2003 World Series
Team (Wins) Managers Season Florida Marlins (4) Jack McKeon 91–71, .562, GB: 10 New York Yankees (2) Joe Torre 101–61, .623, GA: 6
Dates	October 18–25
Venue(s)	Yankee Stadium (New York) Pro Player Stadium (Florida)
MVP	Josh Beckett (Florida)
Umpires	Randy Marsh (crew chief),Larry Young,Gary Darling,Jeff Kellogg,Ed Rapuano,Tim Welke
Hall of Famers	Marlins: Iván Rodríguez Yankees: Derek Jeter Mike Mussina Mariano Rivera Joe Torre (manager)
Broadcast
Television	Fox (United States) MLB International (International)
TV announcers	Joe Buck andTim McCarver (Fox) Gary Thorne andKen Singleton (MLB International)
Radio	ESPN WQAM (FLA) WCBS (NYY)
Radio announcers	Jon Miller andJoe Morgan (ESPN) Dave Van Horne andJon Sciambi (WQAM) John Sterling andCharley Steiner (WCBS)
ALCS	New York Yankees overBoston Red Sox (4–3)
NLCS	Florida Marlins overChicago Cubs (4–3)
World Series program
← 2002 World Series 2004 →

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The2003 World Series (also known as theCentennial World Series) was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)2003 season.^[1] The 99th edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff between theNational League (NL) championFlorida Marlins and theAmerican League (AL) championNew York Yankees; the Marlins upset the heavily-favored Yankees, four games to two. The series was played from October 18 to 25, 2003. This was the most recent Series in which the losing team outscored the winning team until2025; the Yankees lost, despite outscoring the Marlins 21–17 in the Series. This was the Marlins' second World Series championship win, having won their first in1997. The Marlins would not return to the postseason until2020.

The 2003 World Series featured theNew York Yankees in their sixth Series appearance in eight years. Opposing them were thewild cardFlorida Marlins, appearing in their second World Series in their 11-year franchise history. The Marlins became the second straight wild card team to win the World Series; theAnaheim Angelswon in 2002.^[2] The series was, however, somewhat overshadowed by the League Championship Series that year, when theChicago Cubs and theBoston Red Sox, both teams that had gone decades without winning a World Series (95 years for Chicago, 85 for Boston), went down in dramatic defeats only five outs away from the pennant, and each in seven games. By losing the series, the Yankees became the first team to lose two World Series to post 1960 expansion teams; losing to theArizona Diamondbacks, who entered the National League in1998, in the2001 World Series and now the Marlins who entered the National League in1993.

It was the 100th anniversary of the World Series, and advertised as such. However, it was only the 99th event due to astrike cancelling the1994 World Series and the boycott of the1904 World Series by the National League.

The Marlins started the season 16–22 when they fired managerJeff Torborg and hired 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 would become the oldest manager to win a World Series. They lost the first game of theNational League Division Series to theSan Francisco Giants, but came back to win the final three. After going down three games to one to the Cubs in theNational League Championship Series, they rallied to win the final three games. In the World Series, the Marlins put up their young roster with a $54 million payroll up against the storied Yankees and their $164 million payroll. By facing the Marlins, the Yankees faced every team in the National League that had won a National League pennant. Since then, the2005 Houston Astros,2007 Colorado Rockies and the2019 Washington Nationals have reached the World Series without facing the Yankees (although the Astros would face the Yankees in the postseason after their switch to the American League in 2013).

The 2003 Marlins were largely led by players picked up in the Marlins' post-1997 championshipfire sale, such asDerrek Lee,A. J. Burnett,Braden Looper,Mike Lowell,Josh Beckett, andJuan Pierre.

Fox again provided coverage of the World Series on American television.Joe Buck andTim McCarver broadcast the series for Fox. National radio coverage was provided byESPN Radio, withJon Miller andJoe Morgan calling the action.

