MILWAUKEE -- A lot awaits the Marlins when they visit the West Coast after finishing their weekend series in Milwaukee.

 

Palm trees. A team running away with the NL West. Paul Lo Duca's wardrobe.

 

"I've been making phone calls and getting the movers here and getting the clothes shipped here and finding a place," the Marlins catcher said. "That's the toughest part of moving anytime. I'm sure guys are getting sick of me wearing the same shirt."

 

Many eyes will be on Lo Duca when he visits his old team, the Dodgers, a mere 16 days removed from the coast-to-coast trade that also brought reliever Guillermo Mota and outfielder Juan Encarnacion to the Fish in exchange for pitcher Brad Penny, infielder Hee-Seop Choi and minor leaguer Bill Murphy.

 

"It hasn't really hit me yet," said Lo Duca, who spent the entirety of his career in the Dodgers organization before the trading deadline maneuver. "I've never been to the visitor's clubhouse there [at Dodger Stadium]."

 

Since joining the Marlins, Lo Duca has had five multi-hit showings in nine games, hitting .432, the fourth-best batting average of any Major Leaguer since July 31 with 30 or more at-bats.

 

But while Lo Duca managed to bring his bats, he hasn't had the chance to grab much else since the deal.

 

"My poor wife has got to deal with that," Lo Duca said of Sonia Lo Duca, now 6 1/2 months pregnant. "I'm going to help her out tonight and tomorrow and try to get everything done."

 

As for the series itself, Lo Duca admitted that he might be a little emotional.

 

"It's real tough when you're playing for a first-place team and you feel like you're contributing," he said. "But this team has a great future obviously. The core here is very young and they'll be good here for a while."

 

Mota, meanwhile, said he wasn't too involved in the storyline.

 

"It's a three-game series against L.A.," Mota said. "Nothing against them, but we're just going there to play three games."

 

"I don't think that matters too much," Florida manager Jack McKeon said. "You hear guys say they want to do good, but they want to do good against everybody. I think they say that for you guys."

 

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...s_fla&fext=.jsp

MILWAUKEE -- A lot awaits the Marlins when they visit the West Coast after finishing their weekend series in Milwaukee.

 

Palm trees. A team running away with the NL West. Paul Lo Duca's wardrobe.

 

"I've been making phone calls and getting the movers here and getting the clothes shipped here and finding a place," the Marlins catcher said. "That's the toughest part of moving anytime. I'm sure guys are getting sick of me wearing the same shirt."

 

Many eyes will be on Lo Duca when he visits his old team, the Dodgers, a mere 16 days removed from the coast-to-coast trade that also brought reliever Guillermo Mota and outfielder Juan Encarnacion to the Fish in exchange for pitcher Brad Penny, infielder Hee-Seop Choi and minor leaguer Bill Murphy.

 

"It hasn't really hit me yet," said Lo Duca, who spent the entirety of his career in the Dodgers organization before the trading deadline maneuver. "I've never been to the visitor's clubhouse there [at Dodger Stadium]."

 

Since joining the Marlins, Lo Duca has had five multi-hit showings in nine games, hitting .432, the fourth-best batting average of any Major Leaguer since July 31 with 30 or more at-bats.

 

But while Lo Duca managed to bring his bats, he hasn't had the chance to grab much else since the deal.

 

"My poor wife has got to deal with that," Lo Duca said of Sonia Lo Duca, now 6 1/2 months pregnant. "I'm going to help her out tonight and tomorrow and try to get everything done."

 

As for the series itself, Lo Duca admitted that he might be a little emotional.

 

"It's real tough when you're playing for a first-place team and you feel like you're contributing," he said. "But this team has a great future obviously. The core here is very young and they'll be good here for a while."

 

Mota, meanwhile, said he wasn't too involved in the storyline.

 

"It's a three-game series against L.A.," Mota said. "Nothing against them, but we're just going there to play three games."

 

"I don't think that matters too much," Florida manager Jack McKeon said. "You hear guys say they want to do good, but they want to do good against everybody. I think they say that for you guys."

 

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...s_fla&fext=.jsp

It'll be nice to see him get a standing O tommorow night. That kinda stuff always gives me the goosebumps.

It'll be nice to see him get a standing O tommorow night. That kinda stuff always gives me the goosebumps.