.jpg)
Almost any baseball fan knows Evan Longoria plays for the Tampa Rays. But naming one marquee player for the Marlins is far more difficult.DAYTONA BEACH -- For Central Florida baseball fans excited about the start of the 2012 season for the Miami Marlins with a new stadium and the addition of several high-priced free agent stars, it proved to be a bust not worth the long drive with most of the stars gone by the trading deadline on the way to a last-place finish.
High hopes began with a $190 million free agent off-season spending frenzy for the likes of shortstop Jose Reyes and pitcher Heath Bell, but as the season got under way, the Marlins nowhere fast and by the July 21 trading deadline, shipped out were Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante, Randy Choate, Gaby Sanchez and Edward Mujica.
Ramirez's salary alone shaved $38 million in salary commitments over the next couple of seasons.
Of course, the Marlins were excited as the 2011 season was winding down, acquiring manager Ozzie Guillén in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Then that November, the Marlins unveiled new uniforms with new color schemes, along with the name change from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. The team then went on a free agent signing spree, bringing in Reyes, Bell and starting pitcher Mark Buehrle.
When the 2012 season came to a merciful end, gone were $106 million shortstop Reyes, pitching ace Josh Johnson and $58 million pitcher Buehrle to the Toronto Blue Jays in a 12-player trade, after Bell was traded earlier to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Guillén, who offended Cuban-Americans with an off-the-cuff comment that seemed to favor Fidel Castro, was fired at the end of the season as well.
The Marlins finished dead last in the National League east with a record of 69-93. And while the Marlins finished in the cellar, the Sunshine State's other MLB team, the Tampa Rays, finished with a 90-72 record in the highly competitive American League east, just missing the playoffs.
And while the Miami Marlins were unloading their star talent in November, the Tampa Rays signed All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria to a $100 million contract extension.
Countdown Top 10 Florida Stories of 2012: