Mr. Marlin

Thanks to the generosity of Admin, like Migs I will be contributing articles for this site. Here are some of my credentials: Currently, I am a sophomore at Penn State University in the Communications Program. This July, I will attend the Sportscasters Camp of America in Long Beach, California. The Sports Editor for the Penn State Daily Collegian, where I also contribute sports related articles and columns. I have been involved with the paper as Sports Beat writer for one year. Former employee of the Altoona (PA) Mirror Sports Department, where I cut my teeth covering high school football games and also covered two Altoona Curve games for the beat writer, who took some time off to tend to personal business. Sports Editor for three years on my high school newspaper. Here's a sample of my work, an article about the NBA, that included quotes from Penn State Altoona head coach and former NBA baller Armon Gilliam. Former hoops star reflects on the ever-changing NBA For Penn State-Altoona men?s basketball coach, and former NBA star Armon Gilliam, the start of a new NBA season always brings about feelings of fulfillment. ?I played in the NBA for 13 years,? Gilliam said. ?I got my fill of basketball.? This season will be no different for the 36-year old, as he continues to witness the rebirth of the league. Gone is the legendary Michael Jordan, who took the game to a whole new level of excitement, leaving behind a legacy that perhaps will never be duplicated by an athlete in any sport. ?Jordan was arguably the best player of all time, and a good statesman for the game,? Gilliam said. ?His talent level was so good that even people who normally didn?t follow the game would watch in awe of his ability.? Also hanging up the Chuck Taylors was the steady and reliable John Stockton, former teammate of Gilliam?s and the all time NBA assists leader. ?Stockton was a great pro, and epitomized team basketball,? Gilliam said. ?He was a humorous guy to be around and a lot of fun as a teammate. He was a consummate pro.? This year, Gilliam and others will witness a new era in the NBA, as a new influx of talent invades the game, with 18-year old phenom LeBron James leading the charge. James is in many ways symbolic of what is perhaps the biggest change in the NBA, the influx of players who jump straight from high school to the NBA. LeBron, who last year at this time was an innocent high school kid, faces high expectations. Dubbed the new undisputed King of the NBA, before even graduating high school, James faces the same learning curve that future All-Stars Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O?Neal went through. ?It usually takes a few years for them to learn the NBA game,? Gilliam said. ?If they are surrounded by a veteran team, it helps.? Unfortunately, James will not be surrounded with the veterans, as his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers went an NBA worst 17-65 last season. Clearly, the expectation levels are high for James to step in and improve their fortunes, surrounded by talented, but youthful players Ricky Davis, DaJuan Wagner and Darius Miles amongst others. ?You get a lot of media attention as a high draft pick,? Gilliam, himself a high draft pick; selected #2 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 1987 Draft, said. ?You?re thrown out there immediately. The downside of being a high draft pick is you?re expected to produce immediately. It?s almost not fair to expect that of a 19-year old kid.? Another huge change in the game is the powerful international influence in the game. The global presence in the game is by no means new, however the number of international players in the Association continues to skyrocket. Since 1993, when five players of international influence called the NBA their career, the numbers rose nearly six times, to 29 in 1998. Currently, even that number has been shattered, as the league features 65 players from 34 different countries. Adding to that number was the 2003 NBA Draft, where 20 international players were selected in the 58-selection draft. The highest point of the International Explosion occurred just 12 months prior however, as 7?6 Chinese center Yao Ming became the first international player to be taken number 1 overall. ?The appeal has grown so much in Europe,? Gilliam said. ?Whereas 15-20 years ago, it wasn?t even a blip on the radar, now more and more people are wanting to play basketball.? Another change has been the level of competition, as expansion has opened the doors for more players to reach the league, in some senses watering down the competitiveness. ?In my era, we had guys like Barkley, Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Bird, Magic, Penny Hardaway, Clyde Drexler; a ton of guys who played at a high level,? Gilliam said. ?From the late 80s in to the 90s, the league was saturated with great players. I don?t think you have the same quality of competition today.? As the game continues to be altered, one thing will always remain the same. Each crop of new players will in one way or another continue to make the mystique of the game grow. ?I miss the competition the most,? Gilliam said. ?Playing in the Western Conference Finals and going deep in to the playoffs was basketball on the highest level.? The NBA season lasts approximately eight months long, spanning from late October through May. I stupidfied it (Season spans from Oct-May) because the girl who was sports editor last semester didn't know jack s*** about sports and it caused her to ask a lot of stupid questions.

