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The Florida Marlins’ Franchise was started as part of the 1985 Major League Baseball expansion that included the Marlins and the Rockies. On July 5, 1991, baseball owners accepted the Marlins, located in Miami Florida, into the Major Leagues. The Marlins played in their first game on April 5, 1993 defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3.
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In 1997, the Florida Marlins won 92 games while losing 70 games. This impressive record was second only to the Atlanta Braves in the Eastern Division but good enough to give the Marlins a postseason playoff position as the National League Wild Card. Under the direction of General Manager Jim Leyland, the Marlins would sweep the San Francisco Giants in the Division Series and then surprise the Atlanta Braves by taking the National League Championship in the Championship Series Playoffs. The seemingly unstoppable ‘Fish’, as they are called, would take the World Series Championship title home to Florida after defeating the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series. The success of the 1997 team was credited in part to pitching ace Kevin Brown and slugger Gary Sheffield.
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In 2003, the Marlins would get a sense of cosmic déjà vu. The Marlins won 91 games and lost 71 games and became the National League Wild Card for a second time. They defeated the San Francisco Giants, 3 games to 1, in the Division Series and would take the Pennant away from the Chicago Cubs in seven games. The Marlins went on to the World Series and defeated the heavily favored New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in 6 games. This was the first time the Yankees had been eliminated from postseason play at home since 1981.
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Originally known as Dolphin Stadium, Pro Player Stadium was built in 1987 for the professional football team, the Miami Dolphins at a cost of $115 million. During the start up of the Marlins' franchise, they acquired rights to play baseball in the stadium by purchasing 50 percent of the Stadium in 1990. Eventually the Marlins would purchase the remaining 50 percent in 1994.
Although the Marlins were the first team to call Pro Player Stadium their home, they are not the first team to play baseball there. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-8 in an exhibition games on March 11, 1988, five years before the Marlins played their first game in the stadium.
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