The Marlins' local broadcast aired onWQAM in Miami and on theMarlins Radio Network.Jon Sciambi andDave Van Horne were in the booth. The Yankees' local broadcast was carried byWCBS-AM and theNew York Yankees Radio Network, withJohn Sterling andCharley Steiner broadcasting.

The Yankees had been awardedhome-field advantage for this World Series, because the AL won the 2003 All-Star game. MLB had alternated home-field advantage for the World Series between the two leagues prior to this, and the NL would have been due for home-field in 2003 before the change.

Florida won the series, 4–2.

A trio of Marlins pitchers managed to keep the Yankees in check.Brad Penny,Dontrelle Willis, andUgueth Urbina held New York to two runs.Juan Pierre scored Florida's first run in the first onIván Rodríguez's sacrifice fly and drove in the other two with a two-run single in the fifth afterJeff Conine andJuan Encarnación reached base and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. The Yankees scored on a single byDerek Jeter in the third and a home run byBernie Williams in the sixth, the 18th postseason home run of his career, tying a mark shared byReggie Jackson andMickey Mantle.

Urbina ran into immediate trouble in the ninth, walkingJason Giambi to lead off the inning and, one out later,walkingpinch-hitterRubén Sierra to putpinch-runnerDavid Dellucci in scoring position. However,Alfonso Soriano was called out looking on a 3–2 pitch andNick Johnson flied out to center to end the game.

David Wells pitched seven solid innings for New York in a losing effort. The defeat marked the first Yankees loss of a home World Series contest since Game 2 of the1996 World Series.

The Yankees bounced back behind the arm ofAndy Pettitte who allowed only six hits and one walk in8+2⁄3 innings. He allowed only one unearned run on a single byDerrek Lee in the ninth. The Yankees'Hideki Matsui hit a three-runhome run in the first inning on a 3–0 pitch, becoming the first Japanese player to hit a home run in a World Series, and also became the second Japanese player to play a World Series game.Nick Johnson hit a bunt single in the second with one out and scored onJuan Rivera's double with Rivera being tagged out at third.Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run shot off relieverRick Helling in the fourth. Florida's starterMark Redman lasted only2+1⁄3 innings while allowing four runs. It would be the last World Series game won by the Yankees at the old Yankee Stadium.

Game 3 was apitcher's duel for the first seven innings. Florida starterJosh Beckett held the Yankees to one run through seven innings, the lone run coming on abases-loaded walk after two consecutive borderline pitches that were called balls. The Marlins struck early off New York starterMike Mussina with Miguel Cabrera singling in Juan Pierre in the bottom of the first. Mussina settled down and did not allow another run to the Marlins in seven strong innings. Beckett pitched strong into the eighth until he started to tire. He left with one out in the eighth having recorded ten strikeouts for the night.

RelieverDontrelle Willis entered the 1–1 game and got one out, but gave up an opposite-field single toHideki Matsui to give the Yankees their first lead of the night.Chad Fox relieved Willis and struck out Rubén Sierra to end the inning. The Yankees offense would return in the ninth.Aaron Boone led off the inning with a home run to left, and after a walk byAlfonso Soriano,Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch beforeBernie Williams hit a three-run shot to center to give the Yankees a 6–1 lead. Williams' home run was his 19th in the postseason, a new Major League record. His 65 RBIs were also the most in postseason history. Yankees closerMariano Rivera pitched the final two innings for his record 30th career postseason save. Mussina received his fifth postseason win. The game was interrupted in the fifth by a 39-minute rain delay, the first weather-related delay of a World Series game since Game 1 of the1996 World Series at Yankee Stadium.

The Marlins jumped out to an early lead against Yankees starterRoger Clemens.Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first andDerrek Lee hit an RBI single. Clemens settled down and held the Marlins scoreless in the next six innings. When Clemens struck outLuis Castillo to end the seventh, it was then thought to have marked the end of his Major League career. With flashbulbs lighting up the stadium, the crowd gave him a standing ovation; the Marlins even paused to applaud in recognition of Clemens' what then appeared to be a Hall-of-Fame career (as it turned out, Clemens would put off his retirement to sign with theHouston Astros for 2004). Meanwhile, the Yankees scored their first run on a sacrifice fly byAaron Boone in the second inning. Marlins starterCarl Pavano held the Yankees to that lone run through eight strong innings.

