However, during the offseason, then-Marlins owner H. Wayne Huizenga decided to sign several marquee free agents to make a run at the World Series. In addition to Gary Sheffield, Jeff Conine, Édgar Rentería, Robb Nen and Kevin Brown, among others, who were already with Florida, the Marlins signed free agents Alex Fernandez, Moisés Alou and Bobby Bonilla—then named Jim Leyland, highly successful with the small-market Pirates (with three National League East Division titles from 1990 to 1992), as manager. Leyland's signing returned Boles to his previous position as vp/player development. The talented 1997 Marlins then won the National League pennant and the World Series. A year after the championship season, Huizenga—intent on selling the franchise—ordered a "fire sale" in which nearly every marquee player was traded away. Leyland remained the manager, and in , he led the team to a dismal 54–108 record, making the team the first defending World Series champion to lose 100 games the next season. After the season, Leyland resigned to manage the Colorado Rockies, and Boles returned to manage the Marlins for the season. He led them to a 64–98 record that year, then followed it up with an improved record of 79–82. But on May 29, 2001, one day after relief pitcher Dan Miceli publicly criticized Boles, citing the fact that the Marlins' manager had never played professional baseball, Boles was fired. At 22–26, the Marlins were in third place in the NL East, eight games out of the lead. He was replaced by special assistant to the general manager Tony Pérez. Post-managerial career The Marlins also were undergoing massive front-office changes, with Huizenga's successor as owner, John W. Henry, selling the team and Dombrowski leaving to become president of the Detroit Tigers. In , Boles resumed his executive career. He was hired by the Dodgers as senior advisor for baseball operations. Then, in , he joined the Mariners as special assistant to the executive vice president and general manager, serving also as a scout. In , he rejoined the Royals as a senior advisor to general manager Dayton Moore. His son, Kevin Boles, is a manager in Minor League Baseball with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Managerial records References External links 1948 births Living people Buffalo Bisons (minor league) managers College baseball coaches Florida Marlins executives Florida Marlins managers Kansas City Royals executives Lewis Flyers baseball players Louisville Cardinals baseball coaches Los Angeles Dodgers