"For this is the first time that we have an inaugural, Opening Day Marlins player on our hands. First to ever wear the number, first to ever play their position, played in Miami's first ever game. Oh, and also delivered the very first hit in franchise history."
"Yet it was Barberie delivering that first hit, a single off of then Dodgers ace and future 1997 World Series foe Orel Hershiser. Across Miami's first two seasons, Barberie played in 206 games, racking up 2.9 WAR in the process."
"That total is the clubhouse leader for success in the No. 8 jersey by a wide margin, at least by the Marlins WAR standard we constrain ourselves to in this series. Case in point? The second place finisher is Aaron Boone, who chipped in 0.4 WAR as a bench bat for the 2007 club."
Bret Barberie holds a unique distinction in Miami Marlins history as the first player to wear number 8, the first to play his position for the franchise, and a participant in Miami's inaugural game. He delivered the franchise's first hit, a single off Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser. During Miami's first two seasons, Barberie appeared in 206 games and accumulated 2.9 WAR, significantly leading all players who wore number 8 for the Marlins. While other notable players like Hall of Famer Andre Dawson and Jim Eisenreich later wore the number, Barberie's early contributions and historic firsts remain unmatched in terms of franchise impact for that jersey number.
Read at Marlin Maniac
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