Happy Holidays
The Marlins Diehards editorial staff will be holding our Winter Meetings this weekend, so we won't have any new content up until after the new year most likely. Merry Christmas, enjoy the holiday, be safe, and eat as much as you can this weekend. To our Jewish readers, a belated Happy Channukah, and enjoy the Chinese food and movie on Saturday (I recommend True Grit). And to our pagan readers, I hope you had a pleasant solstice.
Read more...Ricky Signs
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Marlins have signed Ricky Nolasco to a 3-year deal worth $26.5 million. That's one less uncertainty for Marlins fans, and the Johnson-Nolasco-Vazquez-Sanchez-Volstad starting rotation is just about set in stone. Read more...
There's Still Time
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Today at Fish Stripes, GameFish informs us of the existence of a Marlins toaster, just in time for the holidays. I thought I'd point out another Marlins-related gift idea, though this might be better for the Marlins fan who is more of a frenemy than a garden-variety buddy, via @sweetcarolin_a:
New Potential For Marlins Twitter Curse
Monday, December 13, 2010
Courtesy of MLB, we now know Marlins first baseman and team muscle, Gaby Sanchez has a Twitter account. This sounds great, but as you may remember, Marlins players who used Twitter during last year did not fare too well. A recap:
- Chris Coghlan: Unfortunate pie injury, torn meniscus
- John Baker: Missed season, had Tommy John surgery
- Brett Hayes: Separated shoulder, ended season
- Logan Morrison: Foul ball to the face, luckily okay
DVH
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Ted and I are both fans of DVH, but in this case we defer to Jonah Keri, who penned a lovely tribute to the man who called Expos games during his youth:
For as long as I can remember, I had a little radio by my bed. Nearly every night from age 8 through the end of high school, the voice coming out of that radio belonged to Dave. He called the game like a master, showing just the right amount of excitement when a big play happened (take note, Joe Buck) and the right amount of healthy skepticism when a player, manager, umpire or anyone else failed in their duties. He was exciting and informative all at once, the perfect blend for a play-by-play man. Dave's voice carried with it the nightly rhythms of the season, his measured pace carrying me off to sleep even as the Expos toiled deep into the night at Candlestick or Jack Murphy. As hard as it is to do catchphrases well, Dave's were seamless and comforting, like the warm blanket I slid over my shoulders on a cold Montreal April night. "Hi again, everybody. Glad to have you aboard for this game," he'd say at the start of every telecast. Dave wasn’t just describing the action. He was inviting us into the booth to sit with him for a few hours, even when he was 2,000 miles away.Read the whole thing here. Here's hoping Jonah gets DVH to appear on his podcast real soon. Read more...
A Philosophical Question
Saturday, December 4, 2010
News that the Boston Red Sox have agreed in principle to a trade for All Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has me wondering, can we legitimately call Gonzalez a member of the Marlins diaspora? Gonzalez, as you may recall, was the first pick in the 2000 amateur draft by the Florida Marlins, and was traded to the Texas Rangers at the 2003 trade deadline for closer Ugueth Urbina (an iffy move, but the Marlins did win the World Series in 2003, so I never got too worked up about it).* However, Gonzalez did not make his major league debut until 2004 as a Ranger. So I ask, should we include Gonzalez in the Marlins diaspora? He spent more time with the team than Mike Piazza, but never actually played for the big club, save for Spring Training action.
Ted and I usually hold a Fidel-and-Raul grip over the undergirding philosophy of Marlins Diehards, but we are interested in what our readers have to say on this one. Let us know what you think.
*Besides, the truly egregious Adrian Gonzalez trade came in 2006, when Texas traded Gonzalez, Chris Young, and Termel Sledge for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka.
Read more...
It's Official
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Marlins finalized their deal with Javier Vazquez: one year, $7 million, and a no-trade clause. It is almost the ideal Marlins contract.* The Marlins have called a press conference for 10:30 this morning to announce the signing. Much has been written about a possible Vazquez deal, and my sentiments echo Marlin Maniac, he's a medium-ranged bargain with high upside. I think he'll slot in nicely at the 2 or 3 slot in the rotation, behind Josh Johnson and ahead of Ricky Nolasco and/or Anibal Sanchez. Throw in Chris Volstad or Sean West for the number 5 (and LHP) slot, and this is your 2011 starting rotation.
*The ideal Marlins contract would be less money and minus the NTC.
Of Minor Importance
Monday, November 29, 2010
MLB released its 2011 Hall of Fame ballot today, and included in the list of first-time candidates is the first Marlin and child of the diaspora Charles Johnson. To the best of my knowledge, Johnson is the first Marlin to be considered for the Hall that spent a bulk of his glory days in Florida. It is highly unlikely that he makes the Hall (Baseball Reference lists Andy Seminick, Ed Bailey, and Ernie Whitt as his closest comparables, none of whom are in the Hall of Fame). Nonetheless, I can't help but mark the occasion, since I have never even had to consider whether or not a former Marlin should be in the Hall of Fame (disregarding Andre Dawson, whose Marlins stint played no role in his election to the Hall of Fame last year).
Also included on the ballot for the first time are children of the Marlins diaspora Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Benito Santiago, Ugueth Urbina, Ismael Valdez, and Lenny Harris. I'm 99% certain that none of them will make the Hall. Also on the ballot is Tim Raines, who finished his career in Florida, is on the ballot again. Here's hoping he surpasses last year's 30.4 percent total and joins fellow Expo/Marlin Andre Dawson in the Hall of Fame. In my mind, he certainly deserves it. Read more...
