Florida Baseball in Cooperstown – Who Will Be the First?

[pedrosrotatorcuff]

Florida baseball success has been... well, what HAS it been? Until the Rays became relevant in the Joe Maddon era, it was consisted of the worst franchise since 1900, and another with 2 World Series titles but was otherwise low-profile and mediocre-to-bad. Since then, it's been a mixed bag, with the Rays staying mostly just outside of "playoff contender" status, while the Marlins' last winning season was in 2009.
Few above-average players have broken into the majors with the Rays or Marlins, let alone GREAT players. Veterans like Kevin Brown and Wade Boggs have passed through, made their mark, and left after brief stays; and with the trades of Evan Longoria and Giancarlo Stanton this past offseason, each team's leading career-WAR leader has left their original team. Miguel Cabrera looks to be the only sure bet from either to make the HOF, and almost all of his real success came with the Tigers.

Who do you think will be the first MLB player, who broke in with the Rays or Marlins, to wear one of their caps on his Cooperstown plaque?

[Cougar]

Miguel Cabrera broke in with the Marlins. He's a HOF lock. He'll most likely wear a Detroit hat though.

I suppose Evan Longoria is the best bet at present to wear a Rays hat, but he's still a long shot, I'd reckon.

[Chadwick]

Giancarlo Stanton has half a Hall of Fame career. That said, "Miggy" is the answer to the OP.

[Los Bravos]

Florida Baseball is a failed experiment that should be ended.

[pedrosrotatorcuff]

Florida Baseball is a failed experiment that should be ended.

Nah, not after 3 pennants and 2 WS titles between the two teams. If anything, junk the M's and Nats–they're the only active franchises without so much as a pennant.

[dgarza]

If Jim Leyland makes the Hall, what cap does he wear?

[Toledo Inquisition]

Giancarlo Stanton has half a Hall of Fame career. That said, "Miggy" is the answer to the OP.

Yes, and yes.

[bluesky5]

Cabrera would go in as a Tiger. Didn't Boggs want to wear Tampa's hat? If David Price or Longoria made it they'd probably go in as Rays. Stanton would end up going in as a Yankee. If he has a shot at 500 or 600 home runs he's going to DH there until he's 40.

[Toledo Inquisition]

Cabrera would go in as a Tiger. Didn't Boggs want to wear Tampa's hat? If David Price or Longoria made it they'd probably go in as Rays. Stanton would end up going in as a Yankee. If he has a shot at 500 or 600 home runs he's going to DH there until he's 40.

I misread the question...it says "Who do you think will be the first MLB player, who broke in with the Rays or Marlins, to wear one of their caps on his Cooperstown plaque?"


I missed the wearing caps portion. Cabrera will be a Tiger for sure, he was only a 5-year Marlin.

I think Stanton has a good chance, especially if he plays for 3-4 more teams in his career, with the Marlins time the longest.

[dominik]

Giancarlo Stanton has half a Hall of Fame career. That said, "Miggy" is the answer to the OP.

If he has a HOF career and stays with the Yankees he would probably wear their hat though,especially if he wins a WS or two there. If he switches teams again in 2 years there is a good chance he would go as a marlin though although reportedly him and yelich were extremely unhappy with the dismantling of the team and would probably prefer another hat.

[abolishthedh]

As for the current and recent players who I might have mentioned, all of those players have been mentioned at this point. Then it seems the first genuine franchise player who will wear a Rays or a Marlins hat with entry into the Hall has yet to establish himself. We don't know which player will suffer through the down periods who will also have the 'franchise' label and also who would have a 'no-trade' clause in his contract. These are major questions considering the current economics of baseball.

IMHO, it is possible that a player could charm his owner into keeping him while that owner would have the luck with his moves to avoid major downturns in the standings and long DL lists. But then, that is really amounts to two more major questions on the list. As someone mentioned above, MLB in Florida is a failed mission. The real baseball in Florida happens in the Grapefruit League of spring training, and maybe also on the college fields.

[jjpm74]

Cabrera would go in as a Tiger. Didn't Boggs want to wear Tampa's hat? If David Price or Longoria made it they'd probably go in as Rays. Stanton would end up going in as a Yankee. If he has a shot at 500 or 600 home runs he's going to DH there until he's 40.

Yes, Boggs did which prompted a rule change. Now the HOF determines which hat a given player will wear. When a player has about even time between multiple teams, the HOF will ask the player for a preference.

[jjpm74]

If Jim Leyland makes the Hall, what cap does he wear?

That's a tough call. He had the longest stint with the Pirates, but the most success with the Tigers and his lone World Series with the Marlins. I think you almost have to go with a Tigers cap if he gets in.

[Freakshow]

That's a tough call. He had the longest stint with the Pirates, but the most success with the Tigers and his lone World Series with the Marlins. I think you almost have to go with a Tigers cap if he gets in.

I'm sure that if Leyland has any say in the matter, he'll wear a Detroit cap. He grew up in Tiger country in Perrysburg, Ohio. He signed with Detroit when he was 18, and then spent 18 years in their minor league system as a catcher, coach and manager. He left to become a coach for Tony LaRussa in Chicago when he realized his path to be Tiger manager was blocked by Sparky Anderson. When the Tigers finally called in 2005 he was coaxed out of retirement to manage them.

[dgarza]

I'm sure that if Leyland has any say in the matter, he'll wear a Detroit cap. He grew up in Tiger country in Perrysburg, Ohio. He signed with Detroit when he was 18, and then spent 18 years in their minor league system as a catcher, coach and manager. He left to become a coach for Tony LaRussa in Chicago when he realized his path to be Tiger manager was blocked by Sparky Anderson. When the Tigers finally called in 2005 he was coaxed out of retirement to manage them.

I had no idea. Good for him, then, that he got to manage "his team".