Mike Ferguson

A journeyman for his baseball career, Jason Wood had gone seven years in between Major League Baseball appearances when he was called up by the Florida Marlins late in the 2006 season. On this day 20 years ago, he had perhaps his most memorable moment with the club. In the season finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wood ended a marathon game with the walk-off hit. His 11th-inning single lifted Florida to a 3-2 win. Neither team had scored since the seventh inning as the Oct. 1, 2006 contest at Dolphins Stadium went to the 11th. After the Marlins had stranded a runner in each of the previous four innings, Matt Herges worked a second straight scoreless inning out of the Florida bullpen to give his team a chance to walk it off. Fabio Castro had worked a scoreless 10th for Philadelphia, but the 11th proved to be much more arduous. Chris Aguila opened the Florida 11th with a single. Castro then hit Alfredo Amézaga before walking catcher Matt Treanor on five pitches. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Castro was able to get Paul Hoover to ground into a fielder’s choice as the lead runner was gunned down at home. Wood had entered the game for Florida in the sixth inning, replacing Miguel Cabrera. 0-for-3 to that point, Wood worked the count to 2-2 before rolling one into the hole between shortstop and third base. Philadelphia’s Danny Sandoval was able to get a glove on the ball but had no play. Amézaga scored to give the Marlins the walk-off victory. It was Amézaga’s second run of the game. He scored on a Treanor single in the second to get the scoring started. After Sandoval’s RBI single tied the game in the fourth, Florida went back in front on a solo home run by Dan Uggla in the sixth. Ryan Howard tied the game with an RBI single a half-inning later. Uggla, Aguila and Wes Helms each finished with two hits for the Marlins. Then 36 years old, Wood would play in just 153 games in parts of five seasons in the big leagues. Despite being well into his 30s when he made his debut for the Fish, Wood was productive in limited action in 2006, going 6-for-13. His final hit from that season sent the Marlins out on a high note on this day two decades ago. View full article

Known for his big personality, Kevin Millar never shied away from the big moment. On this day 25 years ago, Millar came through in the clutch for the Florida Marlins with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to down the Philadelphia Phillies and complete the comeback, 6-5. Through three innings at Pro Player Stadium on Sept. 28, 2001, things didn’t look good for the Marlins as they were on the short end of a 5-1 score. After Doug Glaville got the scoring started for Philadelphia with a two-run single in the first, Marlon Anderson added an RBI double in the second. Mike Lowell got the Marlins on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the second but Scott Rolen and Travis Lee hit back-to-back homers to open the third. It was a rough outing for Florida starter Ryan Dempster, but the bullpen gave the Marlins a bit of momentum. Following two scoreless innings from Benito Báez, Florida cut the four-run deficit in half with two runs in the fifth. Andy Fox led off the inning with a solo home run before Eric Owens plated Derrek Lee with an RBI single. Florida would get two more scoreless innings of relief from Kevin Olsen. In the bottom of the seventh, Owens’ second RBI single of the game scored Dave Berg and cut the lead to 5-4. It also ended the day for Philadelphia starting pitcher Robert Person. José Santiago was able to get the final out for the Phillies in the seventh. Braden Looper and Vic Darensbourg each worked scoreless innings for the Marlins. As the contest went to the bottom of the ninth, Philadelphia turned to closer José Mesa. As was the case four years earlier when he was a member of the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series, Mesa was unable to hold a ninth-inning lead at Pro Player Stadium. Lead-off man Dave Berg started the rally with a one-out single before taking second on a passed ball and third on a single by Lee. With runners on the corners and one out, Owens was nearly the hero. His shot to right was caught just shy of the way, but it served as a sacrifice fly and his third RBI of the day as the Marlins drew even. With the scored tied 5-5 in the top of the 10th, Antonio Alfonseca was able to induce three groundouts on just eight pitches. That set the stage for Florida to win it in the bottom of the frame. Cliff Politte was able to get Lowell to fly out to start the inning, but on the sixth pitch of the ensuing at-bat, Millar took the right-hander’s fastball that was left up and hammered it. The line-drive shot easily cleared the “teal tower” in left field for a walk-off home run and capped the four-run comeback. Derrek Lee led the Marlins with three hits while Berg and Owens each added two. Anderson, Travis Lee and Bobby Abreu finished with two hits apiece for the Phillies. Alfonseca earned the win while Politte took the loss. A .296 hitter over parts of five seasons with the Marlins, Millar finished his 12-year big-league career with 170 home runs and three walk-off shots. His first came as a member of the Fish and on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