Marlins Finally Land Vazquez
Sunday, November 28, 2010
In a move that has been weeks in the making, Javier Vazquez has signed a one-year deal with the Florida Marlins. Financial terms have not yet been disclosed. Vazquez is a valuable innings-eater who has posted 200+ IP in 9 of the past 11 seasons. He will join Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, and Anibal Sanchez on the starting rotation (5th starter TBD).
If the Marlins get the 2009 Vazquez (5.2 WAR), then this deal will be a rousing success. If they get the 2010 Vazquez (0.0 WAR), then the deal will be a bet that didn't pay off. Either way, I like this move. One would hope that moving from the AL East to the NL East would benefit a starting pitcher, and in general a move to the NL works well for pitchers. Vazquez is no ace, but can definitely be the middle-of-the-rotation starter the Marlins have so desperately needed the past few years to complement Johnson and Nolasco.
Happy Birthday Jack
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Trade Analysis, For Real This Time
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Okay, we've all had a chance to react to the Dan Uggla trade and reconsider our initial reactions, so here are my thoughts on the matter. While it will be sad to see Uggla go, I am not surprised that the team ended up dealing him. Uggla turned down a 4-year, $48 million offer, which would have put his average annual payroll just below that of both Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson. I don't think Uggla is worth more than either, and I was sure the Marlins would not come back with a higher offer. And frankly, for a guy who has already made $14 million in his career, a guaranteed $48 million doesn't seem that bad.*
But I digress. After rejecting the Marlins' offer, it became clear that one of two things would happen: Uggla would be traded, or he and the Marlins would have gone to arbitration, and he would remain a Marlin for the first part of 2011, at least. As I've mentioned before, Uggla was at times one of the only reasons to be excited about the Marlins, and I have nothing but fond memories of his time in Florida. At the same time, I'm kind of relieved the Marlins will not be paying $10+ million in 2013 and 2014 for a power hitter on the wrong side of 30. Uggla does one thing well: hit for power, and when that goes, it goes fast, and the Marlins could have had a real albatross around their necks. It is no guarantee that his dropoff will come in 2013, but neither is it a guarantee that it won't, and I was never really comfortable with that risk.
So if the Marlins weren't going to keep Uggla long term, it made sense to trade him while his value is high, but I'm not convinced this deal works for the Marlins (I'm not the only one). Uggla was good for 5.1 WAR last year. The pieces received in return, infielder Omar Infante and reliever Mike Dunn, were not nearly as valuable (2.7 WAR for Infante, 0.1 for Dunn, albeit in only 19 IP). While Infante and Dunn will make a combined $3 million (ostensibly freeing up an extra $7 million for the Marlins to spend elsewhere), I can't help thinking that the Marlins pulled the trigger on this deal too soon. It is only November, after all. Who knows if holding out for better chips could have worked? But I am not privy to the Marlins' internal discussions, nor do I know what they had been offered from other teams for Uggla. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem like the Marlins got all that they could from an Uggla trade.
As my Twitter feed made abundantly clear this evening, the natives are restless amongst the serious portion of the fanbase. Here's hoping Mike Stanton can fill Uggla's shoes as the power-hitting bat to complement Hanley Ramirez, someone emerges to play centerfield, and the young bullpen arms the team has acquired this week pan out. But if Emilio Bonifacio ends up starting on Opening Day 2011, it may be time for a code red.
*Joe Frisaro tweeted that he heard Uggla was asking for 5 years, $71 million, which is way more than I would want to pay, fwiw.
What Just Happened?
It was a crazy day for Marlins roster transactions, let's get straight to it. First in unconventional Marlins fashion the team signed free agent catcher John Buck to a three-year, $18 million deal. Then out of nowhere, this evening they traded Dan Uggla to the Braves for Omar Infante and LHP Mike Dunn. First reaction:
And that seemed to be the reaction of most Marlins fans/followers. I won't try to totally defend this move, but I do see some upside. For the last few years we have been complaining about not having enough guys that hit for average instead of hitting for power. We also all know the bullpen issues. But let's be honest, Uggla deserved better and we deserved better. This is no prize haul. We'll have more later. In the meantime you can find more thoughts on Twitter here and here. Also check out MarlinManiac: Twitter and Website.
Trouble Brewing?
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Via Ken Rosenthal:
The Marlins, unable to reach agreement on a contract extension with Dan Uggla, plan to trade the second baseman, according to major-league sources.I try not to put too much stock in trade rumors, because my own anxiety about possible trades does nothing to influence the outcome, so I defer the anxiety for later. However, if the Marlins do trade Uggla, within a week of trading away the two major chips received in the Miguel Cabrera trade, the Marlins may have a fan revolt on their hands.
The team is "down the road" with several clubs in trade discussions, and a deal could happen within the next week, one source said.
And if the Marlins trade Uggla to a division rival (!) I will have a hard time forgiving them. Read more...
Bye Andrew
Saturday, November 13, 2010
We would not even be mentioning this trade were it not for the fact that the Marlins acquired Miller in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade with the Tigers in the winter of 2007. Miller never lived up to the hype surrounding him as a first-round pick out of UNC, posting a career ERA of 5.84 thus far and spending most of 2010 in the minors. Truthfully, it looks like the Marlins gave up on Miller about a year after Marlins fans did. That's the breaks with high profile prospects, though. Sometimes Harold Baines yields Sammy Sosa, other times Jay Buhner yields Ken Phelps. Read more...
