Top 5 Marlins Moments I Experienced As A Fan

With only 3 games left in the World Series, I think I should hop on the top moments of the season now before the internet is flooded with Top moments of 2013. Although, when have I followed the norm? Welcome to my top 5 Marlins moments I experienced as a fan. What does that mean? Well this list isn’t the greatest Marlins Moments of 2013, this list is going to be the greatest moments I experienced personally as a Marlins fan. *Spoiler* Jose Fernandez’s All-Star game and his last game are not on this list because I watched them both from my home in Orlando. So with that said, let’s dive on in.

Apr 1, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; General view of the field before the Opening Day game between the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

5.  February 25, 2013

Baseball in Orlando, what a crazy concept! This spring training game between the Braves and the Marlins was the first game of the 2013 season I saw. Yea, it was spring training and it doesn’t count for the real season, but this was my first glimpse at seeing the new Miami Marlins team in action, and I got to see the Marlins play baseball so that is always a plus!

4. Winter Warm Up

So the spring training game was the first time I got to see the new Marlins on the field, but this year’s Winter Warm Up was the first time I got to meet all the new Marlins. What an event! Not only did I get to meet all my favorite Marlins but I got to meet so many of my Twitter followers. There were autograph signings, prizes, Marlins memorabilia from years past, and past players talking with the fans. My wife finally got to meet her all-time favorite player, Tino Martinez (yea I married a Yankee fan). This past years Winter Warm Up was a blast.

3. Giancarlo Baseball

Time for back story! At the last game in Florida Marlins history I was sitting front row in Right/Center Field. In the 6^th inning Mike Stanton caught a ball and threw it at me (at me or in the crowd who cares I got it)! From that moment on it has been my goal to get this ball, which is one of the last balls used in Florida Marlins history, signed by the man who gave it to me. That ball followed me to every spring training game, every Marlins game, every minor league game while Giancarlo was rehabbing, and even to New York, but I had no luck with the signature. That is, until September 8, 2013! The game had ended and players were making their way out and out came Giancarlo and what happened next was amazing. He stopped right in front of me, grabbed my baseball and signed it! That was great, but the best part of it was I got to tell him the story behind my ball and he laughed a little and said “Wow you are a true fan. Thanks, and enjoy.” My close to 2 year mission was finally done.

2. Henderson Alvarez No-No

Ever since my wife and I have started dating we have made it a point to go to the last game of the season when the Marlins are played in Miami. This year was no different except for one big thing!  This game just happened to be the one where the Marlins would get a walk-off, No-No win from Henderson Alvarez! What a game it was! The best part was no one around us metioned that Alvarez was pitching a no hitter! If any of you follow me on Twitter you know how much it bothers me when people talk about a no hitter while it’s in the process. Funny thing is, I didn’t even notice we were in a No-No until the 8^th. I was just enjoying a baseball game. When that last strike came in the Top of the 9^th Marlins Park went crazy! Then, when the Marlins scored in the bottom, the players and the fans both lost it. It was a very magical day to be at Marlins Park and to be a Marlins Fan.

1.  MLB Fan Cave

Is there any shock that this would be my number 1 moment? I’ve written 8 articles on MarlinManiac about being on the Fan Cave. Let’s start at the beginning. Back in January I was named as the only Marlins Fan to be in the Top 52 of the MLB Fan Cave. Out of 20,000 plus applicants this Marlins Fan made Top 52! During this time I made some great friends and it was an honor to represent the Marlins. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to Top 30 and I thought my Fan Cave Dreams for 2013 were finished. That was until the Marlins had a contest to see who was the Ultimate Marlins Fan with the prize of crashing the MLB Fan Cave! So why wouldn’t I enter? The picture I turned into Instagram was of my office at home with all the Marlins memorabilia I’ve collected over the past 20 years. I was named the Ultimate Marlins Fan! So it was off to New York City to crash the Cave!  It was an incredible experience! I got to meet Steve Cishek, Mike Dunn, Dan Jennings, and Derek Dietrich (What fun we had with Derek)! Also I got go to the longest game in Marlins history! For 3 nights I got to watch every baseball game on the Cave Monster and got to hang out with some of baseball’s greatest fans. April Whitzman, Mina Park, Aaron Roberts, Travis Miller, Ben Wietmarschen, Danny Farris, and Marcus Hall were some of the nicest people I have ever met and to sit around and talk baseball with them for 3 days was a great moment. Thank you to the Marlins and to the MLB Fan Cave! Who knows, maybe next year I can stay longer than 3 days?

What were some of your favorite moments this year that you’ve experienced as a Marlins fan? Let me know in the comments. Here is to 2014 and more great moments ahead. Until next time… Let’s Go Marlins!