2003 Florida Marlins (91-71)
Managers: Jeff Torborg and Jack McKeon
After ex-owner Wayne Huizenga broke up the 1997 Championship team, new owner Jeffrey Loria brought in new players. First, Loria brought in speedy outfielder Juan Pierre from Colorado. Next, star catcher Ivan Rodriguez came in from Texas. However, the Marlins were under .500 for the first two months of the season. So Jeff Torborg was fired and Jack McKeon replaced him at the managerial helm. However, Pierre and Rodriguez stepped up their play. Also, other young stars unexpectedly produced. First, there was pitcher Dontrelle Willis, whose pitching prowess earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. Also, young outfielder Miguel Cabrera stepped his game up a notch with his 20+ homers. Although the Marlins struggled at times, there was a way to catch fire. When 3rd baseman Mike Lowell was injured, the Marlins brought back original Marlin Jeff Conine. Conine would have key hits against the Phillies down the stretch. With all of this production, the Marlins would win their 2nd NL Wild Card with a 91-71 record.
Like in 1997, the Marlins met the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. Jason Schmidt shut Florida down in the series opener. However, the Marlins would tie the series up by winning game 2. Back in a packed Pro Player Stadium, the Marlins' Ivan Rodriguez would hit a 2-run shot. Then, the Giants would force this game into extra innings. In the 11th, the Giants' Jose Cruz Jr. would make a defensive error, good enough for the Marlins to load up the bases. Then, Rodriguez would hit the game-winning single. In game 4, Ivan Rodriguez hustled on the bases to allow Derrek Lee to score. In the end of that contest, it was Pudge who did not allow J.T. Snow to score to lead Florida into the NLCS.
In the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs got off to a fast start by leading 4-0 in game 1. However, Pudge drove home 5 runs. By the 9th, the Marlins would lead 8-6. After Sammy Sosa hit a homer to tie up the game, Mike Lowell hit a game-winning homer to give Florida a 1-0 lead. However, Chicago would win the next 3. In the 5th contest in Florida, Josh Beckett shut out the Cubbies to give them another chance at a pennant. Back in Chicago, the Cubs had a 3-0 lead going to the 8th. In that inning, a Luis Castillo foul ball could've been caught by Moises Alou. But a fan named Steve Bartman caught the ball. After that, it was all Marlins as they won that game and the final contest to win their 2nd pennant.
This World Series against the New York Yankees was a David v. Goliath matchup. However, behind Juan Pierre's speed and Brad Penny's pitching destroyed David Wells and the Yanks in the Bronx. The Bronx Bombers would win the next two games. In the 4th contest, the Yanks would rally and tie the game up by the 9th. In extra innings, Alex Gonzalez hit a game-winning homer off the Teal tower to tie the series up at two games apiece. In game 5, the Marlins would win thanks to several Yankee injuries. Back in New York, Josh Beckett would dominate the powerful Yanks as he tagged Jorge Posada for the final out to give Florida its second title and give himself a World Series MVP trophy.