The Best All-Stars in Marlins History, Part 1

With the annual All-Star Game on deck, Ted and I thought it would be fun to look back at every All-Star in franchise history and sort the wheat from the chaff. The Marlins have benefited from MLB's rule that every team must be represented at the midsummer classic, as you'll see below. Indeed, it is a double-edged sword: it allows fans of bad teams to have at least a little rooting interest in the game, but it also results in some very undeserving All-Star selections. Today we will look at the bottom half of the ledger, with the top half coming Tuesday.

For purposes of ranking, we looked at each players Wins Above Replacement (as calculated by Baseball Reference and either ERA+ (for pitchers) or OPS+ (for position players). We excluded Jose Fernandez, as he only has half a season of stats to compare, and did not account for any pre-/post-ASG split (because that would have taken more time than we were willing to invest). Incidentally, Fernandez already has more WAR than the bottom 6 players on the list (2.5), and should he continue his hot play could easily catapult into the top half of this list.

Onto the rankings, beginning with the Thanks for Showing Up division (* denotes ASG starter):

39. Alex Gonzalez, 1999 (0.7 WAR, 91 OPS+): Someone had to go in 1999, and it was Gonzalez. He didn't have a terrible year, but his .277 batting average was complemented by only 15 walks in 591 plate appearances.
38. Edgar Renteria, 1998 (0.9 WAR, 88 OPS+): See above. El Niño led the NL by getting caught stealing 22 times.
37. Gaby Sanchez, 2011 (2.7 WAR, 113 OPS+): Gaby wasn't that bad in 2011, but in hindsight Giancarlo Stanton (4.1 WAR, 141 OPS+) would have been a better choice. Sanchez hit .293 in the first half of the season, then took a major nosedive, hitting .225 in the second half.

Next up, the Good Thing Your Position is Not That Deep division:

36. Paul Lo Duca, 2005 (1.2 WAR, 92 OPS+): Look, no one expects a catcher to do that much on offense. But you do have to do something on defense every once in awhile. Lo Duca was third in the NL with 29 runners caught stealing, but also gave up the most stolen bases (89 - for a CS% of 24.6%).
35. Luis Castillo, 2002 (2.0 WAR, 95 OPS+): Castillo led the NL with 48 stolen bases, but got caught 15 times, second most in the league. He was solid on defense, and hit .301.
34. Charles Johnson, 2001 (2.4 WAR, 100 OPS+): CJ threw out 37 would-be base stealers (5th in the NL), but was the epitome of average at the plate.

Now let's pause and consider that democracy is not always the optimal decision-making mechanism. This is the Fan Votes are Flawed division:

33. Gary Sheffield*, 1993 (-0.1 WAR, 120 OPS+): Acquired in a late-June trade with the Padres, Sheffield was voted in by fans as a starter, even though he probably did not deserve it. His terrible defense (-3.0 dWAR) outdid a so-so offensive year (2.9 oWAR). His 34 errors were third in the NL. On the plus side, Sheffield went 2 for 3 with a home run in the game, so at least he acquitted himself nicely.
32. Hanley Ramirez*, 2010 (2.7 WAR, 126 WAR): Not that we didn't love watching Ramirez start in the All-Star Game for the third straight season, but this selection was based largely on his reputation (having won the batting title the previous season). He hit .300 in 2010, but in hindsight this season was the beginning of his decline into a very undistinguished hitter (though he has been very hot thus far in 2013).

Our next category is the Franchise Hero division, featuring two players who can do no wrong:

31. Jeff Conine, 1994 (2.8 WAR, 130 OPS+): Conine had a better year in 1994 than his other All-Star season, but he didn't win MVP in the 1994 game, so that knocks him down a few pegs.
30. Mike Lowell, 2002 (3.0 WAR, 116 OPS+): Lowell was better in 2003, but
29. Lowell, 2003 (2.7 WAR, 128 OPS+): Lowell had his best season with the Marlins in 2003, hitting a career-high 32 home runs despite missing the last month of the season with a broken hand. He also won the NL Silver Slugger for third-basemen.
28. Conine, 1995 (2.6 WAR, 135 OPS+): Not the most distinguished season, but Conine did win ASG MVP thanks to his decisive home run. 

