The Death of the Florida Marlins

In 1993, H. Wayne Huizenga's Florida Marlins took the field for the first time. Their first season went like most expansion teams' would, going 68-94. After 4 years of floundering, Huizenga spent $89 million dollars on Free Agents in the '96 offseason. The 1997 season sawthe Marlins win the NL Wild Card, and with a few dynamic trades and mid-season moves, the Fish marched all the way down to the 1997 Fall Classic.

They faced a very tough Cleveland Indians team, and this series was a classic. But an 11-inning epic in Game 7 gave the Marlins their first World Championship in the teams short history.

NUCLEAR BOMB...

H. Wayne The Devil sells the Marlins and they proceed to have a fire sale. They trade off everyone and basically keep one thing that kept the team going throughout the '97 year, Manager Jim Leyland. With a bunch of Minor Leaguers and Washed-up garbage, the Marlins set out to defend their crown.

They finish 54-108.

After years of being cellar dwellars the Marlins are sent the former owner of the Montreal Expos, Art Dealer Jeffrey Loria. The Marlins build and build towards taking a step to winning again. In 2003, aided by Veteran Ivan Rodriguez and an amazing surge, the Marlins make the playoffs.

Despite having to win 3 straight games to advance every series, the Marlins head to New York after defeating the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS from coming back from a 3-1 deficit. It all came down to Game 6 on a cold night in New York. Josh Beckett went on the mound and proceeded to pound the New York Yankees into submission by way of a Complete Game, 5-hit shutout. The Marlins are Champions again.

It's amazing, after the historic fire sale, the Marlins bounce back and win a championship.

Expectations are a bit lower in the 2004 Season, after seeing Pudge Rodriguez move to the Detroit Tigers. The Marlins are helped by great seasons by Armando Benitez and Miguel Cabrera, but finish flat and die, 83-79.

The 2004 off-season brings gargantuan expectations with the signing off All-Star Carlos Delgado and other supporting players.

The Marlins have the most dissapointing season in team history and finish 83-79 again. Let me just say before I go on, that this management group with Jeffrey Loria and others have done a magnificent job with the Florida Marlins and their little money. Last year they went from a $30 million dollar payroll to $62 million. Beinfest, Loria, and crew have TRIED and TRIED.

Before 2004 they had many many discussions with Miami-Dade County Officials about a possible retractable roof stadium. The deals have come close, but no cigar. The fact that the Marlins managed to have the worst attendance in MLB was probably the last straw.

The Marlins have sadly settled into the worst baseball town on earth. Nobody ever goes to games, and playing in a stadium which's revenue all goes to the Devil himself, H. Wayne. With continued debts and losing money, the Marlins have commited to Fire Sale: Part II.

Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell have been traded to Boston for some prospects. It has been confirmed that Carlos Delgado has been traded to the Mets for some more prospects. It looks to be Juan Pierre, a free agent, and Luis Castillo are next on the chopping block.

Marlins President David Sampson announced yesterday they will be looking into relocation as early as 2007. He even said he was phoned by Portland, Oregon a few minutes before.

I wouldn't be too surprised or upset about Delgado.

The trade is the big topic on NY sportstalk radio today, and I learned that even though Delgado was signed for four years, last year he made $4 million, and this year he is scheduled to make $13 million.

He did not have a no trade clause, so it looks like the Marlins intended to only keep him for the one year. Plus, he's 33 years old, so his best years figure to be behind him.

The prospects you guys are getting from the Mets look solid. Supposedly it's catcher-first baseman Mike Jacobs, who hit about 10 homers in maybe 100 ABs after a late season call-up, and a minor league pitcher Yosimuri (sp) Petit, who's supposed to be their #1 pitching prospect.

Considering that you got Delgado as a free agent - basically for nothing - getting two decent guys back for him isn't so bad.

Trading Beckett sucks, though.

yeah at first I thought the Marlins were crazy, but this Mike Jacobs fella seems to be a great player. trading Beckett is really the biggest problem.

The Florida Marlins should stay in Miami unless they move to Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg.

What? They're gonna be a hockey team now?

Are you mocking my suggestion plaw? Seriously though, the population of Vancouver is roughly 2.5 to 3 million, Ottawa 1.5 million+, Calgary and Edmonton about 1.2 million each, and Winnipeg nearly a million. Granted the #1 sport in each of the cities is Hockey and likely will be for the next century or two, I think that cities that are that big can support a Major League Baseball franchise, although Montreal a city of nearly 4 million people could not so I could be wrong.

Why is it that the Blue Jays draw so well and the Expos couldn't?

Any reasons besides the fact that the Jays got a new stadium and won a Wrold Series?

Na-na-na-na. Na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, GOODBYE!

LOL Are you serious Irish? Please, go spend $80 million on some pitcher, please.

I think the money would be better spent on a center fielder

Yeah, Pierre is next...

Yeah but not to the Yanks unfortunately. I'd rather see him in the Bronx instead of Giles

Shit, another damn Fire Sale?

Makes me wonder when D-Train is derailed and shipped to another city.

Mind you, the Marlins plan to "move" in 2008...I believe its a bluff to get a new ballpark in Miami. Thing is, I hope they get it because I would hate for them to move to Portland or Las Vegas or New Jersey or whatever the hell.

Still, its comforting that the same young promising pitcher that bitchsmacked the Yankees in Game 6 of the World Series in Yankee Stadium is now with the Red Sox. So Irish.... :p

I know many people from Buffalo often head up to Toronto to watch the Blue Jays, and the Roberts Arena (former Skydome) sells out whenever the Yankees come to town because we buy up all the tickets.

