What’s it like being a Miami Marlins fan

What’s it like being a Miami Marlins fan? I read  comments on Twitter about fan frustrations and fan promises of giving up on the team, and it made me wonder what it’s like to be a fan of the team and how it compares with being a fan of other teams. It made me think about what my own experience is as well, and I decided to write what I hope will be an interesting retrospective for all of you fellow fans.

Being a Miami Marlins fan is a unique experience.

The Miami Marlins began as the Florida Marlins in 1993, and became the fastest team ever to win the World Series since inception. That record was since beaten by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just to point out how amazing that is, Philadelphia Phillies fans waited from 1903 (first year of the World Series) to 1980 for their first championship. That’s 77 years! Cleveland Guardians have been waiting for a third since 1948. That’s 74 years!

I grew up in New York City as a New York Yankees fan, but became a Miami Marlins fan as I spent more time in Miami growing up and ultimately decided to move there permanently as I became an adult. I’ll never forget watching the 2003 playoffs as a kid and cheering our comeback against the Chicago Cubs. I was as excited as it gets.

Watching The Fish play the New York Yankees in the World Series was surreal, but whoever won I was happy and it was the Miami Marlins. I still remember holding on to my prized Iván Rodríguez chrome Topps Baseball card. He’s a legend and I still have it.

I was excited for the 2004 and 2005 seasons and was disappointed to see the Miami Marlins miss the playoffs both seasons. We all know what happened after…

Being a Miami Marlins fan can be frustrating, but we have 2 championships in our 29 years of existence and that’s better than most teams…

Seattle Mariners (0 in 45), Oakland Athletics (0 in the last 33), Los Angeles Angels (1 in 61), San Diego Padres (0 in 53), Arizona Diamondbacks (1 in 24), Colorado Rockies (0 in 29), Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (0 in 61), Kansas City Royals (2 in 53), Milwaukee Brewers (0 in 53), Detroit Tigers (0 in the last 38), Cleveland Guardians (0 in the last 74), Cincinnati Reds (0 in the last 32), Tampa Bay Rays (0 in 24), Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos (1 in 53), Houston Astros (1 in 60), Baltimore Orioles (1 in the last 39), Pittsburgh Pirates (0 in the last 43), New York Mets (0 in the last 36). That’s more than half of the teams in the Majors.

Boston Red Sox fans waited 86 years for a championship and the Chicago Cubs waited 108 years for one. Those teams also keep having high attendance. When those teams finally had success, the fans felt rewarded like no other. Those fans didn’t give up and neither should we.

So, what’s it like to be a Miami Marlins fan? I think it can be rewarding. Just remember that most fans suffered far worse than us. We’re a franchise that just unfortunately went through bad ownership. The times have changed and bright times are ahead.