Clemens was set to get the loss until the Yankees rallied in the ninth inning againstUgueth Urbina.Bernie Williams singled with one out,Hideki Matsui walked andJorge Posada grounded into a force play with Matsui out at second. Pinch-hitterRubén Sierra fouled off two full-count pitches before tripling into the right-field corner to score Williams and pinch-runnerDavid Dellucci to tie the ball game. The game headed to extra innings. The Yankees threatened to score in the top of the 11th inning when they loaded the bases with one out offChad Fox.Braden Looper relieved Fox and struck out Boone, and replacement catcherJohn Flaherty popped out to third. The Marlins won the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 12th inning whenÁlex González led off with a home run offJeff Weaver that just cleared the fence in left to help the Marlins win 4–3. Prior to the home run, Gonzalez had been 5-for-53 in the 2003 postseason.

Game 5 featured a rematch of Game 1's starters, Florida'sBrad Penny versus New York'sDavid Wells. Before a sellout crowd of 65,975, the Yankees did not appear very sharp, botching a rundown play in the fifth inning that led to two Marlin runs. SlumpingAlfonso Soriano was benched and first basemanJason Giambi nursed a leg injury. Wells left the game after pitching just one inning due to back spasms. His replacement,José Contreras, pitched three shaky innings, allowing three walks and four runs. The Yankees drew first blood with asacrifice fly fromBernie Williams in the first. In the second, the Marlins scored on an RBI double byÁlex González and Brad Penny helped his own cause by singling in two more runs. They scored again on aJuan Pierre double in the fourth and a two-run single byMike Lowell in the fifth, to give the Marlins a 6–1 lead.

The Yankees began clawing away at that lead with aDerek Jeter RBI-single in the seventh.Dontrelle Willis relieved Penny by pitching a scoreless eighth. In the ninth, Jason Giambi hit a pinch-hit home run to right field off relieverBraden Looper. That made it 6–3 Marlins. After a Jeter single,Enrique Wilson doubled him home to cut the Marlins' lead to 6–4.Ugueth Urbina relieved Looper and retired Bernie Williams on a fly ball near the outfield wall which was caught byJuan Encarnación just inches away from a home run and Hideki Matsui on a ground ball to first base to preserve the Marlins win.

This would be the seventh and final World Series game at what was then Pro Player Stadium; the Marlins would continue to play at the stadium until the end of the2011 Major League Baseball season. This was the first of two consecutive games in this World Series to mark the final World Series game in its respective park. This game also marked the first time in MLB history that 1st inning runs had been scored in the first 5 games played in a World Series.

The series headed back to New York for Game 6, marking the 100th World Series game played at Yankee Stadium. Marlins managerJack McKeon decided to start 23-year-oldJosh Beckett on three days' rest instead ofMark Redman, who had struggled in his Game 2 start. Beckett made the move seem brilliant—his complete-game shutout in the final game of the World Series made him the first to accomplish the feat sinceJack Morris of theMinnesota Twins in 1991. The Marlins scored the game's only runs on three consecutive two-out singles byÁlex González,Juan Pierre andLuis Castillo in the fifth andJuan Encarnación's sacrifice fly that scoredJeff Conine, who had reached on an error the next inning.

Andy Pettitte pitched seven strong innings in a losing cause, with only one run being earned.Mariano Rivera pitched the last two innings for New York.

