I agree that the Marlins miss Pudge, but I definatly believe that the Marlins miss Encarnacion a lot more than Lee. Encarnacion was pretty clutch, and the way that Conine has started the season Encarnacion could be used, but with that being said, I believe Conine will start hitting with runners in scoring position, If not Nunez should be utilized more.

 

GO MARLINS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's part of the ESPN article. This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special. You all know that I have heard over and over your arguments and why you dislike Pudge so much. Now it's my turn to show you what makes me believe the way I do about Pudge. I know that what I am about to post isn't going to have any effect on most of you, but you can't deny the fact that Pudge has a lot of heart and passion for the game and he is special for making a huge difference in little teams (remember we were there once).

 

Dream Catcher

 

By Tim Keown

 

 

 

Ivan Rodriguez was arguing with the man on the television. The man on the television was telling him he had no chance, no hope, no sane reason for choosing to be a Detroit Tiger. "The Tigers aren't going anywhere," the man said. The screen hung from the wall of the team's spring training clubhouse, and the man in the box was talking down to Rodriguez, literally and figuratively. Rarely is television so personal.

 

Rodriguez had heard these words before, but something in the tone -- dismissive? mocking? smug? -- tripped a wire inside him. He took a step toward the television, as if calling the guy out. "How do you know?" he asked in his accented and accelerated English. "How can you know?" He stomped around a little, his bright eyes flaring as he enlisted the other men in the room. "You don't know." His teammates looked up from their plates of food and magazines and nodded. Rodriguez's intensity removed the option of disagreement.

 

Pudge wasn't going to stand for this kind of talk. The man on the television? Maybe he spoke for the world. At the very least, he spoke for everyone who considered baseball's best catcher a fool or an ingrate or, worse, a mercenary. Pudge shook his head and walked back to his locker, muttering. He'd heard enough.

 

"I saw something that day," says Rondell White, another of the new Tigers. "The intensity was something else. I looked at him and thought, can you imagine what it would mean to this man's career if we went out and won this division? It can be done, too. I know that's what he's thinking."

 

But really, what was he thinking? That's what everyone wants to know. Pudge had just won the World Series in his adopted hometown of Miami. He had the mansion with the statue of himself out front. He'd caught one of baseball's best young pitching staffs. To leave all that for a team that had to win five of its last six to avoid the worst record ever? Had he, at 32, developed a messiah complex?

 

We'll get the compulsories out of the way first. Asked to address the mercenary issue, Rodriguez says, "I came here because they gave me a good contract." He shrugs at his own honesty. "I have to say it. It's a four-year contract, the number of years I was looking for." He got the $40 million he wanted, too, though only half of it is guaranteed.

 

The Marlins and Orioles each offered three years (and big pay cuts), so the Tigers it would be. Still, Pudge admits there are times on his morning drive to Comerica Park when he ponders the existential nature of it all. "Sometimes I ask the same question to myself: why are you here?" he says. "I admit that. But more than anything, I believe this is a good team, that this team can win." He stops talking and nods his head in silence. The words appear to replay in his mind, and the nodding indicates he finds them truthful. "I really believe that," he says......

I still support the decision for not giving Pudge a 4yr/$40M contract.....however it is painfully obvious that our back-up plan isn't working out as hoped, and more than any other decision, this could affect our post-season chances.

 

Personally, I miss DLee. I still believe he would be a Marlin today if the FO knew in advance we couldn't come to terms with Pudge. That being said, I see quite a bit of potential in Choi, and ultimately he could be better than DLee. Choi is not the drop off defensively as everyone said. His hitting has shown promise, and he is currently experiencing a typical Sophomore slump. I would not be surprised to see Choi hitting .260-.270 with 25 HRs by the end of the season...essentially the same production as Lee.

 

The only reason I posted the article is because it sums up pretty well where we are at this point in the season. The FO needs to address the catcher situation, and once done our line-up should start to produce fairly well.

Choi will not hit 270, PBmarlin. His talents lie in walking and slugging the ball when he makes contact. Personally, I'm not worried at all about this "slump" that Choi is in.

I don't miss KLee and Pudge at all. In fact, I wonder why this team continues to win and realize that is why it is a TEAM.

Choi will not hit 270, PBmarlin. His talents lie in walking and slugging the ball when he makes contact. Personally, I'm not worried at all about this "slump" that Choi is in.

We'll see.

 

His average will come up once he starts leveling out his swing. Robinson already improved his stance at the plate. One improvement at a time....and he will come around.

 

OBTW, I agree he should continue to get alot of walks, and K's will be relatively high.

This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special.

yea leaving the town he virtually "owns" for money

 

gotta love that

 

yea he has heart.... once you pay him :thumbup

This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special.

yea leaving the town he virtually "owns" for money

 

gotta love that

 

yea he has heart.... once you pay him :thumbup Everything happens for a reason, Ramp. That's all I can say.

yes and in pudge's case.....

 

 

 

 

its all about the benjamins and nothing more.

This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special.

yea leaving the town he virtually "owns" for money

 

gotta love that

 

yea he has heart.... once you pay him :thumbup Everything happens for a reason, Ramp. That's all I can say. what the hell does that even mean?