Let's all wring our hands about Uggla leaving now so we can get it out of the way...
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Marlins have offered Dan Uggla a 4-year, $48 million contract extension, and Uggla is passing, according to Ken Rosenthal:
The Marlins' frustration with their inability to lock up Uggla is understandable; they offered him the highest average annual salary in club history. A fifth-year vesting option could bridge the gap — if he indeed wants to stay. If not, he potentially could enter the market next offseason as the only second baseman with five 30-homer seasons.Ken neglected to mention that Uggla is on the wrong side of 30, and it is far from a foregone conclusion that he can keep up his amazing offensive numbers in two years, much less five. Craig at Fish Stripes thinks Uggla's rebuffing of the offer
Advanced metrics portray Uggla as a below-average defender at second, but his offensive consistency is remarkable. He's hit between 27 and 33 homers in each of his five seasons with the Marlins, with an OPS that was never above .877 and never below .805.
If Uggla declines to sign a deal this offseason, the Marlins will likely take him to arbitration for the final year of his contract. He earned $7.8 million in 2010, and could make even more next year. If no deal is done and Uggla does go to arbitration, he almost immediately becomes one of the biggest potential midseason trade chips in baseball should the Marlins struggle in 2011. Read more...
End of Season Awards
Our end-of-year awards are long overdue, as filling out our BBA ballots took a lot more time than expected. But enough with the excuses, on with the awards...
Dontrelle Willis Out of Nowhere Award, given to the player who was completely off the radar in Spring Training that made a big impact on the team: This is a tough call, since the Marlins' trio of impact rookies (Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez, and Logan Morrison) were all closely watched in Spring Training. I will give the nod to Sanchez, since we all assumed he was merely keeping the first base spot warm for Morrison when he won the job out of Spring Training. But to his credit, he posted a respectable .273/.341/.448 slash line with 19 home runs and 2.4 WAR over the year, and convinced the team to convert Morrison into a corner outfielder.
Jorge Julio Award, given to the new addition to team who completely flopped: Nate Robertson. The Marlins acquired Robertson from the Tigers at the end of Spring Training, hoping the lefty could be a reliable back of rotation starter for 2010. It didn't work out, as Robertson posted a 3.59 BB/9 and 5.47 ERA over 100 innings, and the Marlins released him in late July. He wasn't terrible, but since he was one of a scant few offseason acquisitons, he was bad enough to join Emilio Bonifacio in the Jorge Julio club. On the plus side, Detroit paid most of his salary.
Darren Daulton Deadline Dandy, given to the best midseason acquisition: Nobody. Sure, the Marlins received Evan Reed and Omar Poveda in the Jorge Cantu trade, but both stayed in the minors after the trade, and the Marlins were clearly sellers in 2010. As such, the DDDD will be vacant this year. We'll give an honorable mention to Giants playoff hero Cody Ross, but giving him the award outright would only add insult to injury to some jilted Marlins fans, and I don't want to ruffle any feathers.
Next Member of the Marlins Diaspora, self explanatory: Dan Uggla. Sure we gave him this award last year. Why should that stop us from doing it again? We all love Uggla, but the dude is on the wrong side of age 30, and signing him to a long-term deal could leave the Marlins with an albatross of a contract in 2012 and beyond. I know the team is currently in contract discussions with Uggla, but as with last winter's Josh Johnson sweepstakes, I'll believe a long-term Uggla deal when I see it.
Bret Barberie Bizarre Boo-Boo: given to the player with the weirdest injury of the season, named after the time former Marlin Bret Barberie missed a game due to a case of habanero juice in the eye: Chris Coghlan, who tore the meniscus in his left knee while giving Uncle Wes Helms a shaving cream pie after a walkoff hit. This injury will live on in infamy.
On with some other, more generic awards...
MVP: Uggla. With 5.1 WAR this year, Uggla clearly outperformed everyone on the team this year. He also became the first second basemen to slug 30 home runs in four consecutive years and 25 home runs in five straight years. The man earned his $7.8 million salary and then some in 2010.
Best Pitcher: Josh Johnson. Speaking of earning his pay this year, Johnson again put up stellar numbers for the Fish (6.3 WAR, 2.30 ERA, 9.1 K/9 in 28 starts and 180+ innings). His 11-6 record would have been even better had the bullpen not blown so many saves in his starts this year, and he had some Cy Young consideration until he was shut down in September due to nagging back and shoulder issues.
Biggest Surprise: Alex Sanabia. The 22-year-old got called up in June to bolster the struggling rotation, and performed admirably in his 12 starts and 3 relief appearances, throwing 72.1 innings and posting a FIP of 3.65 and ERA of 3.73. His 1.99 BB/9 rate is a little troubling, but he appears to be a strong candidate for the rotation in 2011.
Biggest Disappointment: The bullpen. Certainly our expectations for this collection of journeymen and iffy prospects were not that high, but when the bullpen blows 25 saves (most in the NL, second only to Baltimore overall), I can't help but be disappointed. As Michael Jong at Marlin Maniac pointed out early this year, the Marlins have long utilized a bullpen strategy of assembling a collection of high-risk high-reward free agents and prospects and hoping for the best. This year it didn't work, but that probably will not lead to a change in strategy (only a higher payroll could change things). Marlins fans have to hope the bullpen regresses back towards the mean in 2011, or things could get ugly.
