2008 Florida Marlins season
Encyclopedia
The Florida Marlins
' 2008 season
was the 16th season for the Major League Baseball
franchise. Fredi González
returned for his second season as manager. Despite having the lowest payroll in the Major Leagues, the Marlins finished with a record of 84–77, the 4th best record in franchise history.
. They go on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates
, sweep the Washington Nationals
in their series, and take the first game of the series vs. Houston Astros
while earning their 4th straight victory and leading their division with a 7–3 record by 1 ½ games the first week.
They tied the franchise record for the most victories in April, with 15.
from starting the season with a 10–0 record, a feat not accomplished since World War I. After wininng the homes series against the Giants and losing to the Mets at Shea Stadium
the Marlins split the first two of three in Philadelphia to finish May atop their division with a half-game edge over the Phillies. They were in first place or tied for first all through the month except for May 30.
off Mark Hendrickson in a 9–4 loss. The Marlins finished their home stand winning two of three against the Phillies, and narrowed the gap to their division rival to three games. An interleague road swing starting in St. Petersburg saw both teams of the Citrus Series sporting records above .500 for the first time ever. Tampa Bay took the first two games, but an outstanding performance by Ricky Nolasco earned him the win and a shared NL Player of the Week award
, and let the series finish on a high note for the Fish. For the first time in Seattle at Safeco Field
, they took two of three on solid outings by youngsters Andrew Miller and Ryan Tucker, before heading after a day off to another new ballpark for a three game series against the Oakland Athletics. Despite a Marlins' long ball attack with four home runs in the first encounter, the A's won it in extra innings to take two of three. After a day off the Marlins were swept in three games by their state rival Tampa Bay Rays to finish 2008 interleague play with a 5–10 record. The first loss to the D-Backs in 2008 was the only blemish in the last four games in June. Throughout the month in second place they trailed the Phillies only half a game in the division standings on June 30.
division throughout the month. They won or split all but two — against the Rockies and the Braves — of their series in July. Though they never held first place, they neither were back more than three games and finished the month seven games over .500, trailing the first place Phillies only by 1½ games. Remarkable was a game at Coors Field
on July 4, where the Marlins were vanquished after blowing a nine run lead to finally lose 18–17. Ironically, the Marlins led the NL with 32 come-from-behind wins as of the end of the month. The rotation was shaken up with the call-up of Chris Volstad
on July 6. He earned his first win that same night in two innings of relief at Colorado, then earning his first win as a starter five days later at the Dodgers with a brilliant 8⅔ inning performance, helping the Marlins take three of four in L.A. Right before the All-Star
break, Josh Johnson made it back to the line-up, only eleven months after having undergone Tommy John surgery
. On July 31, Aníbal Sánchez
also had his comeback after shoulder surgery. Both of them boosted the rotation like the acquisition of top pitchers. Before the July 31 trade deadline, there were major rumors of the Fish acquiring Manny Ramírez
for the rest of the season, but he eventually was traded to the Dodgers. The multiple rumors did not impact the squad, having beaten both the Cubs at Wrigley and their division rivals Mets at home twice, before taking the first game of a four game series against the Rockies at Dolphin Stadium.
Hanley Ramírez
was elected to start at shortstop for the NL in the All-Star Game
, and finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Fellow Marlin All-Star Dan Uggla
competed in a memorable Home Run Derby
, and became the first player with three errors in a single All-Star Game, a not so favorable distinction, along with three strikeouts in the longest MLB All-Star Game in history.
. During the month, the Marlins tied a franchise record of nine straight wins. This put them at 4 games back in the East division and 3.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race. That late surge wasn't enough though, as the Marlins lost the next four games. In the final season series, the Marlins played spoiler, ruining the Mets playoff chances by winning two of three in New York. The Marlins ended the season with an 84–77 record. This was their best non-playoff season record in franchise history, and third best season record overall.
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...