Known as Pro Player Stadium for a longer stretch of the Florida Marlins’ time at their original ballpark than by any other name, the club’s biggest home win at the original stadium came in walk-off fashion. The same was true for its final win there, which came on this day 15 years ago. In the next-to-last game of the season and next-to-last game at what was then Sun Life Stadium, Bryan Petersen was the unlikely hero on Sept. 27, 2011. His walk-off home run gave the Marlins their final home win at what was originally Joe Robbie Stadium and over the Washington Nationals, 3-2. With the score tied 2-2, the Marlins came to bat against Washington’s Doug Slaten in the bottom of the ninth. Slaten was able to get two quick outs, striking out Logan Morrison on three pitches before getting John Buck to fly out to center. With Petersen 0-for-2 with a strikeout to that point, extra innings seemed like an inevitability. Before anyone could blink, Petersen sent the crowd home happy for the final time. Petersen turned on the first pitch he saw from Slaten – a fastball left over the middle of the plate. Faster than it arrived, Petersen’s shot left. His blast was a no-doubter well into the right-field stands, giving Florida the victory. Prior to the walk-off bomb, the Marlins hadn’t led since the fourth inning when Emilio Bonifácio’s sacrifice fly plated Matt Dominguez. On the first pitch of the fifth, Mike Morse drew Washington even with a solo shot off Florida starter Javier Vázquez. After Ian Desmond singled home the go-ahead run for the Nationals in the top of the sixth, Bonifácio scored the tying run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame. While John Lannan gave the Nationals a quality start, Vázquez ended up going the distance for Florida, striking out nine. Lead-off men and shortstops Bonifácio and Desmond each had two of the five hits for their respective teams. Just 25 years old at the time, Petersen spent three seasons in the big leagues – all with the Marlins – and recorded just two career home runs. His last, however, will forever have the distinction of delivering the club its final win in its original stadium. It came on this day 15 years ago. View full article

Throughout the years, many Major League Baseball players have played with heavy hearts following the death of loved ones or friends. Rarely, however, do entire clubs have to deal with the loss of a teammate. That was the situation for the Miami Marlins on this day 10 years ago. One day after the tragic death of José Fernández, the Marlins took the field against the New York Mets. On an emotional night, Dee Strange-Gordon set the tone with an emotional lead-off home run in a 7-3 win for Miami. With every member of the Marlins wearing Fernández’s initials "JDF" and his jersey No. 16 on their caps, Adam Conley was able to work a scoreless top of the first for Miami on Sept. 26, 2016. That set the stage for an emotional Strange-Gordon to lead off the bottom of the inning. A left-handed bat wearing Fernández’s jersey for the evening, Strange-Gordon opened by mimicking Fernández’s batting stance while standing in the right-handed batter’s box. After taking the first pitch for a ball, the Miami second baseman moved back to the other side of the plate. In 155 team games that season, Strange-Gordon had not homered, but he took Bartolo Colón’s 2-0 pitch over the right-field wall for a lead-off home run. Teary-eyed, Strange-Gordon rounded the bases as the Marlins went ahead to stay. It was the first of a season-high four hits for the evening for the Miami second baseman. That would be the only run of the inning for Miami but the Fish continued to tack on over the next two innings. After Conley worked a 1-2-3 second, the Marlins scored four runs in the second. Miami opened the bottom of the second with four straight hits. After J.T. Realmuto’s RBI infield single scored Giancarlo Stanton to make it 2-0, Justin Bour scored on an Adeiny Hechavarría ground-rule double. A sacrifice bunt from Conley plated the third run of the inning before Strange-Gordon drove in his second run in as many innings with an RBI single. In the third, Bour’s RBI triple scored Christian Yelich, chased Colón and extended the lead to 6-0. Bour later scored on an RBI single from Hechavarría. After three shutout innings from Conley and a 1-2-3 fourth from Mike Dunn, the Mets broke up the shutout in the fifth on Asdrúbal Cabrera’s two-run double. Lucas Duda capped the scoring for New York with an RBI single in the eighth. In addition to Strange-Gordon’s four knocks, Bour was 3-for-3 for Miami. Hechavarría added two hits. Cabrera had two of the seven hits for the Mets. Following the contest, the Marlins placed their hats on the mound to honor the memory of the late Fernández. It capped an emotional night that took place on this day a decade ago. View full article