Yes
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Via Sports Pickle/Vin Scully Is My Homeboy:
When I get a Joe Angel tattoo, it will read, "And the Marlins are in the win column!" Read more...
Everything's Coming Up Edwin!
Programming Note
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
El Niño
It is officially the offseason, so posting will be light around here for the next four months. We'll pop in from time to time when necessary. In the meantime, there's always the Dolphins and Heat (note, if the Fins Nation dudes start a Marlins blog, I will retire). I've yet to receive a phone call from David Samson about my application to be the next Marlins manager, but I'm sure I'll be hearing from him any day now... Read more...
BBA Award Roundup
Monday, November 1, 2010
The BBA announced this year's crop of awards winners over the past few weeks (see my ballots here, here, here, and here). In most cases, Ted and I ended up voting with the crowd, so in this case I will praise the wisdom of crowds. Onto the NL winners...
Connie Mack Award
- Bud Black, San Diego (9) 53
- Dusty Baker, Cincinnati (7) 51
- Bobby Cox, Atlanta (2) 33
- Bruce Bochy, San Francisco (3) 29
- Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia (1) 27
- Brad Mills, Houston 3
- Mike Quade, Chicago 2
Willie Mays Award
- Buster Posey, San Francisco (15) 103
- Jason Heyward, Atlanta (10) 86
- Jaime Garcia, St. Louis 20
- Starlin Castro, Chicago 7
- Ike Davis, New York 7
- Gaby Sanchez, Florida (1) 6
- Tyler Colvin, Chicago 2
- Mike Stanton, Florida 2
- Neil Walker, Pittsburgh 2
Goose Gossage Award
- Brian Wilson, San Francisco (17) 104
- Heath Bell, San Diego (2) 52
- Carlos Marmol, Chicago (5) 41
- Billy Wagner, Atlanta 19
- Arthur Rhodes, Cincinnati (1) 5
- Hong-Chih Kuo, Los Angeles 2
- Matt Belisle, Colorado 1
- Jonny Venters, Atlanta 1
Walter Johnson Award
- Roy Halladay, Philadelphia (19) 133
- Adam Wainwright, St. Louis 66
- Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado 52
- Josh Johnson, Florida 43
- Tim Hudson, Atlanta 16
- Tim Lincecum, San Francisco 7
- Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles 2
- Mat Latos, San Diego 2
- Heath Bell, San Diego 1
- Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee 1
Stan Musial Award
- Joey Votto, Cincinnati (16) 252
- Albert Pujols, St. Louis (3) 197
- Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado (1) 118
- Roy Halladay, Philadelphia (1) 101
- Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego 98
- Troy Tulowitski, Colorado 98
- Ryan Zimmerman, Washington 93
- Matt Holliday, St. Louis 84
- Aubrey Huff, San Francisco 32
- Adam Wainwright, St. Louis 17
- Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado 16
- Josh Johnson, Florida 16
- Dan Uggla, Florida 16
- Jayson Werth, Philadelphia 16
- Ryan Braun, Milwaukee 13
- Prince Fielder, Milwaukee 10
- Ryan Howard, Philadelphia 9
- Martin Prado, Atlanta 7
- Jason Heyward, Atlanta 6
- Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee 5
- David Wright, New York 5
- Adam Dunn, Washington 4
- Kelly Johnson, Arizona 4
- Andres Torres, San Francisco 1
The BBA also gave awards for the American League, but we don't have voting rights for AL awards, so we'll just link to the results here. At some point, we will post our Marlins awards. I promise... Read more...
This Happened
Friday, October 29, 2010
According to major-league sources, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was intent on making Guillen his next manager. Talks, sources say, progressed to the point that there was discussion of executing a trade that would send Guillen, who has a year left on his contract, to the Marlins for 20-year-old outfielder Mike Stanton, who hit 22 home runs and knocked in 59 runs in just 100 games as a rookie this season.Not surprisingly, there's a little bit of frustration among Marlins fans floating around Twitter this morning. If this trade actually happened, I'm fairly certain I would have been irate. We all know my feelings about managers, trading a franchise outfielder for one is just plain stupid. But as Marlins fans, we should all know by now that no player, save for Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson, is safe from trade discussions, no matter how ludicrous. However, just because a discussion happens does not mean a trade is imminent. Dan Uggla has been thisclose to being traded for the past three seasons, and he's still around. Indeed, when I read this story, my first reaction was surprise at Loria's restraint. This seems like exactly the kind of ill-informed move a would-be Steinbrenner would make.
I quickly dismissed the report on Twitter this morning, whereupon I was met with skepticism. But really, we root for a team that disappoints us often. Let's reserve our anger for the bad trades that do happen, for the sake of our sanity if nothing else.
UPDATE: The Marlins are denying everything, as we'd expect. Read more...
Stan Musial Award
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
- Joey Votto, Cincinnati
- Albert Pujols, St. Louis
- Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego
- Ryan Zimmerman, Washington
- Jason Heyward, Atlanta
- Matt Holliday, St. Louis
- Kelly Johnson, Arizona
- Dan Uggla, Florida
- Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
- Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee
There Will Be No World Series TV Guide This Year
Sunday, October 24, 2010
UPDATE: Also, celebrity fans! Okay, Jesse Thorn is not actually a celebrity, but he beats George W. Bush. Read more...
