Off-seasons rarely see the types of changes that the Miami Marlins underwent this past year – a new stadium, new team name, new uniforms, new hometown, new manager and new players. The 2012 Miami Marlins even have a new logo, so what remains from the 2011 Florida Marlins? The good news for Miami Marlins fans is that the cornerstones of their 2011 team, Josh Johnson, Hanley Ramirez, and rising star Mike Stanton remain, boosted by some notable additions including the electric Jose Reyes, the former New York Mets shortstop; Mark Buherle, the former ace Chicago White Sox pitcher; and closer Heath Bell, who saved 132 games over the last three seasons. Not to mention the most outspoken manager in MLB, Ozzie Guillen, and the biggest loose cannon in baseball, former Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano (sorry Milton Bradley). The 2012 Miami Marlins will be a hot ticket, so get out to Marlins Ballpark and see all the Major League Baseball action this year!

The team the Miami Marlins are looking to knock down a peg in 2012: the 5-time-and-counting NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Miami Marlins have their eyes set on the pennant, and they have to figure out how to take down the Phillies and their daunting starting rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. While it will not be an easy task, the 2012 Miami Marlins are up for the challenge. The Marlins lost 90 games last year, but there is plenty of optimism in the town that has their own big three free agents, Reyes, Buehrle and Bell. The Miami Marlins will also be gunning for the NL East Atlanta Braves in 2012, a team with veterans like Chipper Jones that collapsed at the end of 2011 but remains a formidable opponent.

2012 Miami Marlins: It’s a New Day

In the past, the Marlins have utilized a familiar formula on a path to two World Series Championships: develop young talent, improbably win the World Series, and then have a garage sale for all their top talent and start again. This season is a drastic departure, as the new-look Marlins loaded up with top-caliber talent. It’s World Series or bust this year in South Beach and expectations are higher than they have ever been. It’s a wonder the “big three” of Reyes, Buherle, and Bell didn’t ride into Marlins Ballpark on a forklift proclaiming “three, four, five championships.”

Hanley Ramirez, the teams’ star shortstop, was forced to move from shortstop to third to accommodate Jose Reyes and was initially reluctant about the move. It remains to be seen how he handles the shift throughout the season, in a situation similar to Alex Rodriguez’s move to third when joining the New York Yankees to accommodate Derek Jeter. Heath Bell has been nothing but consistent over the last few years and looks to be a dominant closer. Jose Reyes, if he remains healthy, is one of the top shortstops in the league and an excellent hitter. Mark Buehrle has seen perfection, pitching a perfect game on July 23, 2009, and he won’t have to shoulder the load alone. Josh Johnson is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Although he saw his share of injuries in 2011, he hopes to return to his All-star form in 2012. Much of Major League Baseball hasn’t paid much attention to rising star Mike Stanton, the 22-year-old Miami right fielder who is coming off a 34-home run 87-RBI 2011 campaign. With all the attention Miami is likely to receive with a bevy of new faces and personalities, the rest of the league will now have to take notice of the future superstar.

Carlos Zambrano is a question mark, but if he can refrain from throwing water coolers and keep his tantrums to a minimum, this is a former Cy Young caliber pitcher with a tremendous upside. Maybe the sun and fun of South Beach will give him a much-needed attitude improvement, and his friend Ozzie Guillen should provide him with support.

Notable 2012 Miami Marlins Matchups

The Miami Marlins begin a new era on April 4 at Marlins Ballpark in Little Havana, Miami, Florida as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals on opening day. While the Cardinals said goodbye to the best player in baseball for the last decade, Albert Pujols, in the offseason, they are still a solid team. This is not your typical opening day, this is the beginning of a new era in Marlins baseball history in Florida, and you can be sure that tickets for the Miami Marlins Opening Day in 2012 will be incredibly sought after, so get yours while you can!