With the victory, the Marlins became the first National League team since the1981 Los Angeles Dodgers, the last opposing team to win a Series championship at Yankee Stadium, to win the World Series without having home field advantage. They are just the fourth team overall to do it since the1984 Detroit Tigers,1992 Toronto Blue Jays and1999 New York Yankees. They also became the second expansion team in the National League to win two World Series titles, following theNew York Mets who achieved this feat in1986; theToronto Blue Jays of the American League, who pulled this off in1992 and1993, are the third major-league expansion franchise to do so. The Marlins also became the fastest expansion team to win two World Series titles, as the Mets won their second title in their 25th season, and the Blue Jays did it in their 17th (the Royals, joining the group 12 years later, got their second title in their 47th season).

The championship was the Marlins' second despite never having won a division title. TheAtlanta Braves had won the NL East every year since 1995 going into this World Series, astrike ended the 1994 season without division winners, and the Philadelphia Phillies won the Marlins' division in 1993 (that streak would end in 2006, when theNew York Mets claimed the NL East title). The Marlins also became the first team since the creation of the Division Series to win the World Series without having home-field advantage during their entire post-season. As of 2020^[update], the Marlins have a 6-1 record in postseason series play; until theTampa Bay Rays lost the2008 World Series, they had extended their home state's perfect streak to 8-0. The now-Miami Marlins recorded their first postseason series loss against theAtlanta Braves in 2020. This was the last World Series game held in the original Yankee Stadium before its closure after the 2008 season. The last World Series in which two stadiums hosted their final World Series games until this year was the1959 World Series.

2003 World Series(4–2):Florida Marlins (N.L.) overNew York Yankees (A.L.)

This World Series is notable for being one of the few six-game series in which the winning team was outscored. It happened previously in1918,1959,1977,1992, and1996. Seven-game series winners were outscored in1957,1960,1962,1964,1971,1972,1973,1975,1991,1997, and2002; (equaled in2016,2017, and2025).

There were slight tweaks to the Marlins over the next two years as they traded awayDerrek Lee,Mark Redman andBrad Penny and lostCarl Pavano andIvan Rodriguez to free agency.

But the team began a full blown fire sale after the2005 season. They let Burnett,Todd Jones,Antonio Alfonseca,Jeff Conine andJuan Encarnación leave as free agents. They then tradedCarlos Delgado andPaul Lo Duca to theNew York Mets in two separate deals that brought in prospectsMike Jacobs andYusmeiro Petit. On the same day as the Delgado deal, they also sentMike Lowell,Josh Beckett andGuillermo Mota to theBoston Red Sox for futureRookie of the YearHanley Ramirez,Anibal Sanchez (who threw a no-hitter in 2006),Harvey Garcia andJesus Delgado. Just days after that deal, second basemanLuis Castillo was sent to theMinnesota Twins forTravis Bowyer and Scott Tyler. For his part, outfielderJuan Pierre was then sent to theChicago Cubs forSergio Mitre,Ricky Nolasco andRenyel Pinto.

Despite these deals, or potentially because of them, the Marlins actually contended for most of the2006 season before a late slump dropped them below .500. They are the only team in MLB history to have been 20 games under .500 and have a winning record at different points in the same season.^[10] This was in stark contrast to their terrible performance in 1998, in which they lost 108 games one year after their original post-World Series fire sale that followed their first championship.

The fire-sale continued into the 2007-2008 off-season, when the Marlins sentMiguel Cabrera toDetroit along withDontrelle Willis forBurke Badenhop,Frankie De La Cruz,Cameron Maybin,Andrew Miller andMike Rabelo (plus a minor leaguer). Cabrera went on to Detroit, going to eight more All-Star games, winning back-to-backMVP awards and atriple crown in 2013. Meanwhile, for the Marlins, Maybin never developed into the star he was projected to be, Andrew Miller failed as a starter and became a star reliever after leaving the club, De La Cruz pitched a total of 18 innings in a Marlins uniform, Rabelo hit .202 in 34 games in Miami, while Badenhop had a decent career for the Marlins as a middle reliever.^[11]