With the 2026 season approaching its end, there have been many great pitchers to toe the rubber for the Miami Marlins over the years. One, however, could argue that no one brought more flare to the mound than José Fernández. The 2013 National League Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, the world said goodbye to Fernández on this day 10 years ago. Fernández and two others died in a boating crash in the early morning hours of Sept. 25, 2016. Fernández was piloting his boat that struck a jetty at Miami Beach before dawn. Investigations later determined that Fernández was going 65 miles per hour while under the influence of drugs. The impact killed the 24-year-old Fernández and both passengers onboard – 27-year-old Emilio Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero. The tragedy struck the South Florida community as well as the Miami Marlins and has since complicated the legacy of a blossoming young talent. In addition to his teammates and family, Fernández left behind a daughter who had yet to be born. Fernández and his pregnant girlfriend had announced that they were expecting their first child just days prior to the fatal crash. While Fernández’s story is certainly a tragic tale and by all accounts, could have been avoided, his efforts as a pitcher were a sight to behold. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds with a devastating breaking ball, Fernández went 38-17 over four seasons in the big leagues while posting a career 2.58 ERA. Fernández continues to hold Miami single-season records for fewest hits allowed per nine innings and strikeouts. The club’s career leader in win percentage, Fernández also ranks in the top 10 in club history in wins, strikeouts and complete games. A Cuban exile, Fernández left fans with great memories over a short period of time. He died much too young. The world said goodbye to Fernández on this day a decade ago. View full article

Still one of the most iconic stories in Florida/Miami Marlins history, Cuban defector Liván Hernández was one of the heroes in Florida’s run to the 1997 World Series and the series’ MVP as a 22-year-old rookie. His debut, however, came during the 1996 season – on this day 30 years ago. In what would be his only appearance of the 1996 season, Hernández threw three scoreless innings of relief. He also showed what he could do with the bat in a 12-1 rout of the Atlanta Braves. Florida was up 11-1 in the top of the sixth inning on Sept. 24, 1996 at Pro Player Stadium when Hernández got to call to keep momentum going after a stellar outing from starter Pat Rapp. The Cuban right-hander did just that. In the sixth inning, Hernández was able to work around two singles to pitch a scoreless frame, which included his first career strikeout. After giving up a single to Javier López on the first pitch of his big-league career, Hernández fanned Dwight Smith swinging. In the seventh, Hernández was again able to work out of trouble. He allowed a single to Luis Polonia and a walk to Chipper Jones to start the inning but responded by getting Andruw Jones to ground into a double play. One pitch later, Eddie Pérez popped out to end the Atlanta threat. In the bottom of that inning, Hernández proved that he was no slouch at the dish. With one out, Hernández pulled Joe Borowski’s offering through the left side for his first career hit in his first career at-bat. He would cap the scoring later in the inning by coming around from second base on Jerry Brooks’ RBI single. Now up 12-1, Hernández struck out Smith for the second time for the second out of the eighth inning. Following a two-out walk, Hernández got Mike Mordecai to pop out to conclude a successful outing. Jay Powell worked a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the win. While Hernández shined in his debut, it was far from a one-man show. Rapp had given the Marlins five solid innings, allowing just a run on seven hits and three walks. Hernández scattered three hits and two walks in his three scoreless innings of relief. For the Marlins, it was domination from the start. Florida raced to a 6-0 lead with a six-running first inning, which featured seven straight two-out hits. After Jeff Conine doubled home Luis Castillo for the first run, Devon White, Greg Colbrunn, Kurt Abbott, Charles Johnson, Rapp and Castillo each followed with singles. Only Colbrunn’s hit did not produce a run. Following Rapp’s RBI single, Braves manager Bobby Cox pulled starter Steve Avery. The Braves broke up the shutout with a run in the fourth, but the Marlins answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Édgar Rentería and a two-run double from White. An RBI groundout from Castillo and RBI single from Rentería in the fifth extended the lead to 11-1. As a team, Florida finished with 21 hits, led by Castillo’s three. Conine, White, Jesús Tavárez, Colbrunn and Johnson each had two knocks. White led the Marlins with three RBIs while Castillo, Conine and Johnson each scored twice. Just a run-of-the-mill September call-up at the time, Hernández would go on to be one of the more significant figures in Marlins history. He spent parts of four seasons with the team and was the Opening Day starting pitcher in 1998. Hernández made his big-league debut in what would be his only relief outing for the Fish on this day three decades ago. View full article

