repeatin04

Like I said, I'm a "glass half-full" guy...I see a team that hasn't played up to its potential yet and is still in first place...not saying changes shouldn't be made, but I think it is way too early for doom & gloom. they haven't clicked yet? well, what makes you believe Castro is going to click soon? Or that they tattered bullpen is going to suddenly blossom? Or that Castillo, with a broken finger, will suddenly hit lights out? These four losses are pretty gloomy. Nothing to cheer about unless the Phillies and Braves just totally collapse. I can argue that the Marlins got off to a smoking start at 8 games over and yet the Phillies and Braves are right there.

Since I'm a "glass half-full" guy, I feel inclined to bring up one positive. Obviously the team has played pretty bad these last few games (understatement to say the least), yet they've been in position to win all of these games. For as bad as we perceive their playing to be, they 'should' have lost these games by 5 runs at least. You have to think if they just play a little better (as we all know they can), then they'll be winning games again...and even when the team was hot, I don't think everything was clicking, so if everyone can start playing decent at the same time, this team looks very stout. The team loses Fox has spotty starts from Willis and terrible outings by Oliver. Beckett gives up 1 earned run in 8 innings and can't get a win. Castillo has a broken pinky and he hasn't hit all year. Relievers blow more than one run leads for four straight games and you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Things are not going well. A trade is desperately needed.

Jack has to stop subbing Mordecai for Lowell. Sure it worked last year but last year Lowell's hip was really bothering him. The way this team lacks clutch hitting no longer can Jack pull Lowell for a pinch runner and then bank on Morde. Morde couldn't drop a bunt and then he makes the error that costs the game. It's time to keep playing Lowell in the later innings. Let's take our chances that Lowell can score from second on a single. Until Lowell's lack of speed really is a factor I can't justify Jack pulling the best player in the lineup.

All Heat games air on 610 WIOD which any radio can easily tune in to at the Stadium. all marlins games are on 560 QAM, which any radio can easily tune into at the arenaThat's not true. You cannot get any AM reception inside of American Airlines Arena, you can only receive FM reception. People have been complaining about this for a LONG time because you can't even listen to play-by-play for Heat games on 610AM inside of the arena, so a few months ago they're now simulcasting Heat games on 90.1FM so people inside the arena can listen as well. 12K for a battle of first place teams. Disgusting how little fan support there really is.

anyway... I like Hermida...but the guy you really got to keep your eye on is Chris Aguila. This guy is kind of a dark horse and I think will be a very good MLBer some day. I also am intrigued with Eric Reed...not the Heat announcer either. I think the future is very bright for the Marlins... where is eric reed going to play? you already have them trading pierre? aguila doesn't have near the upside of hermida. when the marlins are in vegas, portland, nashville or wherever they will move to, those fans can appreciate guys like hermida.

Theres an open spot in Carolina in the OF as both Jim Kavourias and Pat Magness are off to very cold starts.? If we still have Lowell in 2006, Cabrera will move to LF with Hermida playing RF.? Hermida is as hot as any minor leaguer in the game right now and a call-up is likely focus on the now. there likely will not be a Florida Marlins after '06. Team is destined to move. There remains more than a 30 million gap that has to be filled. It's sad but big time baseball is on the outs in south Florida. Ummm I'm pretty sure they have said they can begin construction without the 30 million gap and try to go to the state next year, earlier and more prepared. no one is beginning construction without complete financing. why do you people honestly think they are going to go back to the state next year? every year it is the same story, no one wants to do what it takes to build a stadium. and if this ownership pays more out of its own pocket, the stadium won't matter because they will be broke when it comes to signing players. they're very close to being gone. when they move, the market can only blame itself.

Theres an open spot in Carolina in the OF as both Jim Kavourias and Pat Magness are off to very cold starts. If we still have Lowell in 2006, Cabrera will move to LF with Hermida playing RF. Hermida is as hot as any minor leaguer in the game right now and a call-up is likely focus on the now. there likely will not be a Florida Marlins after '06. Team is destined to move. There remains more than a 30 million gap that has to be filled. It's sad but big time baseball is on the outs in south Florida.

