dolfinfan305

Who is this guy Gall? I cant find anything on the guy. I also cant find anything about the trade. Can you provide a link please.

I just added a comment on this board and when i came back it was not there. I said "Should be a good one tonight with the Montreal Marlins vs the Florida Expos =) " - i was being sarcastic since our organization has so much in common with the Expos. Not a reason to take off a comment. Remember we are in America not Cuba. Free Speech Baby!!!

I checked out MLB.TV yesterday and the game was on their schedule so the game most likely is on PAX tonight, The Expos rarely shows TV games from what i've heard.

One more thing, do you guys know what the max capacity of the Lower deck is for weekday games?

I've only gone to games in the weekend in the past and i've always seen "some" people at least in the upper deck. So i was suprised when i saw it since i hadnt gone to any weekday games.

I was in shock when i did not see a single soul in the upper deck. Is this something the Marlins usually do?

Choi hit a liner down the 1st base line that would've been an extra base hit for sure if the 1st baseman werent hugging the line.

The whole upper deck was empty...i was amazed on how empty it was for the 2nd game this season...Do the Marlins only the upper deck for games that they anticipate a large crowd?

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/fla/images/...41004_68x61.jpg What do you guys think? Do you think it will be made fom plastic or some type of metal?

Just bought tickets at the Marlins En Miami store - that place was bustling. I could not fins a space to park. I would've been happy to see it from the comfort of my own home but after the Marlins late game heroics of last year i dont wont to miss any of the "suspense".

Doesnt Fat Hank have an e-mail at WQAM. We can send him a virus attached. Anybody here want the job =)

Someone said this on the radio. Raise taxes on alcohol & cigarettes - thats how Cleveland rasied money for the ballpark and finished paying it off in a couple of years

I just checked DirecTV's listings for FSN and PAX tonight and theres no listing. Also, i checked out MLB.TV Florida Marlins section for tonights game and it shows "No TV".

Look what the Cubbie fans have succumbed too after just one game. LOL http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/mb/message.asp...g=84898.1&ctx=0 Some responses: I still see Choi having a great year. If Derreck looks as bad all season as he did against sub-par pitching like yesterday, we may have gotten the poor end of that deal. I heard he only had like 1 HR at Wrigley in like 60 ABs. Can someone look that up and verify? I'm happy for Choi. I hope he progresses well over the next three years. Who knows, we might just go back and get him after Lee's contract is up. Here are the indisputable facts on D.Lee: -Has 1 HR in 57 AB's at Wrigley in his career. This covers 18 games played there. -Has a .228 career average @ Wrigley. And before all you Cub fans wet your pants screaming "that's because he was facing Woodie, Calfzilla, and Zamby" keep in mind that in 77 AB's in Pro Player Stadium, Lee hit 5 HR's. Lee is a much better hitter outside of Wrigley (although he's not very good anywhere) and anyone that thinks he will hit 40 HR's this year just because he plays in Wrigley is living in la-la-land. Lee's final #'s for 2004: 21 HR 69 RBI .254 154 K's

Dont like it either...too feminine

I did see something strange. It was the word "DERREK" flashing on the smaller right hand scoreboard (the one part of the main scoreboard) above the 3rd base line. I was "I cant believe that this is happening". They need to fire the guy in charge of the board. Its ridiculous for something like that to happen.

The Heat are in Downtown Miami and they have been drawing well so i dont see why the Marlins stadium near the OB wont succeed. Its not the best site but whats most impt is that the Marlins stay and we can retain players in the future.

They are not showing PAX games on MLB Extra Innings?