These guys all had better All-Star years, but were still clearly deserving of the honor. It's the Better Seasons in the Portfolio division:

27. Dan Uggla, 2006 (3.0 WAR, 112 OPS+): He had better years to come, but 27 HR and .480 slugging as a rookie is nothing to be ashamed of. Uggla finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind teammate and winner Hanley Ramirez and Ryan Zimmerman of Washington.
26. Miguel Cabrera, 2007 (3.2 WAR, 150 OPS+): His last All-Star year with the Marlins was his worst, but he still hit 34 home runs with a .965 OPS.
25. Cabrera, 2004 (3.4 WAR, 150 OPS+): 33 home runs, 112 RBI in his first full season in the majors. Yeah, he was pretty good.
24. Castillo, 2005 (3.6 WAR, 108 OPS+): Castillo won his third straight NL Gold Glove, hitting above .300 for the fifth time in seven seasons.
23. Dontrelle Willis, 2003 (3.9 WAR, 127 ERA+): The Rookie of the Year and folk hero of the 2003 World Series team, Willis could do no wrong. 

These two appeared in the midsummer classic during their only year with the team, making them the One-Year Wonder division:

22. Armando Benitez, 2004 (3.4 WAR, 319 ERA+): Led the NL with 47 saves, and had a crazy-outlier .176 BABIP. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good (and even better to be both).
21. Moises Alou, 1997 (3.5 WAR, 130 OPS+): Alou slashed .292/.373/.493 en route to a World Series title. Sheffield was arguably better among his teammates, but he did not make the All-Star team.

Rounding out the first part is the One-Timers' Club, both of whom made one All-Star appearance as Marlins (though both made additional appearances with other teams):

20. Ryan Dempster, 2000 (4.2 WAR, 121 ERA+): Hard to remember, but Dempster was once the ace of the Marlins' staff (shudders). He had 8.3 K/9IP, but benefitted largely from having no other good All-Star candidates on the team that year.
19. Bryan Harvey, 1993 (4.0 WAR, 257 ERA+): Harvey was third in the NL with 45 saves for the expansion Marlins, helped by a career-low .240 BABIP. His 0.841 WHIP was absurd.

Click here to read Part 2.

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Mike Lowell, Really?

More news on the management front today. First, Jeffrey Loria sort of denies the USA Today report saying the team will fire Larry Beinfest and replace him with Dan Jennings. "I never comment on any ridiculous and fabricated rumors," he told the Miami Herald. Loria did not say any else, though, making me wonder whether this is actually a denial. I think a change at the top of the baseball side is coming (based purely on a hunch and Loria's proclivity for firing people), so we probably have not heard the last of this story.

More interesting is a report from MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, who wrote last night, "The Marlins, in considering a potential managerial change, have talked about ex-Marlin Mike Lowell as an option." Obviously, no decision has been made on retaining or firing Ozzie Guillen, but the fact that Mike Lowell has been brought up is setting off my bullshit alarms like crazy.

Unlike yours truly, Jeffrey Loria thinks a manager can significantly increase a team's win total. But if he believes that, why bring in a guy with no managerial experience whatsoever? I love Mike Lowell (who doesn't?), but he does not strike me as the kind of managerial candidate Loria prefers. Most likely, this "discussion" will stay just that, but if the team hires Lowell, it will mean one of two things:

1. The team is making an effort to better market the team by making a former Marlin and hometown guy the figurehead.
2. Jeffrey Loria is out of ideas

For the record, I think Loria will balk at firing Guillen because he will have to pay him the remaining $9 million or so owed to him regardless, and Loria will probably (hopefully) prefer to spend the extra money required to get a new manager on guys who actually hit and throw baseballs. But he's made crazier moves than this (like trading two minor leaguers for Guillen!), so I guess anything is possible at the moment.

