cornfield

Hanley should absolutely bat lead off. What good batting third when there is no one on base? The lead off hitter gets the most at bats, and Hanley is the one you want to get the most opportunities.

I like the idea of Maybin batting behind the pitcher, in the nine spot. That ensures that there will be a better hitter in the eight spot.

Well, I agree that Bonafacio needs to be replaced at third, but the Marlins have a second baseman that needs a trip to AAA too. Uggla has been putrid ... and this about a guy who normally starts hot and then plods to the finish line. I would bring a bunch of minor leaguers up, including the outfielder Ryan, who is hitting .358 to replace Maybin. I just don't see anything good about Maybin, Bonafacio, or Uggla right now. Adios.

Alfredo can play shortstop in the American League, where the DH can hit for him instead of the pitcher.

Taylor= 84 mph fastball and otherwise kindly stuff. It's a miracle that even a single batter can be retired. Badenhop= the most hittable stuff imaginable Penn= super straight fastball and typically hanging curve You just can't parade guys like these to the mound and have even a glimmer of hope. Incredible defensive plays can keep you hanging in there for a few innings, but ... There are a few guys in the minors with more promising stuff ... better K/BB ratios and such ... and I hope to see them soon. The aforementioned are just not big league pitchers.

If your managing guidebook says Nunez in the 8th and Lindstrom in the 9th and you are going to follow that to the letter, guess what? The Marlins don't need you. Just hang the guideline on the wall and the players can follow it. Don't need you to observe the game and make decisions at all, because you've made them in advance, oblivious to circumstances. I don't blame Lindstrom for the loss. I know he doesn't have much control, which is of course essential to a closer. I wouldn't have him as the team closer tonight or any other night ... not when there are options like Nunez ... who has a better arsenal of pitches. After watching Lindstrom miss three ball pitches to batters by a couple of feet, a couple of times, I'd seen way more than enough to know that the Marlins win would be in jeopardy if you left Lindstrom out there. In fact, I'd venture to say that everyone watching that game knew the Marlins were in trouble if you left Lindstrom out there. You flushed a nice win down the drain. You ensured that there will be fewer fans in the seats the next couple of nights. And I can't even imagine an excuse to help you out.

I'm calling on Sean West because he's the only starter in the system that is getting people out. Badenhop will get humiliated when the Marlins shove him out on the mound.

you'd like to see Penn start??? Youch. The one thing you can say about Penn in his few appearances from the Marlins pen is that opposing hitters love to face him. It seems every swing results in a solid line drive. In his very few innings he has been fortunate enough to get some long fly ball outs, but he throws nothing but batting practice.

Well, Stanton is hitting over 400 at Jupiter and Maybin isn't hitting at all in Miami. Sure, Stanton is young, but I would be delighted to see a Hermida, Ross and Stanton outfield for the rest of this season.

When will Bonifacio be joining the Zephyrs? I'm guessing by the end of the month ... mid May at the latest.

If there is something endearing about listening to the Marlins broadcast team, it's that it feels like a small town high school broadcast. As far as comparative quality (to other major league broadcasts), they are truly bush league.

For me, despite the great record, its been how disappointing the starting pitching has been. That was the top source of optimism coming in, and what are we looking at? Number one Nolasco has failed to have even one good start in three tries and is showing no progress. Johnson was outstanding twice before being thrashed last time out. Which Johnson shows up next time? Volstad certainly looked mediocre yesterday. Sanchez has won some games but is surrendering lots of hits and walks. And finally, there is no reason to like the Marlins' chances if Miller takes the mound right now. I'm delighted with the record, delighted that Hermida and Ross are popping the ball, amazed that the bullpen has fared so well ... esp. given the lack of strikeouts ... but the medicority of the starting pitching will send things going in the other direction if it doesn't improve.

The Rise of Emilio Bonifacio and the Fall of Emilio Bonifacio ... all in less than two weeks.

I'd love to see Carrol start playing half-time in center for Maybin and Gload in the lineup half-time for Bonafacio, with Cantu moving over to third. Checked the minors for hot bats in the outfield, saw none except a Lorenzo Scott in Jacksonville, and I don't know a thing about him. Thing that has bothered me about Bonifacio and Maybin so far is that for blazing fast guys, they sure don't run. Since the first couple of games, Bonifacio hasn't attempted to run. Maybin doesn't run at all. I just see no reason to let the 0'fers stretch out to far with those young guys. Also, looking at the minors, there are some good starting pitching jobs being accomplished in Double A.

I always figure when you hit a homerun, you have a pretty good game. On Sunday, Hanley homered to left ...but one foot foul. Last night, he ran Franceour into the right field wall in his first at bat. Close to homers in his last two games. Problem for Hanley (and Uggla and Ross for that matter), is that they take too many beautiful fastballs for strike one and end up fanning at sliders in the dirt outside. Those hitters in particular need to be swinging at the first pitch.

Even talking about a "top three", when Sanchez looks just as good as any of them so far, is blasphemy. And I am hoping to think in "fives" after Miller pitches on Thursday. At some point this season, it is going to click for Miller and he's going to be simply great.

How can even the biggest Marlin homers be touting JJ for a Cy Young after just witnessing the brilliance of Santana? I don't care which team won ... Santana was much better.

I agree with the comment that if the starters can't give us 7 innings each night we're in trouble anyway. Nolasco is making me nervous right now. Miller can't throw strikes. Those are my two biggest concerns right now. With good starting pitching on a regular basis, Nunez and Calero can get us by in the pen. Oh, yeah, Lindstrom worries me too.

You are referring to the discussion of whether Maybin or Bonifacio should be leading off?

I don't recall bitterness about the trade with Washington. I think all Marlins fans knew that Olson was terrible and that Willingham was okay, but not someone we wanted playing left field every day. I would have targeted the righthander Martis as the player I wanted from the Nationals in return.

It's a shame that Lindstrom wasn't unavailable on Friday night. Personally, and I said so to myself at the time, I would have left Nunez in the game to pitch the ninth. Period. This Marlin bullpen is outrageously bad.

If Cantu were at the bag, the Marlins get the double play. It was a great throw. I think Cantu should have been at the bag.

Agree. If the play is normally made and the player fails to make it, an error should be charged. The fact that Bonicfacio wasn't paying attention on that pitch and almost got hit in the face does not excuse him. For that matter, I can never understand why hits are granted on routine fly balls that are "lost" in the sun. It's the fielder's job to find it ... error.

Emilio Mendoza

I can think of nothing more wholesome than fondling a Marlin bill ... esp. Freddie's. She'll do it with a baseball bat next and you'll take offense at even that!