Big_Rob

Let's cut him open and replace all those ligaments with baboon ligaments. Then he'll throw like 243mph.

What's with people liking Willingham for ROY? The guy plays left field like my grandfather.

Good stuff. I haven't paid any attention to the Marlins' minor leaguers or drafts, since my Marlins draw was sent over by the Cubs last December, so pardon my idiocy... Do we have any young guys to be excited about, i.e. guys at Low A or Rookie ball? Position players are lacking it seems.

September 20, 2006 The Ledger Domain Are the Marlins the Biggest Overachievers of All Time? by Maury Brown Printer- friendly Contact Author There's always a reason games aren't played on paper. For one, it would make for pretty boring television. But to my way of thinking, perhaps the biggest reason may be that it keeps those of us who chronicle and analyze the games on our toes. While the Tigers have garnered a lot of attention this season due to their quick turnaround, you have to be fascinated with the Florida Marlins. Anibal Sanchez's no-hitter on September 6th certainly brought more attention to the club, but long before that, one had to look at the standings, the make-up of the team, and that Opening Day player payroll figure that was just under $15 million and say, "I never saw this coming." This isn't just a case of the people at BP or ESPN missing on their analysis as the season began. Short of Nostradamus or the diehard delusional Marlin fan I dare say few saw this type of performance by the Marlins coming. Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel contacted me for a column he was writing and asked where the Marlins stood as far as the size of their payroll, and what would happen if they made the payoffs. I said that I hadn't looked yet at total team payroll figures, but I was pretty sure that there had never been a case of a club with a lower payroll in comparison to the highest that had ever done so much with so little. As I said to Mike, "If the Marlins make the playoffs, it's the biggest story in baseball." So, after the call, I went looking at player payrolls, which I have back to 1976. I wasn't going to be able to look at, say, some of Connie Mack's clubs, but given prior research, payroll disparity has grown during this time, not decreased. To place this in perspective, consider the following: 53 of the 59 players who showed up for the Marlins Spring Training camp this season had played at least part of last season in the minors. The Marlins dropped their Opening Day payroll $45,410,334, from $60,408,834 in 2005 to $14,998,500 in 2006; that's a 75.17% drop. The Yankees' Opening Day payroll of $194,663,079 was 1298% higher than the player payroll for Marlins on Opening Day. The last time the Marlins had an Open Day payroll close to this low was 1999, when it was $14,650,000. The Devil Rays had the second-lowest Opening Day payroll at the start of this season at $35,417,967, which is still 236% higher than the Fish. Since 1976, there has only been one season that came close to this disparity: 1982, when the league-leading Angels had a payroll of $10,917,284, and the Twins had the lowest payroll of $947,380, which made the Angels' payroll 1152% higher than the Twins'. The Twins finished with an abysmal record of 60-102 (.370), while the California Angels won the old AL West and finished with the third-best regular season record in the league at 93-69 (.574). But have the Marlins really been the biggest overachievers of all-time, or at least the last 30 years? The answer appears to be yes. Using the BP Postseason Odds Report, and applying Doug Pappas' Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins, we can see how much bang for the buck the Marlins are getting by comparison to the Yankees. .........................Opening Day ..Marginal ....Marginal ...Cost per Club ....Proj.-W ..Proj.-L..Payroll ....Payroll .....Wins ....Maginal Win --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yankees .98.4 ...63.6 .$194,663,079 .$185,180,079 ..49.8 ...$3,718,475.48 Marlins ...79.8 ....82.2 ..$14,998,500 ...$5,515,500 ..31.2 .....$176,778.85 In other words, the Yankees are spending 2003% more per marginal win than the Marlins, or more than 20 times more per Marginal Win. The Yankees will say it's worth it if they get into the postseason and win it all, and in the New York market with the revenues that go with it, it may be that it's hard to argue that matter. Still, the question that could be asked is, "Are the Marlins the new Moneyball club?" Well? As the season starts to come to a close, it seems that barring a late charge by the Marlins, they will miss the post-season. As of this morning, they have less than a 1% chance of making it. Nevertheless, one has to tip your hat to GM Admin Beinfest and to Joe Girardi, who easily gets my nod for NL Manager of the Year. Beyond the off-field staff in the Marlins organization, it is the players that we should marvel at. Clearly, they are the ones that deserve to be applauded the most for achieving so much at such high levels so quickly. The larger question may be, "Will this become a trend?" I doubt it. It seems that there is a better than good chance that the total percentage of net local revenue will get bumped up from 34% in the next CBA, which means that clubs should be spending more given the increased revenue sharing. Certainly Ted Rogers and the Blue Jays have said they will in 2007, and others will most likely do the same. Will the Marlins increase player payroll? Will they see if they spend a bit more they have a chance to make the post season? Maybe. What if--and this is a big if-?a payroll floor were instituted in MLB? It is no secret that both the MLBPA and some of the higher-revenue owners have been concerned about the poorer owners pocketing revenue-sharing dollars, as opposed to using them on their player payrolls. A floor would be one method of forcing clubs to not field an entire roster that was made up of low-cost players. The flip side to the salary floor is that it's halfway to a ceiling. Management has tried to get a salary floor negotiated in the past, but the union has seen it as unfavorable. If one were instituted, it could well be that this Marlins team would be the all-time overachievers. It's something to ponder this offseason as a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is hammered out. Until then, here's to hoping that those that can watch the Marlins--on television, the internet, in person, or otherwise--do so. They are simply amazing, whether they make the playoffs or not. Maury Brown is an author of Baseball Prospectus.

