The 2003 Florida Marlins season was the 11th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in the National League. The Marlins were the National League Wild Card winners, the National League champions, and the World Series champions. They defeated the New York Yankees in the World 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 the 1914 Boston Braves.
This was the last Marlins team to make the postseason until 2020, and last Marlins team to make the postseason in a full season until 2023.
Contents
Offseason
The Marlins pulled off some blockbuster deals during the 2003 off season, the most impressive being that of 10-time Gold Glove winning catcher Iván Rodríguez. They also traded catcher Charles Johnson and outfielder Preston Wilson to the Colorado Rockies for lead-off man Juan Pierre.
November 16, 2002: Charles Johnson was traded by the Florida Marlins with Vic Darensbourg, Pablo Ozuna, and Preston Wilson to the Colorado Rockies for Juan Pierre, Mike Hampton, and cash (shortly thereafter, Mike Hampton was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Tim Spooneybarger).
November 12, 2002: Matt Treanor signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins.
January 8, 2003: Todd Hollandsworth signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins.
January 28, 2003: Iván Rodríguez signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins.
February 13, 2003: Al Martin signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins.
February 15, 2003: Kevin Millar was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the Florida Marlins.
March 28, 2003: Al Martin was released by the Florida Marlins.
Regular season
Opening Day starters
Josh Beckett – SP
Luis Castillo – 2B
Juan Encarnación – RF
Álex González – SS
Todd Hollandsworth – LF
Derrek Lee – 1B
Mike Lowell – 3B
Juan Pierre – CF
Iván Rodríguez – C
Sluggish start
Jeff Torborg, the manager at the start of the season, led the team to a 16-22 start. Adding to that, their three top pitchers A. J. Burnett, Josh Beckett and Mark 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 with Jack McKeon, a 72-year-old who began his major league managerial career in 1973 with the Kansas City Royals.
Midseason acquisitions
Miguel Cabrera – 3B → called up from the AA Carolina Mudcats
Jeff Conine – 1B → acquired from Baltimore in exchange for two minor league players.
Dontrelle Willis – LHP → called up from the Mudcats.
Ugueth Urbina – RHP → acquired from Texas in exchange for Adrián González and two other minor league players.
Aaron Small (RHP) signed as a free agent.
Player stats
Batting
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Postseason
With a 4–3 win over the New York Mets on September 26, the Marlins clinched their second wildcard in team history, and finishing with an overall record of 91–71.
National League Division Series
The Marlins won the Division Series over the heavily favored defending National League champion San Francisco Giants. The series ended with a play at the plate with catcher Iván Rodríguez prevailing over Giants first baseman J. T. Snow. Coupled with a perfect throw from Conine and an amazing catch from Rodríguez, Snow was attempting to score by using a football 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.
NLCS
The 2003 National League Championship Series is one of the most infamous post-season series in MLB history. The Florida Marlins had previously been as low as 19-29 (.396) in the National League. The Cubs jumped to a 3-1 lead including 2 games in Miami and were the favorites to take the series. Game Five brought the series back to Wrigley Field where the Cubs needed only one more win to advance to the World Series. In Game Six, the Cubs lost to the Marlins despite holding a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning, tying the series. This was the game of the Steve Bartman incident. In game seven, the Marlins beat the Cubs in Chicago clinching their second pennant in 6 years.
2003 World Series
In the World Series, the underdog Marlins prevailed over the Yankees, 4 games to 2. 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 the strike in 1994, it was only the 99th World Series played. Josh Beckett was named the World Series MVP.
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.
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Carolina