Miami Marlins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miami Marlins
2025 Miami Marlins season
Established in 1993
Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
National League (1993–present) East Division (1993–present)
Current uniform
Retired numbers	42 (Retired by MLB)
Colors
Midnight black, Miami blue, Caliente red, Slate grey
Name
Miami Marlins (2012–present) Florida Marlins (1993–2011)
Other nicknames
The Fish
Ballpark
LoanDepot Park (2012–present) Sun Life Stadium (1993–2011)
Major league titles
World Series titles (2)	1997 2003
NL Pennants (2)	1997 2003
East Division titles (0)	None
Wild card berths (4)	1997 2003 2020 2023
Front office
Principal owner(s)	Bruce Sherman
President	Caroline O'Connor (President of Business Operations)
President of baseball operations	Peter Bendix
General manager	Peter Bendix
Manager	Clayton McCullough

The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team from Miami, USA. They play in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Marlins are part of the National League (NL) East Division. Their home stadium is LoanDepot Park.

The team started in 1993 as the Florida Marlins. They first played at Joe Robbie Stadium. They shared this stadium with the Miami Dolphins football team. In 2012, the team moved to LoanDepot Park (then called Marlins Park). This was their first stadium built just for baseball. When they moved, they also changed their name to the Miami Marlins.

The Marlins have won the World Series twice. They won in 1997 and 2003. Both times, they made it to the playoffs as a wild card team. This means they didn't win their division. They are one of only two MLB teams that have never won a division title. The Marlins are also the only team never to reach the playoffs in two years in a row. Only three players were on both World Series winning teams: Jeff Conine, Luis Castillo, and Rick Helling. The Marlins have no retired numbers, except for Jackie Robinson's #42, which is retired across all MLB teams.

History of the Miami Marlins

Baseball Hall of Famer, Satchel Paige pitched for the minor league Miami Marlins from 1956 to 1958.

Wayne Huizenga, who was the CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment, started the team. He paid $95 million to get an expansion team in the National League. The team began playing in 1993. MLB wanted to add two new teams to the National League. It was clear one would be in Florida. Huizenga's group in Miami won over groups from Orlando and Tampa Bay. On June 10, 1991, Miami got the team. The team chose the name "Marlins" from older minor league teams in Miami.

The Marlins' first manager was Rene Lachemann. He used to be a catcher. The team picked its first players in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft. The Marlins won their first spring training game 12–8 against the Houston Astros. Jeff Conine hit the team's first home run. The Marlins won their first regular season game on April 5, 1993, against the Dodgers. Charlie Hough was the starting pitcher. Jeff Conine was a fan favorite and earned the nickname "Mr. Marlin."

Gary Sheffield and Bryan Harvey were the Marlins' first players chosen for the All-Star Game. Sheffield hit a home run in the Marlins' first All-Star Game at-bat. The team finished the year with good attendance. After the 1993 season, Donald A. Smiley became the team's second president. The Marlins finished last in their division in the strike-shortened season of 1994. Lachemann was replaced as manager in 1996 season by John Boles.

First World Series Title in 1997

After a good season in 1996, Jim Leyland became the new manager for 1997. In 1997, the Marlins finished second in their division. They earned a wild card spot in the playoffs. Experienced players like Moisés Alou, Bobby Bonilla, Darren Daulton, and Jim Eisenreich joined the team. Young stars Luis Castillo and Édgar Rentería were a great team in the middle of the field.

The Marlins swept the San Francisco Giants 3–0 in the 1997 National League Division Series. Then, they beat the Atlanta Braves 4–2 in the 1997 National League Championship Series. Rookie pitcher Liván Hernández helped them win Game 5. He struck out 15 Braves players. The Marlins, who were not expected to win, faced the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series. They won in seven games. In Game 7, Édgar Rentería hit a soft line drive that scored the winning run in the 11th inning. This gave the Marlins their first World Series title.

Second World Series Victory in 2003

Jack McKeon, the manager of the 2003 World Series Champions, the Florida Marlins, met President George W. Bush at the White House in January 2004.

In 2003, the Marlins brought up young pitcher Dontrelle Willis from the minor leagues. He helped the team a lot, winning 11 of his first 17 games. Miguel Cabrera, another young player, also joined the team. He hit a walk-off home run in his first major league game. Both Willis and Cabrera were very important for the Marlins' playoff success. Jeff Conine, who was on the 1997 World Series team, returned to the Marlins. Hall of Fame catcher Iván Rodríguez and closer Ugueth Urbina also joined. These new players helped the team stay in the race. The Marlins finished second in their division and won the NL wild card.