Pitching nucleus makes Marlins tough to catch By Jim Salisbury Inquirer Staff Writer The Florida Marlins were baseball's best story in 2003. They made daring changes in personnel and management throughout the season until achieving the mix that allowed them to overtake the Phillies in the National League wild-card race. With the Phils in their dust, the Marlins rolled through the playoffs and won their second World Series in seven years. As if the Phils needed any reminder of their blown chance, they will be in Miami this coming weekend when the Marlins receive their World Series rings. It will be enough to make manager Admin Bowa stew. Bowa presides over the team many believe will win the NL East this season. Still, he remains wary of the Braves and the Marlins - and the Expos and the Mets, too. "The Braves have won 12 straight division titles," Bowa said. "And the Marlins are the defending World Series champions. If you don't respect them, you need to have your head examined." Reliever John Smoltz, the elder statesman of the Braves, agreed. "Top to bottom, the Marlins still have the hardest-throwing pitching staff in the division," he said. "They were the most intimidating team in baseball the last five weeks of last season, and it started with pitching. Now they have that much more experience. They'll be tough." That pitching staff, led by World Series MVP Josh Beckett, is the reason the Marlins will continue to be factors in the division, even after losing four key players from their title team - catcher Pudge Rodriguez, closer Ugueth Urbina, first baseman Derrek Lee, and outfielder Juan Encarnacion. Ramon Castro and Mike Redmond will catch. Volatile Armando Benitez is the new closer. Hee Seop Choi takes over at first base, and Miguel Cabrera and Jeff Conine will be in the outfield for a full season. "Everybody talks about how we're going to miss Pudge and Lee, but we've got Cabrera and Conine for a full year," manager Jack McKeon said. "We've got nine guys who are pretty solid in this lineup." Cabrera and Conine were two in-season additions made by general manager Admin Beinfest last year. Cabrera and lefty Dontrelle Willis, who became the NL rookie of the year, came up from double-A. Conine arrived in a July trade with Baltimore. Of course, the biggest change made by the 2003 Marlins came on May 11, when they fired manager Jeff Torborg and brought McKeon out of retirement at age 72. Everything came together under McKeon's easy touch. The Marlins went 75-49 under McKeon and had the majors' best record after May 23. They beat the Giants and the Cubs in the playoffs before conquering the Yankees in the World Series. McKeon puffed cigars and told jokes the whole way. But make no mistake, he knew what he was doing. "Guys just play for Jack," one American League executive said. "It's that simple." McKeon enjoyed a winter of celebrity, but now it's time to get down to business. He was pleased with the businesslike approach of his team in camp. The Marlins still have that hunger, and it starts at the top of the lineup, with the electric duo of Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo. Third baseman Mike Lowell is healthy after having suffered a broken hand late last season, and Cabrera looks like a superstar in the making after having hit .282 with eight homers and 48 RBIs in the second half last season. He homered four times in the postseason. Not bad for a guy who doesn't turn 21 until April 18. But the thing that makes the Marlins formidable again is their starting pitching. Teams hit just .145 against Beckett in the postseason, and he clinched the World Series title with a complete-game gem in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium - on three days' rest. After Beckett, the Marlins have Willis, Brad Penny and Carl Pavano. A.J. Burnett, who underwent elbow surgery, could be back in May. "This is a potentially great staff," McKeon said. "They haven't put it all together yet. But potentially, they could be the best staff in baseball in two years." They're not bad right now. And neither are the rest of the Marlins.

Howard's heavy heart By Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Monday, April 5, 2004 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Pitcher Ben Howard never will forget that day two years ago when baseball became secondary. Howard remembers that was the day he searched the Arizona desert brush before finding teammate Mike Darr lying dead. "It's something I never will forget," said Howard, who was acquired by the Marlins on Saturday and sent to Class AAA Albuquerque. "You have to go on. You have to do a job, that's what I'm being paid to do. But it was tough to do. I got through it eventually. I don't think I'll ever get over it." Howard, 25, has pitched parts of the past two seasons for the Padres but with a heavy heart. On Feb. 15, 2002, Howard was the lone survivor of a car crash that killed Darr, one of the team's top outfielders, and Duane Johnson, a childhood friend of Darr's. Howard, the only one wearing a seat belt in the sports utility vehicle, was asked Sunday whether he wonders why he was the lucky one. "I think about that all the time,'' he said. "You don't know. It's just one of those things. A point I try to get across now is wear your seat belt. It's not that hard to do, it takes two seconds." Darr veered into a median of dirt and gravel while driving northwest of Phoenix. He then over-corrected, returning to the freeway at a sharp angle before going into a roll. Darr died of "severe blunt force'' to the left side of his head. Darr, 25, and Johnson, 23, the front-seat passenger, were thrown from the vehicle. It was learned that Darr was legally intoxicated. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.11, which is 0.03 above Arizona's legal limit. Howard told police that all three men consumed "a couple of beers'' with dinner. Howard, who climbed out of the back seat uninjured, told police he wasn't sure how Darr lost control of the vehicle. He said he "looked and looked and looked" for Darr after climbing out of the car. He found him in the desert brush. "Sometimes I feel like he's looking down on me and helping me out," Howard said Sunday. When asked if he feels as if he's playing his career for Darr and Johnson, Howard said, "I think in a sense you could say that." Howard started the 2002 season with the Padres in Class AAA but was called up in April. He was 0-1 with a 9.28 ERA in three games before returning to the minors. Howard had six starts last season for the Padres as a late-season recall. He was 1-3 with a 3.63 ERA. "Just being around the guys helped the most," he said. "Being with them I kind of got my mind off of it and being around the field kind of helped me out the most." Howard, a right-hander, will pitch out of the Isotopes' bullpen. He has been told by Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal the middle relief spots remain wide open. Since Nate Bump, Tommy Phelps, Matt Perisho and Justin Wayne learned they would comprise the middle relievers, they have allowed 19 runs in 6 1/3 innings in games against the Mets on Saturday and Isotopes on Sunday. "I've been a starter my whole career (but) if that's the thing that will get me there the quickest, I'm all for it," Howard said. "(Rosenthal) said if everything works out and I throw the ball well, don't be surprised if I get a call."

