1998 Florida Marlins season
Encyclopedia
The 1998 Florida Marlins
season started off with the team trying to repeat as World Series Champions, a title they won from 1997
. Their manager was Jim Leyland
. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium
. They finished with a record of 54-108, 5 in the NL East. The team is notable for having arguably the biggest fire sale
in sports history, auctioning off nearly all of their most notable players.
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
season started off with the team trying to repeat as World Series Champions, a title they won from 1997
1997 Major League Baseball season
*American League Championship Series MVP: Marquis Grissom**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Liván Hernández**National League Division Series...
. Their manager was Jim Leyland
Jim Leyland
James Richard "Jim" Leyland is a Major League Baseball manager, currently with the Detroit Tigers.He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
. They finished with a record of 54-108, 5 in the NL East. The team is notable for having arguably the biggest fire sale
Fire sale
A fire sale is the sale of goods at extremely discounted prices, typically when the seller faces bankruptcy or other impending distress. The term may originally have been based on the sale of goods at a heavy discount due to fire damage...
in sports history, auctioning off nearly all of their most notable players.
Offseason
- November 18, 1997: Devon White was traded by the Florida Marlins to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jesus Martinez (minors).
- December 15, 1997: Scott PodsednikScott PodsednikScott Eric Podsednik is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Podsednik led the major leagues in stolen bases in with 70.-Minor leagues:...
was drafted by the Texas Rangers from the Florida Marlins in the 1997 rule 5 draft. - December 15, 1997: Derrek LeeDerrek LeeDerrek Leon Lee , or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball first baseman. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres , the Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...
was traded by the San Diego Padres with Steve Hoff (minors) and Rafael Medina to the Florida Marlins for Kevin Brown. - December 21, 1997: Kevin MillarKevin MillarKevin Charles Millar is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current analyst for MLB Network and New England Sports Network. Millar played college baseball at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he continues to reside in the off-season. Millar is the nephew of former...
was signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
Regular season
- June 22, 1998 - The first interleagueInterleague playInterleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
game between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays took place at Tropicana FieldTropicana FieldTropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
. The rivalry would be known as the Citrus SeriesCitrus SeriesThe Citrus Series is the name given to the interleague series between the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball. The Marlins broke into the league in as the Florida Marlins, while the Rays had their first season in as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The first meeting between the two...
. The Marlins won the game in twelve innings by a score of 3-2.
Notable transactions
- April 15, 1998: Jacob Brumfield was signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
The Mike Piazza trades
- May 14, 1998: Mike PiazzaMike PiazzaMichael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with Todd ZeileTodd ZeileTodd Edward Zeile is a former catcher, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1989 to . After graduating from UCLA, where he played as a catcher, Zeile played for 11 Major League teams during his career: the St...
to the Florida Marlins for Manuel Barrios, Bobby BonillaBobby BonillaRoberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is a former player in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 to 2001. Known in his playing days as "Bobby Bo," Bonilla is of Puerto Rican descent.-Playing career:...
, Jim EisenreichJim EisenreichJames Michael Eisenreich is an American former Major League Baseball player with a 15-year career from 1982–1984 and 1987–1998. He played for the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals of the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers of the National...
, Charles Johnson, and Gary SheffieldGary SheffieldGary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
. - May 22, 1998: Mike Piazza was traded by the Florida Marlins to the New York Mets for Preston WilsonPreston WilsonPreston James Richard Wilson is a retired professional baseball outfielder. He played in the major leagues from 1998-2007. He is both the nephew and stepson of former New York Mets star Mookie Wilson...
, Ed YarnallEd YarnallHarvey Edward Yarnall is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Yarnall was drafted by the New York Mets in the third round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. In 1998, he was traded with Geoff Goetz and Preston Wilson to the Florida Marlins for Mike Piazza...
, and Geoff Goetz (minors).
