Where are the First Basemen now?

We’ve looked at the catchers, now it’s time to look at all the regular starting first basemen in Marlins history.

1993

Orestes Destrade - Not only was Destrade the original first baseman of the Florida Marlins franchise but he also has the prestige of getting the first double in team history. Before signing with the Marlins, he played in Japan for the Seibu Lions and led the league in home runs for three consecutive years. In the franchise’s inaugural season and his only as a major league regular, Destrade hit .255 with 20 home runs and 87 runs driven in. After 1993, he remained with the Marlins in ‘94 but was limited to 130 at bats. Following the 1994 season, Destrade was granted free agency. He’d go on to play in Japan for 1 season before retiring. Destrade can now be seen on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.

1994, 1997

Jeff Conine - Mr. Marlin will be featured in more than just this article due to his ability to play different parts of the field. For now, I’ll focus on his days as the primary 1B. In 1994, the 1B was split many ways and even though Conine played a mere 46 games at the position — he had the most games played. Conine hit .319 with 18 homers and 82 runs batted in that season. He was an All Star and got some MVP votes as well. It was one of the better seasons of is career. In 1997, Conine hit a disappointing .242 with 17 homers and 61 runs batted in. Despite these numbers, Jeff Conine was a big reason for the World Championship in 1997 and is arguably the biggest name in Marlins franchise history. This past season, Conine played with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Following the season, he elected to retire from Major League Baseball to spend more time with his family. He runs a restaurant in South Florida as well.

1995 - 1996

Greg Colbrunn - His only 2 seasons in Major League Baseball with over 500 at bats came with the Florida Marlins. In 1995, he hit .277 and powered the way with 23 home runs and 89 runs knocked in. In 1996, he hit .286 with 16 home runs and 69 runs batted in. His defense was phenomenal making a total of 11 errors in both years combined. While he had a short career in teal, he certainly made an impact. Colbrunn would go on to play until 2004 with a variety of franchises before retiring. Today, he is the hitting coach of the Charleston RiverDogs, an affiliate of the New York Yankees.

1998, 2000 - 2003

Derrek Lee - One of the more recognizable right side infielders in franchise history. In his rookie campaign, Lee hit .233 with 17 home runs and 74 runs batted in. From 2000-2003, Lee hit 107 home runs and knocked in 323 runs. Not only did he play a big role with his bat, but he was a tremendous player with the glove as well including picking up a gold glove in 2003. Lee also grabbed some MVP votes in the 2003 championship run. It goes without saying but Lee was a main reason for the championship run in 2003. Currently, Lee plays for the Chicago Cubs. He has been with them since the Marlins traded him for Hee Seop Choi who we will look at later.

1999

Kevin Millar - In 1999, Millar batted .285 with 9 home runs and 67 runs bated in. He also played in parts of 1998,2000,2001 and 2002 however most of those games were in the outfield. Following 2002, the Marlins sold Millar to Japan however the Boston Red Sox put a claim in on Millar when he was placed on waivers. The move was frowned upon but in the end, Millar wound up in Boston where he was part of the 2004 championship team. Today, Millar is a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

2004

Hee Seop Choi - A short time in Florida but a productive one. Choi was a fan favorite in his half season with the Marlins where he hit .270 with 15 home runs and 40 runs batted in. He was traded at the trade deadline to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster deal where the Marlins attempted to fill all their needs for a playoff push. Choi would go on to play part time in 2005 for the Dodgers as well. Today, Choi plays in South Korea for the Kia Tigers.

2005

Carlos Delgado - Prior to the 2005 season, Delgado was a big name on the free agent market. A huge surprise took place when the cash strapped Marlins signed Delgado to a big free agent deal. Delgado hit .301 with 33 home runs and 115 runs batted in during his one season in South Florida. Following that season, the Marlins traded Delgado to the New York Mets in order to dump salary. The Mets were one of the teams vying for Delgado’s services during the free agent period when he chose the Marlins. Today, Delgado remains a member of the New York Mets and is their starting first baseman.

2006 - 2007

Mike Jacobs - He was the key piece of the Delgado trade with the Mets. In only 100 at bats in New York in 2005 he hit 11 home runs and made people think of Shane Spencer’s debut with the Yankees. In his rookie season with the Marlins, Jacobs hit .262 with 20 home runs and 77 runs batted in. Obviously a slower pace than his debut with the Mets but still a very respectable rookie season. In 2007, Jacobs hit .265 with 17 homers and 54 runs knocked in. Jacobs missed a chunk of time with a hand injury which impacted his numbers. He is currently on the Marlins and is set to be the starting 1B again in 2008.