Worst Marlins Team EVER?

 

Sure the 1998 Florida Marlins Lost 108 Games, after a complete Team Fire 🔥 Sale of the 1997 World Championship Squad. A Fire Sale that included SIXTEEN Players on the '97 Marlins that were Traded in 12 separate Deals made by the time the '98 Trading Deadline had arrived. Said Fire 🔥 Sale coupled with all of the losses did HOWEVER open the door to the likes of Alex Gonzalez, Ryan Dempster, Luis Castillo, Preston Wilson, and Derek Lee, none established in the Big Leagues in 1998 (Year 1 of a Rebuild), and all future All-Stars.

The 2013 Marlins also suffered a 100 Loss Season, which ALSO occurred during the 1st Year of a Rebuild (get the picture). Following Trades of All-Stars Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, Heath Bell, Omar Infante, John Buck, Gaby Sanchez, and future All-Star Edward Mujica. Opportunities for Big League Playing Time were certainly abound for future All-Stars Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez, Marcell Ozuna, A.J Ramos, Brad Hand, Christian Yelich, and Nathan Eovaldi on the 2013 Marlins.

Sandy Alcantara & Garrett Cooper have been the only All-Stars to have come out of the Marlins latest Rebuild.

This leads us to 2018/2019, the first 2 Seasons of the current Ownership Group that were led by Derek Jeter & Bruce Sherman. Before a Game was ever played following the Sale of the Team, another kind of 🔥Sale🔥 took place. A Fire Sale which saw new Ownership Trade the likes of All-Stars & MVP's (some Present, some Future) Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, Ozuna, Christian Yelich, and after '18 J.T. Realmuto. The Losses followed yet again obviously, 98 (2018) and 105 (2019) to be exact. Only this time, the multitude of future All-Stars did not follow. Of all the Players who got their opportunities on those 2018-2019 Teams (a 2 Year stretch as opposed to 1), ONLY Sandy Alcantara & Garrett Cooper have EVER been named to the Mid-Summer Classic.

You can not exclude the 2020 Playoff Marlins in the shortened 60 Game Season and how Special that particular Team was during the height of the Pandemic when talking about the Rebuild. Just like you can't exclude the 95 Loss Season that followed in 2021 over the 162 Games that were played again. Much like you can't exclude what is happening this year, where the 55-80 Marlins are featuring not only 1 of the worst Offenses in Franchise History, but 1 of the worst Offensive Clubs in the History of the Game.

The Marlins are in the exact same boat they were in 5 Years ago (Year 1 of the Rebuild) in terms of Wins and Losses. With the only exception being THIS TEAM WAS/IS NOT IN REBUILD MODE. They instead are in Full Incompetence Mode if you ask me! The Marlins shed out over $97 Million Guaranteed Dollars of future Payroll commitments to acquire Avisail Garcia, Jorge Soler, Joey Wendle, Jacob Stallings, and Tanner Scott this Off-Season (With Garcia & Soler representing the bulk of that dough). 

The Fish spent another $94+ Million Dollars this very past Off-Season retaining the likes of Alcantara, Miguel Rojas, Jesus Aguilar, Richard Bleier, Brian Anderson, Dylan Floro, Cooper, Pablo Lopez, Eliesar Hernandez and Jon Berti. With Sandy & Rojas being the only Players of that group with Multi-Year commitments. In fact, of the 15 Players currently making Millions of Dollars on the Marlins in 2022, only Alcantara, Miggy-Ro, Pablo, Wendle and Berti are worth @ least 1 Win Above Replacement according to WAR this year.

The 2022 Marlins have committed over $191 Million Guaranteed Dollars to be just as bad, if not worse, than the 2018-2019 Rebuilding Marlins. Yikes! Making it safe to say THE REBUILD DID NOT WORK.

So what happens now? What do the Marlins do?? Do they plug away, hoping for better health from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and rebound Seasons from the likes of Garcia/Soler??? Do they push the Reset Button again and try to build with young Players who are getting their 1st tastes of the Big Leagues in J.J Bleday/Jerar Encarnacion, while trying to add more Prospects to the Pipeline like Jordan Groshans???

One thing is certain in all of this. What ever the Marlins decide to do, you can not trust the people upstairs who have gotten you to this point if you are Principal Owner Bruce Sherman. The employees that Jeter brought over from New York, along with Jeter/Sherman & Co. who have not been able to adjust, have failed this Franchise. All while letting it sink to some All-Time lows both on and off the Field.