Media Criticism, A Play In Four Acts
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Literary Excerpt
Friday, October 22, 2010
From After You Hit a Home Run: A Guide For Major League Baseball Players:
7. Run slowly, very slowly to second. Raise your hands in the air to make the crowd cheer louder. Fist pump! Monster face! Gorilla gallop! Back flip! (Kidding, you're not in that kind of shape.) It's like you are the only player who has ever hit one out of the park!Read the full piece here. Read more...
Walter Johnson Award
Happy Friday everyone. It is time for another postseason awards ballot as part of our duties to the BBA. Today's ballot is for the Walter Johnson Award, which if you couldn't tell is given to the best pitcher in each league.
Dave and I tried very hard to justify giving Josh Johnson a first place vote. The numbers (in many areas) gave us a solid case. Of course we know JJ did win the ERA title with a 2.30 mark. If you delve into the more advanced stats, courtesy of FanGraphs, there's even more of a case to be made. In the illustrious WAR category, JJ's 6.3 trailed only Roy Hallday (6.6). He also finished with a high BABIP of .308% and a FIP of 2.41 (lead the NL) which highlights the fact the defense behind him didn't do him any favors. Combine that with the weak run support and diabolical bullpen and he finished with just 11 wins.
But that's not the reason he didn't receive our first place vote. Ultimately it came down to the fact Josh Johnson only threw 183 2/3 innings, and Roy Halladay was able to put up very similar numbers while logging a massive 250 2/3 IP. This is the Walter Johnson Award after all, named after a player he threw 300+ innings in nine consecutive years (different era, I know). So Doc gets the nod. The full ballot:
- Roy Halladay
- Josh Johnson
- Adam Wainwright
- Tim Lincecum
- Yovani Gallardo
Brian Wilson: The Bill Lee of Our Generation
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Brian Wilson is my new favorite non-Marlin baseball player not named Ichiro or Torii Hunter:
Best part, watching Jim Rome squirm when he tries to cut to commercial as Wilson commences with his cell phone gag.
Via TSOYA
Read more...
Goose
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Round 3 of the BBA postseason awards is upon us (we skipped Round 1 - manager of the year, because we are both lazy and indifferent toward managers). Today we vote for the Goose Gossage Award, given to the top relief pitcher. Needless to say, there will not be any Marlins anywhere near this award, lest they give up a game-tying home run to the trophy in a simulated scrimmage. Below is the ballot.
- Brian Wilson, San Francisco
- Heath Bell, San Diego
- Jonny Venters, Atlanta
See also:
Michael Jong's ballot
Willie Mays ballot Read more...
Reality Sinks In
Monday, October 18, 2010
After reading Ted's appreciation of Cody Ross yesterday, I woke up this morning with an inclination to write a post which effectively throws a bucket of cold water on the Bring Back Cody contingent. Then I logged in to my RSS reader and saw that Michael Jong wrote that very post at Marlin Maniac, and did a way better job than I would have.
That error cost the Marlins little ultimately. Sure, we probably could have gotten a menial prospect or two, certainly more than what we received from the Texas Rangers for Jorge Cantu, but the team wasn't going to get a whole lot for Ross without possibly paying the remainder of his salary.I would add that the Marlins outfield is already full, with Chris Coghlan, Cameron Maybin, Mike Stanton, and Logan Morrison currently on the roster (
Come Back Cody
Sunday, October 17, 2010
We couldn't allow Bosh and The Boss to coexist in the same city?By now we're all aware of the Cody Ross story, placed on waivers in August, and claimed by the Giants solely to block the Padres from acquiring him. The Marlins let him go for free causing much outrage towards management, justifiably. Sure, they were going to non-tender him after this season and say their goodbyes, but letting him go for midseason, for free, to a team that didn't plan on using him,was no way to treat a fan favorite and consistent producer.
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes:
Ross, 29, figured he had been traded. When he found out later that he was let go on a waiver claim — let go for nothing but a savings of $1.1 million — he became, in his own words, “bitter and upset.”Laughing because last night he's starting in game one of the NLCS. If that wasn't good enough, he goes out and hits two home runs off Roy Halladay to propel the Giants to victory. Yup, that's the Cody we miss.“A slap in the face,” Ross called it as he walked out of Citizens Bank Park on a cool October evening.
Suffice it to say, Ross is getting the last laugh.
It is bittersweet for me and many Marlins fans I'm sure. We're very happy for Cody and wish him the best. The downside is that his great postseason performances are showing the entire baseball world what fools we are. Also it has basically erased any chance the Marlins could swoop in and reacquire him. Well let's be honest, there probably isn't any circumstance the Fish would try to bring him back. They are content with taking all their young talent and making them play left field for the first time ever (see Coghlan, Chris and Morrison, Logan).
Let's not dwell on that. Instead let's reminisce why Cody was and is so great.
- Youthful enthusiasm
- Tough as nails
- Great nickname (Toy Cannon, or anything involving "Boss")
- Easily chant-able name (CO-DY, CO-DY!)
