Florida Marlins - The Clinton Years (1993-1999)

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1993

1995

1998

108

1990

Decade

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Titles:

Top Marlins Players of the Nineties

1997 - Won World Series (Beat SF, Atlanta, Cleveland)

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Robb Nen (5) - 35

Joe Robbie Stadium (1993 - 1995) renamed to Pro Player Stadium (1996 - 1999)

Kevin Brown (14.9) - 25

Pat Rapp (6.23) - 23

Team Name:

Alex Fernandez (6.65) - 18

Florida Marlins

Al Leiter (6.65) - 18

Chris Hammond (3.36) - 16

Owner:

Livan Hernandez (3.27) - 16

Wayne Huizenga (1993 - 1998)

Bryan Harvey (3.96) - 15

John Henry (1999)

Brian Meadows (0.82) - 15

John Burkett (2.54) - 14

General Managers:

Luis Aquino (8.5) - 2

Dave Dombrowski

Catchers:

Managers:

Charles Johnson (9.27) - 30

Rene Lachemann (1993 - 1996)

Benito Santiago (2.1) - 14

Cooke Rojas (1996)

Jim Leyland (1997 - 1998)

First Basemen:

John Boles (1999)

Jeff Conine (11.09) - 36

Gregg Colbrunn (3.33) - 14

No Hitters:

Al Leiter (1996)

Second Basemen:

Kevin Brown (1997)

Kurt Abbott (1.96) - 13

Bret Barberie (2.87) - 11

Hall of Famers:

Luis Castillo (2.58) - 10

None

ShortStop:

Rookie of the Year:

Edgar Renteriia (5.01) - 21

None

Third Base:

MVP:

Bobby Bonilla (2.21) - 7

None

Outfield:

Cy Young:

Gary Sheffield (13.15) - 34

None

Chuck Carr (3.11) - 27

Cliff Floyd (4.46) - 15

Notable Events:

Devon White (4.46) - 12

Mark Kotsay (4.47) - 9

1993 - Billionaire Wayne Huizenga buys the franchise. Unclear what his

goals are with this purchase - altho' he already owns Pro Player Stadium,

Notable Events:

a TV Station that will broadcast Marlins games, the pro hockey Florida

Panthers and the pro football Dolphins. He also owns a bunch of other

1997 - The Marlins overachieve and win 92 games to get into the playoffs

stuff like Blockbuster Video and the world's largest garbage hauling

as a wild card. Their run totals indicated 88 wins.

company Waste Management Inc. He hires Dave Dombrowski away

Regardless, Florida beats the Giants, a heavily favored Atlanta,

from Montreal as his GM. Already well respected, Dombrowski will

and a heavily favored Cleveland to win the World Series.

further build his reputation in Miami.

It's a mercenary team laden with six recently signed, high level, free agents.

1992 - Initial Stocking of the franchise:

1997 - During the season, it became apparent to Huizenga that whether

□ C - Charles Johnson, 20, is the 28th overall selection of amateur draft

the team won or not, the taxpayers were not going to pay for a new stadium.

□ RHP - Trevor Hoffman, 25, 8th pick of expansion draft from Reds

Having now lost interest in operating the club further, Huizenga announced

□ 1B - Jeff Conine, 26, 22nd pick of expansion draft from KC

in mid season that he would sell the team. The fact that he could have easily

□ OF - Carl Everett, 21, 27th pick of expansion draft from Yankees

paid for a new stadium himself apparently never crossed his mind.

□ RHP - Cris Carpenter, 27, 37th pick of expansion draft from Cards

□ 2B - Luis Castillo, 16, IFA

1998 - Owner Huizenga orders a fire sale of all high salaried players

□ SS - Edgar Renteria, 16, IFA

immediately after the club wins the '97 World Series.

They didn't even let their fans bask in the victory - the Marlins were

OF - Kevin Millar, 21, is purchased from the Northern League,

unloading stars prior to Thanksgiving. The idea was to make the club

he debuts in 1998

more attractive to new owners by having a low payroll.

He could have attracted new owners by dangling a championship

1993 - SS Gary Sheffield, 24, is obtained from SD in a trade for

callibre team in front of them, but that wouldn't punish Miami-ans

Trevor Hoffman

for not giving him a stadium, now would it?

