October 9, 2026
October 9, 2026
2003 Florida Marlins: Young Fish
The 2003 Florida Marlins went 91-71 in the regular season, finishing 10 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the National League East division crown, but qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. Manager Jack McKeon, at the age of 72, had a successful first season with the Marlins as they fared well in divisional play. The Marlins went 10-9 against the Braves, 13-6 against the Montreal Expos, 12-7 against the New York Mets, and 13-6 against the Philadelphia Phillies, while going 9-6 against the American League in Interleague Play.
Second baseman Luis Castillo, who contributed to the 1997 World Series campaign, batted .314 with 6 home runs, 187 hits, 19 doubles and 21 stolen bases. Mainly featured as the leadoff batter, speedy center fielder Juan Pierre batted .305 with 204 hits, 28 doubles, 7 triples and 65 stolen bases. Catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez batted .297 with 16 home runs and 85 RBIs off 152 hits, 36 doubles and 10 stolen bases. Third baseman Mike Lowell batted .276 with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs off 136 hits and 27 doubles.
First baseman Derrek Lee batted .271 with 31 home runs and 92 RBIs off 146 hits, 31 doubles and 21 stolen bases. Right fielder Juan Encarnacion batted .270 with 19 home runs and 94 RBIs off 162 hits, 37 doubles, 6 triples and 19 stolen bases. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez had 18 home runs off 135 hits, 33 doubles and 6 triples. At the age of 20, third baseman and outfielder Miguel Cabrera had 12 home runs and 62 RBIs off 84 hits, 21 doubles and 3 triples in 87 games played. Left fielder Brian Banks had 4 home runs, 6 doubles and 2 triples in 92 games played. Left fielder Jeff Conine had 5 home runs in 25 games played. Catcher and utility player Ramon Castro had 5 home runs in 40 games played.
The starting rotation was solid from top to bottom. Brad Penny went 14-10 with 138 strikeouts. Mark Redman went 14-9 with 151 strikeouts and a 3.59 ERA, recording 3 complete games. Dontrelle Willis went 14-6 with 142 strikeouts and a 3.30 ERA, recording 2 complete games and 2 shutouts. Josh Beckett went 9-8 with 152 strikeouts and a 3.04 ERA.
The Marlins also carried a reliable bullpen with them. Closer Braden Looper went 6-4 with 28 saves and a 3.68 ERA. Relief pitcher Ugueth Urbina went 3-0 with 6 saves and a 1.41 ERA. Relief pitcher Michael Tejera had 2 saves.
The Florida Marlins faced the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series, and the Marlins would win the series 3 games to 1. In Game 1 on September 30 at Pac Bell Park, the Giants beat the Marlins 2-0 behind pitcher Jason Schmidt’s complete game performance, in which he gave up only 3 hits while recording 5 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 4th inning, third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo had a bunt RBI single, and in the bottom of the 8th, Alfonzo added an RBI double.
In Game 2 on October 1, the Marlins responded by winning 9-5. In the top of the 1st inning, Derrek Lee had an RBI groundout, and in the bottom of the 1st, Giants slugging left fielder Barry Bonds had an RBI double. Alfonzo had a 2-run double in the bottom of the 4th, followed by an RBI groundout from outfielder Marquis Grissom. In the top of the 5th, Juan Pierre got the Marlins going again with an RBI single, followed by an RBI groundout from Luis Castillo and an RBI single by Ivan Rodriguez. In the bottom of the 5th, Giants first baseman J.T. Snow had an RBI single. Down 5-4 in the top of the 6th, Juan Encarnacion hit a solo home run, followed by a 2-run double from Pierre. Jeff Conine grounded into a forceout at second base to score Lee in the top of the 7th, and Lee reached on a fly ball error to score Pierre in the top of the 8th.
Pro Player Stadium in Miami hosted Game 3 on October 3, and the Marlins won 4-3. Pudge blasted a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 1st inning, though the Giants came back later on. Right fielder Jose Cruz grounded into a forceout at second base to score Bonds in the top of the 6th, and then pinch-hitting outfielder Pedro Feliz had an RBI single to tie the game. In the top of the 11th, the Giants took the lead with an RBI single courtesy of Alfonzo, but Rodriguez smacked a 2-run single in the bottom of the 11th to give the Marlins the thrilling victory.