- Consistent producer at the plate
- Can play all three outfield positions, above average
- This incredible walk-off home run in 2008 (Warning: clip surprisingly features too much cowbell)
BBA Willie Mays Award
Thursday, October 14, 2010
[Note: Ted and I are members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, and along with Michael Jong of Marlin Maniac we comprise the Florida/Miami chapter of the BBA. As BBA members, we have been asked to vote for the BBA's end-of-year awards through our blog. This is our ballot for the NL Willie Mays Award, given to the best rookie.]
This year's NL rookies were a veritable bumper crop, with much hype heading into the season. All three of our vote-getters were heralded heading into Spring Training, and all three have so far lived up to expectations. Here's our ballot:
- Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta
- Buster Posey, C, San Francisco
- Mike Stanton, OF, Florida
You can read Michael's ballot at Marlin Maniac. Read more...
[heart]
Via Deadspin, Texas Ranger (and former Met) Jeff Francoeur's thoughts on facing the Yankees in the ALCS:
I always wanted to know what it was like to play meaningful baseball in New York and I'm going to have the opportunity.<3
If I ever ran into Francoeur at a bar, I wouldn't buy him a beer, since he's a millionaire athlete and not in need of a free drink from a stranger. I would gladly let him buy me a drink though. I'd hook him up with the woman who lives in the apartment above me, too, because I'm a magnanimous dude.
In related news, Business Insider Sports has a slideshow up today of The Only 10 People That Can Fix The Mets. To which I reply, why would anyone want to do that? Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings is on the list, and he is rumored to be a candidate for the Met's GM job. Wait for greener pastures, Dan. Trust me on this one. Read more...
Bobby Cox: Plagiarist
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Bobby Cox, today on the firing of Fredi Gonzalez:
It was sort of like a George Steinbrenner move – let's get rid of somebody just to get rid of somebody. That was the case down there.Me, in March before the firing even happened:
That's Jeffrey Loria, George Steinbrenner with less money.QUIT STEALING MY MATERIAL, COX. I will not go down easily in a fight. Read more...
No Surprise Here
Fredi Gonzalez has been hired as the Braves' new manager and will be introduced at a news conference Thursday, two people familiar with the negotiations confirmed.Via the AJC. I wish Fredi the best of luck, and congratulate him on landing a job with a team whose owner doesn't fancy himself to be the next George Steinbrenner. Read more...
Strikeout Kings
Monday, October 11, 2010
Via Mike Pesca, here is a list of pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches in one inning. When I clicked the link, I had a hunch the Marlins would show up in the victim column a few times. I was right.
In 2004, LaTroy Hawkins struck out Jeff Conine, Juan Encarnacion, and Alex Gonzalez to close out a 5-2 Cubs victory. In 2008, Felix Hernandez K'ed Jeremy Hermida, Jorge Cantu, and Mike Jacobs in the fourth inning of a 5-4 Mariners triumph. And in 2009, AJ Burnett punched out Josh Johnson, Chris Coghlan, and Emilio Bonifacio (of course) in the third-inning of a Yankees loss.
No Marlins pitcher has accomplished this feat. Now Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco have something to shoot for.
Him?
Somehow This Doesn't Worry Me
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Via Cameron:
Also, the Mets front office could be staffed with Beinfest, Hill, and Jesus, and they still won't win a World Series. Read more...
For the record
Monday, October 4, 2010
After it was over, after the Marlins closed out an unfulfilling season and the grounds crew at Sun Life Stadium began prepping the diamond for the Dolphins' Monday night game, second baseman Dan Uggla handed Edwin Rodriguez a personalized bat on which he signed his name and wrote the following: "You're an amazing manager and an even better man."The season is over, and it remains to be seen whether interim manager Edwin Rodriguez will retain his job, sans interim. While I harbor no ill will toward the man, I would still like to see the Marlins' brain trust be bold and decline to hire a manager for the 2011 season. At the very least, it would be an interesting experiment, turning the Marlins into an MLB Hamsterdam. Read more...
Your Marlins Diaspora Guide to the 2010 Playoffs
Minnesota Twins: Carl Pavano, P
New York Yankees: AJ Burnett, P; Sergio Mitre, P; Joe Girardi, MGR
Tampa Bay Rays: none
Texas Rangers: Jorge Cantu, 1B; Darren Oliver, P; Matt Treanor, C
Atlanta Braves: Alex Gonzalez, SS; Derrek Lee, 1B
Cincinnati Reds: Arthur Rhodes, P
Philadelphia Phillies: Ross Gload, IF; Paul Hoover, C
San Francisco Giants: Guillermo Mota, P; Edgar Rentaria, SS; Cody Ross, OF
Looks like we'll have plenty of former fan favorites to cheer in the playoffs, notably Cantu, Ross, Rentaria, and Lee. Of course, I'm most inclined to root for the Rays despite their dearth of former Marlins. Best of luck to all the children of the Marlins diaspora in the 2010 playoffs. Read more...
Week In Review
Sunday, October 3, 2010
One final metaphor of how the season wentOverview: The Marlins were swept by the Braves, then took three of four from the Pirates to finish the season 80-82.
Positives: The season is over. The team finished ahead of the Mets in the final standings.
Negatives: The season is over. The team finished below the Braves and Phillies.
Line of the Week: The Diehards' official man-crush Mike Stanton had a big night on Thursday.
3-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 HR
Highlight of the Week: Wes Helms made a terrific catch while diving over and behind the rolled up tarp today. Hat tip to manager Edwin Rodriguez for getting ejected in perhaps is last game in charge.
