Marlins Hopes Fading

Unsurprisingly, the Marlins have finally started to fade out of the playoff picture. All of the weaknesses of their roster have finally caught up to them, leaving fans legitimately disappointed considering the recent resurgence of their young pitching staff.

Considering the fact the Marlins have already surpassed my preseason expectations (69 wins as of writing, when I projected them to win 68), I guess I should be happy that they gave us this much competitive baseball. We also can't forget that they technically aren't out of the hunt, being 7 games back of the surging Mets. It's still highly unlikely, but I suppose they aren't quite dead yet.

And I think it's safe to say that the Marlins' run the first half of this season would have easily been the story of the 2008 MLB season were it not for the Rays up north looking to win the AL East title and maybe locking up the best record in the AL. I was never quite sure how the Fish managed to piece together such a good record despite their poor pitching, poor defense, and lack of contact hitting.

But right now they are sitting at around 500 ball, having seemingly regressed to the mean and not looking to recover. We have to give it up to the players and the front office for producing so much from so little, but it is still hard to ignore the obvious problems this team has. Defense and pitching are a priority in the Bigs and we don't have much of that going for us. Our starters are young and doing well, but the bullpen has struggled at times and Kevin Gregg leads the majors with blown saves.

The biggest problem of course is that our payroll will forever be limited, even with a new stadium. This market just doesn't support having those big 100 million dollar payrolls. And while it is always possible to win without the big stars, it sure helps to be able to afford that big chip to fit in a needed position. It is also nice to be able to keep your homegrown talent after they become ineligible for arbitration and become full fledged free agents. I hate seeing Miguel Cabrera in a Tigers uniform.

What they need to do now is bring up all the young talent they have and give them legitimate shots to earn starting jobs for the 2009 season. Cameron Maybin is a strikeout machine but we have to see at some point what he can do in the major leagues. Try out some of our younger prospects in the infield, seeing as how Hanley has to be moved to the outfield at some point and the front office has made no attempt yet to lock up Dan Uggla.

Whatever they do, it has been a nice run for Marlins fans. They should have some decent enough hopes of breaking 500 next season, and look for this squad to be poised for a playoff run in 2010.

Griffey and Joe

I never made much of a statement regarding the situation involving "Joe" and Ken Griffey's 600th home run ball. I myself wanted to be out there to try to catch it, but like I said, Miami sports fans are unsupportive but aren't dumb when it comes to money-making opportunities. The outfield was sold out for the entire series so I couldn't make it. (Some hypocrite I am, seeing as how I too, would only go to catch the ball. But I digress...)

The fan who caught Griffey's ball hasn't given it back, despite pressure to do so from the star outfielder. Is it his right to ask for compensation? Or should he just give it back, which seems like the right thing to do?

Honestly, I would have to say Griffey will need to pay up to get that ball back. It's just way too much money to turn down in an honest situation. It's not like the guy stumbled into an open bank vault and would be breaking the law, or would have the guilt of finding a wallet loaded with cash. He paid money to see a game and he caught a baseball that 99 times out of 100, nobody cares about.

For that ball, he could get 5 figures, easily. Maybe up to 100k if someone were desperate enough. I'm sorry, but I would seriously consider just holding on to it before just handing it back to Ken for free. People work too hard and make too little to turn down overtures of tens of thousands of dollars. I'm sure most people would feel the same way. The self-righteous would say Joe should give it back, but they aren't in his position.

And this is coming from someone who idolized Griffey as a kid. He was my favorite ballplayer. I'm sure many of you felt the same way about The Kid. I feel bad that he is put in this situation, but he makes millions of dollars and could easily afford to give what probably amounts to a year's pay to a guy named Joe for the ball. My heart says Joe should give it back, but the reality of the situation is that he would really be dumb to do it. That or wealthy enough that he can afford to do so.

Evaluating the Urbina Trade

During the 2003 season, the Florida Marlins felt they had a chance to win a championship and pulled the trigger on a very risky trade. In exchange for closer Ugueth Urbina, the Marlins sent a trio of players to the Texas Rangers. Among the three was former #1 overall pick 1B Adrian Gonzalez.