Now a member of the Hall of Fame, outfielder Andre Dawson spent 21 years in Major League Baseball with four different teams, including his final two seasons as a member of the Florida Marlins. On this day 30 years ago, Dawson hit the last of his 438 career home runs in Florida’s 6-0 win over the Houston Astros. On the mound, Rick Helling had allowed just one hit and two walks through eight innings at Joe Robbie Stadium on Sept. 22, 1996. After Kurt Abbott singled and Charles Johnson walked with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, interim manager John Boles had a decision to make as the pitcher’s spot was up. Boles had Dawson grab a bat. Facing Xavier Hernandez, Dawson was able to get ahead in the count, 3-1. The fifth pitch was a fastball that was left up and the legend didn’t miss it. Managing to keep it to the right of the foul pole, Dawson blasted a no-doubter into the left-field seats for a three-run blast, doubling the Florida lead to 6-0. Prior to Dawson’s exclamation point, all of the offense had come in the first inning. After a Gary Sheffield sacrifice fly plated Luis Castillo for the first run, Greg Colbrunn singled home Édgar Rentería before scoring on Joe Orsulak’s RBI triple to make it 3-0. From there, Houston starter Darryl Kile settled in, holding the Marlins scoreless over the next five innings while striking out 10. Helling fanned five before Chris Hammond worked a scoreless ninth for Florida. An eight-time All-Star, the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year and the 1987 National League MVP, Dawson finished his career with nearly 2,800 hits. “The Hawk” would become the first Marlins player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. His final home run came as a member of the Fish and on this day three decades ago. View full article

A rangy centerfielder with speed, power and the ability to hit for average, Devon White enjoyed a stellar 17-year Major League Baseball career in which he won seven Gold Gloves and was a three-time All-Star. White finished with more than 1,900 career hits, 208 career home runs and 364 stolen bases. Of those home runs, two were walk-off blasts, including one that came on this day 30 years ago. Shut out for eight innings, Jeff Conine and White changed things with two swings of the bat. Their back-to-back home runs lifted the Florida Marlins to a thrilling 2-1 walk-off win over the Houston Astros. For the first eight innings at Joe Robbie Stadium on Sept. 21, 1996, the Marlins had managed no runs and just five hits. Starting pitcher Doug Drabek had given Houston seven shutout innings of four-hit baseball before Billy Wagner worked a scoreless eighth. With the Astros leading 1-0, Wagner was left in to pitch the ninth, which proved to be a costly mistake. Conine was 0-for-3 to that point, but after getting ahead in the count 2-1, was able to take a Wagner fastball that was left up to right field and just over the wall for the game-tying opposite-field home run. Hitting from the right side, the switch-hitting White took a breaking ball from Wagner three pitches later and deposited it over “teal tower” in left field for his first walk-off home run in more than a decade. The teams combined for just 12 hits. White and Houston’s Jeff Bagwell each finished with two. Derek Bell singled home Craig Biggio for the Astros’ lone run in the fourth inning. On the mound, Al Leiter gave the Marlins a quality start, yielding just a run on three hits and one walk in seven innings while striking out five. Lefty Félix Heredia recorded the final five outs to pick up his first career win. At 34 years old, the 1996 season would be statistically one of the best of White’s career. For the year, he hit .274 with 17 home runs, 84 RBIs, 37 doubles, six triples and 22 stolen bases. His final home run from that season was a walk-off blast that came on this day three decades ago. View full article