Acquired in a 2002 trade that sent Cliff Floyd to the Montreal Expos, Juan Encarnacion was quietly a dependable player for the Florida Marlins during his tenure. In three-plus seasons with the team, Encarnacion batted .271 with 46 home runs and 223 RBIs.
On this day 20 years ago, the Dominican Republic native played the role of hero with a walk-off home run in a 5-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. Encarnacion’s blast, however, wasn’t the only significant event of that day. It also came in the Major League Baseball debut of pitcher Dontrelle Willis.
At Pro Player Stadium on May 9, 2003, Willis gave Florida a quality start.