Finally, the Marlins have their own Hall of Fame

Ely Sussman · February 8, 2025

As unveiled at Saturday's Marlins FanFest, the inaugural class includes Jeff Conine, Luis Castillo, Jack McKeon and Jim Leyland.

The Marlins have taken another step toward properly celebrating the franchise's history by establishing the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame. "Each year, we’ll celebrate former players, coaches, managers, and staff members for their contributions to not just the Marlins organization, but also our South Florida communities," the club says. The class of 2025 consists of former players Jeff Conine and Luis Castillo and former managers Jim Leyland and Jack McKeon, each of whom won at least one World Series title with the Fish.

A statement from Marlins chairman & principal owner Bruce Sherman: "We are proud to launch the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame and create a deserving tribute for legends who have played integral roles in shaping our franchise. This year's inaugural class set the standard for what it means to be a Marlin, and we are thrilled to honor them this season. Through inspiring dedication and a lasting legacy, they left indelible marks on our community both on and off the field."

Conine was an original Florida Marlin, acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the 1992 expansion draft. From 1993-1997, he made two National League All-Star teams and slashed .291/.360/.467. He was the everyday first baseman for the '97 championship team. Conine returned to Florida in a 2003 midseason trade, contributed to winning another ring that October and stayed through 2005.

Since retiring in 2007, most of Conine's post-playing career has been spent working for the Marlins. He's currently a special assistant to Bruce Sherman. His son, Griffin, is on the current Marlins roster.

Castillo is the only player to play even more games as a Marlin (1,128) than Conine did. The speedy second baseman is their all-time leader in hits (1,273), runs scored (675) and stolen bases (281). His 10 total seasons is also a record, as is the 35-game hitting streak he had in 2002.

Leyland only managed the Marlins for two seasons, but one of those culminated in the '97 title. That team's 92-70 regular season record and plus-71 run differential still stand as all-time franchise bests. Leyland was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

The hiring of McKeon in 2003 was one of the most effective in-season managerial changes in MLB history. He took over a Marlins team that had started off 16-22 and they went 75-49 (.605 winning percentage) from that point forward. Starting Josh Beckett on short rest in World Series Game 6 is the most iconic managerial decision in franchise history. The elderly cigar aficionado is the only full-time Marlins manager to win the majority of his career games (.522 W-L%).

Plaques of each Hall of Fame inductee will be featured at loanDepot park in the newly expanded Marlins Museum. There will be pregame ceremonies on the following days to honor the HOF inductees with special giveaway items for fans who attend: