mva5580

The apologists are hilarious. But of course, that's a sports fan for you. It's perfectly fine when it's your team, but when it's someone else's, it's ridiculous. Keep living in denial though. Provides a good laugh for the rational people.

No one on this thread is going to give a crap about my personal favorite team, but I'll say it anyway. If this franchise trades Dontrelle Willis, I am DONE. I will find another team to follow. It's hard enough to deal with all the great talent that's traded away every year, and now we'd have to deal with trading not only a great pitcher, but one of the absolute nicest guys in all of sports? The man has a face that will be pushed by MLB for the next 10 years. His attitude is totally unmatched when it comes to class and just acting like a true ballplayer and someone that is just truly loving what he does each and every day. I don't care what the offer is or how much money this guy might make soon, you DO NOT TRADE someone like Dontrelle Willis. He is a one of a kind athlete that you can totally build a team and fan base around. Like I said. No one will care, and that's fine. But if they trade him, I'm gone. Because it would say a lot more about this ownership than just saving money.

I understand that pretty much every MLB team loses big stars from year to year, but look at this: C Ivan Rodriguez 1B Derek Lee 2B Luis Castillo SS Edgar Renteria 3B Miguel Cabrera* LF Cliff Floyd CF Juan Pierre RF Gary Sheffield SP Josh Beckett SP AJ Burnett SP Dontrelle Willis* SP Matt Clement RP Todd Jones RP Armando Benitez Also..... C Paul Loduca C Charles Johnson 1B Carlos Delgado SS Alex Gonzalez 3B Mike Lowell OF Jeff Conine P Brad Penny And probably more that I'm forgetting just off the top of my head. Kind of sad.

Hey I'm a Marlins fan, it's not like I'm trying to bad talk the team or anything. I'm just saying that 3-8 is nothing to really be optimistic about with a bunch of rookies on the team. The future is bright (assuming these guys stay, of course,) but this is gonna be a long year record-wise. Let's just watch the development of young players and forget about W's and L's this year.

3-8 calculated through the entire season roughly measures out to 42-120. Just so you know.

While I do think the guy's an idiot (hell 99% of "journalists" are,) these statements are quite depressing: "The Marlins are left with a payroll of about $14.3 million, by far the lowest in the league, less than the salary paid five individual Yankees. Fourteen of their players make the league minimum of $327,000." "Willis earns about $4.35 million, nearly a third of the team's total" We can be appreciative all we want of the efforts these young kids are giving, but victories just aren't going to happen a whole lot this year. I'm scared to even see some of the home attendance numbers that are going to come up this year.

You people and your mis-guided "hate" really starts to wear thin after a little while on people who think straight. Maybe you should be "hating" everyone in South Florida that only decides to show up to Marlins games when they're in the post season and none of this talk would be happening. I'm not saying that you're one of those people, but you need to start living in the real world and understand that Bud Selig, Samson, and MLB themselves would absolutely LOVE for the Marlins to stay in Florida. You think they want to lose that market and the fact that this team has won 2 world championships? How bad do you think that looks? The Expos had zero history, them moving really didn't do much in the big scheme of things. But the Marlins actually have some sort of history they've developed by winning championships, and peole who are in the decision making positions do not want this to happen. But what the hell can you expect them to do? If people aren't showing up to the games, you can't pay the bills. And if you can't pay the bills, it's time to make a change. Understand that, have some common sense, and don't put your hate where it doesn't belong. They wouldn't be taking the team away from Florida if Florida deserved the team. If this franchise could average even 25,000 fans per game, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

It's amazing to me how many of you just want to laugh at this and think there's no chance of it happening. WHAT TEAM HAVE YOU BEEN ROOTING FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS???!!!! I'm a Marlins fan and I'm BEGGING any of you to name me 1, ONE PLAYER that this franchise has ever shown any kind of long term commitment to. Everyone with any kind of value either ends up getting traded in the middle of a contract or let go because they can't afford him. EVERYONE. And now you're all trying to laugh at any kind of rumor that Cabrera or Willis might be traded? You're blind. Flat out BLIND. I'm not saying it's gonna 100% happen or anything, but for some of you people to just laugh it off, think there's no way it's gonna happen, you're crazy. These aren't the first 2 "franchise" type players to come through this organization. If these guys get dealt in the next year or two, not one person here should be surprised.

