Marlins Win World Series (Published 2003)
- ️Sun Oct 26 2003
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Marlins Win Series, 4-2
- Oct. 26, 2003
NEW YORK -- Josh Beckett was no gamble at all.
The wild-card Florida Marlins wrapped up their wild ride with an improbable World Series championship, beating the New York Yankees 2-0 Saturday night behind the strong right arm and sheer determination of their young ace.
Manager Jack McKeon was second-guessed the moment he said Beckett would start Game 6 on three days' rest. But the 23-year-old fastballer called "Rook" by his manager made McKeon look like a genius.
Beckett threw a five-hitter, giving the Marlins their second title in seven seasons. He outpitched Andy Pettitte and defeated a Yankees team that had won four of the last seven crowns, never allowing a runner past second base.
Not since 1981 had another team celebrated a Series championship on the field at Yankee Stadium. When the Los Angeles Dodgers did it then, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner apologized to the city for the dismal performance.
This time, credit the resilient Marlins for their performance. It was as if the sellout crowd of 55,773 couldn't believe what it was seeing -- then again, Florida has been an upset special this October in improving to 6-0 lifetime in postseason series.
The Marlins dropped the opener to Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants in the division before winning three in a row. They overcame a 3-1 deficit in the NL championship series, beating Cubs aces Mark Prior and Kerry Wood at Wrigley Field. In this 100th World Series game at Yankee Stadium, Beckett and the Marlins never gave the Yankees much of a chance.