Scouting Report: Ben Howard By Denis Savage Publisher MadFriars.com Date: Apr 3, 2004 On Saturday the Florida Marlins traded pitcher Blaine Neal to the San Diego Padres for right-handed pitching prospect Ben Howard. Padres Insider's own MadFriars.com publisher, Denis Savage offers Marlins fans a scouting report on their latest acquisition. Ben Howard Vital Stats: Position: Starting Pitcher DOB: April 6, 1978 Birth Place: Danville, Illinois Height: 6-2 Weight: 190 lbs. Bats: Right Throws: Right Drafted: Drafted by the Padres in the 2nd Round of the 1997 amateur draft. RHP Ben Howard's .243 opponent average at Triple-A was third among Pacific Coast League starters in 2003. Yet, Howard went 7-9 with a 4.55 ERA. Howard, a second-round pick in 1997, came off a catastrophic 2002 season in which he was the lone survivor of a spring car crash that killed two of his friends, including outfielder Mike Darr. He also injured his elbow that summer but made his major league debut. A fastball once clocked at 99 mph is down to the low 90s, but he has three plus pitches and has greatly improved his control after leading his league in walks in each of his first four seasons. For Howard, the problem has never been strikeouts, it has always been control. Coming into 2003, Howard amassed 610 career minor league punch-outs in 585 innings. However, in those same 585 innings, Howard walked 449 batters. This year, in 130.2 innings with Portland, Howard struck out only 68 while walking only 49. Obviously the walks-to-innings pitched ratio is vastly improved, but the decrease in strike outs was not an equal trade-off. Often when a pitcher?s numbers fall drastically there are injury concerns. Tye Waller, the Director of Player Development for the Padres, assured MadFriars.com that Ben was not injured in 2003. He said, ?Ben had a bit of rough delivery and that in smoothing out Ben?s delivery; he lost the over-powering effects of his pitches. For Ben to have success, he needed to be effectively wild.? Waller also noted that it was encouraging that Ben?s hits per innings pitched ratio remained below 1-to-1 (Ben allowed 118 hits in his 130.2 innings). Ben?s career hits allowed total now stand at 626; well below his 715 career minor league innings. The last question is how Howard will handle being sent back down to Minors. Many pitchers who make it to the big leagues and get sent down never make it back. The main issue for Howard in 2003 was the long ball. If he can limit the big hit, he will be fine. His ERA was actually better in the Majors than it was in the Minors last season. Howard is still learning how to pitch effectively after toning down his mechanics to improve his pitch location. He did lose speed off his fastball, but it could prove to be a huge win for him in the end. He is the top candidate to be pitching in the Bigs come 2005. http://marlins.theinsiders.com/2/248841.html