Looking Ahead: That's it. This week we'll have the Marlins Diaspora guide to the playoffs and a season in review post. Stay tuned. Read more...
Looks about right
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The view from the press box five minutes before last night's meaningless Marlins-Pirates tussle:
Photo via Joe Capozzi's Twitter Read more...
Maybin Will Be Okay
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
"My left leg and my lower back are pretty sore," Maybin said. "It could have been a lot worse. Nothing broke. I was just in pain. I'll be all right. Just a lot of pain right now."Moral of the story: Don't mess with the Twitter bird.
Image via sun-sentinel.com Read more...
Angry Twitter Bird Strikes Again
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
We're wishing Maybin a speedy and full recovery, but also warning Mike Stanton (@mikestanton27) one more time: avoid the Twitter, for your safety. Seriously hoping we can finish the final five games this season quietly and without incident.
UPDATE: But we could think of a few people on the team who should join Twitter. Read more...
Blog Famous
Many thanks to 'Duk at Big League Stew for allowing me to write the Stew's Marlins 2010 retrospective. Read it here. I'd have liked a more fun trip down memory lane, but thems the breaks. Read more...
Groan
Insert double rainbow reference here. If only MLB allowed video embeds...
Watch the play here, as both Gaby Sanchez and Dan Uggla allow a Brian McCann groundball to slip through their legs before Mike Stanton picks it up. This season can't end soon enough, folks. Read more...
I Will Not Embed the Song, I Promise
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Scott Stapp on recording Marlins Will Soar:
I had some trepidation in the beginning. Is this going to be cheesy? Or what's this going to be? What made all of that go away was in talking with [Marlins President David Samson] and the folks in the Marlins organization. I didn't want to get paid. I said I want my son and my nephew to be able to be batboys. You make that happen and give me some season tickets and I'll be happy. That was the deal, man. I gave it my best shot, and I've seen a lot of the comments. It is what it is. I'm proud of what I did and why I did it.I'm going to go on and keep pretending it never happened. Read more...
Week In Review
Sunday, September 19, 2010
How come so few of you joined Ted at the ballpark today?
Overview: After being swept by the Phillies, the Marlins allowed themselves to be degraded by the Cubs for three games.
Positives: The Dolphins are 2-0. I only have to write two more Weeks in Review after this week.
Negatives: The Marlins are now officially out of playoff contention. All other negatives seem inconsequential now.
Line of the Week: Logan Morrison has been performing admirably, and clearly deserves a full year at the Major League level in 2011. His stats this week:
8-22, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 R, 6 BB, 2 RBI
Highlight of the Week: Cameron Maybin made a sweet catch against the wall this afternoon, then flipped to Logan Morrison to hold the runner on first. Solid fundamentals, in this case.
Looking Ahead: After making up a rainout with St. Louis on Monday and hosting a two-game set with the Mets, the Marlins travel to Milwaukee for four games against Los Cerveceros.
Photo via Ted's BlackBerry. Read more...
Commerce
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It was only a matter of time before someone channeled the uproar over the Marlins' financial documents into an apathetic fashion statement.
His name remains Dan Uggla
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Up on baseball's Mount Olympus, the pantheon of legends is virtually bereft of Marlins, and those who are there, like Gary Sheffield and maybe one day Miguel Cabrera, only spent a tiny portion of their careers in a Marlins uniform. In a game which fetishizes history to an excessive degree, it takes time for expansion teams like the Marlins or Rays to develop their own legacies worthy of other, more established franchises. Indeed, even when one of the expansion teams wins a World Series (or two, in the cases of the Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays), it is treated largely as a footnote or aberration unless that team continues to succeed over multiple seasons.
This is all to say that, despite the seemingly inconsequential nature of his record (though really, hitting 30 home runs four times is exceedingly difficult no matter the context), we should take this opportunity to celebrate Dan Uggla, who may not be with the Marlins much longer, but who brought much joy to the few of us who could stomach to watch the Marlins over the past four years. Thanks, Dan. Read more...
JJ Exits
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Marlins are shelving Josh Johnson for the remainder of the season. Not surprising, since the Fish are 7 games out of the Wild Card with only 20 games left in the season. As Michael pointed out at Marlin Maniac the other day, the risk wasn't worth it, as the Marlins will be paying him many dollars for the 2011-2013 seasons. Letting him pitch his four remaining starts with lingering elbow and shoulder pain is not smart, no matter which way you slice it. The Marlins have officially thrown in the towel on the 2010 season, not that I blame them for doing so now.
Read more...Week In Review
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Overview: The Marlins lost three of four in Philadelphia but won all three this weekend in Washington D.C. The team is now 73-69 but remains nine games out of first place and eight and a half games out of the wild card.
Positives: The Marlins and Nationals played a series (with Nyjer Morgan) and didn't have any incidents. The weekend sweep also ensure the Fish finish with a dominating 13-5 season series record over the Nats. Mike Stanton came out of his slump and has hit the 20 home run mark.
Negatives: It sucks losing to Philly.
Line of the Week: Adalberto Mendez silenced the Phillies bats for six innings in his major league debut and collected the win.
W, 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 K's
Highlight of the Week: Screw it, we'll pile on Nyjer Morgan. He was caught stealing on a perfect throw by catcher Brad Davis. Tip of the cap to Mike Stanton for hitting two homers today.
Looking Ahead: The Marlins come home for three games each with the Phillies and Cubs.
