Dave Dombrowski is a very beloved figure in the city of Miami and deservedly so, he brought the Marlins and the 305 their first World title in the sport of baseball during 1997. Since the team’s inception the Cuban baseball market his been critical to the team’s success, especially during that magical first championship season.
“Well, they were critical in us winning the championship. They were two of our best pitchers and two of the better pitchers in baseball. Of course, Liván was a rookie coming up that year, so he wasn’t the established pitcher that Alex was at that time,” added Dombrowski about the importance of the Cubans in playoffs.
“But Liván did a great job for us. We don’t win a world championship without them pitching well against everyone in the divisional series, in the league championship and then of course in the World Series. Fernandez at that point was one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.”
“He was a leader on the field, a great pitcher and competitor. Alex along with probably Kevin Brown and Al Leiter were the so critical, crucial for us and key ingredients in us winning the world championship,” said Dombrowski about Liván Hernández and Alex Fernandez’s roles in 1997.
“Well, it was very important for us.We knew at that time and I can’t speak for for now, but really important part of us being in South Florida to be in a position where the Cuban market was very important for us as far as cultivating players, getting players to play with our organization, but also put an emphasis in trying to draw fans and be a part of the Cuban market. So we knew we were part of the community and it was something that we emphasized a great deal.”
The distinguished executive went on to win another World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018. He has also reached the fall classic three more times with the Tigers (2006,2012) and the Phillies (2020). For his work he has been named Executive of the Year on various occasions by various sport publications.
Teams:
- Chicago White Sox (1978–1986)
- Montreal Expos (1987–1991)
- Florida Marlins (1991–2001)
- Detroit Tigers (2002–2015)
- Boston Red Sox (2015–2019)
- Philadelphia Phillies (2021–present)
Career highlights and awards:
- 2× World Series champion (1997, 2018)
- 1990 UPI Executive of the Year
- 2× Baseball America Executive of the Year (2006, 2018)
- 2011 co-Sporting News Executive of the Year (with Doug Melvin)