when did the florida marlins become a team
History of the Miami Marlins
On March 7 , 1990 , Wayne Huizenga , CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation , announced he had purchased 15 percent of the NFL 's Miami Dolphins and 50 percent of the Dolphins ' home , Joe Robbie Stadium , for an estimated $30 million . Huizenga stated his intention to aggressively pursue an expansion franchise . MLB had announced a few months earlier that it intended to add two new teams to the National League . It was a foregone conclusion that one of them would be placed in Florida ; the only question was whether Huizenga would beat out competing groups from Orlando and Tampa Bay . Orlando fielded a very spirited campaign bolstered by its family - oriented tourism industry . Tampa Bay already had a baseball park -- the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg , completed in 1990 . However , on June 10 , 1991 , the National League awarded a Miami - based franchise to Huizenga for a $95 million expansion fee . One name considered early on was the Florida Flamingos . The franchise adopted the nickname `` Marlins '' from previous minor league teams , the Miami Marlins of the International League from 1956 to 1960 , and the Miami Marlins ( 1962 -- 70 ) and Miami Marlins ( 1982 -- 88 ) teams that played in the Florida State League . 
On March 7 , 1990 , Wayne Huizenga , CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation , announced he had purchased 15 percent of the NFL 's Miami Dolphins and 50 percent of the Dolphins ' home , Joe Robbie Stadium , for an estimated $30 million . Huizenga stated his intention to aggressively pursue an expansion franchise . MLB had announced a few months earlier that it intended to add two new teams to the National League . It was a foregone conclusion that one of them would be placed in Florida ; the only question was whether Huizenga would beat out competing groups from Orlando and Tampa Bay . Orlando fielded a very spirited campaign bolstered by its family - oriented tourism industry . Tampa Bay already had a baseball park -- the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg , completed in 1990 . However , on June 10 , 1991 , the National League awarded a Miami - based franchise to Huizenga for a $95 million expansion fee . One name considered early on was the Florida Flamingos . The franchise adopted the nickname `` Marlins '' from previous minor league teams , the Miami Marlins of the International League from 1956 to 1960 , and the Miami Marlins ( 1962 -- 70 ) and Miami Marlins ( 1982 -- 88 ) teams that played in the Florida State League .
On June 10, 1991, the National League awarded a Miami - based franchise to Huizenga for a $95 million expansion fee.  The franchise adopted the nickname ``Marlins'' from previous minor league teams, the Miami Marlins of the International League, the Miami Marlins and Miami Marlins teams that played in the Florida State League.
However , on June 10 , 1991 , the National League awarded a Miami - based franchise to Huizenga for a $95 million expansion fee . The franchise adopted the nickname `` Marlins '' from previous minor league teams , the Miami Marlins of the International League from 1956 to 1960 , and the Miami Marlins ( 1962 -- 70 ) and Miami Marlins ( 1982 -- 88 ) teams that played in the Florida State League .