Many Marlins fans may not have known that Gonzalez was a product of the Marlins farm system. A wrist injury early in his career heightened concerns that he would not regain his hitting form, so the trade was made. At first glance, it looked like a success. Though Urbina could be shaky at times, he was a key component of a 2003 championship run. That alone suggests the move was a good one.

However, the wrist injury did not hamper Gonzalez's ability to hit the ball. On the contrary, he has excelled for the Padres. Last year he smashed 30 home runs and drove in 100 RBIs. This year he is on pace for even more of each, while still batting nearly 300. That's pretty impressive for a guy the Marlins pretty much gave up on. It looks like he has lived up to his billing as a #1 overall pick.

Seeing how well he is doing, I thought about whether or not the trade was a good one. It's a lot like the Shaquille O'Neal trade back in 2004. I think if you win a title after making a deal, then the deal has been justified no matter what. In the long run, yes I think the Marlins might have been hurt. It's uncharacteristic of their front office to make a long term mistake, but you have to appreciate the fact they won a title. It's not easy to win a championship in any sports, so if you have to forsake the future in order to win now, sometimes you have to make the move.

It would have been nice to see him in this lineup though. Jacobs is a good player, but isn't at the level that Gonzalez is either offensively or defensively. Adrian would be a key piece to a successful playoff caliber squad. Still, I'll take that title from 2003 and be happy with the move that was made. There's no guarantee that keeping Gonzalez would have worked out or resulted in a World Series championship for this franchise.

Ross Saves the Day

In what has been a seesaw couple of weeks for the Marlins, the overachieving Fish rallied from 2 down in the 9th to come away with a victory against the visiting Reds. Cody Ross' walkoff HR off Francisco Cordero helped avoid a 3-game losing streak at a time when the Philadelphia Phillies are starting to run away with the division lead.

Unfortunately for money-grubbing South Florida sports fans, Ken Griffey did not hit his 600th home run. Right field has been pretty full of late, as the left handed slugger tends to pull his long balls to that area of the park. It's amazing how people go to Marlins games more for the opponent than for their home team. People have no idea who Cody Ross is, yet will rush to go see Ken Griffey from the Reds try to hit a home run. It's a little sad, but I have to admit, I wanted to be there today too in case he hit it. It's history, after all.

Still, it's a shame, because guys like Cody Ross have been doing great for the Marlins and nobody bothers to see them. Part of it has to be that the park is so far away from everyone. Sure it's in the center of the South Florida population center, but it's nowhere near any massive concentrations of people. I'd bet a Downtown site would produce a lot more attendance, but I digress. The Marlins are up 4-1 as I write this, so hopefully they can take 2 of 3 from the Reds, who embarrassed us a few weeks ago.

Marlins Lose Rubber Match to Phillies

In what was a crucial series ending game for the Marlins, the pitching staff blew a 5-1 lead and cost the Marlins the division lead heading into the upcoming series in Atlanta. Instead of being comfortably ahead with a 1.5 game lead over Philly, we head into one of the toughest places to win this season down half a game and reeling from losing two straight NL East series.

It figured that at some point the bottom would start to fall out for this pitching staff. They've done a nice job keeping the Marlins in close games for the most part, but I think they are starting to wear out. The absences of Josh Johnson, Sergio Mitre and Anibal Sanchez have been a killer to the starting rotation, who have had to rely on unproven young players and journeymen to get by.

Still, there is reason to believe the Marlins can keep the pace. The Phillies won the series but have been playing as well as any team in baseball of late, so there is no shame in losing to them. Especially when it just as easily could have been the Marlins coming out of the weekend with a 2-1 record. When their young pitchers return, at least one of them can be counted on to give us a quality start more often than the current guys in the rotation. That means less pressure on the offense. It also means the impact of our crappy defense is minimized.

In any case, tough weekend for Marlins fans, but still it is nice to be following a team that is still in contention 1/3rd of the way through the season.

Marlins Lose Series to Mets, Cling to Lead

The Mets series was the start of a crucial NL East road trip that would determine whether or not the Marlins belonged on top of the standings.

It started off well enough, but Florida blew two leads in the rubber match and ultimately lost in extra innings to drop to 30-22. It's not really a big deal, despite having our division lead shrink to just half a game. We've shown we can be competitive in the division; all that Florida needs to do is stay consistent and they'll be fine.

