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A brief history of baseball in Miami - The Marlins

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In 1993, 14 years after the Amigos folded and more than 80 years after minor league baseball came to South Florida, Miami finally fielded a major league team. Two years earlier, Wayne Huizenga, then CEO of Blockbuster, was awarded a team after shelling out a mammoth $95 million expansion fee. Though originally named the Florida Flamingos, Huizenga and his team eventually settled on the Florida Marlins, harkening back to Miami’s historic minor league team. In their first season, they finished just ahead of the last-place New York Mets, but in 1997, an underdog Marlins team earned a wildcard berth into the post-season. After an amazing run in which they swept the San Francisco Giants and beat the Atlanta Braves for the National League title, the Marlins found themselves in their first World Series. Facing a strong Cleveland Indians side, the Marlins shocked baseball fans and brought home their first World Series championship after seven games. Following their incr...
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A brief history of baseball in Miami -The University of Miami Hurricanes

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Legendary University of Miami baseball coach Ron Fraser took over the Hurricanes in 1963, back when the program had no money, uniforms, scholarships, or recognition. Despite the challenges, during Fraser’s early years, the Hurricanes broke record after record of wins per season, and the program’s reputation began to rise nationally. With the inauguration of a new stadium, the Mark Light Field, the Hurricanes rose even higher. In a decade, they climbed from an average attendance of 800 fans to over 3,000 a game, breaking NCAA records for consecutive seasons. During his 30 years as head coach, Fraser led Miami to 21 postseasons, 12 College World Series, and 2 National Championship titles. The University of Miami Hurricanes were the most successful and winning baseball team in Miami history, proving how popular college baseball could be under a program like Fraser’s. Since his retirement in 1992, the Hurricanes have made another 12 appearances in the College World Ser...
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A brief history of baseball in Miami - The Minor Leagues years

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The 50s saw the birth of the Miami Sun Sox (also called the Tourists). They fielded one of the best pitching staffs in minor league history and   had a solid defense. The Miami Sun Sox often finished at the top of the league, becoming champions one year after beating the Miami Beach Flamingos.   In 1956 Miami reached two milestones — its first Triple-A, top flight minor league team, and the first incarnation of the Marlins. That same year, baseball moved from the Miami Stadium to the Orange Bowl, which had been expanded the previous year. The Marlins premiered before a crowd of nearly 58,000. The original Marlins pioneers played a good game, but dwindling attendance and financial problems led the team to relocate to Puerto Rico just four years after their debut.   Minor league baseball continued in South Florida, but it was growth in fits and spurts. Teams like the (second) Miami Marlins, Miami Orioles, and Miami Miracle came into existence and disappe...
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A brief history of baseball in Miami - The early years

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Founded in July 1896, baseball in Miami is just 119 years old,   much younger than most comparable cities to the north and west. In 1912, Miami got its first minor league team: the Miami Magicians. The Magicians played in the East Florida State League. The league, and the Magicians, ceased operations because of World War I, like most leagues around the country.  By World War II, the Florida East Coast League featured four local teams: the Miami Beach Flamingos, the Miami Wahoos, the Fort Lauderdale Tarpons, and the West Palm Beach Indians. The 30s saw the rise of the Miami Giants, a major league team in the Negro Leagues. By 1943, with so many male baseball players off fighting in World War II, Philip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, launched the All American Girls Baseball League, which trained in Opa-locka. After the war years, baseball continued to grow in popularity. Recognizing the need for a larger stadium to serve ever-growing crowds, Jo...
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