Five bucks. I want Loria to give me five bucks. Then I'll like him. Until I spend the five bucks, at least.

it wasn't that bad...basically a .500 year. Not incredibly different from a lot of this year if I remember. But then we know what he did the next year. You lost me... I have no idea what you mean.

I hate Jeter. Not because I think he sucks, but because he bangs hot ass chicks. This is my 100th post. I'm lame.

I'm scared of the managerial turnover situation. It will influence the club dramatically.

I heard another rumor, Dontrelle and Hanley to the Dodgers for Darren Dreifort and Eric Gagne. you're kidding ,right? Uh, yeah. Darren Dreifort made $13.4 million in 2005 and didn't make a single pitch, Gagne made $10 million this year and pitched something like 15 innings (he's got a club option for $12 million for 2007, LMAO). It was a joke. Two young budding superstars for two of the biggest post contract busts in history. A joke.

Did you guys see that episode of "South Park" where Cartman gets a phonics monkey? That was tits.

Garcia? A 4.06 ERA in the Minors last year, mostly in low-A or Rookie league. One start above the AA level, this year, and he got hammered. You want to start this guy in a key game in September? Please tell me you're kidding. We should face the fact that we're not making the playoffs and start having auditions for next year every fifth day.

I heard another rumor, Dontrelle and Hanley to the Dodgers for Darren Dreifort and Eric Gagne.

Jeffrey Loria. If assclown Loria thinks he knows so much about the game, let him try to really run the show.

