July 14, 200322 yr 07/13/2003 12:42 PM ET By Pierre Moussette / Special to MLB.com MONTREAL -- Once Sunday's game is in the books, the Marlins will have completed 95 games of their 162-game calendar. With most of the players having at least three days to get away from the everyday grind of Major League baseball, it was a good time to take a look back at the first three months of the season. "From what I've seen -- and I haven't been here all year -- we hadn't been playing too well when I took over," manager Jack McKeon said. "About two weeks later we started to come together as a club. Now we have some great camaraderie among the players on this team, guys pulling together for each other. They've blended into a cohesive unit. Winning had a very positive effect on the attitude of the team." A few of the Florida players were asked to nominate a player and pitcher of the first half of the year. Among those who answered, most named Mike Lowell as offensive player of the year and all named Dontrelle Willis as the team's best pitcher. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Juan had a diving catch in Boston. He made a diving catch and then doubled the runner off at second to end the game." -- Marlins catcher Mike Redmond -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "He's come up and really sparked the team. Right now there's no question that he's our MVP," catcher Mike Redmond noted. "He's got eight wins and 10 or 11 quality starts. He's given us exactly what we needed after we lost our ace A. J. Burnett. We needed someone to come in and energize our team. It's refreshing to have a guy like that on your side." "Dontrelle has been a huge boost for us," said Lowell. "He's been pitching great. Even when you don't score, we can still win games 3-1 or 4-2." Some Marlins also pointed to outstanding defensive accomplishments of the first part of the season. For individual play of the year to date, Juan Pierre received votes for two different highlight plays. "He had one catch at the wall in Philly," Lowell said, "I don't how he caught the ball." "He must have jumped like he was blocking a shot in the NBA," Willis said of the play against the Phillies. "Juan had a diving catch in Boston," Redmond added. " He made a diving catch and then doubled the runner off at second to end the game." Many players had trouble coming up with one individual play that caught their attention. But Redmond hinted that perhaps no play in franchise history could be as remarkable as an inside-the-park home run by a slow-footed catcher, a feat Redmond accomplished in August 2001 that still has his teammates shaking their heads in disbelief. Pierre noted that from his vantage point in center field, the tandem of Luis Castillo and Alex Gonzalez provides more spectacular defense than he ever could. "Every day I just say 'Wow!' I'm right behind those two and the way they work together and turn double plays, you almost have to see it every day to appreciate what they do." The team's radio voice, Dave Van Horne, shared Pierre's view that it's not one individual play, but a consistently reliable defensive team up the middle that has played a huge part in the team's turnaround since late May. "Without [Castillo and Gonzalez] the team would not have had a good May and June," Van Horne said. "Every good team is strong up the middle. With Rodriguez behind the plate, the two middle infielders and Pierre in center, this is a very strong defense up the middle." Pierre pointed to a six-game losing streak in May as the low point of the year. Now that things are going in the other direction, Pierre looks to that stretch of the calendar as the turning point so far. "After dropping six straight in L.A. and Montreal, we played at home and we got on a roll," Pierre said. "The confidence level went up for everybody. We were a lot better than [on that losing streak] and we wanted to go out there and prove it to everybody." Wallach sighted in Marlins' clubhouse: Tim Wallach has been on hand for the entire series between the Marlins and the Expos which culminates today with Tim Wallch Bobblehead day at Olympic Stadium. Wallach has close ties to the West Palm Beach area, where the Expos had their Spring Training site for more than 20 years. There are also a large number of Marlins employees who had been with the Expos during Wallach's playing days in the 1980s and early 90s. The California native signed balls for the likes of Brad Penny, who invited Wallach's sons into the Florida clubhouse for autographs. The first name on the kids' list was Willis. McKeon shuffles rotation: In the last two games before the All-Star break, the Marlins sent out their two left-handed starters, Redman and Willis. After the four-day break, McKeon will break up the two lefties, inserting Penny between them for the series with the Cubs. The rotation for the next homestand will begin with Redman, Penny and Willis against the Cubs and Josh Beckett and Carl Pavano versus Montreal. Pierre Moussette is a special contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
July 14, 200322 yr It's good they're splitting up the lefties. This way every team will get at least one of Redman or Willis. The guy I will be watching and expecting to step up in the 2nd half of the season is Josh Beckett.
