The 1998 Marlins were the first defending World Series champions to finish last in their division and the first to lose 100 games.
To make matters more embarrassing, their record that season was worst than both of that year's expansion teams, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who also finished last in their own divisions (the AL East and NL West respectively), were nine and eleven games better than the Marlins, at 63–99 and 65-97 respectively.
The Marlins won on opening day against the Chicago Cubs, but it would be the only time they were over .500 all season.
They promptly lost 11 straight, the most consecutive losses by a reigning champion.
The first interleague game between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays took place at Tropicana Field.