mlb.com Nolasco faces Hamels in series opener Florida (76-77) at Philadelphia (79-73), 7:05 p.m. ET By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com Pitching matchup FLA: RHP Ricky Nolasco (11-9, 4.56) Questions regarding Nolasco's right leg were quickly answered in the rookie's last start. Recovering from a sore muscle behind his right knee, the 23-year-old stud tossed six strong innings at Atlanta, throwing 93 pitches and allowing one run on a lucky shot by that loser Jeff Francouer. It was Nolasco's first start since Aug. 30 at St. Louis. The right-hander was not involved in the decision at Atlanta, and tonight he will get his first win since Aug. 13 at Arizona. I, Joe Frisaro, want to make sweet love to Ricky Nolasco. PHI: LHP Cole Hamels (8-8, 4.21) Hamels, a rookie left-hander, bedazzled the Astros for the second time in two weeks on Saturday with 7 2/3 solid innings and only two runs allowed. Actually, he soiled himself after 6 2/3 frames of that game, surrendered just three hits and struck out 11 batters. Player to watch Howard had done a great deal of damage to the Marlins all season. In 12 games, he has eight home runs and 15 RBIs. He's also walked 16 times. At Citizens Bank Park, Howard is 9-for-19 (.474) with five homers and nine RBIs against Florida. Scott Olsen said "he hits like a girl, I was trying to help him out that last game. Ryan Howard loves little boys and draws unicorns in his locker pre-game." Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Wow, Frisaro's getting wierd these days. I can't believe what Olsen said either. That's just odd.

What's with the "*ding*" ? *Ding* LMAO

I prefer stability on the field, with a manager who makes moves that help his teams chances of winning, rather than stability with the fans who don't show up and the idiots in the media. To the baseball world, Girardi is a HUGE part of our success, and that impression translates to the players. Think about it... Just wait until next year when the Marlins are legitimate contenders from the start under a new manager. Dream on. We'll have a "manager" who won't get in the way of the team's "We can't compete like this. Get the taxpayers to pay for a stadium or we'll move" strategy. We'll still have by far the lowest payroll in MLB, we'll be hoping our rookies don't have a sophomore slump, and our young pitchers keep pitching over their heads, and our even worse bullpen doesn't blow every lead. You can keep hoping for another "miracle" year, only because you have no idea how instrumental Girardi was to our success. But the baseball world knows. Inside baseball, he is a god for what he has helped these guys achieve. Look for 90+ losses next year, and a smiling FO as they pursue their "we can't compete unless the taxpayers build us a stadium: see how lousy or team is now" strategy. Putting us back on the "Major League" script, huh?

We should invade their forums. Seriously, I wanna start some $h!t. Let's get in their heads.

I wonder if they're bringing back that nasty lineup from last night?

Amezaga CF Ramirez SS Helms 1B Uggla 2B Cabrera 3B Aguila RF Willingham LF Hoover C Willis Nolasco Johnson Olsen Mitre CL: Moehler Borowski Resop Messenger Tank Petit Pinto Are you Paul Hoover? Seriously, you're busted man.

Lock Cabrera up now. Won't happen though, I see a 3 year deal as the max for either side. I don't see Willis doing a long term deal this year, because of the relative slip in his performance. The long term deal he'd be offered this year wouldn't be a fair deal for him IMO. He understands that, his agent understands that and the lowballing ownership understands that. 1 year deal for $3.5 mil

I didn't think he'd make it through the season. Guy is done.

C: Olivo 1B: Jacobs 2B: Uggla 3B: Cabrera SS: Hanley LF: Alfonso Soriano :lol CF: Gary Matthews Jr. :lol RF: Mike Cameron :lol SP's: Willis, Nolasco, Johnson, Olsen, Sanchez Like that'll happen. That would be a sick lineup with payroll still around $50 million.

Do you guys have an in with the media or the GM? Trade Nolasco for that Chris Young guy that everybody wants to get from Arizona. I'd much rather go to games in Phoenix than crap Dolphins Stadium.

This article looks like a big positive in my book. No matter who wins the lawsuit (that will be Silver in my mind, I still think Straub's legal standing is a joke, it's a he said/she said regarding whether they told MLB the sale terms and he's not going to win that unless Silver has a brain-dead attorney), both parties are interested in working with MLB and don't seem interested in squeezing MLB out of every last dollar (which makes sense, given how much a next door stadium does for their property). So either way downtown Miami is looking hotter and hotter. Keep the good news coming! From what I caught in that article, Silver is a lawyer himself, so he's not going to leave himself open like that. I hope all this stuff gets wrapped up sometime soon.

WC hopes are done, give him some rest.