 

are you going Zen on me?

This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special.

yea leaving the town he virtually "owns" for money

 

gotta love that

 

yea he has heart.... once you pay him :thumbup Everything happens for a reason, Ramp. That's all I can say. what the hell does that even mean?

 

are you going Zen on me? If you have life experience, you should know that is true. I am not "going zen" on you.

I'm not as worried or disappointed about the production from 1B, after all Choi does have good HR and RBI numbers, despite his recent K slump. But as Sham mentioned, I think he'll take enough walks & hit around .260.

 

The guy I'm disappinted in is Castro, and this coming from someone who didn't predict much from him anyway. I've never thought he could hit for much of an average, but I did expect him to drive in some runs with the occasional homer or double. He's looked flat-out awful.

This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special.

yea leaving the town he virtually "owns" for money

 

gotta love that

 

yea he has heart.... once you pay him :thumbup Everything happens for a reason, Ramp. That's all I can say. what the hell does that even mean?

 

are you going Zen on me? If you have life experience, you should know that is true. I am not "going zen" on you. I guess its true

 

his reason was money until proven otherwise

yes and in pudge's case.....

 

 

 

 

its all about the benjamins and nothing more.

that's going a bit far.

 

no denying that the guy likes the money, but once you pay him he gives you 100%. I can name a lot of players, that once they get the fat contract they go downhill.

 

Just an example. Pudge plays hard without being afraid of getting injured (I can name other catchers that would be afraid to guard the plate for fear of getting hit).

lol. Which ML catchers are afraid to block the plate? Laughable mang!

Here's part of the ESPN article. This is another reason why I think Pudge is so special. You all know that I have heard over and over your arguments and why you dislike Pudge so much. Now it's my turn to show you what makes me believe the way I do about Pudge. I know that what I am about to post isn't going to have any effect on most of you, but you can't deny the fact that Pudge has a lot of heart and passion for the game and he is special for making a huge difference in little teams (remember we were there once).

 

you're absolutely right...this article does sum Pudge up:

 

"I came here because they gave me a good contract." He shrugs at his own honesty. "I have to say it. It's a four-year contract, the number of years I was looking for."

 

i believe that Pudge is an excellent player, an excellent teammate, a player with a ton of heart, and would help this team immensely if he were still here. But to suggest that he came here for any other reason than that we offered him the absolute most money, or that he left here for any other reason than that we did not offer him the absolute most money, is ludicrous.

who doesnt miss fudge... the way castro is going ehhhhhh id rather have redmond start 4 outta 5 nights..... dude is batting 281 with 11 rbis.....

 

too bad he cant hit leftiez batting only 182...

 

so what are you sayin we do trade 4 a catcher????

 

 

as 4 lee neav liked em...... neva will...... only thing im shocked at this year is dude is hitting 310 with RISP...... thats a SHOCK

 

choi is gonna have his up and downs..... but i wish jack would leave the kid in f*** will cordero..... and start easley....... instead of seabass......

 

facts are castro sucks and there is nothing we or he can do about it....... see my sig josh is the future.......

I'd prefer him being honest than a liar and deny it.

lol. Which ML catchers are afraid to block the plate? Laughable mang!

you can laugh all you want, but Pudge is one of the best defensive catchers and does an excellent job at guarding the plate. Not ALL catchers guard the plate the same.

 

Ask yourself if Gonzalez would have scored on WS Game 6, if Posada was guarding the plate properly. I don't have a stat to prove it, but not all ML catcher's are as aggressive as Pudge at the Defensive end. Maybe, afraid was not the right word, but aggressiveness.

I was just busting your balls on a silly statement. I agree with what you said above....although Posada could of done nothing to prevent A-Gon from scoring with that slide.

I miss Pudge but we don;t need a guy who only see's $$$ on our team. He turned his back, that's that.

I miss Pudge the player but I can't stand the person.

 

He coulda started a dynasty here in his "hometown" but ditched us for cash and blasted to FO.

 

No respect for him any more.

 

But the player sure would be nice right now but not at 4/40.

 

And Miri, please stop defending him. He's cute and all but that's besides the point he ditched the Champs and his hometown fans to go to one of the country's worst cities, to play for a awful team just for a couple extra million dollars.

And Miri, please stop defending him. He's cute and all but that's besides the point he ditched the Champs and his hometown fans to go to one of the country's worst cities, to play for a awful team just for a couple extra million dollars.

I don't like him because he's cute. I like him because he is an amazing person. You have your opinion and I have mine. I am not going to stop defending him, sorry.

 

Seriously though, quit beating a dead horse. Pudge is gone. We're doing fine. He's doing fine. Let it be.

Just a question...

 

Have you guys read the article on Pudge in ESPN magazine?

Yes, excellent article, and I love when a cutie like him is on the cover , but he was too much $$$ and his greedy ass got what he wanted so whatever. Adios Pudge.

Kid, seriously, grow up! I hate it when young teens act like they know everything. What if I did find him attractive? What's it matter to you? I guess since I am a female fan, you automatically assume I like players based only on their looks. Wow...ignorance at its best.