Roster
| 1998 Florida Marlins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (Bench) (3rd Base) (Pitching) (Bullpen) (Hitting) (1st Base) |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Pos | Player | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | Avg. | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Gregg Zaun | 106 | 298 | 19 | 56 | 5 | 29 | .188 | 5 |
| 1B | Derrek Lee | 141 | 454 | 62 | 106 | 17 | 74 | .233 | 5 |
| 2B | Craig Counsell | 107 | 335 | 43 | 84 | 4 | 40 | .251 | 3 |
| 3B | Todd Zeile | 66 | 234 | 37 | 68 | 6 | 39 | .291 | 2 |
| SS | Edgar Renteria | 133 | 517 | 79 | 146 | 3 | 31 | .282 | 41 |
| LF | Cliff Floyd | 153 | 588 | 85 | 166 | 22 | 90 | .282 | 27 |
| CF | Todd Dunwoody | 116 | 434 | 53 | 109 | 5 | 28 | .251 | 5 |
| RF | Mark Kotsay | 154 | 578 | 72 | 161 | 11 | 68 | .279 | 10 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | Avg. | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Berg Dave Berg (baseball) David Scott Berg is a former Major League Baseball utility player. Originally selected by the Florida Marlins in the 38th round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft, Berg last played for the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks in the Texas Rangers organization... |
81 | 182 | 18 | 57 | 2 | 21 | .313 | 3 |
| Bobby Bonilla Bobby Bonilla Roberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is a former player in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 to 2001. Known in his playing days as "Bobby Bo," Bonilla is of Puerto Rican descent.-Playing career:... |
28 | 97 | 11 | 27 | 4 | 15 | .278 | 0 |
| Josh Booty Josh Booty Joshua Gibson Booty is a National Football League quarterback and former Major League Baseball third baseman. He is currently a free agent after being waived by the Oakland Raiders... |
7 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .158 | 0 |
| John Cangelosi John Cangelosi John Anthony Cangelosi , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1985–1990, 1992, and 1994-1999. He graduated from Miami Springs High School in Miami Springs, Florida... |
104 | 171 | 19 | 43 | 1 | 10 | .251 | 2 |
| Luis Castillo | 44 | 153 | 21 | 31 | 1 | 10 | .203 | 3 |
| Brian Daubach Brian Daubach Brian Michael Daubach is a retired Major League Baseball player and current minor league baseball manager. During his playing career Daubach served as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter... |
10 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .200 | 0 |
| Jim Eisenreich Jim Eisenreich James Michael Eisenreich is an American former Major League Baseball player with a 15-year career from 1982–1984 and 1987–1998. He played for the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals of the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers of the National... |
30 | 64 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 7 | .250 | 2 |
| 25 | 86 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 7 | .151 | 0 | |
| Ryan Jackson | 111 | 260 | 26 | 65 | 5 | 31 | .250 | 1 |
| 31 | 113 | 13 | 25 | 7 | 23 | .221 | 0 | |
| Randy Knorr Randy Knorr Randy Duane Knorr is the manager for the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, the Triple A affiliate to the Washington Nationals, and is a former catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays , Houston Astros , Florida Marlins , Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos... |
15 | 49 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 11 | .204 | 0 |
| Kevin Orie Kevin Orie Kevin Leonard Orie is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He is an alumnus of Indiana University, where he was a standout for the Hoosiers baseball team.-Chicago Cubs:... |
48 | 175 | 23 | 46 | 6 | 17 | .263 | 1 |
| Mike Piazza Mike Piazza Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics.... |
5 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | .278 | 0 |
| Mike Redmond | 37 | 118 | 10 | 39 | 2 | 12 | .331 | 0 |
| Gary Sheffield Gary Sheffield Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:... |
40 | 136 | 21 | 37 | 6 | 28 | .272 | 4 |
| John Wehner John Wehner John Paul Wehner is a former Utility player in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates... |
53 | 88 | 10 | 20 | 0 | 5 | .227 | 1 |
| Preston Wilson Preston Wilson Preston James Richard Wilson is a retired professional baseball outfielder. He played in the major leagues from 1998-2007. He is both the nephew and stepson of former New York Mets star Mookie Wilson... |
14 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .065 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO | BB |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO | BB |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO | BB |
|---|