And to blame this game on the umps or on Will Cordero is just stupid. One person was responsible for this loss and that is Dontrelle Willis. He blew a seven run lead, which resulted in the bullpen entering the game in the second inning with NO outs recorded and the bases LOADED. That is not a good situation to put anyone into. Dontrelle made a huge mess and Tommy Phelps or Nate Bump or anyone else would have had a hard time cleaning that up on the road. Sure it's just one game, but this is a huge loss because they gave away a seven run lead and a chance to go up 2-0 on the Giants. They never play well on this west coast swing and they have been playing great. This was a demoralizing loss. Much more so than a blowout, or a walkoff in the bottom of the ninth. This is the kind of loss that could turn this trip into a losing effort. They have to win one of two to come out ahead on this trip.

This may be the dumbest post I've ever seen. It doesn't matter if it was "technically" a grand slam or not. It still scored four runs and put all the momentum on the Giants side. You can't give up a seven run lead. You just can't do that. That was pathetic. And there is NO excuse for playing that kind of baseball. If you are going to lose a game by getting blown out, fine. You lose plenty of games in baseball. But you DON'T give up a seven run lead.

Get this from the mlb.com article on Willis' hot bat: As good a hitter as Willis is, he doesn't take batting practice before his starts -- he doesn't even have his own bats. Willis uses the bats of his close friend, leadoff hitter Juan Pierre. "I don't even know how many ounces they are," said Willis.

Although I always have been and always will be a die hard fan (emphasis on die) of the Chicago White Sox....I would like to make an annoucement..... I would like to make it official that I am permanently on the Marlins bandwagon. With the exception of when they play the White Sox (like the 3 games in June this year), I will be rooting for, watching, and actually getting nervous over the Marlins from this point forward for all eternity.... That is all..... Finally, a fan. Welcome and invite a few more of your friends. The team needs all the support it can get from a community that acts more and more like they want the team to leave.

Seems to me that Samson is beginning to realize that time is running short and the proposals presented to them may be the best ones he's going to get. I hope they do get offered something better than the OB, but if that's all they got, then beggars can't be choosers. The Marlins have been standing tough in negotiations, maybe it's time for all sides, including the Marlins, to give in a little and do something right so we can "get this damn thing done" already. I love how you so called fans want the team to accept any stadium deal and you constantly say "beggers can't be choosers." Give me a break. As if Huizenga or Arison or George Steinbrenner don't strong arm to get the best deals for them. You resent Samson for wanting a great stadium for the Marlins, even if it's another bad deal. As fans, you whine if they can't sign Pudge because there is no money. Without a first rate stadium to bring in the dollars, this team won't sign the Becketts and Cabreras in the near future. If you think the Marlins are beggers now, see how Miami and south Florida acts if the Marlins do leave. See how this market turns and begs for baseball like they did 15 years ago. The Marlins deserve a real ballpark, not a take it or leave it park. If the community doesn't want them, then both sides walk away. Big league ball leaves and no one is to blame because the front office did all they could and the community made priorities that keeping the team didn't really matter. Keep this in mind, if it wasn't for Samson and Loria, the Marlins would be gone already. No one was chomping to buy this team when Henry first sprang contraction on us.