Pierre would be awesome, and I wouldn't count him out of the money yet. Giles has been mum about the supposed 30-million dollar from the Yankees, but I wouldn't mind seeing Giles in the Bronx. I remember seeing him play for the Buffalo Bisons AA club years ago.

There are a few reasons why. The first is that Toronto is by far the best sports city in Canada and one of the best in North America. The second is of course the SkyDome has been the home of the Blue Jays since 1989 and has hosted the 1991 All Star Game and of course the Blue Jays won back to back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. The third is that Toronto has a population of approximately 6 million people. Although I'm loathe to make racial/cultural generalizations maybe another reason could be that it has something to do with French-Canadians and baseball. I mean Montrealers and all Quebecers worship the Canadiens. Perhaps no other sport can come any where near hockey in popularity and hence is doomed to fail in the Montreal market.

And let's hope and pray he has the same health issues as Kevin Brown I'm hoping Willis goes to the Yanks but I know that'll never happen. They should at least get Pierre

Irish, you've hit a new low. Hoping someone gets physically hurt?

Damn its like me and my hate for the Phillies. Sure I hope Jim Thome would suck it, but would I ever hope that he gets hurt? No way.

I don't think the Red Sox will do well this coming season, especially if they lose Damon and Manny. Actually, I would really like to see Manny take over the DH position in New York, leaving Giambi to play 1st base. Get Pierre as a center fielder, it would be great.

This is what I'd like to see the Yankees look like in 2006:

NP = New Player
S = Starter
B = Bench
*Not yet acquired by NYY

C:
S - John Flaherty/NP
B - Jorge Posada

1B:
S - Jason Giambi/NP
B - Ruben Sierra/Bernie Williams? Russ Johnson?

2B:
S - Robinson Cano
B - NP, Womack?, Andy Phillips

SS:
S - Derek Jeter
B - Felix Escalona, Andy Phillips

3B:
S - Alex Rodriguez
B - Escalona, Phillips, Johnson

LF:
S - Hideki Matsui
B - Manny Ramirez*, Ruben Sierra, Shane Spencer, NP

CF:
S - Juan Pierre*/Johnny Damon*/Brian Giles*
B - Bernie Williams, Tony Womack, Hideki Matsui

RF
S - Gary Sheffield
B - Ruben Sierra, Manny Ramirez*, Shane Spencer

DH:
S - Manny Ramirez
B - Jason Giambi, Ruben Sierra


SP:
Randy Johnson
Mike Mussina
Carl Pavano
Chien Ming Wang
Aaron Small
Shawn Chacon
NP

BP:
Mariano Rivera
Tanyon Sturze
Jaret Wright?
Tom Gordon?
Aaron Small?
Shawn Chacon?
NP
NP
NP

BTW - why does every baseball analyst want NY to dump Gary Sheffield? All they talk about is how he can only pull hits to LF, but he's much more valuable in both the field and at the plate. I think it would be foolish to get rid of him...

I don't think you can compare a Philies/Marlins rivalry with the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry I don't like Beckett and I don't wish upon him a terminal disease, but I wouldn't mind seeing him miss a few starts here and there. BTW, I'm not the only one so I don't know why you act like it's such a "sin". I don't want the guy dead but I don't wish the guy luck at all playing in Boston.

I agree, I don't want to see Sheff go either, but I think they're saying dump him because we could get someone for him now, where he'll be a free agent at the end of next season. I also read a story about how Pavano wants out already

Wow. Now that would really be tragic, since he did so much for the rotation while he was injured for most of the season. :rolleyes:

As it is, we've got Chacon, Wang, Small, and Wright, 3 of whom weren't even planned starters. Wright was hurt, and wasn't horrible when he came back, but I don't particularly care for him.

So if Pavano wants out, I give him my blessing. Maybe we can get somebody decent, like Pierre, or a new catcher who can consistently hit.

---

As far as Sheff goes, I'd like to see them re-sign him rather than wait for him to become an FA, or trade him. While he isn't spectacular in the field, his play is solid. And his bat is matched by very few, if any, players at that position.

Maybe I'd take Ichiro or someone along those lines, simply because of his amazing defense and his consistency at the plate. But I'd keep Sheff if at all possible.

I concur. I'd probably only trade him for a few select players (Ichiro, Bonds among them) and I hope they resign him as well. His offense is too important to the ball club, especially being able to hit in the #3 spot behind Jeter & Cano and right in front of A-Rod

They traded Luis Castillo to the Twins today.

The Yanks want Pierre.....hey Irish, I hope he gets hurt. :p

Everybody wishes for that, but the difference is I don't think any less of you

They have traded Paul Lo Duca to the Mets for two minor leaguers.

Man, can anyone contain the Mets this offseason!?

Why worry about the Marlins? They've shown an ability to collect talent good enough to win the World Series on 2 different occasions. This firesale could lead to another World Series in a few years. Better to get rid of players while they're still good than be stuck with them when they've dropped. Hanley Ramirez was the Red Sox #1 prospect, and can play center field, shortstop, or second or third base. Keep in mind the Red Sox once gave Houston Jeff Bagwell.

Frankie, by the time they mold these guys (if ever), they'll be the Las Vegas Blackjacks or the Portland Precipitations.

Sign these petitions if you want the Florida Marlins to stay in Miami, Florida.

http://www.petitiononline.com/floridam/petition.html

http://www.petitiononline.com/marlins/petition.html