Over the years, the Marlins gained a reputation for fire-selling.^{[citation needed]} Following the sale of the now-Miami Marlins byJeffrey Loria toBruce Sherman and the installation of Hall of Fame former playerDerek Jeter as team president, after the 2017 season, there was some hope that the Miami franchise would become a more competitive organization. However, the new management team announced they would instead reduce the team's investment into player salaries as the team was in a negative financial situation.^{[attribution needed]} During the 2017-2018 off-season, the team traded its star outfield consisting of All-StarsMarcel Ozuna,Christian Yelich, andGiancarlo Stanton.^{[citation needed]}

Despite two World championships in a seven year span and building astate of the art ballpark in 2012, the Marlins still have not been able to build a sizable fanbase, in large part due to their post-World Series fire-sales.^[12]

The Marlins would not return to the playoffs until theshortened regular season in 2020. That season saw the Marlins lose their first playoff series in franchise history, losing the2020 NLDS to theAtlanta Braves after winning their first seven postseason series.

In January 2004,Aaron Boone tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a pick-up basketball game in his hometown inNewport Beach, California. In the game, Boone caught a pass from his teammate on the court and an opponent wiped him out on his side in a violent manner. Boone, who disobeyed the terms of his contract with the Yankees by playing basketball, was released fourteen days after the incident and ended up missing the entirety of the 2004 season.

With spring training a month away, the Yankees found themselves in the market for a third baseman. On February 15, 2004, the Rangers tradedAlex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for second basemanAlfonso Soriano and a player to be named later (Joaquín Árias was sent to the Rangers on March 24). The Rangers also agreed to pay $67 million of the $179 million left on Rodriguez's contract. Rodriguez agreed to switch positions from shortstop to third base, paving the way for the trade, because the popularDerek Jeter was already entrenched at shortstop. This was only the second time in MLB history that a reigning MVP was traded, with the first coming in 1914 whenEddie Collins was traded to theChicago White Sox from thePhiladelphia Athletics for cash considerations.

Rodriguez ended up having a successful, yet controversial career with New York. He put up huge numbers throughout his tenure in pinstripes, which included twoMVP seasons in 2005 and 2007. Despite this, he was often the most criticized on the team when the Yankees flamed out in post-season, such asblowing a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the2004 American League Championship Series. Rodriguez was also popped for steroids twice in pinstripes. Nevertheless, Rodriguez and the Yankees would win a World Series in2009. In that postseason, he batted .365, hit six homeruns, and drove in 18 runs. Rodriguez also hit home run number600 with the Yankees, becoming only the eighth player in baseball history to reach 600 home runs.

Aaron Boone would become the Yankees manager in 2018, replacingJoe Girardi. Boone’s job prior to becoming manager was a color analyst forESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, in which he was ironically replaced again by Alex Rodriguez.

For the Yankees, it would prove to be their final appearance in the World Series withJoe Torre as their manager. They would not get back to the World Series until2009 when they beat the defending ChampionPhiladelphia Phillies in six games, this time with second-year managerJoe Girardi (Torre had stepped down after the 2007 season). After parting ways with the Yankees, Torre managed theLos Angeles Dodgers from 2008-2010. For his success with the Yankees, Torre was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Since retiring in 2010, he has worked various jobs in the commissioner’s office, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner since 2020.

Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell later won a second World Series together with the2007Boston Red Sox, with Beckett winningALCS MVP and Lowell earning World Series MVP that year. Braden Looper and Juan Encarnación also won a second World Series title as members of the2006St. Louis Cardinals. On the Yankees' side,Jeff Weaver played alongside Looper and Encarnación on the Cardinals' 2006 title team, andJosé Contreras won a World Series ring with the2005Chicago White Sox.

• 2003 Japan Series

Wikimedia Commons has media related to2003 World Series.

• 2003 World Series atBaseball Almanac
• 2003 World Series atBaseball-Reference.com
• The 2003 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) atRetrosheet
• History of the World Series - 2003 atThe Sporting News. Archived fromthe original in May 2006.
• 2003 World Series Article

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