Villone to the Commissioner's Office for new bases LoDuca to Pizza Hut for a year's supply of Pizza Pierre to Delta Airlines for 2 plane tickets to Vegas so Loria and Samson can go out there to check out the land.

I say good for you David Samson. Now get that team the hell out of Florida ASAP so the REAL rebuilding can begin.

Just figured I'd give this a bump for all the people in the thread who replied and called me crazy, an idiot, not a true fan, whatever. What do you think now? Call me anything you want, but make sure you include REALISTIC. Congrats! Now you get to tell us all "I TOLD YOU SO!!!". Happy now? Yeah, I'm really "Happy" that the team I've loved since I was 13 falls apart every year or two. I'm "Happy" that no one shows up to games, forcing this talk to begin with. I'm "Happy" that we've won 2 championships in 12 years of existence, yet the only real major talk this franchise gets is about relocation and/or who's going to be traded next. It's not my fault that half the people here choose to look at things through rose colored glasses and think that everything will be ok, no matter how many big name stars are traded away for TOTALLY MLB unproven prospects. You're the ones who continue to justify everything that happens, not me. Accept reality. Either prepare to root for the team no matter where they end up moving, or give up on it and find another team to attach on to. But don't sit there and continue to think that things are just gonna be warm days and sunny rays for this franchise in South Florida. Think realistically, and the "I told you so"'s won't be necessary.

Just figured I'd give this a bump for all the people in the thread who replied and called me crazy, an idiot, not a true fan, whatever. What do you think now? Call me anything you want, but make sure you include REALISTIC.

Yep that's a great idea the petition can be passed around at home games to all the fans who attend! Oh wait............

Just trade them all away, what does it freaking matter anymore? No one can become a good player and stay with this franchise for more than 3 years. And I'm sorry, but if you're Miguel Cabrera or Dontrelle Willis, why on EARTH would you want to sign a long term deal with this franchise? They think by doing all this they can secure contracts with these 2 guys, but why in the hell would they want to stay involved in this stuff every year? I won't be a bit surprised if Cabrera doesn't sign a contract. And the only reason I think Dontrelle will end up signing is because he's such a good kid. But everyone has their breaking point.

Funny. I actually am a die hard Marlins fan, and have been since the team was started. Trust me I remember Orestes Destrade playing first base and Bryan Harvey being the closer. So have whatever opinion you want, I could care less. And I guess it's not possible to be a die hard fan of the team and honest at the same time? I guess being "die hard" also equals "blind faith." Live in whichever world you want to, I choose to live in reality. It's hard for me to be optimistic about the future of my team when they're trying to trade 95% of the players and play at home to a half full stadium. Don't be afraid of reality.

This team is as good as GONE from the state of Florida. Now all of you Floridians can flame away at me all you want, but the quicker you accept reality makes it easier for you to move ahead. And don't come in here and accuse me of not being a Marlins fan because I've been one since day one of this franchise. You can come in here and try to fish up (no pun intended) all the reasons you want that this team could stay in Florida, but it's pretty obvious it's just not gonna happen. There's no support for a new stadium, the fans down there don't give a s#@! until the team is in a playoff game, and oh by the way EVERY SINGLE PLAYER ON THE TEAM IS ON THE TRADING BLOCK. Do you see other franchises work this way? Look at it. Delgado, Conine, Lowell, Pierre, A-Gon, LoDuca, Enc, Jones, Burnett, Moehler, Valdez, etc. There is a very realistic possibility that EVERY single player listed there will not be back with the team next year. It's a 65 million dollar payroll and Loria wants to CUT IT?! Why do you think that is? Because there is ZERO reason to increase payroll when he damn well knows that no one is gonna go to the games no matter who's out on the field. The Marlins had one of the most talented teams in all of baseball last year with some of the most exciting players to watch and still they don't draw jack at the home games. Would you like to be a fly on the wall when Loria is talking with Beinfest about the payroll plan of this team? Can you imagine the "kind" words they exchange about the "fans" of the state of Florida? And don't come back with that crap about "I'm a great fan, I've got season tickets." Well good job! That makes you what, 1 out of 20 people? Takes a little more than you and some of your internet message board buddies to keep a team a float. To the realists on the board, I apologize for the rant because you know how this is all going to end. But for you blind faith people who actually believe this team still has a future in the state of Florida, WAKE UP. Go enjoy the team while you still can because they won't be there in 3 years. Count on it. Now go ahead, flame away. But remember this post when the team name isn't Marlins anymore.