Marlins Minor League Camp Report Part 1 By Mark Doring Publisher Date: Apr 4, 2004 As part of a four part series Marlins Insider is going to give you an in depth report on what happened in the Florida Marlins affiliates training and exhibition season. Find out which prospects had hot springs, and which ones didn't. Marlins Insider gives you all of that plus updates on the top prospects in the organization. This first installment covers the Triple A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes. Marlins Insider is happy to bring to you a four part series covering our scouting trips to the Florida Marlins Prospect Camp held in Jupiter, Florida from March 1st through April 3rd 2004. The Marlins had almost 200 total prospects within their organization from each level attend the training facility for over a month of daily workouts and scrimmages. The Marlins have 6 total fields at their disposal for practice and training and each affiliate level (Triple A, Double A, High Single A, and Low Single A) is separated by team and they workout one team per field. So on four fields you have each team working out amongst themselves and you?ll usually see a specific position or small group working out on one of the other two fields. The last field is reserved for the major league club to do their practice work. The training schedule for the prospects is quite intense. First off, they train everyday, including Sundays, and are never given a day off. Their day begins at 8:30 am when they go out on the field for stretching and light jogging. At 9 am they begin fielding drills, breaking up into pitchers, infielders, and outfielders for their positional specific drills. At around 10:30 am they begin batting practice, where each day a specific group of usually 5 players go through a batting rotation starting out with bunting drills and then full swings. Most days they go through 2 group rotations so 10 hitters will get their batting practice each day. Batting practice will usually take to till noon when the teams will all go in to the clubhouse for an hour long lunch break. Then at 1 pm, the teams will come back out for a 9 inning scrimmage game. For their opponents, affiliates from other major league teams that train in the area will travel in by bus to the afternoon game. The three teams that the Marlins organization played against were the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliates, the St. Luis Cardinals affiliates, and the New York Mets affiliates. For the first part of our four part series, Marlins Insider will give you the scoop on the Triple A Florida Marlins affiliate. In each installment we will tell you who we felt were the Most Impressive Hitter and Most Impressive Pitcher for each affiliate. We will also go over a brief rundown of other prospects that caught our eye for both the good and the bad. Triple A Albuquerque Isotopes Most Impressive Hitter: OF Matt Padgett There were quite a few candidates who qualified for consideration for this distinction, but Padgett clearly separated himself from the crowd. Padgett led the Isotopes with 5 homeruns for the spring and was also an RBI machine. Matt had 5 RBI in one game alone against the Mets affiliate Norfolk Tides. Padgett is very impressive with his relentless hustle as well as his smooth swing. He seems to do all things well; hit, run, and field. All while obviously going 100% at all times. He split his time in the field playing both 1B and RF. At 27 years old, Padgett is beyond being called a ?prospect?, but the guy deserves a shot somewhere. There is no question in my mind that he can be a 4th OF somewhere in the major leagues. A strong showing in Triple A in 2004 will prove that. Notables OF Chip Ambres For the first time in several years Ambres entered the spring 100% healthy and it showed in his play. He started out this spring with the big club and went 2-4 with 1 RBI before being sent down for scrimmage season. This spring Chip showed the tools that made the Marlins make him a first round pick. He showed a nice speed and power combo and continued improved discipline at the plate. What was also very impressive is that he hit several homeruns to both straight away center and to the opposite field. In the past Ambres had a problem making consistent contact but that didn?t appear to be a problem this spring. Next to Padgett, Ambres was arguably the best hitter on the Isotopes team. With a strong season this year Chip may find himself as a late season call-up in 2004. OF Chris Aguila Aguila was the third part of the Isotopes 3 headed offensive monster this spring. Chris also started out this spring with a taste of the big leagues and he performed very well going 3-11 with 4 runs scored a 1 RBI. Another former first round pick Aguila was outstanding at the plate this spring as he hit for both power and average. Chris never tries to do too much with what he is given and has a good batting eye with consistent contact. If Aguila wants to be considered for a late-season call up he must work on improving his play in left field. 2B Josh Wilson Another player who started out with the big team this spring and was the subject of trade rumors which had him heading to the Chicago Cubs. In spite of the rumors, Wilson played very well in his time with the big club going 2-6 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. After his demotion to the prospect camp Josh continued his hot hitting for a few games but soon slowed down considerably. Perhaps it was injuries that slowed him down because even though he took part in drills in the morning sessions, he sat out most of the scrimmages over the last week and half. In the field, before his time out, Josh was extremely smooth in the field working well with SS Kevin Hooper in turning double plays. 3B Chris Ashby While Wilson started his spring very hot and then slowed down, Ashby started slow but by the time spring scrimmages concluded, there wasn?t a hotter bat in the lineup. Chris homered in 2 of the final 3 spring games and in one of those games hit for the elusive cycle. SS Kevin Hooper Hooper may be extremely slight of build but his fundamental approach to the game produces results. At the plate he does all the right things, hits behind runners, he is an excellent bunter. He has absolutely no power but he knows how to get the ball through the infield. Even though he has no power Hooper saved his best power performance of the spring in the last game of the exhibition season when he hit an inside the park grand slam homerun against the Norfolk Tides. In the field, Hooper may not be the quickest of players but he gets the job done. C Matt Treanor Treanor may have leap frogged several other Marlins catching prospects including Ryan Jorgensen and Patrick Alis with a phenomenal spring exhibition season. Matt got 14 game appearances with the big club getting 3 hits in 9 at bats including two doubles. He also scored 2 runs. When he went down to join the Isotopes, Treanor continued his impressive performances both in the field and in the batters box. Treanor?s only problem this spring is that his over-aggressiveness got him in trouble on the base paths a few times when he got caught trying to take an extra base. This might be attributed to extra hustle to impress the coaches. Word has it that McKeon has told Treanor that he should stay ready for a promotion because if either of the Marlins catchers go down to injury that he is at the top of the list to be called up. Two players that were late additions to the Isotopes roster as they were last minute roster cuts made the Marlins are SS/3B Derek Wathan who went 4 for 19 with 2 runs and 2 runs batted in and promising SS Wilson Valdez who went 12 for 44 with 4 runs scored and 4 runs batted in. Both players will be above average contributors to the Isotopes this season and both are high probabilities to be called up on the 40 man roster. Most Impressive Pitcher: Kevin Olsen Olsen, who has made a few short appearances with the Marlins easily had the most impressive spring of any Isotope pitcher. He started his spring season with 5 scoreless innings in 2 outings. He went on to pitch a total of 12 scrimmage innings giving up only 2 total runs. Olsen who will be turning 28 years old this season can no longer be considered a ?prospect? but he can be viewed upon as a player who could join the Marlins to provide some depth in either the rotation or the bullpen if injuries strike. Pitcher Cedrick Bowers Bowers may not have the stuff to be a major league starter but the lefty does have the stuff to be a quality middle reliever in the big leagues. He has very good control of both his curveball and fastball which he throws in the 86-89 range. During the exhibition season most outings Bowers pitched very well, although there was one very bad outing. He might be a year away from contributing to the big team as a middle man. Pitcher Mike Flannery Flannery started up with the big team and made 2 appearances with 2 innings pitched giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk. He struck out one batter. The move for Flannery might have been a bit premature as he probably needs a full season at Triple A even though he had tremendous success as the closer at Double A Carolina in 2003. When Flannery joined the Triple A squad he pitched extremely well throwing scoreless innings in most of his outings. He really only had 1 bad inning all spring with the Isotopes. Pitchers who were recent demotions back to Triple A who will have a significant impact are Kevin Cave, Aaron Small, and Franklyn Gracesqui. The Marlins Triple A affiliate finished their exhibition season with an 8-6 reco http://marlins.theinsiders.com/2/249044.html