July 14, 200322 yr Im coming down from college to go to Saturday and Sunday's game with my Dad. Im so freakin excited about this team !!!
July 14, 200322 yr Im coming down from college to go to Saturday and Sunday's game with my Dad. Im so freakin excited about this team !!! I believe those are the same two games I'm going to...
July 14, 200322 yr REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR HULK SIGNS....make em simple to get the point across.......like "LOWELL IS THE HULK!!" in teal, i am really curious to see if this will catch
July 14, 200322 yr REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR HULK SIGNS....make em simple to get the point across.......like "LOWELL IS THE HULK!!" in teal, i am really curious to see if this will catch If there are a few people with Mike Lowell Hulk signs, it will be seen.
July 14, 200322 yr I'm doing a thug sign for The Thug on Sunday He's not a thug... Just do a simple D-Train sign or something tha people can identify him with.
July 14, 200322 yr Is everyong going to the Cubs series still gonna boo the s*** outta Baker??? :mischief
July 14, 200322 yr He's not a thug... Just do a simple D-Train sign or something tha people can identify him with. Argh.....let me do my own thing then if you don't like it.
July 15, 200322 yr Is everyong going to the Cubs series still gonna boo the s*** outta Baker??? :mischief I'm definitely booing Baker!
July 15, 200322 yr The marlins have a good chance to sweep the Cubs with Redman and Willis pitching, and Penny who no one never knows how he'll do.
July 15, 200322 yr Juanky, my question is, why does Willis have to be a thug? Couldnt he just be a dam good pitcher? You dont have to create some evil persona for him...kids these days... I would love to give my grades of the Marlins, but I cant see all that many games because THEY DONT TELEVISE THEM UP IN TALLAHASSEE!!!! :banghead That said, without Willis, I dont think this would be taking place. The guys I expect to turn it on in the second half - Encarnacion, Looper (pushed by Urbina), and Beckett. Beckett better do something...his career is looking like a disappointment right now, and I know, I know, it is still too early but damn...
July 15, 200322 yr Im coming down from college to go to Saturday and Sunday's game with my Dad. Im so freakin excited about this team !!! Sham where are you going to school at?
July 15, 200322 yr Juanky, my question is, why does Willis have to be a thug? Couldnt he just be a dam good pitcher? You dont have to create some evil persona for him...kids these days... No evil persona, its just my personal nickname for him! :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead
July 15, 200322 yr ....I don't get it? Is it because he's black? Just tell me why you call him that. No, even if he was white he'd still be a thug . Cuz he came from the ghetto, is cocky/confident (don't remember who was talking about that), tips his cap to side (which is cool), and cuz hes a beast.
July 15, 200322 yr Juanky, my question is, why does Willis have to be a thug? Couldnt he just be a dam good pitcher? You dont have to create some evil persona for him...kids these days... I would love to give my grades of the Marlins, but I cant see all that many games because THEY DONT TELEVISE THEM UP IN TALLAHASSEE!!!! :banghead That said, without Willis, I dont think this would be taking place. The guys I expect to turn it on in the second half - Encarnacion, Looper (pushed by Urbina), and Beckett. Beckett better do something...his career is looking like a disappointment right now, and I know, I know, it is still too early but damn... So, you live in Tallahassee, right? Me too! Although I am leaving in like 3 weeks to get back to Miami. BTW, the best way to see the Marlins games in here is to get Direct TV, but do not buy the MLB package... don't make my same mistake. They will only show games that are considered out of the market, and since the Marlins are considered part of the FL market, they only show a couple games. But one of the channels included with the standard programming in FSFL (Fox Sports Florida), and I have been watching all Marlins game there. Of course, when they are on PAX, then you are out of luck. In that case I use ESPN's GameCast. