The Florida Marlins are a Major League Baseball team based in the Miami, Florida metro area and play their home games in the suburb of Miami Gardens. They are in the Eastern Division of the National League.

In only a decade since their inception into the majors, the Marlins have been highly successful on the field, winning two World Series, in 1997 and in 2003 with "the team that shocked the world." The Marlins had much success under Jack McKeon, who led the Marlins to three consecutive winning seasons. Now, Joe Girardi is the manager, after the second post-championship houseclearing since 1997. In spite of the on field success, the franchise has suffered over the years from relatively low attendance. The Marlins management has insisted that a new baseball-only stadium is imperative to survival in South Florida, and that if one would not be built, the team would seek relocation to another city. Although San Antonio, Texas, has pushed hard to receive the team, recent months have seen a new push for the Marlins to stay in South Florida, with the Miami suburb of Hialeah making strides in securing the stadium the team wants. (see Possible relocation, below). The Marlins have also declined San Antonio's deadline of May 15, 2006 to accept their stadium funding proposal, signaling that the team may indeed stay in South Florida. MLB President Bob DuPuy informed San Antonio in a letter that the offer would be declined at this time, but left open the possibility of relocation in the future, if talks in south Florida did not lead to a stadium deal. [http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA051506.marlins.en.45008aac.html

Franchise history

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1993-1996

On June 10, 1991, the National League awarded a franchise to Wayne Huizenga, chief executive officer of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation, owner of the Miami Dolphins football team, and chairman of the board of the Florida Panthers hockey team. The Marlins' first manager was Rene Lachemann, a former catcher who had previously managed the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers and at the time of his hiring was a third base coach under Tony La Russa for the Oakland Athletics. The Marlins won their first game on April 5th, 1993 against the Dodgers. Jeff Conine went 4-4 in this game earning him the nickname "Mr. Marlin." Lachemann kept Florida out of the Eastern Division cellar during the 1993 season as the team finished the year five games ahead of the last-place New York Mets. In that season, the Marlins traded unknown pitcher Trevor Hoffman to the San Diego Padres for 3rd baseman Gary Sheffield. While Sheffield would help Florida succeed immediately, Hoffman would emerge as the best closer in the National League. After the Marlins finished last in their division in 1994 and fourth in 1995, Lachemann was replaced as manager midway through the 1996 season with the Marlins' director of player development, John Boles.

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