' 2008 season
2008 Major League Baseball season
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...
was the 16th season for the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
franchise. Fredi González
Fredi González
Fredi Jesus González is the current manager of the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball. Gonzalez is also the former manager of the Florida Marlins 2007–2010. For the four years prior to 2007, he was third base coach for the Atlanta Braves.-Biography:Gonzalez grew up in Miami, Florida, where he...
returned for his second season as manager. Despite having the lowest payroll in the Major Leagues, the Marlins finished with a record of 84–77, the 4th best record in franchise history.
April
The season started off well for the Marlins even though they lost the opening series to the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. They go on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, sweep the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in their series, and take the first game of the series vs. Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
while earning their 4th straight victory and leading their division with a 7–3 record by 1 ½ games the first week.
They tied the franchise record for the most victories in April, with 15.
May
The Marlins started the month with a loss to the Dodgers, but after taking two of three from the Padres they swept the Brewers and the Nationals back-to-back to eventually improve to a Major League best record on May 11, before the Reds took three in a row in Cincinnati. After a rainout the Royals handed the Marlins their fourth consecutive loss, the last two of the interleague series were split. They went on to sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks, whom at that time had the National League's best record, and in that process stopped Brandon WebbBrandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
from starting the season with a 10–0 record, a feat not accomplished since World War I. After wininng the homes series against the Giants and losing to the Mets at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
the Marlins split the first two of three in Philadelphia to finish May atop their division with a half-game edge over the Phillies. They were in first place or tied for first all through the month except for May 30.
June
After a loss in Philadelphia, the Marlins fell back to second place in the division, but they could hold the second spot despite losing three of four in Atlanta. Back in Dolphin Stadium, they split a four game series against the Reds. In the last game of the series on June 9, hit his 600th career home run500 home run club
In Major League Baseball , the 500 home run club is a term applied to the group of batters who have hit 500 or more regular-season home runs in their careers. On August 11, 1929, Babe Ruth became the first member of the club. Ruth ended his career with 714 home runs, a record which stood from 1935...
off Mark Hendrickson in a 9–4 loss. The Marlins finished their home stand winning two of three against the Phillies, and narrowed the gap to their division rival to three games. An interleague road swing starting in St. Petersburg saw both teams of the Citrus Series sporting records above .500 for the first time ever. Tampa Bay took the first two games, but an outstanding performance by Ricky Nolasco earned him the win and a shared NL Player of the Week award
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week award is a Major League Baseball award named by each of the American and National Leagues each week of the regular season...
, and let the series finish on a high note for the Fish. For the first time in Seattle at Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
, they took two of three on solid outings by youngsters Andrew Miller and Ryan Tucker, before heading after a day off to another new ballpark for a three game series against the Oakland Athletics. Despite a Marlins' long ball attack with four home runs in the first encounter, the A's won it in extra innings to take two of three. After a day off the Marlins were swept in three games by their state rival Tampa Bay Rays to finish 2008 interleague play with a 5–10 record. The first loss to the D-Backs in 2008 was the only blemish in the last four games in June. Throughout the month in second place they trailed the Phillies only half a game in the division standings on June 30.
July
The Marlins stayed in the top three of the NL EastNational League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
division throughout the month. They won or split all but two — against the Rockies and the Braves — of their series in July. Though they never held first place, they neither were back more than three games and finished the month seven games over .500, trailing the first place Phillies only by 1½ games. Remarkable was a game at Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
on July 4, where the Marlins were vanquished after blowing a nine run lead to finally lose 18–17. Ironically, the Marlins led the NL with 32 come-from-behind wins as of the end of the month. The rotation was shaken up with the call-up of Chris Volstad
Chris Volstad
Christopher Kenneth Volstad is a right-handed pitcher for the Miami Marlins. He is 6 foot 8 inches and 225 pounds, and is a 2005 graduate of Palm Beach Gardens High School....