Off-Day TV Guide: September 9
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Another Thursday off-day coinciding with football. It's one of the few consolations us Marlins fans have at the moment...
- 7:30 pm EDT NCAA FB Auburn at Miss St (ESPN): Hopefully better than their 2008 contest, in which Auburn prevailed by a score of 3-2.
- 8:30 pm EDT NFL Minnesota at New Orleans (NBC): I hope Favre fails in entertaining fashion.
The Curse
Sunday, September 5, 2010
- Chris Coghlan: Out for the season after injuring himself while giving Wes Helms a shaving cream pie after a walk-off base hit.
- John Baker: Out for the season, just underwent Tommy John surgery.
- Brett Hayes: Out for the season after separating his shoulder on a play at the plate this week.
- Logan Morrison: Almost died at the hands of an Emilio Bonifacio foul ball this afternoon
- Mike Stanton: Healthy so far.
Week In Review
Overview: The Marlins won two of three from both the Nationals and the Braves.
Positives: See above. Also, the Fish provided the baseball world some great theater with a bench clearing brawl on Wednesday night. Gaby Sanchez' clothesline takedown of Nyjer Morgan is an internet classic now.
Negatives: The Marlins have been very unlucky with injuries. Ricky Nolasco is being shut down for the rest of the season. Donnie Murphy dislocated his wrist and is also done. John Baker underwent Tommy John surgery. Logan Morrison was hit in the face with a foul ball while he was in the on-deck circle and his status is in question. Also, the downside to the brawl are a number of suspensions (Volstad, Sanabia, Sanchez) that are currently being appealed.
Line of the Week: With a solid weekend series, Logan Morrison has raised his batting average over .300%
3 games, 6-12, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 2 RBI's
Highlight of the Week: Cameron Maybin made two great plays: A diving catch on Saturday night, and a grand slam-robbing over the fence grab this afternoon.
Looking Ahead: The Marlins/Zephyrs/Suns travel to Philadelphia for four games, including a double-header tomorrow. On the weekend they will travel to Washington.
Who Cares?
As this week's brawl with the Nationals showed us yet again, baseball is full of obscure and tricky unwritten rules that make little sense outside the context of baseball (I don't think we'll be seeing a Bobby Bowden tribute at Florida Field anytime soon). Bobby Cox should be proud of his illustrious tenure with the Braves, to be sure, but I don't think every team in the National League is required to shower him with praise on his way out (even if most chose to do it anyway). I hate to rain on a Loria-hating parade (I really do), but the only crime I see hear is Loria's apparent justification for "snubbing" Cox. He should snub because it's not the Marlins' responsibility to give a formal farewell to Cox, not because Loria is a petty jerk. Read more...
Off-Day TV Guide: September 2nd
Thursday, September 2, 2010
- 7:30 pm EDT NCAA FB Florida A&M at Miami (ESPN3.com): This is what Ted and I will be watching, as it is all about the U.
- 8 pm EDT Tosh.0 (Comedy Central): Back to back episodes. This show doesn't quite make the level of appointment television, but I always end up watching if I stumble upon it while channel surfing.
- 8:30 pm EDT NCAA FB Pitt at Utah (VS.): If you can't get ESPN3 and really need football, this will do. It should be a good matchup, and hey, Wannstache!
- 9 pm EDT County Jail: Miami (Discovery): It's a rerun, but if it has Miami in it, it can't be that bad, right?
- 10 pm EDT Jersey Shore (MTV): If you like it, that's cool. Just don't expect me to care.
Didn't Think Last Night's Brawl Could Get Any Better?
You were wrong!
God damn, now I want to clothesline someone!
Domo arigato to Rizzmiggizz
Read more...
Fight!
Better video here. Somewhere, fellow University of Miami alum Lamar Thomas is smiling at Gaby Sanchez' clothesline of Nyjer Morgan.
UPDATE: Adam Smoot may know where Sanchez learned his technique:
UPDATE: Adam Smoot may know where Sanchez learned his technique:
Also, haters gonna hate. Read more...
Week In Review
Monday, August 30, 2010
/Metaphor'd
Overview: The Marlins took two of three from the Mets before dropping two of three to the Braves.
Positives: The Marlins are making money, though most of the profits are (allegedly) going toward debt reduction and new stadium construction. The team may be on the outside looking in on a playoff spot but Marlins Diehards has acquired the Photoshop wizardry of Adam Smoot, formerly of Bright Orange Seats (RIP).
Negatives: John Baker's rehab stint did not go so well, so it looks like he will be on the shelf until 2011. Josh Johnson can't buy a break, as the bullpen blew a save and Johnson win for the seventh time of the season on Sunday. If the bullpen had preserved five of those seven leads, JJ would be 16-5 on the year, giving him a leg up on the Cy Young (not to mention the pennant race). The bullpen has blow 23 saves this year, the most in MLB.
Line of the Week: Chris Volstad turned in his second best outing of 2010 on Friday against the Braves, helped by 14 grounders and 21 strikes-looking:
8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 109 pitches
Highlight of the Week: Not that I'm trying to rub it in, but this is the main reason the Marlins are likely out of the playoff hunt.
Looking Ahead: The Fish play three at home against Washington followed by three against Atlanta, with an off day on Thursday. College football starts Thursday, and I for one am thankful for that. Not that we won't be here to share in the misery through October 3rd...
Image via Palm Beach Post Read more...
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