Marlins Man


Laurence Leavy, better known as Marlins Man, is an American sports fan and lawyer from North Miami Beach, Florida. He gained fame in 2012 for his frequent appearances at major sporting events while wearing orange Miami Marlins apparel. His seating placement in view of broadcast cameras has drawn attention at the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, Kentucky Derby, Stanley Cup Finals, College World Series, and other events. Leavy has been described by USA Today as a "ubiquitous superfan".

Rise to prominence

Leavy's presence was first noted while attending a 2012 NBA Playoffs basketball game featuring the Miami Heat season|Miami Heat], where the team distributed white T-shirts before the game. Leavy wore an orange Marlins jersey and visor among the sea of white promo T-shirts, increasing his visibility on television. Later that year, Leavy was seen sitting behind home plate at AT&T Park during the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers wearing a brightly-colored jersey of neither team that was playing, increasing his visibility on television again. His pseudonym was coined as a result of this.
Leavy wears the highly visible orange uniforms introduced by the Miami Marlins in 2012. His previous attire, the Marlins' white jersey with teal pinstripes, was not noticeable in the stands.
His attendance at sporting events increased after being incorrectly diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014. In a 2014 interview, Leavy estimated that he spent an average of 300 days per year traveling to sporting events. He covers his airline fares with frequent-flyer miles and his hotel and car rental fees with credit card points. However, he pays for his front-row seats at sporting events in cash. In a 2017 interview, Leavy asserted he had attended 27 Super Bowls, 94 World Series games, 90 NBA Finals games, and "hundreds and hundreds of basketball and baseball playoffs games" to date.
Leavy is known among sports fans and often poses for photos. He has social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. In addition to buying his own season tickets, he often buys season tickets for clients and friends, and orders drinks for newfound stadium friends. His presence is depicted in the video game MLB: The Show.
Leavy occasionally gives away Marlins jerseys on behalf of charities, including the March of Dimes. He also sold his jersey, visor, and tickets from the 2014 World Series for $5,621 on eBay, which was supposed to go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Break with the Marlins

According to Leavy, he began attending Miami Marlins games as a full season ticket holder in 1993, the year the team started. In March 2018 he told ESPN that he planned to discontinue his 25-year history of purchasing season tickets due to disagreements with the club over pricing. In December 2017 he offered $200,000 for four Diamond Club seats behind home plate for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 seasons, which included a proposed 10% discount "for the Marlins' lack of stars" due to the team trading away Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, and Marcell Ozuna, and another proposed 10% discount for advance payment. The Marlins countered with a package offer of $263,000 for the four seats and a credit for two season-tickets in outfield seats. Leavy rejected the offer and said he would no longer attend Marlins home games. Despite this turn of events, on September 17, 2018, Leavy won a charity auction to be a player for a day, which resulted in him signing a one-day "contract" with the Marlins.

Notable events attended

Leavy has been seen at the following events:
Leavy owns a workers' compensation firm, Laurence Leavy & Associates, with offices in Davie and Jacksonville, Florida, and incorporated and serves as president of Workers Compensation Legal Center, Inc. He works several billable hours per day from his hotel rooms while traveling, asserting that only 1 percent of his cases go to trial. Leavy is the owner of more than 100 thoroughbred horses and Starship Stables. He earned his undergraduate degree at Emory University, his MBA at Florida State University, and his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Miami Law School.