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Retiring Numbers

Camden Yards via wallyg's flickrstream

Playing in their 18th season of baseball, the Marlins have accumulated some history, but have yet to commemorate some historic milestones.¹ At some point in the not too distant future the Marlins will have to retire a number (The team retired the number 5 for Carl Barger on Opening Day 1993, but that doesn't really count since it was for a nonplayer). Who will the first former Marlin to receive that distinction? Some thoughts below, in order of likelihood.

Gary Sheffield (not playing, but not officially retired): Sheffield was a mainstay for the first 5 years of the team's existence, holds some team single-season records, started for the 1997 World Series club, and could end up in the Hall of Fame. He's probably the most deserving member of this list at the moment.
Mike Lowell (currently playing for Boston): Lowell was a key member of the infield core from 2000 to 2005, starting for the 2003 World Series club. He is currently the Marlins career home run leader, and wins sentimentality points for having grown up in South Florida.
Jeff Conine (retired): Despite his status as Mr. Marlin, Conine's career stats are not the kind that normally get your number retired. However, his status as a team icon, role in both World Series teams, and current role as a special instructor in the Marlins organization might make up for his stats. He also has the complication of wearing two numbers during his time with the club.

You'll notice I did not list anyone unlikely to retire soon. My guess is that someone's number will be retired shortly after the new stadium opens in 2012. It's a wild guess, but a necessary one for the purposes of this exercise.


¹For our purposes here, historic milestones include (but are not limited to): anniversaries of championships, retired numbers, and breaking of team/league records. In short, these are the things that remind us this team has been around for awhile. They are the edifice of permanence.

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Weekend Roundup

Ed. note: This will be our last Weekend Roundup of the Spring, as the team has been sending many of its scrubs and minor leaguers back to farm. As such, the beat writers are focusing less on the no-name players and more on the few positional battles in camp. Ted and I will be doing the same starting Monday. Enjoy you weekend.


Logan Morrison focusing on rest of spring, by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald:

The Marlins have little doubt that Morrison, who ranks among the organization's top prospects, will blossom into a mainstay for them -- a sure-fire member of the 2012 Marlins' lineup when they move into their new, Little Havana ballpark.

They love his swing. Scouts compare him to former top-hitting first basemen like Mark Grace and Tino Martinez.

But with spring training half over, it has been a hard March for Morrison.

Marlins prospect Petersen still learning from McGwire, by Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel:

"His [outfielder Bryan Petersen] swing is there," [Mark] McGwire said. "The biggest thing is talking to him about the mental part of the game… The other day when we played them I think he was 0 for 4. I said, 'Dude, those were really good at-bats. You faced two tough left-handers. You stuck your nose in there, you took pitches. You worked the count. You might not have gotten any hits, but those coaches over there see that.'"

Hensley making Marlins' rotation bid, by Joe Frisaro of MLB.com:

"The biggest thing about coming into this camp is, I was going to have to throw strikes if I was going to make this team," [Clay] Hensley said. "If you go out there and aren't throwing strikes, you're not giving yourself a chance."

Adding Mike Lowell would be smart move by Florida Marlins, by Greg Cote of the Miami Herald:

Acquiring Lowell would be seen as a smart move if it were one of those mid- to late-season trades made for the stretch run, a deal for an extra bat, for veteran leadership. So why not have all that for the whole season?

Marlins' Brett Carroll takes aim on larger role, by Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel:

Andre "Hawk" Dawson, a 2010 Hall of Fame inductee, had one of the most powerful wings in the game with 10 or more assists in eight seasons.

"Brett [Carroll] knows you got to use it to strengthen it by long-tossing and taking infield," said Dawson, who works with the outfielders as a Marlins special assistant. "He's very proud of it and likes to show it off."

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Marlins 2000's All-Decade Team: Lineup

This is part of a series that will name All-Decade teams for the Marlins. Click here to view all the posts made in this series.

First up we have the All-Decade team of the 2000's. There will actually be two All-2000's teams. This first one represents the play and achievements over the whole decade. Thus, tenure and longevity count, but, massive production for a short period of time will grant you consideration as well. The other All-2000's team which will be named later will represent the best single season performances for each position. Here is the starting lineup.