On October 15, the Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs four games to three in the 2003 National League Championship Series. They came back from being down 3–1 in the series. Game 6 included a famous moment known as the Steve Bartman incident. A fan reached for a foul ball, stopping a Cubs player from catching it. This led to the Marlins scoring eight runs and winning the game. The Marlins won Game 7 in Wrigley Field, winning their second NL pennant.

In the 2003 World Series, the Marlins beat the strong New York Yankees in six games. They won the final game at Yankee Stadium. Shortstop Álex González hit a walk-off home run in Game 4. Josh Beckett was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. He pitched a complete game shutout in Game 6. Manager Jack McKeon became the oldest manager to win a World Series.

The Miami Marlins' main logo from 2012–2018.

Miami Marlins: 2012 to Today

In 2012, the team moved from Sun Life Stadium to Marlins Park in downtown Miami. The team changed its name to the Miami Marlins. They also got a new logo and colors. On November 16, 2017, Giancarlo Stanton won the National League MVP award. He was the first Marlin to win this award.

During the 2020 shortened season, the Marlins finished second in their division. They swept the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series. Miami then lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

On November 13, 2020, the Marlins made history. They hired Kim Ng as their general manager. She was the first woman to hold such a high executive position in any major American sports league. She was also MLB's first Asian American general manager. On September 30, 2023, the Marlins made the playoffs again. This made Kim Ng the first woman GM in MLB history to lead a playoff team.

Uniform History

1993–2002: Florida Marlins Look

The Florida Marlins started with three different uniforms. Their home uniforms had "Marlins" written in teal with black outlines. The letters were black with teal outlines. They also had teal pinstripes. The road uniforms said "Florida" with a marlin fish around the "F." The team's main logo was on the left sleeve. They wore teal caps for home games and black-brimmed teal caps for road games. Later, they started wearing black caps and undershirts more often.

Benito Santiago and Florida Governor Lawton Chiles (left) in the original home uniform with teal caps; Lyle Mouton, Billy the Marlin and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martínez (right) in the original home uniform with black caps.

2003–2011: New Colors and Scripts

The Marlins got new uniforms before their second World Series win. On the home uniforms, teal became an accent color. Black was the main color for letters and pinstripes. Silver was also added. They had a new sleeved home uniform with an "F" logo on the chest. Road uniforms still said "Florida" but matched the new home uniform style. The team also added a black alternate uniform. It had "Marlins" in silver with teal, black, and white accents. In 2010, the road uniforms changed to say "Marlins" instead of "Florida."

Kyle Skipworth (left) in the 2003–2011 home uniform; Chris Coghlan (2nd from left) in the 2003–2009 road uniform; Giancarlo Stanton (2nd from right) in the 2010–2011 road uniform; Dan Uggla (right) in the 2003–2011 black alternate uniform.

2012–2018: Miami Marlins Rebrand

When the team became the Miami Marlins, they got new colors: orange, black, and blue. The new "M" logo was white with orange, yellow, and sky blue. This logo was on their caps and left sleeves. Home, road, and black alternate uniforms all said "Miami" on the front. The orange alternate uniform had "Marlins" in white with sky blue accents. The team mostly wore all-black caps.

Giancarlo Stanton (left) in the 2012–2018 home uniform; Mat Latos (2nd from left) in the 2012–2018 road uniform; Wei-Yin Chen (2nd from right) in the 2012–2018 black alternate uniform; José Fernández (right) in the 2012–2018 orange alternate uniform.

Since 2019: Current Look

The Marlins updated their logos and colors again. They now use bright Caliente red, Miami blue, and slate grey. Home and road uniforms have "Miami" in black with red and blue accents. The black alternate uniform has "Marlins" in black with red and blue accents. The cap logo is a new "M" with a more realistic marlin. In 2021, the Marlins wore a special "City Connect" uniform. It was red with Miami blue trim, honoring the Cuban Sugar Kings. In 2024, they updated their black alternate uniform and added a new Miami blue alternate uniform.

Anthony Bass (left) in the home uniform; Dylan Floro (middle) in the road uniform; Edward Cabrera (right) in the 2019–2023 black alternate uniform

Team Rivalries

Citrus Series

The Marlins have a local rivalry with the Rays. This is called the Citrus Series. The Rays currently lead this series.