This anemic Marlins Offense mustered 3 Runs yesterday, after Scoring 2 Runs or Less in 9 Straight Ball Games. The 3 Runs was 1 more than Tuesday, when the Fish snapped a run of 4 consecutive Contests tallying a single Run, and came during a Loss in Philadelphia (the Marlins 9th in a Row). 

The 9 straight Defeats hasn't been done by the Franchise since 2011. But this Marlins Team has been in the record books since July, when they matched the Franchise Record 37 Consecutive Scoreless Innings mark. They then became only the 3rd Team since 1920 (The Live Ball Era) in Major League Baseball History to Score 3 Runs or Less in 16 Consecutive Games by the time the middle of August rolled around.

Is it a surprise to know the Marlins are 8-28 since July 29th? Or 12-35 since before the All-Star Break?? I guess it could be, with the quality of Starting Pitching the Fish are trotting out on a nightly basis. Heck, today's Starting 5 features Alcantara, Lopez, Jesus Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, and Trevor Rogers 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. That's just to show what kind of Offense we're talking about here that's led to this collapse.

Speaking of Collapses, what Ownership may not know is this isn't the first time a Don Mattingly Marlins led Team has done just that. The Late Jose Fernandez's Fish were 9 Games Over .500 heading into August of 2016 (Mattingly's 1st Year), and in very good reach of a Playoff Spot, before losing 15 out of 21 by September 17th. A year later, the Marlins had clawed they're way to 3 Games Over .500 by August 27th, before dropping 16 of they're next 18 😬.

Maybe Sherman & Co. knew this, but just decided not to care. Just like they decided not to care after Losing those 98 Games in '18, or the 105 in '19, or the 95 last year, and the God knows how many Losses this year. Because what drastic changes (and make absolute Zero mistake about it that the Marlins need drastic changes) have they made through it all?

I started watching/playing sports in 2001 at the age of 10. Teaching myself the rules of Baseball with the help of Tommy Hutton and such and learning how to play the Game with a couple Gloves, a ball, and my Dad outside (who no matter how tired he was from work, always had time to throw a few). 

I remember seeing those 3 letters across scoreboards on T.V. that read "FLA" while watching the Marlins play in '01, saying "those guys, win or lose, represent me".

I remember going to my fist Game at Pro Player Stadium with my brother Jose in 2002, seeing Barry Bonds completely shatter his Bat while going yard off Josh Beckett, with the Marlins getting the last laugh in a 7-3 Win. 

I remember 2003 as if it was yesterday. The excitement of a Playoff run. Seeing the reactions of teachers and friends at school who were fans of other Teams as the Marlins kept advancing. I remember the fever of the Pennant Chase and how it captivated not only my Dad, but even my sister Sandra. I remember all 3 of us watching as 'Beckett tagged Posada' to Win it all.

I remember being introduced to Spring Training by my sister Hilda, and being picked up early from school so we could go to Dodger Town in Vero Beach to watch the Defending Champs play in '04.

I remember my Mom buying me Satellite Radio just so that I could listen to voices like Dave Van Horne say "up, up, and away" on every Fish Home Run while visiting my Grandmother in Mexico.

I remember my first Opening Day, which was the last at the old Stadium. Seeing the fireworks of a John Buck Grand Slam and then the actual Fireworks after a Post Game Win with my brother Antonio and his Dan Uggla jersey.

I remember the new Ball Park Opening and going to the original Fan Fest with my friends Ismael & Adolfo. I remember taking my cousins Diana & Sarahi to Games while telling them "this is all I knew about Miami" lol. I remember taking my girlfriend ♡ Yesenia to her first Game and it being sold out believe it or not against the Mets because Covid restrictions limited capacity. 

I remember it all.

This is all why it pains me to see this Franchise where it's at. With no clue towards a direction. It's frustrating to see this Ownership group not care the slightest bit. It's asinine seeing Mattingly continuing to Manage this Club, for what it represents. Which is that all of this is acceptable, all of it. 

Mattingly's contract is up yet again at the end of the Season. This is the worst Team in Franchise History, based on many things. As a fan. A fan that when it comes to the Marlins, is still that same kid pretending to be D. Lee hitting tennis balls in the yard. The same kid with the Marlins on his mind and heart. It's time. It's time for the Organization to make some changes. It's time for this Ownership Group to either care or Sell. 

Otherwise, changes may come. Only they may come from this fan's point of view towards his favorite sports Team.