1. Juan Pierre, CF: JP had three great years in South Florida and was a huge contributor to the 2003 champions. His seasonal averages for those three years? How does a .300% batting average with 200 hits while playing all 162 games sound? Terrific, and while he didn't have the greatest center field arm, he had good range and fielded his position well. He was the easy choice to play center and leadoff for this team.

2. Luis Castillo, 2B: Luis was another easy choice. He is still the team's leader in career games, runs, hits, triples, walks, and stolen bases. For the decade he made three all-star teams, won three gold gloves, and hit over .300%. His 2003 campaign was also vital towards winning it all, as he hit .314 and won one of those gold gloves. He also dazzled fans with a 35-game hitting streak in 2002 which remains the longest by a second baseman.

3. Hanley Ramirez, SS: Yet another easy choice. Hanley won Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 and has ascended to one of the best players in the game. He made his second all-star team this year and has a shot to notch the first ever batting title for a Marlins player. This is only his first year in the three-hole after hitting mainly first, but the transition has been so smooth that he has stamped his name there for this team. He has proven to be very capable of driving in runs, while remaining a good run scorer. The 3rd hitter in the lineup should be your best, and Hanley is quite simply that.

4. Miguel Cabrera, LF: Well, Cabrera could also be that too, but I've decided he should be hitting cleanup. And while he came up as a third baseman and now plays first base for the Tigers, he spent most of his time in Miami in the outfield. What Cabrera did in his Marlins career is astonishing. He was a huge piece added from the minors that was crucial for the success of 2003. He also flat out carried a 2006 team riddled with rookies and inexperienced players. For the four year span of 2004-2007, he basically averaged 32 HR and 115 RBI while hitting around .320%. He was an all-star in all of those years and won the silver slugger award in 2005 and 2006.

5. Pudge Rodriguez, C: Catcher was a tough spot to pick because the position has been filled with one and two year wonders. But let's face it, no one is more deserving than Pudge. His 2003 campaign saw him play in 144 games (that's a LOT for a catcher) and he managed to hit just a shade under .300%. He will be remembered for his two moments in the NLDS though. A two out, two strike, two-run single that won game three followed by tagging the final out at a collision at the plate to save game four. He also won the NLCS MVP for driving in ten runs.

6. Cliff Floyd, RF: Choosing the last outfielder was kind of tough. Kevin Millar, Josh Willingham and even Mr. Marlin Jeff Conine were given consideration for this spot but Floyd's long tenure gave him the edge. He was one of a few big producers during the era between the two world series titles. In two and a half years played in Miami this decade, he hit .304 with 71 home runs. His 2001 season was good enough to get him to the all-star game. He did play primarily in left field, but he did switch over to right in 2002 before being traded which is good enough for me.

7. Mike Lowell, 3B: With Cabrera in the outfield there was only one person to play third base, the second Mr. Marlin, Mike Lowell. He played seven years down here (starting in 1999) which is quite a long tenure for a Marlins player. He was as steady as they come too, always hitting around .275% while being a doubles and RBI machine. His defense was outstanding and it finally paid off winning the gold glove in 2005 (he deserved more but NL 3B was a tough spot). He was also named an all-star three times and collected one silver slugger in 2003.

8. Derrek Lee, 1B: Derrek manned first base from 1998-2003. For this decade he was .275% hitter averaging about 27 home runs a season while playing gold glove caliber defensive (finally winning one in 2003). It would have been okay I guess to give Carlos Delgado the nod for his fantastic 2004 season, but it was D-Lee I'd say that mos Marlins fans would prefer playing first base.

Deserved Consideration (Or Bench Players!)

• Kevin Millar, OF: Hit over .300% in 2001 and 2002. His funny attitude would be much appreciated in any clubhouse
• Jeff Conine, OF: He has to be on ANY Marlins team, plus his second stint after coming back in 2003 was pretty solid.
• Dan Uggla, 2B: Not your typical 2B, but he hits for power and drives in many runs. He's been part of the 2006-present corps.
• Mike Redmond, C: Five great years as a backup catcher, he always did above what was needed.
  

Stay tuned as the pitching staff of this team will be named later this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

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