The Marlins then eliminated the Giants with a 7-6 win in Game 4 on October 4. Giants catcher Yorvit Torrealba hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 2nd inning, but Conine reached on an error to score Cabrera in the bottom of the 2nd. Rodriguez added an RBI double and Lee added an RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd, and then Cabrera had a 2-run single in the bottom of the 4th. Shortstop Rich Aurilia had an RBI double and Bonds hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 6th, followed by an RBI double by Alfonzo and an RBI single by Snow. Cabrera’s 2-run single in the bottom of the 8th proved to be enough, as Snow’s RBI single in the top of the 9th fell short.
The run of the 2003 Florida Marlins is best remembered for their National League Championship Series battle against the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field hosted Game 1 on October 7, which saw the Marlins win 9-8. Cubs second baseman Mark Grudzielanek began the scoring with an RBI triple in the bottom of the 1st inning, followed by a 2-run home run by former Marlin great Moises Alou and an RBI double by Chicago’s own shortstop, also named Alex Gonzalez. Ivan Rodriguez gave the Marlins new life in the top of the 3rd with a 3-run home run, and Cabrera and Encarnacion followed with solo home runs of their own. Conine hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 6th, while Chicago’s Gonzalez blasted a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game at 6-6. In the top of the 9th, Rodriguez had a 2-run single, while Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa belted a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th. Mike Lowell provided the final blast of the game with a solo home run in the top of the 11th.
The Cubs came back to win Game 2 on October 8 with a 12-3 pounding of the Marlins. First baseman Randall Simon had a 2-run single in the bottom of the 1st inning, center fielder Kenny Lofton had an RBI single in the bottom of the 2nd, and Sosa followed by belting a 2-run home run. In the bottom of the 3rd, third baseman Aramis Ramirez hit a solo home run, catcher Paul Bako had an RBI double, and Lofton came back with another RBI single. In the bottom of the 5th, Chicago’s Gonzalez blasted a 2-run home run, followed by a Grudzielanek RBI double. Lee and Cabrera provided the only power for Florida in this game with back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the 6th, but with another Gonzalez home run for Chicago in the bottom of the 6th, the result was obvious, even though Florida catcher Mike Redmond scored on a double play.
Returning to Pro Player Stadium in Miami for Game 3 on October 10, the Marlins lost 5-4. Sosa had an RBI single in the top of the 1st, and Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 2nd, but Florida’s Alex Gonzalez had an RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd. Luis Castillo had an RBI groundout in the bottom of the 7th, followed by a Rodriguez RBI single. After Randall Simon crushed a 2-run home run in the top of the 8th, pinch-hitting outfielder Todd Hollandsworth had an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th. However, pinch-hitting left fielder Doug Glanville had an RBI triple in the top of the 11th to win it for Chicago.
The Cubs then won Game 4 8-3 on October 11 to take a commanding 3 games to 1 lead. Aramis Ramirez launched a grand slam in the top of the 1st, and he came back in the top of the 3rd with an RBI single. Chicago’s Gonzalez followed with his own RBI single. After Moises Alou had an RBI single in the top of the 4th, Florida’s Gonzalez had an RBI groundout in the bottom of the 5th, followed by a Hollandsworth RBI single. Ramirez came back in the top of the 7th to hit a solo home run, and Rodriguez’s RBI double in the bottom of the 8th was meaningless.
Facing elimination, the Marlins responded beautifully, starting with a 4-0 shutout victory in Game 5 on October 12. Josh Beckett pitched a complete game and gave up only 2 hits and 1 walk while recording 11 strikeouts. Mike Lowell belted a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 5th, Pudge hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th, and Conine hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th.
Game 6 on October 14 would forever be known as the “Steve Bartman Game,” in which a Cubs fan named Steve Bartman reached over the left field railing (along with other fans) for a baseball that could have been caught by left fielder Moises Alou.