on July 6. He earned his first win that same night in two innings of relief at Colorado, then earning his first win as a starter five days later at the Dodgers with a brilliant 8⅔ inning performance, helping the Marlins take three of four in L.A. Right before the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
break, Josh Johnson made it back to the line-up, only eleven months after having undergone Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
. On July 31, Aníbal Sánchez
Aníbal Sánchez
Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez, Jr. [a-NEE-bal] is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher with the Miami Marlins. He is listed as 6 feet tall and 180 pounds...
also had his comeback after shoulder surgery. Both of them boosted the rotation like the acquisition of top pitchers. Before the July 31 trade deadline, there were major rumors of the Fish acquiring Manny Ramírez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
for the rest of the season, but he eventually was traded to the Dodgers. The multiple rumors did not impact the squad, having beaten both the Cubs at Wrigley and their division rivals Mets at home twice, before taking the first game of a four game series against the Rockies at Dolphin Stadium.
Hanley Ramírez
Hanley Ramirez
Hanley Ramirez is a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Miami Marlins. Ramírez was named 2006 NL Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In 2009, Ramírez won the NL batting title and is a three-time All-Star starter...
was elected to start at shortstop for the NL in the All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
, and finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Fellow Marlin All-Star Dan Uggla
Dan Uggla
Daniel Cooley Uggla is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball....
competed in a memorable Home Run Derby
2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
The 2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was held on Monday, July 14, 2008, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York City...
, and became the first player with three errors in a single All-Star Game, a not so favorable distinction, along with three strikeouts in the longest MLB All-Star Game in history.
August
August became a rough month for the Marlins, and for the first time in the season, the team significantly lost ground in the divisional race to the Mets and the Phillies. While the Fish started the month only one and a half games back, they fell to seven games behind the then first place New York Mets on August 31. The offense struggled, as did the bullpen. The solid rotation with Josh Johnson, Chris Volstad and an outstanding Ricky Nolasco was not enough to carry the team with a lack of production at the plate. After blowing a few late leads, closer Kevin Gregg was limited in his appearances while allowing his tender knee to heal. Matt Lindstrom took over as closer. The only series wins came on the road at the Phillies and the Diamondbacks, but without any back-to-back wins in the entirety of August, the Marlins could not keep pace with the division leading teams. Highlights in August were the first complete games since September 16, 2006, thrown by Ricky Nolasco on August 19 against the Giants, and followed up by Johnson's complete game on August 27 against the Braves. Nolasco's complete game ended an MLB record set by the Marlins for most games between complete games.September
The hopes of climbing back to first place in the National League East were low, but the Marlins kept battling in the month of September. In the process, they accomplished an MLB-first feat. With Jorge Cantu's 25th home run of the season, the Marlins' infielders became the first starting infielder foursome in MLB history to each hit 25 or more home runs. Additionally, Hanley Ramirez's decisive home run on September 13 made him the second Marlin ever to join the 30-30 club30-30 club
The 30–30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season....
. During the month, the Marlins tied a franchise record of nine straight wins. This put them at 4 games back in the East division and 3.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race. That late surge wasn't enough though, as the Marlins lost the next four games. In the final season series, the Marlins played spoiler, ruining the Mets playoff chances by winning two of three in New York. The Marlins ended the season with an 84–77 record. This was their best non-playoff season record in franchise history, and third best season record overall.