It is still way too much to ask of this young ballclub to make the playoffs. Philly has a ridiculous lineup, the Braves have some bats and Tim Hudson, and the Mets were preseason picks by many to make the World Series, having added Johan Santana. Still, the Marlins have managed to piece together a spectacular 1/3rd of a season and by now we can start having hope that they'll keep up the pace.

The Marlins don't play tonight but start a 3 game series at Philly to determine who will be leading the division at the start of the new week. Hopefully our ragtag bunch of starters can keep the Utley-Howard-Burrell combination off the scoreboards. That should be a tough assignment considering the recent offensive surge being made by the Phillies.

Gregg, Uggla Highlight DH Sweep of Giants

Maybe the Marlins should be in the NL West? After all, the first place Fish sweep the vaunted Diamondbacks before winning 2 of 3 at home vs the lowly Giants.

Things didn't look good in either game, but the Marlins rallied in both to come out on top 8-6 and 5-4. The opening game of the doubleheader featured 4 home runs by the Florida lineup and a clutch save by closer Kevin Gregg, who has been solid all season.

Gregg appeared later in the doubleheader, keeping a 4-4 tied heading into the bottom of the 9th before eventually picking up the win. His contributions have been key to the Marlins' success this season. It's amazing how Florida always seems to milk saves out of their closers, even when they are nobodies. From Armando Benitez, Urbina, Borowski, Todd Jones, all of these guys are hardly Mariano Rivera's. They still seem to produce career years in the closer role for the Marlins though.

However, the hero of the day was Dan Uggla, who hit his Marlins record 12th home run of the month in the first game of the doubleheader. He then continued his valuable production with the 2 out bases loaded single in the bottom of the 9th that clinched the series. I really hope that Dan will get some recognition if he keeps it up. The announcers mentioned Chase Utley as a shoo-in for the All-Star spot at 2B, but I would think Uggla will make people think twice.

The Marlins are now sitting pretty at 29-20, half a game back of several teams for the best record in baseball. Little by little, the season is ticking away and the Marlins remain on top of the leaderboard. It really is an amazing story, now with almost 1/3rd of the year in the books.

Marlins Hand Webb First Loss

Now there's something you don't see every day. It's amazing how the Marlins continue to prove everyone wrong. After a lackluster week or two, the Marlins have rebounded to win the series against baseball's best team. Tonight they squeezed out a win against the Diamondback's ace, the previously undefeated Brandon Webb.

The victory today, coupled with a win over Micah Owings (despite 10k's) yesterday assures the Marlins of the series win and I'm sure some respect in league circles. They hadn't beaten a team with a winning record in May and people were starting to question their hot start (including myself) on a cupcake schedule. Somehow they continue to keep winning. I know it's a line I keep repeating, but I still don't know how they're doing it, especially with Hanley Ramirez slumping.

The win puts the Marlins within 1.5 games of the 'Backs and Cubs for the best record in baseball. Imagine what a sweep of the NL favorite Diamondbacks would do for this young team's confidence. I know I would be impressed, especially because they would have faced the heart of the Arizona rotation. The Marlins are up against ace Danny Haren tomorrow, so it won't be easy to finish off the sweep.

Uggla's Future with the Marlins

I read this piece yesterday and I thought it brought up an important issue.

Dan Uggla has certainly been a nice surprise for the Marlins these past couple of seasons. A Rule V selection, nobody saw his emergence as a reliable power hitter coming. The problem is that Uggla doesn't quite fit in with the whole "defense wins championships" mantra. He also strikes out quite a bit, but then again so does the entire Marlins roster.

Does he deserve a long-term extension? I'm not sure yet. It's difficult to find a 2B with his kind of offensive production, but he is still a liability on defense. The article suggested moving him to 3rd, which isn't a bad idea considering Jorge Cantu is a stopgap option at best. The Marlins did just draft Matt Dominguez last year, but he is not an option anytime soon.

