Franchise Timeline

1990

Mar. 7: H. Wayne Huizenga announces he has purchased half of Joe Robbie Stadium and 15 percent of the Miami Dolphins for an estimated $30 million. Huizenga states his intention to aggressively pursue an expansion franchise.

Sept. 13: Dade County Commission repeals an ordinance that had limited Joe Robbie Stadium to 18 events a year.

Sept. 18: The National League Expansion Committee hears presentations from all three South Florida groups and one from the Miami Beacon Council.

Dec. 18: The NL unveils a list of six possible expansion sites. South Florida is included, along with Tampa-St. Petersburg, Orlando, Denver, Buffalo and Washington, D.C. From the South Florida interests, Huizenga's group is chosen.

1991

Jan. 26: Renovations begin to transform Joe Robbie Stadium into a baseball stadium.

Feb. 25: The National League Expansion Committee tours Joe Robbie Stadium.

Mar. 30-31: Joe Robbie Stadium hosts two exhibition games between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, which draw 125,013 fans. This includes a Spring Training record 67,654 sellout on the first night.

June 10: Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent announces Denver and South Florida as the two areas chosen by the expansion committee.

June 12-13: Major League owners meet in Santa Monica, CA and an ownership committee unanimously approves the two ownership groups. National League owners informally ratify Denver and South Florida.

July 5: Owners unanimously approve the Florida Marlins and the Colorado Rockies as baseball's two newest franchises.

July 8: Carl Barger, President of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1987, is hired as the Marlins first President.

July 18: Marlins unveil their new team logo before approximately 1,700 guests at Turnberry Isle & Country Club.

Sept. 18: Dave Dombrowski, Montreal Expos General Manager, is named Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Marlins.

Nov. 7: Fredi Gonzalez is hired as the Marlins first Minor League manager.

Dec. 10: Marlins obtain an agreement to join the Gulf Coast League's Central Division beginning in June of 1992. Carlos Tosca will manage the team.

Dec. 11: Marlins sign a one-year agreement with the Erie (PA) Sailors of the New York-Penn League for 1992. The Short Season team will begin play in June of 1992 with a 78-game schedule. Fredi Gonzalez is named to manage the club.

Dec. 16: Clemente Nu?ez, a 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic, is signed to a minor league contract by scout Edmundo Borrome. The Marlins first player is assigned to the Gulf Coast rookie league.

1992

Feb. 28: Marlins hold first-ever tryout camp at Bucky Dent Baseball School in Delray Beach and sign Ryan Whitman, a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher from Palm Beach Gardens, to a Minor League contract. Over 600 baseball hopefuls participate in the camp.

Mar. 12: Marlins kick off season ticket campaign, with tickets going on sale March 23.

May 2: LHP Mark Stephens becomes the first player under contract with the Marlins to appear in a professional game. Stephens' contract is optioned to the Salinas Spurs of the California League.

May 18: WQAM (560 AM) signs a four-year contract to become the official radio voice of the Florida Marlins.

June 1: Marlins select catcher Charles Johnson of the University of Miami with their first-ever, first round draft pick in the June amateur draft.

June 15: Erie Sailors play the Marlins first-ever Minor League game, losing 6-5 to the Jamestown Expos in 13 innings. John Lynch throws the first pitch, Brad Clem takes the first at-bat and later collects the first hit, and Lou Lucca drives in Scott Samuels with the first run in Marlins organizational history.

July 28: The Rookie League Gulf Coast Marlins win their 14th game in a row, the longest streak by any Minor League club during the 1992 season.

Aug. 20: WCMQ (1210 AM) signs a two-year contract to become the official Spanish radio voice of the Florida Marlins.

Sept. 3: Erie qualifies for the New York-Penn League playoffs as the wild card entry. They beat the Hamilton Redbirds 5-2 in a one-game playoff and move into the finals where they are swept by the Geneva Cubs 6-3 and 7-4.

Oct. 19: Marlins sign a two-year agreement with the Edmonton Trappers of the Pacific Coast League (Triple-A).

Oct. 21: Marlins sign their first Triple-A player in right-handed pitcher Matt Turner. He is assigned to Edmonton and invited to 1993 Spring Training.

Oct. 23: Marlins announce Rene Lachemann as their first manager. Lachemann, who signed a three-year deal, names his older brother Marcel as his pitching coach.

