If They Don't Win It's a Shame: The Year the Marlins Bought the World Series

by Dave Rosenbaum

The inside story of the richest baseball team money could buy.

Genres: Sports, Baseball

314 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Marlins fan, I remember watching my beloved Fish win their first world title in 1997. I bought the World Series Championship shirts and still own a poster from that team. However, I was only 12 years old, so much about that team had been forgotten. This book reignited those memories.

Sure, the writer has his own prejudices and gives his own strong (and sometimes negative) opinions, especially about manager Jim Leyland, RF Gary Sheffield, and P Kevin Brown, but if you can look past that, you'll see the coming together of a team that would make history. Given clubhouse access for the entire season, Rosenbaum gives "blog-like" posts about events that went on throughout the season, from Leyland's comments to his team, to the team's performance on the field, to even Billy the Marlin losing his head and other off-the-field events. He interjects his own views and insights into the telling of this baseball story (often with humor), but that's often what we as fans do as well. This book is a must-read for any Marlins fan, and most baseball junkies will enjoy it too.

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1997 Florida Marlins are an interesting subject, however there are two big issues with “If They Don’t Win It’s a Shame.” First, author Dave Rosenbaum writes from the perspective of a local beat writer and spends too much time complaining about how various Marlins treated members of the local media. Second, not one person in this book was likeable. The style that Rosenbaum used was very disjointed using many short tidbits as opposed to a free flowing prose. It is interesting enough yet not the most satisfying in the end.

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the 1997 Florida Marlins season, which basically saw the team buy a World Series. The owner spent a ton of money on the team, only to find out he wanted to sell the team halfway through the season. In this book you'll get inside information from author Dave Rosenbaum on Jim Leyland, Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Kevin Brown (a big jerk), Darren Daulton, Jeff Conine, Moises Alou, Edgar Renteria, Devon White, Charles Johnson, Kurt Abbott, Alex Fernandez, Livan Hernandez, Greg (Fucking) Zaun and Al Leiter to name a few. But most of them would be gone in a year, sold off for prospects. This is the story of a team in just its fifth year, winning the whole thing and how it happened. Good stuff, a must if you're a Marlins fan.

[Jim Poling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave does a great job covering a very nostalgic time in south Florida. 90s baseball will always be the best and this team will always be my favorite that truly made me a baseball fan. Well written by Dave

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only book about the 1997 Marlins. Really, they only need one book. It makes me thankful that I will never have the experience of having Jim Leyland as a supervisor.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hacktastic beat writer's recapitulation of the Florida Marlins' 1999 World Series run. Eh.