I have a technical question. I recorded the game and it came out to 5.5 GB. Could someone recommend me a program to compress the video and not lose much quality? I have a program called DVD2one to compress but its only good if its already a DVD but still have the game as an mpeg file. Thanks.

Rotoworld says that the Marlins intend to use Howard as a reliever

From Baseball America: Marlins, Padres exchange live arms By Jim Callis April 3, 2004 The Marlins and Padres swapped a pair of young righthanders, both of whom have electric arms but haven't been able to establish themselves in the majors, on Saturday. Florida sent Blaine Neal to San Diego for Ben Howard. Once considered the Marlins' closer of the future, the 25-year-old Neal has gone 3-0, 5.01 in 54 games over parts of three big league seasons. His main weapon is a mid-90s fastball with late movement, and he also throws a tight slider. He still could use more consistency with his slider and with his command. Neal made 40 appearances for Triple-A Albuquerque last year, going 3-2, 2.33 with 21 saves. His ERA was misleading, as opponents hit .303 with one homer against him, and he had a 32-16 strikeout-walk ratio in 46 innings. He also got into 18 games with Florida, posting an 8.14 ERA. Neal had minor elbow surgery in the offseason. Howard, also 25, was a 1997 second-round pick out of a Tennessee high school. He was the lone survivor of the February 2002 car crash that killed Padres outfielder Mike Darr and another passenger. Howard topped out at 99 mph before injuring his elbow in June 2002, and now pitches from 91-95 mph. He also uses a slider and changeup, which showed improvement last season. He doesn't repeat his delivery consistently, which can lead to difficulty throwing strikes. When he dials down his velocity to find the zone, he can get hit hard if he's not precise. Both those problems cropped up this spring, when he had a 16.20 ERA in big league camp with San Diego. Howard went 7-9, 4.55 in 22 starts with Triple-A Portland in 2003, missing a month with a left knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. He received a late-August promotion to the majors, going 1-3, 3.63 in six starts. He limited opponents to a .235 average, but a whopping 10 of their 31 hits were homers. In 35 innings, he had a 24-15 K-BB ratio. His career big league record is 1-4, 4.96 in nine games.