If we do offer an extension, I'm not sure he merits one in the 30M dollar range. A 4 year, 20M dollar deal seems fair enough considering his limitations on defense. Considering the fact we just broke the bank for Hanley and expect to have new revenues pouring in once the stadium is built, the Marlins have few excuses to give Uggla. Then again, they could say that the Ramirez's deal took up any excess cap space they felt like giving away. We'll see.

Heck, if anything, maybe the Marlins will take a look at Jemile Weeks from UM at 2nd base in the upcoming MLB Draft. I wouldn't be opposed to that at all.

Marlins Top Royals, Snap Losing Skid

The Marlins finally picked up another win after an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the lowly Cincinnati Reds and a loss to the Royals yesterday. The 7-3 victory was much needed, because the once solid bullpen has been leaky of late and was not able to make up for the starter's lack of production.

The victory gives the Marlins sole possession of the division lead again, less than a week after they owned the best record in baseball. Tomorrow's rubber match is one we have to win, because the Royals are about as bad a team as the Marlins will get to play this season. They should have looked at this Cinci/KC 6 game stretch and thought about coming out of this 4-2 or 5-1. Instead at best the Marlins will take 2 from a pair of last-place caliber teams.

It'll be a tough matchup though, as the Marlins will face KC's best pitcher so far this season in Zach Greinke. Zach is 4-1 with an impressive 1.93 ERA and has been great for the Royals. Burke Badenhop will need to have his best stuff out there to give the Marlins a good chance to win this game.

Marlins Rally, Lose Anyway

Well that was a tough series to swallow. The final victory this weekend put the Marlins at a sparkling 23-14 and gave them sole possession of the best record in baseball. Instead of continuing the momentum, Florida squandered their position on top and got swept by the lowly Reds.

I'm not sure what this series proves. We've been beating up on weak teams to fatten up our record so far, and losing to a sub .500 team doesn't make us look any better. That being said, anybody is really vulnerable to getting swept by anybody else in baseball. It's not that hard. Happens all the time. Because of that, I wouldn't panic quite just yet if I were you.

However, I wouldn't be completely unconcerned about the state of this team. They've been overachieving for quite some time now and the lack of talent will start to bite this team in the ass. The starting rotation just isn't good enough to hold up against the rigors of a 162 game season. They really need Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez to come back quickly and at their game to continue to contend for a playoff spot.

The Marlins should consider the previous paragraph a compliment because I would have considered them out of contention for a wild card spot on Opening Day, much less a fourth of the way through the season. Fredi Gonzalez has done a great job in his sophomore year as our coach. If anything, the Marlins putting together some wins has rejuvenated sports in South Florida, at least until the NBA Lottery next week.

Marlins Win 7th Straight

Ladies and gentlemen, the Marlins now own the best record in the major leagues. Fredi Gonzalez has to be the early frontrunner for Manager of the Year, because this ragtag bunch belongs on the bottom of the standings, not at the top. Still, somehow the Marlins have managed to put together a 23-14 record, continuing the best start in team history.

Today was a sweet victory, coming back from a late 4-1 deficit to win thanks to a pair of Dan Uggla home runs (no help to my fantasy teams who faced him in both leagues). The win complete a sweep of the lowly Nationals and again, ties the Marlins with the Diamondbacks for the best record in the majors despite only a +14 run differential. And that's including yesterday's 11-0 pounding in Washington.

The success is in most part due to some solid hitting and excellent work from the bullpen. It's an exciting start to the season because our young hitters will get better and the starting lineup should benefit from the return of Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez later on in the season. What a Cinderella story it would be if the Marlins could actually contend for the playoffs with such a low payroll. Making the postseason with this roster would be arguably as impressive as winning the World Series back in 2003.

Ramirez to Get Extension

Hallelujah! The Marlins finally are breaking the bank for a top player. Sadly, the generous financial stance taken by the front office comes too late, as we have already traded a perennial All-Star in Miguel Cabrera in exchange for a strikeout machine (Maybin) and a struggling rookie pitcher. At least now we know the cornerstone of the franchise will be locked up for the future.

Supposedly the contract extension is for 6 years and 70 million dollars. That's not too shabby for what will eventually be one of the game's 5 best players. I'm sure that contract won't hold up towards the tail end. It's too much of a bargain. Hopefully by then we will be able to afford other talented players to put alongside Hanley. This year's early success has been nice, but we can't rest our laurels on a 20-14 record.

