15-Year Marliniversary: Cabrera's Career Begins With Walk-Off Blast

(YouTube)
As the latter part of June arrived in 2003, the Florida Marlins looked to the minor leagues to shake things up a bit. After a dismal 19-29 start, the Fish were trying to fight their way back to .500 and a change in left field seemed like a way to potentially jump-start the team and the offense.

Todd Hollandsworth had been manning that position for the Marlins and was hitting .256 as of June 20, but with just two home runs and 14 RBIs. That's when Florida looked to a 20-year-old infielder named Miguel Cabrera to try to provide a spark.

Cabrera's debut came on this day 15 years and ended with a bang. The Marlins were 35-39 with a chance to gain some ground as the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays came to Pro Player Stadium to begin a 3-game set.

Nine innings would not be enough to decide the contest, which was a pitchers' duel for much of the evening. The only run for the Devils Rays came in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Aubrey Huff. Florida drew even in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Andy Fox that scored Juan Pierre.

With the contest knotted 1-1 in the 11th inning, Cabrera came to the plate to face Al Levine with Alex Gonzalez on second base and one out. Sitting at 0-for-4 with one strikeout, Cabrera was still looking for his first big-league hit. That's when the legend of Miguel Cabrera began.

With the first pitch he saw from Levine, Cabrera crushed a massive 2-run walk-off home run to center to deliver the Marlins a 3-1 victory. Cabrera's stay in the Major Leagues from there on would be permanent.



Cabrera would go on to play a vital part in the Marlins' improbable run to the 2003 World Series. Perhaps the most notable moment for Cabrera that year was a 3-run home run off Roger Clemens, of the New York Yankees, in Game 4 of the Fall Classic.

Cabrera would spend five seasons with the Marlins, playing in 720 games and four All-Star games before being shipped to Detroit along with Dontrelle Willis for Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller among other prospects.

During his time with the Marlins, Cabrera hit .313 with 138 home runs and 523 RBIs. Cabrera remains the club's all-time leader in batting average while ranking second in the other two categories.

Throughout the course of his career, Cabrera has reached the All-Star Game 11 times and is likely a first-ballot Hall of fame selection. Cabrera has gone on to win three batting titles with the Tigers, two American League MVP awards and in 2012, became the first player to win the Triple Crown in 45 years.

Cabrera's only stint as a world champion however came in his rookie season with the Florida Marlins. His debut came on this day 15 years ago.

 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

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

15-Year Marliniversary: Lowell's Walk-Off Blast in Extras Lifts Fish Past Mets

Image
Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images Over the last couple weeks, the Miami Marlins have had their fair share of exciting victories. That was also the case for the then-Florida Marlins on this day 15 years ago. The Marlins were 28-20 and in first place in the National League East as they prepared for the middle game of a three-game set against the New York Mets at Pro Player Stadium on May 29, 2004. Florida took the lead in the first as Lenny Harris grounded into a double play to plate a run. The Mets drew even on a Ty Wiggington solo homer in the second inning and took the lead in the fourth on a Karim Garcia RBI single. Álex González’s RBI single in the bottom of that inning scored Jeff Conine and evened the contest. Florida had won in walk-off fashion more than a week before against the Arizona Diamondbacks on a bases-loaded walk to Mike Redmond, but the only walk-off home run of the season for 2004 would come against the Mets off the bat of Mike Lowell. An All-Star, ...
Read more