It was October 1997 and we had just finished watching one of the greatest World Series of all-time, one that went to seven games and went the distance. Five years in the Florida Marlins history they had won their first championship and had a bright future ahead of them. But, for some inexplicable reason, just a few days later the owners made a massive, massive fire sale that resulted in trades that sent everyone everywhere and plummeted the Marlins into misery for several years.
It was November 2003 and we had just finished watching one of the greatest postseasons of all-time with both Championship Series going to seven games and it ended with the Marlins shocking the world by defeating the New York Yankees IN Yankee Stadium. Then, inexplicably they start cutting some corners and didn’t make much of an effort to keep the team that sent them the entire way just a few moments ago. Sounds very familiar.
The Florida Marlins did this rare thing of repeating ugly baseball history within a span of 10 years. They are the only franchise in history to destroy their team after winning a championship……twice. They are the only franchise in history to manage ridiculous attendance AFTER winning it all…..twice.
I used to be a Marlins fan, this was before my days as a pure die-hard Rays fan. I was a fan back in 1997 when they went the distance and won the whole thing. But during 2004 something in me snapped---I couldn’t do it anymore. I can’t keep rooting for a team when there’s a chance that the owners would etch-a-sketch the entire organization over a few lousy bucks. I know it’s not my money but don’t reward promise with frustration when you don’t get immediate results. Either way the Marlins just didn’t have an identity, didn’t have a consistent style, didn’t have much of a personality altogether. With the Devil Ways (whom became my official team from 2004 onwards) they were the lovable losers that would play some determined ball from time to time—even if they were leagues underneath the competitors. They sucked but at least they consistently sucked--and consistently lost their rising stars to go elsewhere.
So now with Miami becoming a rising city in the United States they decided to turn their attention to this franchise that is in Miami, but yet doesn’t feel like it. Red Sox is so Boston, Yankees is so New York, and the Giants are so San Francisco. It is unexplainable, but in baseball (and to an extent football) the teams mold itself to resemble, match, and represent its city. The Florida Marlins had not done this during its stint in Miami Gardens, but a new stadium and a new fresh coat of paint would fix this.
Miami Marlins is born, the merchandise is indeed selling, the hype is definitely there, and it feels like a fresh new start ala the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2008. Am I saying the results will be the same? No, but I hope at least in attendance and attention in South Florida there’s a major improvement.
That being said, is it safe to become a fan? Is it safe to wear the colors? Is it safe to wear that baseball cap? Is it safe to pursue the season without fearing another heartbreak? Is it safe to root for the team we have in front of us? Can they guarantee that with success we won’t get a repeat of 1998 and 2004? Similar to my childhood days as a big Magic fan, it was so tough getting back to the groove of fandom when we didn’t give earth and fire to keep Shaq. 4 rings later, it’s still a tough fact to chew on.
I am not ready to root for the Marlins and make them my NL team. I am not fully convinced that this is not the same Marlins team that shattered me twice before. It might be something new, it might be an organization prepared to represent the city and bring decades of delightful sports history into the state. Perhaps. But still I ask in the midst of the party glitz and glamor----
----is it safe?
No comments:
Post a Comment