| 2003 Florida Marlins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Series champions National League champions National League Wild Card winners | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | East | |||
| Ballpark | Pro Player Stadium | |||
| City | Miami Gardens, Florida | |||
| Record | 91–71 (.562) | |||
| Divisional place | 2nd | |||
| Owners | Jeffrey Loria | |||
| General managers | Larry Beinfest | |||
| Managers | Jeff Torborg,Jack McKeon | |||
| Television | FSN Florida WPXM (Len Kasper,Tommy Hutton) | |||
| Radio | WQAM (Dave Van Horne,Jon Sciambi) WQBA (Spanish) (Felo Ramírez,Luis Quintana) | |||
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The2003 Florida Marlins season was the 11th season for theMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise in the National League. The Marlins were theNational LeagueWild Card winners, the National League champions, and theWorld Series champions. They defeated theNew York Yankees in theWorld Series in six games to win their second World Series championship. The Marlins became the second team in baseball history to win a World Series championship despite being 10 or more games below .500 (as low as 19–29) at some point in the season; the other team was the1914 Boston Braves.
This was the last Marlins team to make the postseason until2020, and last Marlins team to make the postseason in a full season until2023.
The Marlins pulled off some blockbuster deals during the 2003 off season, the most impressive being that of 10-timeGold Glove winning catcherIván Rodríguez. They also traded catcherCharles Johnson and outfielderPreston Wilson to theColorado Rockies for lead-off manJuan Pierre.
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 101 | 61 | .623 | — | 55–26 | 46–35 |
| Florida Marlins | 91 | 71 | .562 | 10 | 53–28 | 38–43 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 86 | 76 | .531 | 15 | 49–32 | 37–44 |
| Montreal Expos | 83 | 79 | .512 | 18 | 52–29 | 31–50 |
| New York Mets | 66 | 95 | .410 | 34½ | 34–46 | 32–49 |
Source:MLB Standings Grid – 2003 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | MON | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL |
| Arizona | — | 2–5 | 2–4 | 7–2 | 10–9 | 2–5 | 5–1 | 10–9 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 9–10 | 5–14 | 3–3 | 11–4 |
| Atlanta | 5–2 | — | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 9–10 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 12–7 | 11–8 | 9–10 | 7–2 | 6–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 10–5 |
| Chicago | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 10–7 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 9–7 | 2–4 | 10–6 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 10–8 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 8–9 | 9–9 |
| Cincinnati | 2–7 | 3–3 | 7–10 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 5–12 | 2–4 | 8–10 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 5–4 | 5–11 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 9–7 | 7–5 |
| Colorado | 9–10 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 2–4 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 7–12 | 5–1 | 3–4 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 12–7 | 7–12 | 4–2 | 9–6 |
| Florida | 5–2 | 10–9 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 1–5 | 2–5 | 7–2 | 13–6 | 12–7 | 13–6 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 9–6 |
| Houston | 1–5 | 1–5 | 7–9 | 12–5 | 4–2 | 5–1 | — | 4–2 | 9–8 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 10–6 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 11–7 | 11–7 |
| Los Angeles | 9–10 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 12–7 | 5–2 | 2–4 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–5 | 5–1 | 8–11 | 6–13 | 4–2 | 11–7 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 2–4 | 6–10 | 10–8 | 1–5 | 2–7 | 8–9 | 2–4 | — | 0–6 | 6–3 | 4–2 | 10–7 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 3–13 | 5–7 |
| Montreal | 2–4 | 7–12 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 6–13 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 6–0 | — | 14–5 | 8–11 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 7–0 | 1–5 | 9–9 |
| New York | 2–4 | 8–11 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 5–2 | 7–12 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–6 | 5–14 | — | 7–12 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 5–10 |
| Philadelphia | 2–4 | 10–9 | 5–1 | 4–5 | 4–2 | 6–13 | 4–2 | 5–2 | 2–4 | 11–8 | 12–7 | — | 2–4 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 8–7 |
| Pittsburgh | 3–3 | 2–7 | 8–10 | 11–5 | 6–3 | 4–2 | 6–10 | 1–5 | 7–10 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 7–10 | 5–7 |
| San Diego | 10–9 | 1–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 7–12 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 11–8 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 2–4 | — | 5–14 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| San Francisco | 14–5 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 12–7 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 13–6 | 5–1 | 0–7 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 14–5 | — | 5–1 | 10–8 |
| St. Louis | 3–3 | 2–4 | 9–8 | 7–9 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 7–11 | 2–4 | 13–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 10–7 | 4–2 | 1–5 | — | 10–8 |
| Legend | ||
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| Marlins win | Marlins loss | Game postponed |
| 2003 game log (91–71) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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March/April (14–15)
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May (12–16)
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June (16–11)
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July (17–7)
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August (14–14)
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September (18–8)
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| Marlins win | Marlins loss | Game postponed |
| 2003 postseason game log (11–6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NLDS vs San Francisco (3–1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NLCS vs Chicago (4–3)
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World Series vs New York (4–2)
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Jeff Torborg, the manager at the start of the season, led the team to a 16-22 start. Adding to that, their three top pitchersA. J. Burnett,Josh Beckett andMark Redman, had each endured injuries that season, but Beckett and Redman were able to return to finish the rest of 2003. On May 11, Torborg was fired and replaced withJack McKeon, a 72-year-old who began his major league managerial career in 1973 with the Kansas City Royals.