Nov. 17: Marlins make OF Nigel Wilson their first pick in the Expansion Draft and select 35 additional players, including Jeff Conine and Pat Rapp.

Dec. 7: Marlins participate for the first time in the Rule V draft and select RHP Stanley Spencer, LHP Mike Myers and OF Scott Pose. They lose C Jim McNamara.

Dec. 8: Marlins announce the signing of their first two free agents. Infielder Dave Magadan agrees for two years and veteran knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough for one.

Dec. 9: Marlins President Carl Barger collapses during an owners meeting during the baseball winter meetings in Louisville, KY, and dies a few hours later in the Humana University Hospital due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

1993

Feb. 29: Marlins dedicate their Brevard County training complex. Owner Wayne Huizenga announces the complex will be called the Carl F. Barger Complex at Viera.

Mar. 5: Marlins defeat Houston 12-8 in their inaugural Spring Training game. Jeff Conine hits Florida's first homer before a crowd of 6,696 at the Cocoa Expo Sports Complex.

Apr. 5: Florida defeats the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 to win their inaugural game before a sellout crowd of 42,334 spectators at Joe Robbie Stadium. Benito Santiago hits the first home run in Marlins history, a two-run shot off Trevor Wilson at San Francisco.

July 13: Gary Sheffield and Bryan Harvey represent the Marlins as the club's first All-Star Game selections. Sheffield homers in the Marlins first All-Star Game at-bat.

Oct. 2: With a crowd of 43,210, the Marlins surpass the three million mark in attendance. The club draws 3,064,847 spectators to Joe Robbie Stadium in their inaugural season.

1994

Feb. 21: Donald A. Smiley is named the second President in club history.

Mar. 4: Marlins open Space Coast Stadium as their new spring home with a 9-6 win over Kansas City. Fans are treated to fireworks, Rocket Man and even a shuttle launch.

1995

July 11: Jeff Conine becomes the 10th player to homer in his first All-Star Game at-bat, a solo shot off the Athletics' Steve Ontiveros. Conine's shot proves to be the game winner and he is named MVP.

1996

May 11: Al Leiter fires the first no-hitter in club history, an 11-0 whitewashing of Colorado.

July 7: Rene Lacheman is relieved of his managerial position and John Boles is named as the second manager in club history on the following day.

Aug. 26: Pro Player, the sports apparel brand of Fruit of the Loom, sponsors the renaming of Joe Robbie Stadium to Pro Player Stadium.

Oct. 4: Jim Leyland is named as the third manager in Marlins history.

1997

June 10: Kevin Brown tosses a 9-0 no-hitter in San Francisco, falling one hit batter from perfection.

Sept. 23: A 6-3 victory in Montreal clinches the team's first-ever postseason berth.

Oct. 3: Marlins complete Division Series sweep with a 6-2 win in San Francisco.

Oct. 14: Florida wins their first pennant by defeating the Braves four games to two in the NLCS.

Oct. 26: Edgar Renteria's two-out single in the bottom of the eleventh scores Craig Counsell in Game Seven of the World Series to give the Marlins the World Championship.

1998

Mar. 31: The World Series Championship banner is raised on Opening Day at Pro Player Stadium. Rings are presented during a pre-game ceremony on April 5.

June 22: Two Major League teams from Florida compete for the first time at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg with the Marlins defeating the Devil Rays 3-2 in 12 innings. Two days later, the clubs meet in South Florida. Overall, the Marlins win three of the four games.

Oct. 2: John Boles is named the fourth manager in Marlins history, becoming the first person to have a second opportunity to manage the Marlins.

Dec. 31: Don Smiley resigns as President of the Marlins.

1999

Jan. 13: Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve the sale of the Marlins from H. Wayne Huizenga to John W. Henry.

Jan. 19: Sale of club is completed and John W. Henry is introduced as Chairman of the Florida Marlins the following day at a news conference at Pro Player Stadium.

Aug. 7: John W. Henry unveils his vision of a new ballpark and reveals six possible sites: Miami River, Bicentennial Park, Miramar, Davie, Lauderhill and Downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Oct. 18: Marlins announce that they have narrowed the earlier list of six possible ballpark sites to two: Bicentennial Park and Downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Dec. 15: Marlins announce they have selected Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami as their site for a new ballpark and name HOK as design architect and architect of record.