Are the Marlins Villains?

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When the Marlins won in 1997, they were the bad guys bk they "bought their team" that spring just before the season started, bringing in such big names as Bobby Bonilla, Moises Alou, and Alex Fernandez. Nevermind the fact that most of the other teams in the league had done the same thing, only in a much longer time frame.

Now, in 2003, the Marlins are the bad guys bk they beat the beloved Cubs who have not made it to a World Series in 58?? years. There's not other team I would've rather seen the Marlins lose to if I had to choose but the Marlins pulled out an amazing win.

Maybe I'm just biased bk I'm from south florida originally, but I can't help but feel the Marlins have been villanized a little by most fans (who aren't either fans of the Cubs or the Marlins) for the fact that they beat the Cubs. The Marlins making it to the World Series is good for baseball. They have one of the league's lowest pay rolls. And I for one, regardless, love to see a small market team have a shot to win it all for once.

How does that make the Marlins a small market team?

You'll see they're near the bottom of the league. In real life economics, they're certainly not in a small market down there near Miami. But in baseball economics, I've heard "small market teams" used to desribe teams with small payrolls. And for the most part, Loria wasn't willing to spend $100 million a year on players like the Yankees and Braves were.

I'm not that familiar with baseball...I thought of "market" as meaning "media market".

Yankees: 156,948,495 (1st overall)
Red Sox: 100,651,177 (3)
Cubs: 86,252,833 (8)
Florida: 52,538,298 (20)

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/salaries?team=nyy

The Marlins have spent more this year than last year, but it's still among the lowest of baseball teams. Oakland is the only one with lower salaries, ranking 21st.

Disclaimer: These are opening day salaries. So the exact numbers may be slightly different now.

They're villains because they've managed to slither into a second Series in their illustrious decade-long history </sarcasm> -- all without ever once winning a division title!

And the first time, they took out another long-suffering, old-line team, with an actual history -- the Cleveland Indians, whose window appears to have closed. Thanks for nothing, expansion team with bland suburban stadium!

What happened to expansion teams sucking for a generation or so before breaking through, like the Mariners, for instance?

It's not like the Marlins had a subpar year. I know it's hard to compare between divisions, but the Marlins won more regular season games than the Cubs. Florida won 91 to Chicago's 88. Atlanta had such a hot regular season that nobody was going to catch them.

I can understand the frusteration with Florida being an expansion team. However, it's different than the old days. Arizona won after only a few years. Wild cards have won before, like last year with Anaheim. I don't think the winner of a Sox/Marlins series would have anything to be ashamed of.

Not exactly rich in baseball tradition. Attendance numbers since their title in '97 illustrate my point perfectly. (If there is a "villian" associated with the Florida Marlins, it would be Wayne Huizenga.)

You have a point regarding the fans contempt for the Marlins knocking off the Cubbies. Folks wanted to see baseball history. They got the Marlins. I'm sorry to say, but the Cubbies advancing to the Series would have been much "better" economically for Major League Baseball than the Florida Marlins.

Furthermore, if the Sox go down tonight, most casual fans will simply tune out, and the Marlins will likely continue to wallow in obscurity. Be honest, who's going to be terribly interested in a Marlins/Yankees Series, after having a historical, dramatic Cubs/Sox matchup dangled in front of them?

A Marlins/Red Sox duel is the way to go. The Yankees have won way too damn much.

The way I see it, a Red Sox victory would be a nice consolation prize if the Marlins fail to win.

Yea, its not like major league teams have been going to Florida to train or anything for 60 years...... ;)

Although I'm not a Cubs fan I pulled for the Cubs because I understand what those fans have gone through (ever sat in the bleachers during a game at Wrigley?) for so long. Those fans made their own magic and it broke my heart to see them cry after the game.
I fell in love with baseball when I saw my first game at Wrigley field. Special venue, great fans! I have a soft spot for them.

I'm a Cubs fan, and I never looked at them as villains. Nor do I know any Cubs fans who look upon the Marlins as villains. Where does this come from?