This whole stadium issue is so tiring. It's gone on for years and is no closer now than before. My question to the room is why should the Marlins stay in south Florida? Their support is so minimal. The community and media repeatedly bashes them for whatever they do. At some point sound business has to be made. Miami Dade went only so far for a stadium. The state isn't interested. This ownership has shown it wanted to make it work. The community hasn't. For whatever reason the area doesn't want their own team. We want to wear Yankee hats or say we are Cubs fans. Interest in the Marlins only comes when the team wins it all. Even then it's fleeting. The radio shows are 98 percent football talk. Do your own poll and when you turn on QAM, what is the topic? Non stop Dolphins. The talk show hosts either are working for the Dolphins or have working ties to the NFL. You never hear talk about whether Pierre will steal 70 bases or if Cabrera can be like Pujols. Such a small amount of us care, why shouldn't Samson make threats. They aren't threats either. It's the reality. When a team is 12 years old and it's had 3 different owners, that tells you something. Owning the Marlins is not smart business. Should a stadium not be built, staying in PPS for anything more than another 2 seasons is really just throwing money down the drain. Why would anyone believe a new stadium would be built if the May 1 deadline passes? Will interest pick up after this season? Say the team finishes at 79-83 like they were in 2002, you really think anyone would push for a stadium? It's inevitable the franchise will have to move or contract. No one wants them down here. Why should they stay? I pose a question to answer that question. Why would Loria want to own the Marlins when he already owned the Expos, a team with (at the time of Loria's departure) a much more talented team on the field (Vlad, Vidro, Cabrera and Vazquez), and a clearer manifest for movement. Obviously, Loria sees something in the South Florida market that screams to him success, if he wanted the D.C. or Portland market, he'd be there by now if he held onto the Expos. I think the question needs to be "why leave?" instead of "why stay?" The Expos weren't a much more talented team. Sure they had Guerrero. But these teams were pretty similar in terms of talent. As for Loria seeing a bright future in Miami. Where do you see it? Based on decent TV ratings. Ask yourself this. If they don't get a stadium done May 1, when do you think they will get it? Next year to open in 2008. As Samson said inflation will only raise the costs of everything. Even then there is no guarantee. So you think the guy should lose his shirt year after year based on a market that really doesn't act like it wants them. It's pretty sad that the team boosts getting 8,000 season tickets the year after winning a title. How many other markets would be that dismal. Miami may work as a market only if the economics were pretty low scale. In today's game, the market simply isn't big leagues. Decent TV ratings mean nothing. What do you expect from a franchise that is still only 11 years old and has the history it has. Wayne H. has screwed this franchise up pretty badly. If this organization had been run properly from the start things would not be the way they are now. You are talking like the typical critic who knows nothing about our situation. This franchise is still hurting today because of Wayne H. He is a big reason why we still have no stadium and why there is so much resistance in south Fla. I think if we were able to get a new stadium and Loria continues to try and field a good ball club ticket sales will increase steadily and more fans will jump onboard. There are still many fans that have not forgiven the organization for what happened in 1998. I mean how can you honestly compare the market here how it is now to other big markets. I think with time this franchise can prosper and compete with all the big markets. When will the excuse making stop? Not forgiving 1998, give me a break. They won' the title in '03 and still have 8,000 season tickets and that's viewed as monumental? Give it time? Yes, the organization is giving it time. Til May 1. If no stadium by then, they are totally justified to move. Again I ask and no one can accurately answer. If they get no stadium by May 1 and let another year pass, when WILL they get a stadium? How many key players must they lose because they don't have the revenue stream. This is a continuous boring cycle. Fans don't show because of '98. Fans want club to win. Team can't win every year with low payroll. Fans say they won't go unless they win. Even when they win, fans see 8,000 season tickets are glorious. The writing is so on the wall that they will either move or contract, and the fan base does so little to prevent that from happening.

This whole stadium issue is so tiring. It's gone on for years and is no closer now than before. My question to the room is why should the Marlins stay in south Florida? Their support is so minimal. The community and media repeatedly bashes them for whatever they do. At some point sound business has to be made. Miami Dade went only so far for a stadium. The state isn't interested. This ownership has shown it wanted to make it work. The community hasn't. For whatever reason the area doesn't want their own team. We want to wear Yankee hats or say we are Cubs fans. Interest in the Marlins only comes when the team wins it all. Even then it's fleeting. The radio shows are 98 percent football talk. Do your own poll and when you turn on QAM, what is the topic? Non stop Dolphins. The talk show hosts either are working for the Dolphins or have working ties to the NFL. You never hear talk about whether Pierre will steal 70 bases or if Cabrera can be like Pujols. Such a small amount of us care, why shouldn't Samson make threats. They aren't threats either. It's the reality. When a team is 12 years old and it's had 3 different owners, that tells you something. Owning the Marlins is not smart business. Should a stadium not be built, staying in PPS for anything more than another 2 seasons is really just throwing money down the drain. Why would anyone believe a new stadium would be built if the May 1 deadline passes? Will interest pick up after this season? Say the team finishes at 79-83 like they were in 2002, you really think anyone would push for a stadium? It's inevitable the franchise will have to move or contract. No one wants them down here. Why should they stay? I pose a question to answer that question. Why would Loria want to own the Marlins when he already owned the Expos, a team with (at the time of Loria's departure) a much more talented team on the field (Vlad, Vidro, Cabrera and Vazquez), and a clearer manifest for movement. Obviously, Loria sees something in the South Florida market that screams to him success, if he wanted the D.C. or Portland market, he'd be there by now if he held onto the Expos. I think the question needs to be "why leave?" instead of "why stay?" The Expos weren't a much more talented team. Sure they had Guerrero. But these teams were pretty similar in terms of talent. As for Loria seeing a bright future in Miami. Where do you see it? Based on decent TV ratings. Ask yourself this. If they don't get a stadium done May 1, when do you think they will get it? Next year to open in 2008. As Samson said inflation will only raise the costs of everything. Even then there is no guarantee. So you think the guy should lose his shirt year after year based on a market that really doesn't act like it wants them. It's pretty sad that the team boosts getting 8,000 season tickets the year after winning a title. How many other markets would be that dismal. Miami may work as a market only if the economics were pretty low scale. In today's game, the market simply isn't big leagues. Decent TV ratings mean nothing.