God lighten up. For a team that doesn't draw jack crap at home games there sure are a lot of people who flip out at absolutely everything here. RELAX.

Tough one! lol

Firefox user here, site looks ok to me. Only problem on the site I see is the score from last night's game

I know I know, one start does not make or break anyone. But AJ had a BIG TIME chance tonight to show his free agent suitors how he could perform in a big game situation going up against the likely Cy Young winner for this year. And he laid an egg. Not the best stage to do that on. Yes this will all be meaningless if the fish happen to make the playoffs and AJ shines in the post season. But tonight could've really been a showcase game for him, and he let it go.

NICE Jack

Right now, I don't know. I mean ON PAPER, the Marlins have an absolutely terrific team and have just as good of a chance to win this thing, if not better, than any of the teams in it. Except for the bullpen of course. But I would honestly take the Marlins everyday lineup over any of the teams in the running for the wildcard. And the starting pitching is right there with the Astros, if not better 1-5. It's just amazing how many teams are still right there in the running. Astros, Phillies, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, every single one of those teams has a great chance. And it's even more amazing that in September, ALL of these teams will be playing each other due to the whole NL East being in it and the fish having that big series with the Astros. Talk about survival. For the Marlins, I've gotta think it's all about the bullpen. Come crunch time, the rest of the team will show up. We know that. Willis, Beckett, Burnett, the lineup, these guys will come through in the next month and a half. But that bullpen HAS to hold leads, and keep the team in the games when the starter can't go long innings. Villone, Alfonseca, Mota, Jones, these guys have to step up big time. I know, it's a lot of pointless banter. But it's coming right down to it and I felt like posting to get the feel of the board. Going to be a hell of a race, that's for sure. I just hope we're on top at the end of it

AJ is absolutely 100% correct and it was GREAT to read those comments from the Marlins players. The attendance/support for the Marlins down there is an absolute joke. 2 championships in 13 years of existence, right in a pennant race this year, and the fans don't even care. It's amazing the things I can hear when I'm watching a marlins game on TV or on MLB.com because there are so few people in the stands. It's funny how a few people on this board thinks that AJ is out of line when he is CLEARLY observing the majority of the people in florida, instead of the minority of people who do choose to come to the games and post on sites like this. You can defend YOUR personal position on the situation all you want, but the facts are there. Miami can't support an MLB franchise much longer if this is the way it's gonna be. I love the team, heck they've been the only favorite MLB team I've ever had. And it would suck if I had to root for the team under a different name. But Miami doesn't deserve a team with 2 WS Titles in the last 8 years. Look at these names: Pierre, Castillo & A-Gon, Cabrera, Wills, Beckett, AJ, Delgado, LoDuca. Look at the talent on this team that is worthy of being seen perform every night. And still that place draws squat in the middle of a pennant race, weekend or not. If it's gonna continue to be this way, I hope they move. Most of the "fans" of the team don't deserve the success they've had.

When I went out to Carolina to visit my friend in the Marines, we decided to go check out a Mudcats game. Great little minor league stadium and a terrific atmosphere. Got to see Stokes and Willingham when we were there, it was a really cool experience. They had JP/Dontrelle Mudcats bobbleheads

after lead off HR. *sigh*.....