Not the Conclusion By Jason Taylor

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Miamiherald.com 


17 years is a long wait; for kids like me it’s a lifetime. It’s been17 years since the Marlins have tasted the sweet nectar of the postseason; 17 years since they held the commissioner's trophy at Yankee Stadium. Some of today’s fans never saw it happen, those who did, relish in their memories.  But now, 17 years later, a miracle in Miami; the Marlins have returned to October. 

It would be an understatement to say that the road for the Marlins was hard, because it wasn't, it was near impossible. After 174 roster moves made by manager Don Mattingly, a COVID-19 outbreak at the start of the season, and having to deal with the second best team in the National League, the Atlanta Braves, they remain in the game. 

The word miracle in sports is thrown around more than a football on Thanksgiving day, but for the 2020 Miami Marlins, they deserve the title, “Miracle Marlins”. The team has no real star hitter, no real pitching ace and no real shutdown closer, but they win because they play the game of baseball the way it is meant to be played. Still, if you asked any analyst at the start of the season what chance the Marlins had to make the playoffs, the answer would have been an emphatic none. They bunt runners over and they steal bases, their offense does not live or die off the long ball. The Marlins’ standouts this year have been shortstop Miguel Rojas, rookie pitcher Sixto Sanchez, third baseman Brian Anderson, first baseman Jesus Aguilar, and mid season acquisition Starling Marte.

Now, I feel that it must be said that the Marlins have had only two winning seasons and two postseason appearances since the franchise started in 1993. Both times the Marlins went to the playoffs they emerged as World Champions. Their winning percentage in the playoffs is 100%. 

The fish travel to Chicago to play the Cubs in the first round. 17 years ago, in 2003, the infamous Steve Bartman helped the Marlins defeat the Cubbies in that series. Today, the Marlins return to the scene of the crime and the young Marlins players have to remember that making the playoffs is not the conclusion, it is the plan in motion, and the means to a victorious en

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