Olsen Pitches a Gem

Had the opportunity to catch part of the Marlins' victory last night over the Brewers 3-0. Scott Olsen somehow has found his groove after being statistically the worst regular starter in the NL last season. He is now 4-1 with an excellent 2.22 ERA and a sparkling 1.05 WHIP.

I particularly enjoyed the late stretch where Olsen got fired up after failing to give himself run support. Somehow the Marlins, with a 3-0 lead, had the bases loaded with no outs and got nothing out of that situation. Olsen struck out with 1 out in the inning and returned to the dugout livid with himself. Throwing stuff, the usual. Looks like his anger problems haven't entirely gone away.

However, whatever he's done to control that anger has been working. Usually, he might have lost his focus and begun to pitch poorly. Instead he walked up to the mound and smoked Prince Fielder for a strikeout, eventually leading the team to a victory with 8 2/3 innings pitched.

With the Philly loss, this puts us back in a first place tie atop the NL East. It's a nice place to be, even if it is early May. You have to like what the young lineup and the bullpen are doing to make up for the pretty weak starting rotation.

Marlins Top Padres, Regain First Place

Today's 6-4 victory over Justin Germano and the Padres was a big win for the Marlins. The recent sweep at the hand of the Dodgers erased our division lead and raised concerns that maybe the Marlins were finally starting to show their true colors. Surely they can't keep it up much longer, right?

Well as long as the Ws keep piling up, keep the faith. I don't know how they piece together wins, but whatever they've done has worked. Today's heroics were provided by Dan Uggla, who homered twice off Germano to give Mark Hendrickson enough support to win. Speaking of Hendrickson, I've only watched a pair of his outings and wasn't impressed. Still, he has managed to pitch well enough to post a 5-1 record so far.

I'd have to say much of the reason for the Marlins' early season success is thanks to their all-world shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The young infielder is on pace for a .320, 45 HR, 100RBI and 55 stolen base season. Those are MVP numbers, and I don't doubt his ability to keep it up. The homers should probably settle at around 25-30, but Ramirez has proven he's got some pop. What's amazing is that Ramirez is batting at such a high level and still striking out so much. Once he develops a little more patience, it's scary to imagine how impressive his numbers will be.

Marlins Win 3rd Straight, Remain Atop NL East

19 games through the season and somehow the Marlins are still chugging along in first place at 12-7. They currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Mets, which is impressive for now but is something that could be wiped out in a matter of days. The success is relieving for South Florida sports fans, who literally have had nothing to cheer for but baseball these past few months. Alongside the top-ranked Canes, the Marlins are all we've got now, both literally and figuratively until August.

I'm not entirely sure how they are winning so many games yet. They have been batting relatively well, though much of the team seems to enjoy striking out quite a bit. And the pitching staff is one of the 5 worst in the majors statistically. It's mind-boggling as to how Mark Hendrickson is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA this season. Mark Hendrickson? Who?

But hey, I'll take it at this point. The Marlins have currently allowed 7 more runs than they've scored, yet are 5 games over 500. Go figure. Whatever it is they're doing to win, keep doing it. I suppose it might have to do with all the games against Washington and Pittsburgh and the sort. We'll see how the Marlins fare with 9 games against Milwaukee and LA coming up soon.

I realize I may sound unappreciative or skeptical, but I can't see this ragtag bunch keeping it up for too much longer. However, if they somehow manage to stay at or around 500 by the time their young pitching staff has had time to heal, then watch out. Sprinkle a little of that old Marlins magic from the 97 and 03 seasons and you might, *might*, have something there.

Marlins Stumble, Lose Division Lead

1/10th of the way through the new season and the Marlins have pretty much played up to their expectations, and more. This team is probably capable of playing 500 ball for stretches at a time, but ultimately I think their lack of quality starting pitching and a lineup that refuses to bat for average will hurt them. I think I'll stand by my prediction of 68 wins.