This whole stadium issue is so tiring. It's gone on for years and is no closer now than before. My question to the room is why should the Marlins stay in south Florida? Their support is so minimal. The community and media repeatedly bashes them for whatever they do. At some point sound business has to be made. Miami Dade went only so far for a stadium. The state isn't interested. This ownership has shown it wanted to make it work. The community hasn't. For whatever reason the area doesn't want their own team. We want to wear Yankee hats or say we are Cubs fans. Interest in the Marlins only comes when the team wins it all. Even then it's fleeting. The radio shows are 98 percent football talk. Do your own poll and when you turn on QAM, what is the topic? Non stop Dolphins. The talk show hosts either are working for the Dolphins or have working ties to the NFL. You never hear talk about whether Pierre will steal 70 bases or if Cabrera can be like Pujols. Such a small amount of us care, why shouldn't Samson make threats. They aren't threats either. It's the reality. When a team is 12 years old and it's had 3 different owners, that tells you something. Owning the Marlins is not smart business. Should a stadium not be built, staying in PPS for anything more than another 2 seasons is really just throwing money down the drain. Why would anyone believe a new stadium would be built if the May 1 deadline passes? Will interest pick up after this season? Say the team finishes at 79-83 like they were in 2002, you really think anyone would push for a stadium? It's inevitable the franchise will have to move or contract. No one wants them down here. Why should they stay?

Seems like the political will to keep the Marlins in the Miami area is quickly dying. It was nice having them for 11 seasons. Looks now like after '96 they are headed elsewhere. Hard to pinpoint blame exactly because so many didn't allow the sport to work here. Huizenga bailing out after '97, gutting the team and the community's passion. Then Henry whining every day about contracting if he didn't get a stadium. To Loria being blasted by the media from the time he took over. The critics backed off only after the WS was won. By then it was too late. I honestly believe the Miami media wants them out because they are a threat to the Dolphins. All the TV and radio hosts have a vested interest in the Dolphins and the Marlins threaten to eat away that fan base after the Fins fall short again next year. The apathy for the team is why they will move. If anything baseball probably messed up giving the market a team to begin with when it didn't have a baseball stadium to play in. You can't award a franchise to a place that didn't have the resources to meet the economic demands the sport has without an adequate facility. The Miami area fans can go back to rooting for the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians when the Marlins move. It was fun while it lasted.

Beckett-Burnett could very well be better than Pedro-Schilling. Maybe not this year because AJ isn't 100 % yet. But both can become the elite 1-2 tandem in the game. :hat The champ

the reason pitchers aren't going more innings is because they are conditioned not to from the time they are drafted. Pitchers will toss a few innings in the minors and then be taken out. Guys like Beckett rarely saw the sixth or seventh innings in the minors. For that matter, Beckett didn't have a load of minor league innings to begin with. I agree with Jack on breaking down these myths that pitchers shouldn't pitch. Babying them isn't necessarily the answer. There is a fine line between overusing guys, burning them out the way Koufax was. But a number of pitchers like Seaver, Clemens hold up and pile up the innings over the long haul. Handling pitching and finding the right pitching coach are probably the two most important jobs in an organization.? :hat The champ it finally happened... I agree with you While I somewhat agree with you two, I hope that our young staff are on the same line of thinking with Jack. Worst thing it can happen is seeing our young pitchers being stressed for being left in the game too long or being used too much. (i.e. Spooneybarger complaining that he was being used to much). Let's keep in mind that these players want to succeed and make the mega bucks, and health and injury is always a concern for them. And the stress factor, may affect their on field performance. That is the challenge. Finding the right guys. McKeon definitely rides his pitchers hard. Spooney's problems may have been because he wasn't exactly in great shape. He's not like AJ in that regard. AJ enjoys working out. Spooney may not have conditioned properly. He still only threw about 40 innings last year. Sure he had a couple of three inning stints but that in itself shouldn't have caused a ligament tear. :hat The champ

maybe a pitcher or two could be at Roger Dean this weekend or leading up to the 21st. :hat The champ