World Series Championships

The Marlins won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. After both wins, the team sold off many expensive players. This led to rebuilding periods. Between 2003 and 2019, these two World Series runs were their only playoff appearances. The Marlins have the fewest playoff appearances and winning seasons among MLB teams.

Even though they have never won a division title, the Florida Marlins are the only team to make the playoffs and win a World Series in their first two winning seasons.

Team Roster

All-Time Roster

Opening Day Starting Pitchers

Opening Day Lineups

Team Achievements

Awards and Records

• No-Hitters: Marlins pitchers have thrown six no-hitters. A no-hitter is when a pitcher completes a game without allowing any opposing player to get a hit.

• Hitting for the Cycle: Two Marlins players have hit for the cycle. This means they got a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game.

Retired Numbers

Jackie Robinson All MLB Honored April 15, 1997

From 1993 to 2011, the Marlins retired number 5 for Carl Barger. He was the first president of the Florida Marlins. His favorite player was Joe DiMaggio, who wore number 5. When the team moved to LoanDepot Park, they honored Barger with a plaque instead. Number 5 was then used by players again. The Marlins are the only team with no retired numbers for their own former players.

After pitcher José Fernández passed away in 2016, the Marlins built a memorial for him at LoanDepot Park. His number 16 is displayed there and is not used by other players.

Baseball Hall of Famers

Ford C. Frick Award Recipients

Florida Sports Hall of Fame

Gary Sheffield

Minor League Teams

The Miami Marlins have seven minor league teams. These teams help develop young players for the main MLB team.

Radio and Television

Marlins games are broadcast on the radio and television. From 1993 to 2007, the main radio station was WQAM 560 AM. Since 2008, WAXY 790 AM has broadcast all games. Longtime announcer Dave Van Horne won an award for his baseball broadcasting in 2010. He shares play-by-play duties with Glenn Geffner.

Games are also broadcast in Spanish on Radio Mambi 710 AM. Felo Ramírez called games from 1993 to 2017 and won an award in 2001. Marlins games are shown on Bally Sports Florida. Paul Severino is the play-by-play announcer.

Team Culture

Marlins Mermaids on June 19, 2009.

In the movie Back to the Future Part II, it was joked that the Chicago Cubs would beat a Miami baseball team in the 2015 World Series. But this didn't happen! The Cubs and Marlins are both in the National League, so they can't play each other in the World Series.

The Marlins were the first MLB team to have a dance/cheer team. They started the "Marlins Mermaids" in 2003. This inspired other MLB teams to create their own dance squads. In 2008, the Marlins also started "The Marlins Manatees," an all-male dance group. As of 2012, the Marlins changed to a co-ed "energy squad." In 2019, the Mermaids returned.

The Marlins have had many official songs over the years. Artists like Pitbull, DJ Khaled, and Creed frontman Scott Stapp have performed them.

On July 16, 2022, the Marlins created "Sandy's Beach" at LoanDepot Park. This is a special cheering section for fans of pitcher Sandy Alcantara. Fans in this section wear beach clothes when Sandy pitches.

Team Performance Records

Best Seasons in Franchise History

Here are the five best seasons the Marlins have had:

Worst Seasons in Franchise History

Here are the five worst seasons the Marlins have had:

Home Game Attendance

Except for their first few years, the Marlins have often had some of the lowest attendance in the league. Even after LoanDepot Park opened in 2012, attendance was only average at first. It then dropped to second to last by 2013.

The Marlins' former home at what was then Dolphin Stadium was mainly a football stadium (1993–2011).

First pitch at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, on April 4, 2012.

Images for kids

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  Benito Santiago and Florida Governor Lawton Chiles in the original home uniform with teal caps.

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  Lyle Mouton, Billy the Marlin and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martínez in the original home uniform with black caps.

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  Kyle Skipworth in the 2003–2011 home uniform.

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  Chris Coghlan in the 2003–2009 road uniform.

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  Giancarlo Stanton in the 2010–2011 road uniform.

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  Dan Uggla in the 2003–2011 black alternate uniform.

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  Giancarlo Stanton in the 2012–2018 home uniform.

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  Mat Latos in the 2012–2018 road uniform.

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  Wei-Yin Chen in the 2012–2018 black alternate uniform.

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  José Fernández in the 2012–2018 orange alternate uniform.

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  Anthony Bass in the home uniform.

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  Dylan Floro in the road uniform.

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  Edward Cabrera in the 2019–2023 black alternate uniform.

See also

In Spanish: Miami Marlins para niños