hot4beckett

Thank you guys; appreciate it!!!

I like D-Train. He's a cool guy. :thumbup

Tough lineup. Pavano has been doing great so far. Beckett no so good.

That's ridiculous.

I think channel 10

I ain't gonna listen to someone that puts down the Marlins. That will tick me off.

Conine

:happybday

On the game thread every game will be updated and posted.

MARLINS SPRING TRAINING UPCOMING ? Today: Marlins RHP Brad Penny (14-10, 4.13 ERA in 2003), RHP Armando Benitez, RHP Blaine Neal, RHP Nate Bump and LHP Tommy Phelps at Los Angeles Dodgers, RHP Jeff Weaver (7-9, 5.99 ERA in 2003), LHP Wilson Alvarez, RHP Brian Falkenborg and RHP Paul Shuey, 1:05 p.m., Holman Stadium, Vero Beach. ? Friday: Marlins LHP Dontrelle Willis (14-6, 3.30 ERA in 2003) vs. St. Louis Cardinals, RHP Chris Carpenter (Injured, did not play in majors in 2003) and RHP Kiko Calero, 1:05 p.m., Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter. INJURIES ? Third baseman Mike Lowell (sore right elbow) was back in the lineup Wednesday for the first time in more than a week, serving as the Marlins' designated hitter against Minnesota. ? Right-hander A.J. Burnett (sore right elbow) threw for the first time in more than two weeks. WHO'S HOT ? Damion Easley went 2 for 4 with a double and solo home run Wednesday, giving him two home runs this spring. On the flip side, Easley also made a costly error at shortstop that led to two Minnesota runs in the sixth. WHO'S NOT ? Josh Beckett and reliever Chad Fox struggled Wednesday, allowing five runs in their combined 5 2/3 innings. Beckett gave up three runs on seven hits while Fox was charged with two runs, one of them unearned. ? Outfielder Brian Banks struck out in his first two at-bats before driving in a run with a sacrifice fly. PLAY OF THE DAY ? Nothing spectacular, but Easley did make a nice play at shortstop on Luis Rivas' ground ball in the third inning. QUOTE OF THE DAY ''He was mad at himself.'' -- Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal about Josh Beckett, who wasn't sharp Wednesday in allowing three runs to the Twins. SPRING SCHEDULE Today Los Angeles Dodgers 1:05 Friday ST. LOUIS CARDINALS 1:05 Saturday Montreal Expos 1:05 Sunday NEW YORK METS 1:05 Monday HOUSTON ASTROS 1:05 March 23 LOS ANGELES DODGERS 1:05 March 24 St. Louis Cardinals 1:05 March 25 NEW YORK METS 1:05 March 26 New York Mets 1:10 March 27 Baltimore Orioles 7:05 March 28 BOSTON RED SOX 1:05 March 29 Los Angeles Dodgers 1:05 March 30 MONTREAL EXPOS 1:05 March 31 Baltimore Orioles 1:05 April 1 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS 1:05 April 2 New York Mets 7:10 April 3 NEW YORK METS 12:05 April 4 Albuquerque Isotopes 3:05 (Albuquerque, N.M.) NOTE: UPPER CASE indicates home games in Jupiter.