There were a couple of real unattractive pieces financially to new

1994 - RHP Robb Nen, 24, is obtained from Texas in a trade for

prospective owners as it was:

Cris Carpenter

□ a sweetheart TV deal for Huizenga's SportsChannel locked in

to do the Marlins games for the next thirty years

1994 - SS Alex Gonzalez, 17, is an IFA, he debuts in 1998

□ a sweetheart Stadium deal locked in with Huizenga's Pro

Player Stadium for the Marlins to play in altho' it was a football

1996 - Owner Wayne Huizenga, once again, a billionaire, wants a

stadium shoehorned for baseball - and no retractable roof.

new baseball stadium, but he, once again, doesn't want to pay for it.

Note that Huizenga owned the football stadium that was being leased by

He's been on the dole from the locality of Miami for his Miami Dolphins

Marlins owner Huizenga. Football stadium owner Huizenga would have

football stadium and for the arena housing his hockey team and,

let the Marlins owner Huizenga off the hook on this ironclad stadium contract

apparently, feels that it's his right to be given a baseball stadium by

if Marlins owner Huizenga was given a new baseball stadium by the city.

the taxpayers, as well. To get the local legislators in the proper mood,

Huizenga feels that he needs to speed up the woo-ing process by

1998 - The unloading process:

quickly building a winner. The strategy worked for his hockey team.

□ C - Charles Johnson, 3B Bobby Bonilla, OF Gary Sheffield are dealt

The process starts in 1996 and then gets a big push forward in 1997.

to the Dodgers for C Mike Piazza. The Marlins turn around and

The Stadium he is looking for would be expensive. It would need

trade Piazza to the Mets for OF Preston Wilson, 23

a retractable roof to protect from the late afternoon summer rains

□ 1B - Jeff Conine traded to KC for nothing

and high humidity in Miami.

□ LF - Moises Alou traded to Houston for four warm bodies

□ CF - Devon White traded to Arizona for nothing

1996 - The Marlins start gearing up for a pennant push:

□ RHP - Kevin Brown traded to San Diego for 1B Derek Lee, 22

□ RHP - Ryan Dempster, 19, is acquired from Texas for RHP John Burkett

□ RHP - Alex Fernandez is unable to be dealt due to an effectively

□ OF - Mark Kotsay, 20, is the 9th overall pick in the amateur draft

career ending injury

□ RHP - Livan Hernandez, 21, is an IFA

□ LHP - Al Leiter traded to the Mets for AJ Burnett, 21

□ LHP - Al Leiter, 30, is signed as a FA from Toronto

□ RHP - Robb Nen traded to SF for four warm bodies

□ RHP Kevin Brown, 31, is signed as a FA from Baltimore

□ OF - Devon White, 33, is signed as a FA from Toronto

1998 - Florida drops 38 games in the standings, the biggest fall of a

title winner in history

1997 - Florida goes after the best, hiring former highly successful

Pirates manager, Jim Leyland. Leyland is one of those managers who

1999 - More unloading (what there was left to unload):

affects a team's performance in a significantly positive manner -

□ SS - Edgar Renteria is traded to the Cards for RHP Braden Looper, 24

there aren't many who do.

□ RHP - Livan Hernandez is traded to SF for two players

□ Relief ace Matt Mantei, 25, is traded to Arizona in exchange

1997 - The Marlins continue their push to acquire the talent to win a title:

for RHP Brad Penny, 21

□ OF Cliff Floyd, 24, obtained from Montreal in a trade for

Dustin Hermanson, who was acquired for Quilvio Veras,

1999 - RHP Josh Beckett is the second overall pick in the amateur draft.

who was obtained in a deal for Carl Everett

There is a silver lining to all of this losing, after all.

i.e. net Carl Everett, 26, for Cliff Floyd, 24.

□ RHP - Alex Fernandez, 27, is signed as a FA from Chicago

1999 - Future Mega Superstar 3B Miguel Cabrera, 16, is signed as an IFA

□ OF - Moises Alou, 30, is signed as a FA from Montreal

□ 3B - Bobby Bonilla, 34, is signed as a FA from Baltimore

1999 - 3B Mike Lowell, 25, is stolen from the Yankees for three players

1999 - Altho' the Marlins are an awful 64-98, Dombrowski has been

acquiring some studly young (and low salaried) talent in all of these deals.

There is a light at the end of this tunnel, followed quickly by another train,

unfortunately, for Marlins fans.