Josh Beckett had already accomplished nearly everything asked of him by the time the final ball rolled toward him at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 25, 2003. Pitching on three days’ rest, the 23-year-old had held the New York Yankees scoreless for eight innings.
Then, with the World Series on the line, Beckett fielded the final ground ball himself, tagged the opposing runner and completed a five-hit shutout. The Marlin’s 2-0 victory in Game 6 gave the team their second World Series championship, capping a season that had looked dramatically different only months earlier.
By late May, the Marlins had a losing record of 19-29. Jeffrey H. Loria was in his second season as owner, Larry Beinfest was serving as general manager, and the organization had already made a major change in the dugout, replacing team manager Jeff Torborg with 72-year-old Jack McKeon after a 16-22 start.
The roster had changed as well, as young players already in the organization were joined by additions such as Dontrelle Willis, Juan Pierre and Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez.
No single move turned the season around. The Marlins had added players to fill specific needs, changed managers, and gradually found a combination that worked. What had been a 19-29 team in May became a club that reached the postseason, beating San Francisco, Chicago and New York, and ending the year celebrating a championship at Yankee Stadium.
How the 2003 Marlins Built Around Young Talent
MLB approved Loria’s purchase of the Marlins on Feb. 12, 2002, but several key members of the future championship team were already in the organization. Josh Beckett had been selected second overall in the 1999 MLB Draft, and Miguel Cabrera signed as an international free agent that same year.
Earlier trades had brought Mike Lowell, A.J. Burnett and Brad Penny to Florida, while Luis Castillo was already with the club.
The 2003 roster was built over several years. Rather than replacing the young talent already there, the new baseball staff continued adding to it.
Loria named Larry Beinfest general manager and Jeff Torborg manager on Feb. 14. Beinfest had previously worked with the Montreal Expos. On March 27, Florida sent Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca to the Chicago Cubs for Dontrelle Willis, Julian Tavarez, Jose Cueto and Ryan Jorgensen. Willis went on to become a major part of the 2003 rotation.
The Marlins made another important addition on Nov. 18, 2002, acquiring center fielder Juan Pierre and pitcher Mike Hampton from Colorado for Charles Johnson, Preston Wilson, Pablo Ozuna and Vic Darensbourg. The team then sent Hampton to Atlanta for Tim Spooneybarger and minor league pitcher Ryan Baker.
Pierre remained with the Marlins and became a key part of the lineup. He later recalled the 2003 clubhouse being unusually close and, importantly, unselfish.
The Marlins also signed veteran catcher Iván Rodríguez before the 2003 season. While many scouts had written him off, Loria believed he could still contribute and would be a strong fit for the young pitching staff.
“I thought he had more great plays in him and that having a commanding defensive presence behind home plate was just what our team needed for a slate of great young pitchers on the mound,” Loria said.
By Opening Day, the Marlins had kept much of its young core while adding Willis, Pierre and Rodríguez through trades and free agency.
The Midseason Change Behind The Marlin’s Turnaround
The Marlins opened the 2003 season 16-22 under Jeff Torborg. On May 11, the Marlins replaced him with Jack McKeon. McKeon had spent decades in professional baseball, managing the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. He had also worked as a general manager and had experience taking over struggling teams.
McKeon stepped in after 38 games, with little time to change the direction of the season. Jeffrey Loria later described him as the right manager for what he called “a real fixer-upper” of a team.
McKeon pushed the players to improve their preparation, work habits and attitude. Carl Pavano said that trust allowed McKeon to be direct, while Mike Lowell remembered that McKeon did not want the team waiting around for things to improve and said he “pressed the right buttons.”
McKeon also expected players to be engaged in games from start to finish. When he became frustrated that Beckett and Brad Penny were spending time in the clubhouse instead of the dugout, he locked the clubhouse door.
Still, these changes did not lead to immediate wins. By May 22, the Marlins had fallen to 19-29, and injuries only made things worse. Burnett made only four starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery, while Beckett missed five weeks with a mild right elbow sprain.
The Marlins then went 72-42 over the rest of the regular season, finished 91-71 and earned the National League Wild Card. From the day McKeon took over, the team posted a record of 75-49. He was later named National League Manager of the Year.
October Put Florida’s Biggest Decisions to the Test
The Marlins entered the postseason as the National League Wild Card and beat the San Francisco Giants three games to one in the Division Series. The team then defeated the Chicago Cubs in seven games to win the National League pennant.
In the World Series, the Marlins faced a Yankees team making its fifth appearance in six seasons. The Marlins won Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, 3-2. Rodríguez drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Pierre added a two-run single in the fifth inning.
New York won Games 2 and 3, but Florida answered by winning Games 4 and 5. That gave the Marlins a 3-2 series lead heading back to Yankee Stadium.
McKeon then made one of his biggest decisions of the season, starting Beckett in Game 6 on three days’ rest rather than risk giving the Yankees another opportunity. He later explained that he did not want the series to reach a seventh game at Yankee Stadium. With a chance to finish it in six, McKeon went with the pitcher he considered his best.
Beckett allowed five hits, struck out nine and shut out New York in a 2-0 win. Across two World Series starts, he allowed two runs in 16⅓ innings and struck out 19. He was named World Series MVP.
McKeon’s decision paid off, and the Marlins left Yankee Stadium with their second World Series championship.
