History of Miami Marlins in Timeline

The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida. They are members of the National League (NL) East Division in Major League Baseball (MLB). Their home games are played at LoanDepot Park.

1956: Miami Marlins of the International League

From 1956 to 1960, a minor league team named Miami Marlins played in the Triple-A International League.

1960: Miami Marlins of the International League

From 1956 to 1960, a minor league team named Miami Marlins played in the Triple-A International League.

1962: Miami Marlins of the Florida State League

From 1962 to 1970, a minor league team named Miami Marlins played in the Florida State League.

1982: Miami Marlins of the Florida State League

From 1982 to 1988, a minor league team named Miami Marlins played in the Florida State League.

1989: Back to the Future Part II reference

In 1989, Back to the Future Part II referenced the Chicago Cubs defeating a baseball team from Miami in the 2015 World Series.

Loading Video...

1990: Completion of the Florida Suncoast Dome

In 1990, the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg was completed.

June 10, 1991: National League Awards Expansion Franchise to Wayne Huizenga

On June 10, 1991, the National League awarded an expansion franchise to Wayne Huizenga for a Miami-based team, which would become the Florida Marlins.

1992: Marlins Draft Initial Lineup

In 1992, the Marlins drafted their initial lineup of players in the MLB Expansion Draft.

April 5, 1993: Marlins Win First Game

On April 5, 1993, the Marlins won their first game against the Dodgers, with Charlie Hough as the starting pitcher and Jeff Conine going 4-for-4.

1993: WQAM 560 AM Flagship Radio Station

From 1993 through 2007, the Marlins' flagship radio station was WQAM 560 AM.

1993: Number 5 Retired in Honor of Carl Barger

From 1993 until 2011, the Marlins had retired the number 5 in honor of Carl Barger, the first president of the Florida Marlins, who had died prior to the team's inaugural season.

1993: Felo Ramírez begins play-by-play

In 1993, Felo Ramírez began calling play-by-play on Radio Mambi 710 AM along with Luis Quintana.

1993: Opening Day payrolls for 25-man roster

In 1993, opening day payrolls for the 25-man roster were recorded.

1993: Florida Marlins Begin Operations

In 1993, the Florida Marlins began operations after Wayne Huizenga was awarded an expansion franchise in the National League.

1993: Franchise Begins Play as Florida Marlins

In 1993, the franchise began playing as the Florida Marlins, an expansion team, sharing Joe Robbie Stadium with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.

1994: Marlins Finish Last in Division in Strike-Shortened Season

In the strike-shortened season of 1994, the Marlins finished last in their division with a 51–64 record.

1995: Marlins Finish Fourth in Division

In 1995, the Marlins finished fourth in their division with a 67–76 record.

1996: Marlins Record 80-82

In 1996, the Marlins finished with a record of 80-82.

1996: Lachemann Replaced as Manager

Midway through the 1996 season, Lachemann was replaced as manager by director of player development John Boles.

1997: Dontrelle Willis Called Up

In 1997, Dontrelle Willis was called up from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. Miguel Cabrera hit a walk-off home run in his first major league game. Jeff Conine returned from Baltimore, Iván Rodríguez signed with the Marlins as a free agent, and Ugueth Urbina arrived from the Texas Rangers. The Marlins captured the NL wild card.

1997: Marlins Win 1997 World Series

In 1997, the Marlins secured a wild card berth, swept the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS, and beat the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. They then faced the Cleveland Indians in the World Series and won in seven games, with Edgar Renteria's hit securing the victory.

1997: Jim Leyland Hired

Prior to 1997, former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland was hired to lead the club.

2001: Ford C. Frick Award won

In 2001, Felo Ramírez won the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

2001: Annual financial records according to Forbes

In 2001, Forbes started tracking the annual financial records of the Marlins.

2003: Marlins Mermaids debut

In 2003, the "Marlins Mermaids" debuted as the first dance/cheer team in Major League Baseball, influencing other MLB teams.

2003: Marlins Win World Series

In 2003, the Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games to win the World Series, with Josh Beckett named MVP after his complete-game shutout in Game 6. Jack McKeon became the oldest manager to win a World Series title.

2003: Marlins Defeat Cubs in NLCS Amidst "Steve Bartman Incident"

On October 15, 2003, the Marlins defeated the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series four games to three, following the infamous Steve Bartman incident in Game 6, leading to an eight-run Marlins rally and securing their second NL pennant.

2006: Plans to Leave WQAM

Although the Marlins had plans to leave WQAM after 2006, they remained with WQAM for the 2007 season.

October 11, 2007: Marlins Announce Agreement with WAXY 790 AM

On October 11, 2007, the Marlins announced an agreement with WAXY 790 AM to broadcast all games for the 2008 season.

2008: The Marlins Manatees debut

In 2008, the Florida Marlins debuted "The Marlins Manatees", Major League Baseball's first all-male dance/energy squad, to star alongside the Mermaids.