the reason pitchers aren't going more innings is because they are conditioned not to from the time they are drafted. Pitchers will toss a few innings in the minors and then be taken out. Guys like Beckett rarely saw the sixth or seventh innings in the minors. For that matter, Beckett didn't have a load of minor league innings to begin with. I agree with Jack on breaking down these myths that pitchers shouldn't pitch. Babying them isn't necessarily the answer. There is a fine line between overusing guys, burning them out the way Koufax was. But a number of pitchers like Seaver, Clemens hold up and pile up the innings over the long haul. Handling pitching and finding the right pitching coach are probably the two most important jobs in an organization. :hat The champ Precisely. It is a paradigm shift that has resulted in 'babying' the pitchers. For example, none of us could run 20 miles straight because we have no need to. But in norther Mexico, there are native Indians that would do this routinely. There are examples of humans all over the world doing extraordinary things with their bodies (and I am not talking about Bangkok, gentlemen) because the need is there or because they are not told they CANT. The fact is there is NO WAY to predict and prevent injury. I believe that there is a way to condition oneself to actually lessen the chance - and the philosophy McKeon has (and perhaps the rest of our FO) - is in line with this. Frankly, I am very pleased. This is why a great pitching coach is needed. Not only to measure if a guy is tired or just a bit tender, but to make sure the mechanics are precise. There is a thought that AJ got hurt partly because Arnie tweaked the delivery to that half turn like Kevin Brown does. Not that it is all Arnie's fault, but it makes you wonder. Switching arm angles, even slightly, can put different pressure on an elbow or shoulder. Pitching really is a science. The pitchers themselves have to know their limits. Conditioning is key for them. Get their legs strong and they will hold up longer. :hat The champ

I am going to say... Pavano Benitez Pierre Cabrera Jack is part of the selection process, so Marlins could have a lot of players. Beckett, Luis, Mikey, Penny, D Train. Pierre will have a tough time because of his lack of power numbers and an overload of outfielders. It will be interesting to see if Jack takes D Lee as a reserve. :hat The champ

I have not checked The Dbacks capacity, but The Angels still filled around 85% of their seats this season, so there was room and they also were 14th in attendance the year before, so it's not like they were top drawers. the angels sold out 40% of their home games last year despite having a sucky team. they went from having good attendance in 2002 (28,463 average) to selling out 40% of their games in 2003, resulting in an average attendance of 37,791. i am merely pointing out that the increase of 9,000 is GREATLY a product of how many empty seats they had available to fill. each sellout blunts what the actual increase would be, and there were a hell of a lot of sellouts. additionally, because 80% of games sold at least 34,000 tickets, the average attendance of 37,791 was primarily a function of stadium capacity and not at all indicative of what the market was capable of. And, Just because their's more seats to fill, more fans will come? i didn't say that at all. that wasn't the point to begin with. i was merely pointing out that the increases for the dbacks and angels are not at all relevant in predicting the marlins' increase in average attendance in 2004 over 2003 numbers, since we have so many more empty seats to fill and capacity is much less of an issue. we averaged only 16,244 in 2003, and the team will be competitive next year. i conservatively guessed that our average attendance would be 25,000, but now that i think about it, 28,000 sounds realistic considering we just won a world series and we have no prior situation to compare this to (a WS winner that is still competitive).Angels season tickets increased greatly in 2003, creating the spike in attendance. Marlins won't average 25,000 unless they have a season ticket base of close to 15,000. They won't even have 10,000 season tickets. That's very disturbing, but the team is putting on the happy face that there will be more than 5,000. Any progress is reason for them to smile. But if that stadium falls apart, relocation becomes almost a reality. If they are forced to move, the community has only itself to blame. :hat The champ

the reason pitchers aren't going more innings is because they are conditioned not to from the time they are drafted. Pitchers will toss a few innings in the minors and then be taken out. Guys like Beckett rarely saw the sixth or seventh innings in the minors. For that matter, Beckett didn't have a load of minor league innings to begin with. I agree with Jack on breaking down these myths that pitchers shouldn't pitch. Babying them isn't necessarily the answer. There is a fine line between overusing guys, burning them out the way Koufax was. But a number of pitchers like Seaver, Clemens hold up and pile up the innings over the long haul. Handling pitching and finding the right pitching coach are probably the two most important jobs in an organization. :hat The champ

AJ's attitude, an example of being a team player. In time, AJ will be a major factor. Probably in the second half when he will be needed the most. Having team oriented players is what gives the Marlins an edge that makes up for lack of talent in some areas. :hat The champ