The 2012 season doesn’t take long to get into heated division action, as the Marlins head to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies. The field will be studded with stars as this rivalry enters a new chapter, so don’t hesitate to get your Miami Marlins Philadelphia Phillies tickets now. April is jam-packed with intriguing matchups for the Marlins, including a home-stand against the Chicago Cubs from April 17-19 where Carlos Zambrano may get a chance to face off against his former teammates. The Marlins travel to the big apple to take on the New York Mets from April 24-26, and it remains to be seen how the Citi Field faithful will great former son Jose Reyes.

2012 Miami Marlins Interleague Schedule

Interleague tickets are always popular, and the 2012 season features plenty of intriguing matchups including the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. The Boston Red Sox series will be immensely popular as the two teams square off at Marlin Stadium from June 11-13 and the Marlins travel to Fenway Park from June 19-21. Boston Red Sox Miami Marlin tickets will be a hot item as the Marlins get a chance to see former World Series Champion Marlins pitcher Josh Becket return. Josh Becket and Mike Lowell were part of a mega trade that sent the two to Boston in return for superstar Hanley Ramirez. It’s no secret that the Red Sox have coveted the return of prodigal son Hanley Ramirez and were even calling the Marlins to see his availability in the offseason when he was disgruntled about his move to third base. Expect Ramirez to get a warm welcome when the Marlins visit Fenway. The in-state Tampa Bay Rays, with superstar Evan Longoria, will also be a big draw when the Marlins host the Rays from June 8-10 and when the Marlins trek to Tropicana Field from June 15-17.

As intriguing as interleague is, the 2012 Miami Marlins have their sights set on the division, and that means taking down division rivals like the Mets and Phillies. The 2012 Miami Marlins’ schedule doesn’t disappoint, as the season ends with a six-game home-stand against the Phillies and Mets. From September 28-30, the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies square off and it could be for the division. The Mets come to Little Havana from October 1-3, but the Miami Marlins will be looking to ensure the season doesn’t end after the Mets leave town. The 2012 Miami Marlins have their eyes set on the playoffs and hope to be playing far into the Fall.

Miami Marlins baseball

• Established: 1993
• Major League Affiliations: National League, East Division
• World Series Titles: 1997 and 2003
• League Pennants: 1997 and 2003
• Formerly Known As: Florida Marlins
• Fun Fact: The Marlins retired #5 in honor of Carl Barger, the team's President who died just prior to the start of the club's first season.
• Home Ballpark: Marlins Ballpark
• Official Marlins MLB Site

Other Florida Sports teams

While the Miami Marlins are always a huge draw in the Panhandle, they are not the only game in town, as there are plenty of Florida sports teams that are competing for a share of the attention. The Tampa Bay Rays are coming off a great season, so be sure that you get your Tampa Bay Rays tickets as soon as you can. The NHL's Lightning are looking real good and are managing to sell plenty of Lightning tickets. The NFL's Dolphins have been looking very sharp, and people are obviously looking hard for Dolphins tickets. And the Bucs are looking good as well, so be sure to get your Bucs tickets as soon as you can.

2012 Marlins Tickets

The National League's Eastern Division has many great baseball teams and the Marlins are definitely one of them. We have lots of tickets to the new Marlins Ballpark,including tickets to the big games like Marlins Red Sox tickets and Marlins Mets tickets. If you prefer local rivalry you can buy cheap Marlins Rays tickets and Marlins Braves tickets, or for those against the Chicago teams you can find Marlins Cubs tickets right here. There's nothing like a fine baseball day in the bleachers watching the Marlins.

Ticket Liquidator has all the best matchups in 2012, including Miami Marlins Cincinatti Reds tickets, Marlins Houston Astros tickets, Marlins Washington Nationals tickets, Marlins Arizona Diamondbacks tickets, Marlins San Diego Padres tickets, Marlins Pittsburgh Pirates tickets, Marlins Colorado Rockies tickets, Marlins San Francisco Giants tickets, Marlins Milwaukee Brewers tickets, and Marlins Los Angeles Dodgers tickets. Don't miss all the best Miami Marlins Major League Baseball action in 2012!