In the first two installments, we covered the elaborate and risky moves that have led the Braves and Mets to the 2009 season.
Neither team, however, can hold a candle to the revolving door known as the Florida Marlins. Since being established as an expansion franchise in 1993, the Marlins have had three different owners, three different general managers, nine different managers, and somehow managed to win two World Series Championships. And if the “Every Six Years” theory holds true, 2009 should end in yet another ring for the Fish.
In 1993, the Marlins were owned by H. Wayne Huizenga, a self-made billionaire who amassed his fortunes by 
turning a single garbage truck into a Fortune 500 waste disposal company, Waste Management, only to repeat his business success when he founded Blockbuster Video. Huizenga brought in a strong supporting cast, hiring former Expos GM Dave Dombrowski to run the front office and third base coach under Tony LaRussa, Rene Lachemann, as the team’s first manager. But being an expansion team was tough and the losses piled up.
By 1997, Lachemann had been replaced by Cookie Rojas, who was in turn replaced by John Boles, who was replaced by Jim Leyland. Leyland, especially, gave the Marlins strength and credibility in the dugout having managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for a decade including three straight National League Championship Series appearances. Leyland had lost his desire to manage the Pirates after Pittsburgh’s ownership decided to shed talented players in the mid 90’s to keep costs down and he saw this job as a fresh start.
Leading up and immediately prior to 1997, Dombrowski had added numerous talented free agents including Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Devon White and Moises Alou to go along with slugger Gary Sheffield and budding star catcher Charles Johnson. With development from Edgar Renteria and Livan Hernandez, both products of Dombrowski’s 
scouting programs in the Carribbean and South America, the team was ready for its first ever winning season. Not only did they accomplish this, but the Marlins won 92 games and captured the National League Wild Card. Hernandez - the World Series MVP - and Alou would shine as the Marlins went on to defeat a loaded Cleveland Indians team, taking the World Series in 7 games.
But before the dust had settled, Huizenga claimed that the cost of running the team was too high and mandated that Dombrowski dismantle the champs, instantly becoming one of the most prolific firesales in baseball history. Before the next All-Star game, LF Alou was shipped to the Houston Astros, CF White to the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks, RF Gary Sheffield was sent to Los Angeles, 3B Bobby Bonilla to the Dodgers, 1B Jeff Conine to Kansas City, Catcher Charles Johnson to the Dodgers, Closer Robb Nen to San Francisco, and Pitchers Kevin Brown and Ed Vosberg to the Padres, and Al Leiter and Dennis Cook to the Mets. The following season, the Marlins lost 108 games. Dombrowski traded SS Edgar Renteria to the St. Louis Cardinals and manager Jim Leyland, who had said after Game 7 of the World Series, “My wife doesn’t like me that much. I can’t retire,” decided to resign rather than lead a team whose owner didn’t want to win.
By 2003, Huizenga had sold off the team to John M. Henry, a commodities trader from Boca Raton. Henry in turn wanted to buy the Boston Red Sox and financed the deal by selling the Marlins to Jeff Loria, who had just sold the Montreal Expos to Major League Baseball after a period of attempting to relocate the team. John Boles, who took over for Leyland again, was replaced by Hall of Famer Tony Perez, who was replaced by Jeff Torborg, who was replaced by former Padres GM Jack McKeon. Loria hired former Expos GM Larry Beinfest to replace Dave Dombrowski, who had left the Marlins to take the position of President and CEO of the Detroit Tigers.
Moreover, the talent acquired in Dombrowski’s various deals were starting to pay dividends. A.J. Burnett, acquired from the Mets, helped anchor a staff led by Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Dontrelle Willis and Mark Redman. Derrek Lee, acquired from the Padres, helped anchor a lineup featuring Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell and top-of-the-lineup sparkplugs Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo.
The Marlins would go on to win 91 games and capture the National League Wild Card again. After the “Steve Bartman Incident” in which a fan reached out to intercept a flyout headed toward the glove of then Chicago Cub Moises Alou, the Marlins went on to face and beat the mighty New York Yankees in 6 games. 23-year-old flamethrower Josh Beckett took home the MVP trophy.
This time, owner Jeff Loria claimed costs were too high and that the team could not succeed without a new ballpark funded by the public. He and Beinfest organized a much slower firesale, trading Derrek Lee, Encarnacion, and Redman that offseason and opting not to resign catcher Ivan Rodriguez or closer Ugueth Urbina. The following winter, Beinfest traded Penny to the Dodgers for catcher Paul LoDuca and pitcher Guillermo Mota.
Then one year later, he let A.J. Burnett leave via free agency and traded Beckett, Lowell, newly signed 1B Carlos Delgado, LoDuca, Mota, Pierre and Castillo (the only remaining member of the 1997 World Series team). Finally, another year later, Beinfest agreed to a deal with Dombrowski to send superstar Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit.
Now, six years after their last World Series title, the Marlins are back. Those trades produced their closer, Matt Lindstrom, and three members of their rotation - Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez, and Andrew Miller - while solid drafting and development filled out the rest with Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad. The Cabrera trade yielded the top-of-the-order sparkplug in centerfielder Cameron Maybin while the Beckett trade yielded middle-of-the-order slugging shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
What’s more, Florida just received great news that they will in fact be getting their new ballpark. With a young, talented team, the Marlins have already taken a 1 game lead in the National League East. Who’s to say they can’t make it happen again? And this time, they’re here to stay.
In Part 4, we’ll review the Washington Nationals.
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