I'm going to be writing for this awesome site starting very very soon. I've been here since the Marlins made the playoffs in September and this place has done nothing but grow. I'm excited to start writing for you guys as soon as possible. For those of you that would like to know a little more about me: I'm a freelance writer who has been involved in sports journalism since 2000 at the age of 14. I've worked with Sunshine Network as part of the Credited Media, covering MLB, NFL and NHL teams in addition to conducting numerous interviews with players and coaches in the NFL and MLB including Miami Dolphins Head coach Dave Wannstedt and former Marlins pitcher Ryan Dempster to name a few. I covered all Miami Dolphins home games in 2002, and have been writing for a Dolphins fansite called Finheaven since 2002. I've also worked with KFFL.com and Askthecommish.com as a sports writer covering Major League Baseball and the NFL in addition to being the sports director/anchor for my high school?s daily news program. I'm also the sports editor of my High School?s newspaper and a reporter/anchor on a News Magazine show that airs all across Miami called Teens Connected. I'm also the announcer for all my school's Varsity Baseball games. :cool :lol Sorry about the length. :whistle I just wanted to let some people know some of things I've done in the past and that I'm ready to write for this site. Go Marlins! Migs, whats your name friend? I have been a writer for FinHeaven off and on since 2000.

I'd like to see something get done soon so this crap doesn't drag on for another two seasons.

Catch Us If You Can is :hat

Nice site, but how are players evaluated? By 2003 numbers, or upside?

According to this morning's Herald, Bernie Kosar is being considered as a possible candidate to replace Dan Marino... Thoughts?

Sure there were adults. And lots of them. From what Flamarlins.com says there were 30,000 in attendance today at FanFest, but what I saw and what gave me hope for the future of this franchise was wave after wave of kids, their parents being dragged along from booth to booth, from the batting cages to the wiffleball stadium to the pitching station, to the autograph lines, kids everywhere. This is great news for the Florida Marlins and reinforces why the Marlins say they have to have a domed stadium. Families were everywhere today and families will be the backbone of increased attendance for our Fish. I say this is great news! Kids with their Marlins t-shirts and hats, kids with their gloves, kids talking about players like they grew up on baseball. When I was one (more than a half century ago, OMG am I really that old?) we lived for baseball. As good as the New York football Giants were (there was no AFL back then), football really existed as something to watch when there was no baseball. We lived for Ted Williams and Jackie Jensen and Jimmy Piersall and Sammy White, and Curt Gowdy on the radio (you guessed it I grew in New England) and the day the ground was finally thawed enough that we could get out our cleats and oil up our gloves and start playing ball was the best day of the year. And that includes Christmas. I sensed today something I never thought I'd see in South Florida. Kids celebrating baseball. All of you who throw around the term bandwagon jumpers are missing the point. Baseball is back. Bigtime. Last summer was the emancipation of millions of fans in South Florida. Finally, young and old alike rose up and shed the yoke of embarrassment that Marlins fans have had bear since you know who sold off the '98 Marlins. No more were fans looked at as kooks if they wore a Marlins cap in public. People didn't look down their collective noses at you when you proclaimed your love of the game above football. Last summer was a turning point, not because of the world series, but because Marlins fans finally stood up to be counted. PPS (or hopefully a new stadium they'll call home) may never be the same. Thanks to Jeffrey and Admin and David and Jack and 25 guys working together this tide cannot and will not be stemmed. Today proved it. But it was the kids that made this memorable. A year ago it was all crusty baseball diehards (like myself I admit), transplanted from accross America who made up the crowds at FanFest, this year it was the kids. A new generation of baseball fans were born, who will carry with them into adulthood love of the game and love of all things Marlin. These kids will lead us to the promised land. Baseball is a game you don't have to be 6'7" or 300lbs to play and these kids know it. So I say hooray for the kids. Hooray for Baseball. Hooray for the Florida Marlins. What a great post Marlins2003! Hopefully, this showing is a wake-up call to the City of Miami and South Florida in general, that there IS a market for Major League Baseball, and a much deserved new stadium is put in place.

:confused I just went through some of these assassanine ratings in full and I'm even more baffled at some of them.. For example, how in God's Holy Name is Cabrera ranked lower than the unemployed Raul Mondesi??? Also, Schmidt ahead of Halladay is a bit of a stretch as well IMO.

aside from scott rolen....what third baseman could be higher ranked than lowell? glaus i presume? if it is glaus he is far too inconsistent. its widely known that rolen and lowell are the cream of the crop in terms of third basemen in this league. MLB has Eric Chavez ranked as the #1 3rd Baseman, followed by Rolen, Lowell, Hank Blalock, Aramis Ramirez, Glaus, Morgan Ensberg, Bill Mueller (wtf? Could these guys blow Boston any more??), Shea Hillenbrand and Corey Koskie.

Can I please be a part of the Mock Draft?

Willis, Conine and Lowell

I heard Pudge was not a fav. of the pitchers. Is there validity to that statement? Any thoughts on if he'll have a big impact on the team now that he is not with them whether positively or negatively? Pudge's veteran leadership skills will be missed, make no mistake about it. He brought a presence to the lockerroom that really sparked the run towards the World Series. Unfortunately, at 33-years old in a catchers position that seemingly becomes more and more obscure by the season, 10 million bucks is a bit much to expect.