2008: Broadcasts on WAXY 790 AM

WAXY 790 AM started broadcasting all Marlins' games in 2008.

2010: Marlins Will Soar penned

In 2010, Creed frontman Scott Stapp penned the anthem Marlins Will Soar for the Marlins.

Loading Video...

2010: Dave Van Horne Wins Ford C. Frick Award

In 2010, Dave Van Horne won the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting.

2010: Road Uniform Design Changed

In 2010, the Marlins changed their road uniform design, replacing "Florida" with "Marlins", and the sleeve logo patches were removed.

2011: Number 5 Opened to Circulation

With the move to LoanDepot Park in 2011, the team opted to honor Barger with a plaque instead, and opened number 5 to circulation. Logan Morrison became the first Marlins player to wear the number.

2012: Mermaids and Manatees abandoned

As of 2012, the Marlins abandoned the "Mermaids" and "Manatees" for in-game entertainment, instead using an "energy squad", a co-ed group of dancers.

2012: LoanDepot Park completed

In 2012, LoanDepot Park was completed, resulting in only average attendance for the first year.

2012: Team Moves to Marlins Park and Renames to Miami Marlins

In 2012, the team moved from Sun Life Stadium to Marlins Park in downtown Miami. As a condition of the move, the team was renamed the Miami Marlins, and adopted a new logo and colors.

2013: Attendance drops

By 2013, the Marlins attendance dropped to second to last in the league, despite LoanDepot Park being completed the previous year.

2015: Failed Prediction

In 2015, the Chicago Cubs did not play a team from Miami, and the Marlins did not make the postseason, contrary to the Back to the Future Part II prediction. The Kansas City Royals played the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series.

September 25, 2016: José Fernández's Death

After José Fernández's death as a result of a boating accident on September 25, 2016, the Miami Marlins built a memorial at LoanDepot Park in his honor, which displays his number 16.

November 16, 2017: Giancarlo Stanton Wins National League MVP

On November 16, 2017, Giancarlo Stanton won the National League MVP, becoming the first Marlin to win the award.

2017: Felo Ramírez ends play-by-play

In 2017, Felo Ramírez ended his play-by-play on Radio Mambi 710 AM along with Luis Quintana, after starting in 1993.

2019: Postseason Drought

From 2003 to 2019, the team's two World Series runs also marked their sole postseason appearances.

2019: Mermaids brought back

In 2019, the Marlins brought back the Mermaids for the first time since 2012.

November 13, 2020: Kim Ng Hired as General Manager

On November 13, 2020, the Marlins hired Kim Ng as the team's general manager, making her the first woman to hold such a position in any American major-level sports league, as well as MLB's first Asian American general manager.

2020: Marlins Finish 2nd in NL East and Sweep Cubs in Wild Card Series

During the shortened 2020 season, the Marlins finished with a 31–29 record, placing 2nd in the NL East. They swept the Chicago Cubs in 2 games in the Wild Card Series but lost to the Atlanta Braves in three games in the NLDS.

2021: Marlins Unveil City Connect Uniform

In 2021, the Marlins unveiled a City Connect uniform. The primarily red uniform with Miami blue trim paid homage to the Cuban Sugar Kings.

February 28, 2022: Derek Jeter Steps Down as CEO

On February 28, 2022, it was announced that Derek Jeter stepped down as CEO of the Marlins.

July 16, 2022: Sandy's Beach opens

On July 16, 2022, the Marlins opened "Sandy's Beach" at Section 22 of LoanDepot Park as a cheering section for fans of Sandy Alcantara.

September 30, 2023: Marlins Clinch Postseason Berth

On September 30, 2023, with a 7–3 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marlins clinched their fourth postseason berth, making Kim Ng the first woman GM in MLB history to lead a playoff team.

2024: Marlins Have No Retired Numbers for Former Players

As of 2024, the Marlins are the only franchise with no retired numbers for former players.

2024: Marlins Update Black Alternate Uniform and Introduce New Miami Blue Alternate

In 2024, the Marlins updated their black alternate uniform, changing the letters to white, and introduced a new Miami blue alternate uniform with black "Marlins" lettering with white trim and red drop shadows, originally their Spring Training uniform.

February 9, 2025: Marlins Announce Legends Hall of Fame

On February 9, 2025, the Marlins announced its Legends Hall of Fame, which honors former players, coaches, managers and staff members who made significant achievements and contributions to the organization and South Florida community. The 2025 inaugural Hall of Fame class features four members, each of whom will be inducted during certain points of the season.

March 30, 2025: Jeff Conine Induction Ceremony

Jeff Conine was the first to have an induction ceremony on March 30, 2025 as the first inductee to the Marlins' Legends Hall of Fame.

2025: Marlins Release Second City Connect Uniform

In 2025, the Marlins released a second City Connect uniform. This primarily black uniform with teal and pink accents paid homage to the vibrant Miami electric glow skyline and the original Florida Marlins look.