Beckett has eye on Opening Day By Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 18, 2004 FORT MYERS -- Josh Beckett is starting to think about the start of the regular season... and it showed for the second consecutive outing. The Marlins' opening-day starter pitched four innings, allowing three runs on seven hits in the Marlins' 6-5 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. Beckett threw 70 pitches, many of which were up in the zone. "I just missed up quite a bit,'' Beckett said. "My down today was up in the zone. I got to keep working on keeping the ball down.'' In his past two outings, Beckett has allowed 12 hits and seven runs in eight innings. "I'm just so ready for the season to start, that kind of takes away from your performance,'' Beckett said. "It doesn't seem to affect anybody else, so I would never use that as an excuse.'' Pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal is not concerned, saying it's most important that Beckett is strong when the season opens April 6. "He's strong, he made some mistakes,'' Rosenthal said. "He can correct them later.'' The Marlins split their squad Wednesday with bench coach Doug Davis managing the team in Fort Myers. Manager Jack McKeon traveled with the rest of the team to face the Dodgers in Vero Beach. Lowell in the swing: Mike Lowell returned after taking off nine days and was 2-for-5 with an RBI as the designated hitter. Lowell hit a soft line drive single over second base and a routine fly to right field that would have been a sacrifice fly but dropped in for a single when Mike Restovich lost the ball in the sun. He grounded out to shortstop to end the game with the tying run on third base. Lowell, who has inflammation in his right elbow, said he felt no pain but his timing was off. "We're taking it slow just because it's the spring,'' Lowell said. Lowell, who also threw on the side Wednesday, is scheduled to play third base Friday. Looking for relief: The Marlins are looking for bullpen help and could be shopping outfielder Abraham Nunez and second baseman Kevin Hooper, according to sources. Nunez remains a top prospect who is expected to be an everyday player in the big leagues. He is battling for a reserve outfield spot with the Marlins. Nunez played 19 games with Florida in 2002 but was set back last season, missing most of spring training because of a strained hamstring. He recovered to hit.311 in 59 games at Class AAA Albuquerque last season. Hooper is in his sixth season in the organization and hit.266 last year at Albuquerque.

We do have quite a ring. :mischief2

He's gonna have no problem this year.

Lowell returns with two hits; elbow free of pain By Juan C. Rodriguez Staff Writer Posted March 18 2004 FORT MYERS ? Third baseman Mike Lowell nearly doubled his Grapefruit League at-bats total Wednesday, going 2 for 5 in a 6-5 Marlins loss to the Twins at Hammond Stadium. Sidelined the past week with an inflamed right elbow, Lowell took his cuts with "no ill effects." He remains on track to start at third base Friday, when the Marlins host the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The elbow problem had limited Lowell to seven exhibition at-bats before Wednesday. In addition to designated hitter duty, he did some pregame fielding work. "I wouldn't say they were throws from deep in the hole, but they were good throws," said Lowell, who will remain in Jupiter today for more fielding drills while his teammates are in Vero Beach. "Definitely more than I could do a week ago." Lowell sent a soft liner over second base for his first single in the sixth. The following inning, he hit a high fly ball to the warning track in right that Michael Restovich lost in the sun for an RBI single. "I didn't pick up the off-speed [pitches] very well," Lowell said. "I was happy with the second [hit]. My first at-bat I fouled off my pitch three times."

Posted on Thu, Mar. 18, 2004 TWINS 6, MARLINS (SS) 5; MARLINS (SS) 4, DODGERS 0 Beckett not sharp; pitchers slice Dodgers By CLARK SPENCER cspencer@herald.com Josh Beckett struggled, and the Marlins lost the first of two split-squad games 6-5 to the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers on Wednesday. But in Vero Beach later, four Marlins pitchers combined on a four-hitter to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 in Vero Beach. In the night game, Wil Cordero hit a two-run home run, against the Dodgers, and relievers Michael Tejera, Justin Wayne, Mike Neu and Toby Borland put together the shutout that improved the Marlins' record this spring to 10-4. Juan Pierre had three hits and two stolen bases, and Miguel Cabrera reached base three times in the night game. In the early game, the Twins broke a tie with a run in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Franklyn Gracesqui. Damion Easley homered for the Marlins, and Mike Lowell had two hits in his first game in more than a week. But the Marlins pitchers struggled, allowing five earned runs on 10 Minnesota hits. Beckett gave up three runs on seven hits as the starter, and reliever Chad Fox was nicked for two runs, only one of them earned. Twice the Marlins took leads in the game but were unable to protect them. An RBI single by Gerald Williams and run-scoring sacrifice fly by Hee Seop Choi gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead in the third. After Minnesota regained the lead with two runs in the fourth, the Marlins tied it in the fifth on Easley's second home run of the spring and took the lead again in the sixth on Brian Banks' sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. But Minnesota came up with two runs on third baseman Michael Cuddyer's double.