| 2003 Florida Marlins | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders | Outfielders
Other batters | Manager Coaches
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| = Indicates team leader |
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Iván Rodríguez | 144 | 511 | 152 | .297 | 16 | 85 |
| 1B | Derrek Lee | 155 | 539 | 146 | .271 | 31 | 92 |
| 2B | Luis Castillo | 152 | 595 | 187 | .314 | 6 | 39 |
| 3B | Mike Lowell | 130 | 492 | 136 | .276 | 32 | 105 |
| SS | Álex González | 150 | 528 | 135 | .256 | 18 | 77 |
| LF | Todd Hollandsworth | 93 | 228 | 58 | .254 | 3 | 20 |
| CF | Juan Pierre | 162 | 668 | 204 | .305 | 1 | 41 |
| RF | Juan Encarnación | 156 | 601 | 162 | .270 | 19 | 94 |
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel Cabrera | 87 | 314 | 84 | .268 | 12 | 62 |
| Brian Banks | 92 | 149 | 35 | .235 | 4 | 23 |
| Mike Redmond | 59 | 125 | 30 | .240 | 0 | 11 |
| Andy Fox | 70 | 108 | 21 | .194 | 0 | 8 |
| Mike Mordecai | 65 | 89 | 19 | .213 | 2 | 8 |
| Jeff Conine | 25 | 84 | 20 | .238 | 5 | 15 |
| Ramón Castro | 40 | 53 | 15 | .283 | 5 | 8 |
| Gerald Williams | 27 | 31 | 4 | .129 | 0 | 3 |
| Chad Allen | 12 | 24 | 5 | .208 | 0 | 0 |
| Lenny Harris | 13 | 14 | 4 | .286 | 0 | 1 |
Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | GS | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Pavano | 33 | 32 | 201.0 | 12 | 13 | 4.30 | 133 |
| Brad Penny | 32 | 32 | 196.1 | 14 | 10 | 4.13 | 138 |
| Mark Redman | 29 | 29 | 190.2 | 14 | 9 | 3.59 | 151 |
| Dontrelle Willis | 27 | 27 | 160.2 | 14 | 6 | 3.30 | 142 |
| Josh Beckett | 24 | 23 | 142.0 | 9 | 8 | 3.04 | 152 |
| A. J. Burnett | 4 | 4 | 23.0 | 0 | 2 | 4.70 | 21 |
| Justin Wayne | 2 | 2 | 5.1 | 0 | 2 | 11.81 | 1 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Tejera | 50 | 81.0 | 3 | 4 | 4.67 | 58 |
| Tommy Phelps | 27 | 63.0 | 3 | 2 | 4.00 | 43 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braden Looper | 74 | 6 | 4 | 28 | 3.68 | 56 |
| Armando Almanza | 51 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 6.08 | 49 |
| Tim Spooneybarger | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4.07 | 32 |
| Ugueth Urbina | 33 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1.41 | 37 |
| Nate Bump | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4.71 | 17 |
| Chad Fox | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.13 | 27 |
| Allen Levrault | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.86 | 21 |
| Blaine Neal | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.14 | 10 |
| Vladimir Núñez | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16.03 | 10 |
| Rick Helling | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.55 | 12 |
| Juan Alvarez | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.09 | 6 |
| Kevin Olsen | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.75 | 12 |
| Toby Borland | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.86 | 4 |
With a 4–3 win over theNew York Mets on September 26, the Marlins clinched their second wildcard in team history, and finishing with an overall record of 91–71.
The Marlins won theDivision Series over the heavily favored defending National League championSan Francisco Giants. The series ended with a play at the plate with catcher Iván Rodríguez prevailing over Giants first basemanJ. T. Snow. Coupled with a perfect throw from Conine and an amazing catch from Rodríguez, Snow was attempting to score by using afootball type bulldozing move, but Rodríguez held on and the Marlins won, marking the first time that a post-season series ended with the potential tying run being thrown out at home plate.
The2003 National League Championship Series is arguably one of the most famous (or infamous) post-season series inMLB history. On one side, the Florida Marlins, the miracle who, just a few months before, were at the cellar of the NL. On the other side, theChicago Cubs, the "lovable losers", who, for the first time in a long time, were so close to victory. The Cubs jumped to a quick 3 games to 1 lead including 2 out of the 3 games in Miami, and were the sure favorites to take the series when it shifted back to Chicago. In Game Five, an absolutely stellar performance by Josh Beckett brought the series back toChicago, back toWrigley Field, where the home team has always had the advantage. With the Cubs needing to win only one game, and having studsMark Prior andKerry Wood on the hill those two games, most people thought the Marlins hope was over. In Game Six, the Cubs enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 lead with one out in the 8th Inning, when it all fell apart, and the Marlins went on to win the game, tying the series. This was the game of theSteve Bartman incident. In game seven,Brad Penny drove it home for the Fish, clinching their second pennant in 6 years.
In theWorld Series, the underdog Marlins prevailed over theYankees, 4 games to 2.[12] This World Series marked the 100th anniversary of the annual event, although because there had not been a World Series played in what would have been its second year (1904), and the cancellation of all post-season play as a result of thestrike in 1994, it was only the 99th World Series played. Josh Beckett was named the World SeriesMVP.
Trying to win it all again. Posada, slow roller, right side. Beckett picks it up, tags Posada, and the Florida Marlins are World Champions. The Marlins have stunned the Yankees, shocked New York, and this improbable team, improbable ride, they end up on top, winning in 6 games over the Yankees.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Carolina[13]