A few days ago the surprising Marlins did have the division lead, but lost it late last night after blowing a 4-3 lead to the last-place Nationals. Heralded prospect Andrew Miller pitched an average game against Washington, but the frustrating thing is that it was his best outing of the season. Miller has posted a terrible 9.68 ERA in his first 4 starts. I'm aware that he is a young player, but there are other rookie pitchers out there showing better stuff on the mound. He better pan out after having to trade our best player.

The biggest problem on offense continues to be that nobody is batting for average except Hanley Ramirez. Hanley is batting .377 and is the only regular starter to even have sniffed 300. This early in the season you should have at least 3 guys over .300. We already have 4 guys in double digit strikeouts and have 4 more ready to join that list in the next game or two. Eventually Fredi Gonzalez is going to have to tell them to stop swinging for the fences so much or we won't be winning many more games.

First-Place Marlins Top Nationals 10-4

First place? What?! It may be the first couple weeks of the season, but I fully expected the Marlins to already be out of playoff contention by now. Somehow they've managed to put together a 5-3 record and a 1.5 game lead in the NL East Division.

Obviously there are 154 games left and it means nothing. Florida could just as easily drop 10 straight starting tomorrow. But for now, it's a nice feeling to be on top. We haven't had that in South Florida in months. Heck, both of our baseball teams are making us proud for once.

The run has been largely in part to the power bats (Mike Jacobs comes to mind, with 4 homers in 5 games, including 2 last night against the Nationals) and the bullpen. The offense is appreciated, but I will continue to say I prefer an offense based on average rather than power. Eventually the home runs will stop and then what happens? Jacobs is having a nice little stretch, but he was batting .187 before his barrage last night.

Regardless, it's nice to have some wins in South Florida. Hopefully the return of Jeremy Hermida will further improve this team and they might actually stick around for a while rather than fade into obscurity by May.

Marlins and Canes Win on Walk-Offs

Pretty rare coincidence occurred last night, and no it didn't have anything to do with the fact the Marlins actually won a game. Instead, it was how they won. Florida topped the Pittsburgh Pirates on a walkoff home run by Mike Jacobs to put their record back at 500. Likewise, the Canes were in a bitter battle with the Clemson Tigers before Yonder Alonso's 2-run shot in the 9th capped things off.

The Marlins are doing a decent job so far of not getting blown out of the ballpark, but I don't expect them to stay at 500 for too long. Their entire offense consists of home runs. To have a consistently good team you probably need to have more guys who bat for average than for power. We don't have that on this roster.

The Canes had a rare competitive game against an opponent that wasn't about to lay down for them. Miami has been flat out dominant this season and hasn't had to play in too many tight games. Last night proved that they are fully capable of performing when the pressure is on. It's easy to slam 15 runs in when you're up by 10 or more runs, but how good can you be when the game is on the line? I guess we saw last night. Good job guys.

On one last note, I read something about Jemile Weeks supposed to have been suspended for the game for breaking team rules, but later appeared as a pinch hitter. I'm not sure about that situation except that I think the decision to play Weeks was up to Jim Morris and not the ACC. Otherwise we might see some relatively nasty repercussions. I wouldn't make much of it for now, though.

Marlins Win First of the Season

You can thank Pedro Martinez's strained hamstring for tonight's victory, but hey, I'll take whatever I can get. This team isn't making the playoffs, but it's not like the NFL or NBA where you might want your team to tank the season in hopes of getting a better pick. The baseball draft is such a crapshoot that I prefer the Marlins just win their games rather than hope for a Top 5 selection. What I want is moot really, seeing as how they will probably have a top pick anyhow, but whatever.

In any case, it was nice to see the young guys pull out a win against the NL favorites to go to the World Series. The Marlins won on a 10th inning walk-off HR by 3rd baseman Robert Andino, his first career home run. I was actually expecting Andino to be a major factor at 3rd base this season with Miguel Cabrera gone. I had heard he was a top prospect a couple of years ago and just assumed the Marlins would move Cabrera to 1st and eventually bring Andino up. I'm not sure how he lost the job to Jorge Cantu (a terrible defensive player), but then again I don't know everything about our farm system.

I'm happy that the bullpen managed to hold the tough Mets lineup under control long enough to let the Marlins pull off the victory. That was certainly unexpected. Now we can expect to see Andrew Miller's Marlins debut tomorrow against Oliver Perez.