In the bottom of the 1st, Sosa had an RBI double, and Sosa then scored on a wild pitch during a walk to first baseman Eric Karros in the bottom of the 6th. Grudzielanek then had an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th. After Pudge got Florida on the board with an RBI single in the top of the 8th, Derrek Lee hit a foul ball that would result in the Steve Bartman incident. After that, the wheels came off for the Chicago Cubs, as Lee had a 2-run double, Jeff Conine hit a sacrifice fly, shortstop Mike Mordecai hit a 3-run double, and Pierre had an RBI single. The Marlins, down 3-0 before Bartman, pulled off the 8-3 comeback win.
Much to the dismay of Cubs fans, the Marlins won Game 7 on October 15 by a score of 9-6 to send the Cubs packing. Miguel Cabrera broke through with a 3-run home run in the top of the 1st, but the Cubs fought back with an RBI groundout by catcher Damian Miller and a 2-run home run by Kerry Wood in the bottom of the 2nd. Alou then smacked a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 3rd, but Florida rallied back in the top of the 5th with an RBI double by Pudge, an RBI groundout by Cabrera, and an RBI single by Lee. Castillo then had an infield RBI single in the top of the 6th, and Florida’s Alex Gonzalez followed in the top of the 7th with a 2-run single. Outfielder Troy O’Leary’s pinch-hit solo home run in the bottom of the 7th did nothing to cure Chicago’s blues.
The 2003 Florida Marlins played against the American League Champion New York Yankees in the World Series, and the Marlins took Game 1 at Yankee Stadium II on October 18 by a score of 3-2. Ivan Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 1st inning, and then shortstop Derek Jeter had an RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd. Juan Pierre had a 2-run single in the top of the 5th, and then Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 6th.
Game 2 on October 19 belonged to the Yankees as they beat the Marlins 6-1. Pitcher Andy Pettitte went 8.2 innings deep and gave up 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 run while recording 7 strikeouts. Left fielder Hideki Matsui blasted a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 1st, while right fielder Juan Rivera had an RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd. Second baseman Alfonso Soriano crushed a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 4th, and only Derrek Lee could manage an RBI single in the top of the 9th for Florida.
Going back to Miami for Game 3 on October 21, the Marlins lost again, 6-1. Pitcher Mike Mussina went 7 innings deep for the Yankees, giving up 7 hits, 1 walk and 1 run while recording 9 strikeouts. After Cabrera had an RBI single in the top of the 1st, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada drew a bases-loaded walk to score Jeter in the top of the 4th, and then Matsui had an RBI single in the top of the 8th. The top of the 9th saw third baseman Aaron Boone hit a solo home run and Williams hit a 3-run home run.
On October 22, the Marlins won Game 4 by a score of 4-3. Cabrera went deep for a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 1st, and Lee followed with an RBI single. After a sacrifice fly by Boone in the top of the 2nd, outfielder Ruben Sierra had a pinch-hit 2-run triple in the top of the 9th to tie the game at 3-3. However, Alex Gonzalez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 12th to even the World Series at 2 games apiece.
The Marlins then won Game 5 on October 23 by a score of 6-4. Bernie Williams hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 1st, and then Gonzalez hit a ground-rule double in the bottom of the 2nd, followed by a 2-run single by Brad Penny. Pierre then had an RBI double in the bottom of the 4th, and Lowell followed with a 2-run single in the bottom of the 5th. Jeter had an RBI single in the top of the 7th, and first baseman Jason Giambi had a pinch-hit solo home run in the top of the 9th. However, second baseman Enrique Wilson’s RBI double wasn’t enough to keep the game going.
Returning to Yankee Stadium II for Game 6 on October 25, the Marlins shut out the Yankees 2-0 behind an amazing complete game performance by Josh Beckett, who would win the World Series Most Valuable Player award. Beckett gave up 5 hits and 2 walks but struck out 9 batters. All that Florida needed was an RBI single by Luis Castillo in the top of the 5th inning and a sacrifice fly by Juan Encarnacion in the top of the 6th to score Jeff Conine. The Marlins won their second World Series title in franchise history, having the right blend of young and experienced players.
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