Roster
| 2008 Florida Marlins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches (bullpen coordinator) (bullpen) (first base/infield) (third base) (hitting) (bench) (pitching) |
||||||
Game log
| Legend | ||
|---|---|---|
| Marlins Win | Marlins Loss | Game Postponed |
| 2008 Florida Marlins Game Log | |
|---|---|
Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 155 | 628 | 92 | 174 | 41 | 0 | 29 | 95 | .277 | 6 | |
| 153 | 589 | 125 | 177 | 34 | 4 | 33 | 67 | .301 | 35 | |
| 146 | 531 | 97 | 138 | 37 | 1 | 32 | 92 | .260 | 5 | |
| 145 | 461 | 59 | 120 | 29 | 5 | 22 | 73 | .260 | 6 | |
| 142 | 502 | 74 | 125 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 61 | .249 | 6 | |
| 141 | 477 | 67 | 118 | 27 | 2 | 32 | 93 | .247 | 1 | |
| 136 | 341 | 30 | 89 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 47 | .261 | 1 | |
| 132 | 251 | 28 | 61 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 31 | .243 | 0 | |
| 125 | 311 | 41 | 82 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 32 | .264 | 8 | |
| 102 | 351 | 54 | 89 | 21 | 5 | 15 | 51 | .254 | 3 | |
| 69 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 65 | 206 | 18 | 49 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 23 | .238 | 1 | |
| 62 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 61 | 197 | 32 | 59 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 32 | .299 | 0 | |
| 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 46 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 44 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | 0 | |
| 44 | 63 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .206 | 0 | |
| 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 35 | 35 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .257 | 0 | |
| 34 | 109 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .202 | 0 | |
| 33 | 62 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .129 | 0 | |
| 32 | 63 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .143 | 0 | |
| 27 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .067 | 0 | |
| 26 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .059 | 0 | |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 21 | 34 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .294 | 0 | |
| 18 | 37 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .108 | 0 | |
| 15 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .115 | 0 | |
| 14 | 30 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .133 | 0 | |
| 13 | 40 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | 0 | |
| 12 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 | 0 | |
| 11 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .182 | 0 | |
| 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 8 | 32 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .500 | 4 | |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .375 | 0 | |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | |
| Totals | 162 | 5499 | 770 | 1397 | 302 | 28 | 208 | 741 | .254 | 76 |
Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts| Player | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 8 | 3.52 | 34 | 32 | 0 | 212.1 | 88 | 83 | 42 | 186 | |
| 8 | 11 | 3.41 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 201.2 | 106 | 94 | 69 | 113 | |
| 7 | 8 | 3.41 | 72 | 0 | 29 | 68.2 | 30 | 26 | 37 | 58 | |
| 7 | 8 | 5.45 | 36 | 19 | 0 | 133.2 | 87 | 81 | 48 | 81 | |
| 7 | 1 | 3.61 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 87.1 | 78 | 70 | 56 | 89 | |
| 6 | 10 | 5.87 | 29 | 20 | 0 | 107.1 | 78 | 70 | 56 | 89 | |
| 6 | 4 | 2.88 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 84.1 | 30 | 27 | 36 | 52 | |
| 4 | 2 | 4.24 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 46.2 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 43 | |
| 4 | 2 | 3.69 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 63.1 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 46 | |
| 3 | 3 | 3.14 | 66 | 0 | 5 | 57.1 | 21 | 20 | 26 | 43 | |
| 3 | 1 | 2.00 | 59 | 0 | 1 | 54.0 | 16 | 12 | 22 | 60 | |
| 3 | 1 | 4.23 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 55.1 | 56 | 56 | 33 | 55 | |
| 2 | 3 | 8.27 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 37.0 | 34 | 34 | 23 | 28 | |
| 2 | 5 | 5.57 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 51.2 | 35 | 32 | 27 | 50 | |
| 2 | 5 | 4.45 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 64.2 | 33 | 32 | 39 | 56 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0.68 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 13.1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14 | |
| 2 | 3 | 6.08 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 47.1 | 34 | 32 | 21 | 35 | |
| 1 | 1 | 7.71 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 14.0 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 20 | |
| 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 8.15 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 13 | |
| 0 | 0 | 10.80 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | |
| 0 | 0 | 18.00 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 20 | 18 | 11 | 4 | |
| Totals | 84 | 77 | 4.44 | 161 | 161 | 36 | 1435.3 | 767 | 708 | 586 | 1127 |
Players selected
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 6 | Kyle Skipworth Kyle Skipworth Kyle Trent Skipworth is a minor league baseball catcher.Skipworth won the Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year Award in 2008.... http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2008/reports.jsp?content=skipworth |
Catcher | Patriot HS Patriot High School Patriot High School is a high school in Jurupa Valley, California and is part of the Jurupa Unified School District. It accommodates students of the 9th to 12th grades... (Calif.) |