This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
This past weekend wasn't just a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Marlins' first World Series championship. It also served as a reunion for members of that 1997 club, and players on the current team.
During Saturday's pregame introductions, right fielder Avisaíl García and former manager Jim Leyland caught up in the dugout. In 2012, García made his Major League debut at age 21 during Leyland's tenure with the Tigers.
"Always respectful, always communicating with his players, and for me one of the best," García said. "Super lucky. He's a legend. He knows the game really well. To have him as a manager for my first year I think is lucky. So I feel blessed."
Leyland remembers how much the baby-faced rookie looked like fellow Venezuelan Miguel Cabrera, so much so that García received the nickname "Mini Miggy."
"He was a young kid that was coming up, and they always thought he was like Miggy's little brother," Leyland said. "That's kind of the reputation he had for a while. It actually turned out pretty good for him. He's had a nice career, a great guy. Happy to see him down here still playing, still doing a good job."
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hung out with retired slugger Gary Sheffield, whom he first met at a showcase in the Bahamas before he signed as an international prospect. They have been able to keep in touch over the years through Sheffield's kids.
And loanDepot park also hosted the only two Cuban-born World Series MVPs in Liván Hernández and Jorge Soler. Hernández, whose iconic line "I love you, Miami" is etched in Marlins history, enjoyed watching Soler's heroics in last year's Fall Classic. The two met a few years ago, but didn't have deep conversations until this past weekend.
"You're rooting for the guy because he deserves it, and he deserves to play here in Miami because he's a Cuban," Hernández said. "There's a lot of Cubans that want to see him play, and who doesn't want to see the MVP of the World Series play for the hometown?"