, to use the stadium, the franchise changed its name to the Miami Marlins prior to the 2012 season.

Reader's Guide

With a record of (), the Marlins have the second lowest winning percentage and fewest postseason appearances (four) among active MLB franchises. Despite this, the Marlins won the World Series during their first two playoff runs in and . Jeff Conine (an inaugural member of the franchise) was the only player to appear for the Marlins in the World Series in both of their championship seasons. All four of their playoff appearances came as wild card teams, making them one of two MLB franchises (along with the Colorado Rockies) to have never won a division title, as well as the only franchise to have never appeared in back-to-back postseasons. The Marlins were the first team to win the World Series as a wild card.

Did You Know?

• The Marlins defeated 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.
• Gary Sheffield and Bryan Harvey represented the Marlins as the club's first All-Star Game selections.
• The Marlins won their first game on April 5, , against the Dodgers. Charlie Hough was the starting pitcher for that game.

Origins and Early Struggles

The Florida Marlins entered Major League Baseball in 1993 as an expansion franchise awarded to Wayne Huizenga, who outbid competing groups from Orlando and Tampa Bay for the Miami-based spot. Operating initially under a $95 million fee, the team shared Joe Robbie Stadium with the NFL's Miami Dolphins before eventually securing their own dedicated baseball park decades later. Their inaugural season began with high hopes after defeating the Houston Astros in spring training, where Jeff Conine hit the franchise's first home run.

The official regular-season opener on April 5 saw Conine go 4-for-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, instantly earning him the nickname "Mr. Marlin." Despite early excitement and an All-Star selection for Gary Sheffield, the team faced significant challenges. A controversial trade sending closer Trevor Hoffman to San Diego for Sheffield highlighted their volatile roster construction. Manager Rene Lachemann led the club through its first years, but inconsistent performance resulted in last-place finishes during the strike-shortened 1994 season and a fourth-place showing in 1995, setting a tone of instability that would define much of their early history.

The 1997 Championship Run

In 1997, under new manager Jim Leyland, the Marlins transformed into a championship contender despite finishing nine games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. Securing the wild card berth, the team bolstered its roster with veteran additions like Moisés Alou and Bobby Bonilla, while relying on a dynamic young double-play combination of Luis Castillo and Édgar Rentería. Their playoff journey was marked by overcoming significant injuries; starting pitcher Alex Fernandez suffered a torn rotator cuff, and ace Kevin Brown fell ill to a virus just before the National League Championship Series.

Rookie Liván Hernández stepped up in Game 5, striking out 15 Braves to defeat Greg Maddux. The underdog squad swept the San Francisco Giants and defeated Cleveland in the World Series. The series concluded dramatically in Game 7 when Édgar Rentería hit a soft liner off pitcher Charles Nagy's glove in the eleventh inning, scoring Craig Counsell to secure the franchise's first title as the first wild card team ever to win the World Series.

The 2003 Victory and Legacy

Six years after their initial triumph, the Marlins returned to glory in 2003, fueled by the emergence of young talent from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. High-kicking southpaw Dontrelle Willis dominated with an 11-2 record in his first seventeen starts, while Miguel Cabrera made an immediate impact with a walk-off home run in his debut. The roster was further strengthened by the return of original Marlin Jeff Conine and the free-agent signing of Hall of Fame catcher Iván Rodríguez, alongside closer Ugueth Urbieta.

This championship marked a unique achievement for the franchise, as they became the only team to win the World Series during their first two playoff appearances. Despite these historic victories, the Marlins' overall record remains one of the lowest winning percentages in MLB history. They hold the distinction of being the only active franchise never to appear in back-to-back postseasons and have never won a division title, relying exclusively on wild card berths for all four of their playoff runs.

Franchise Identity and Honors

The identity of the Marlins has evolved significantly since their inception as an expansion team in 1993. Originally known as the Florida Marlins, they adopted the Miami moniker in 2012 upon moving to LoanDepot Park, their first exclusive baseball stadium after years of sharing facilities with football teams. While the franchise boasts two World Series titles, its statistical legacy is defined by a .460 winning percentage and frequent struggles to maintain consistency year over year.

In terms of honoring players, the team's approach has been conservative compared to other clubs; Jackie Robinson's universally retired number 42 remains their only officially retired jersey. However, the number 16 has been informally out of circulation since 2016 following the tragic death of pitcher José Fernández, reflecting a deep emotional connection with fans despite the lack of formal retirement ceremonies for individual franchise legends.