15-Year Marliniversary: Beckett Throws Gem as Marlins Clinch 2003 World Series

Palm Beach Post
It's been 15 years since the Florida Marlins won their second world championship. That title was clinched on this day.

After winning two straight to take a 3-2 series lead, the scene shifted to Yankee Stadium for Game 6 of the 2003 World Series between the Marlins and the New York Yankees. Getting the ball for the Fish would be a young starter with a powerful right arm who was in the middle of a stellar postseason.

Josh Beckett had been solid in his Game 3 start, but a lack of run support ultimately led to him being the loser in the contest down in Miami. In his first series appearance at Yankee Stadium, it would be the Texas native that stole the show on baseball's grandest stage.

Beckett went the distance for Florida, allowing just five hits and two walks while yielding no runs and striking out nine. In the bottom of the ninth, Beckett took the hill with a 2-0 lead, needing only three outs to clinch a second world championship for the Marlins in seven seasons.

After getting Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui to fly out, the series would end with the ball in Beckett's glove. New York catcher Jorge Posada hit a dribbler down the first base line. Beckett was able to pick it up and tag Posada out to conclude the 2003 Major League Baseball season.

The only two runs of the night were manufactured by the Marlins. Florida drew first blood on a fifth-inning RBI single from Luis Castillo that drove home Alex Gonzalez, who avoided the tag at the plate. The following inning, the Marlins got an unearned run on a sacrifice fly as Juan Encarnacion drove home Jeff Conine, who had reached on an error.

From 10 games under early in the season to world champions with the 27th-highest payroll in baseball, the Florida Marlins under Jack McKeon became one of the most unlikely world champions of baseball's modern era. The veteran McKeon replaced Jeff Torborg as manager 38 games in and found a way to get the most out of his young team.

Florida trailed by at least a game in every series, including three games to one to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series, before ultimately claiming baseball's ultimate prize. That culminated on Oct. 25, 2003.

Mike Ferguson is the founder of Marlins Memories. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

15-Year Maliniversary: Lowell Becomes First Marlin to Homer Three Times in One Game

Image
Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images Third baseman Mike Lowell certainly had his share of postseason heroics with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox, but on this day 15 years ago, the Gold Glove third baseman did something that no Marlin had ever done -- leave the yard three times in one game. The defending world champion Florida Marlins were riding high on April 21, 2004 as they looked to clinch the series by taking the middle game of a 3-game set at Citizens Bank Park against the Philadelphia Phillies. Florida was 9-4 on the young season compared to just 5-7 for Philadelphia. Through five and a half innings, a solo home run by Lowell off Philadelphia starter Eric Milton to lead off the second inning accounted for all the scoring. Then in the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies pushed across five runs with a 2-run homer from Jim Thome putting Philadelphia ahead. Trailing 5-1 entering the seventh, Florida answered back with five runs of its own. After the Marlins pushed
Read more

5-Year Marliniversary: Stanton's Walk-Off Slam Downs Mariners

Image
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Few things in baseball are mre exciting than a walk-off home run and during his tenure with the Florida/Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton had his fair share of those. One of those came on this day five years ago and it came with the bases loaded. Both the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners were below .500 early in the 2014 season when they began a 3-game set at Marlins Park on April 18, 2014. The Marlins never trailed in the contest, but Seattle seemed to always have an answer -- at least that was the case until Stanton came to the plate with the bases filled in the bottom of the ninth. Yoervis Medina came in to pitch for Seattle in a 4-4 game to start the ninth, but never was able to record an out. After Reed Johnson singled to start the inning, Christian Yelich was able to reach on a bunt hit. A misplayed bunt off the bat of Marcell Ozuna loaded the bags and set the stage for Stanton. Medina was able to get ahead in the count before Stanton launched
Read more

Marlins' Top 5 Mother's Day Moments

Image
(Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports) Whether you're just enjoying a day with mom, taking her out to the ballgame or trying just to leave her alone, there's one thing about Mother's Day and the Florida/Miami Marlins. They've played on that day every year since their inception in 1993. This year's opponent for the second Mother's Day in a row will be the Atlanta Braves. Whether you get to watch the action or are busy with mom, we've got the good times for you. Here's a look at the top five moments in Marlins' history on Mother's Day: 5. Moore's Pinch-Hit Blast May 14, 2017 For most of last season's Mother's Day contest, the Miami Marlins had been unable to figure out Atlanta Braves' starting pitcher R.A. Dickey. Through six innings, the Marlins had been kept off the scoreboard and held to three hits. Trailing 1-0 in the seventh however, the Marlins had something brewing. After Giancarlo Stanton doubled and A.J
Read more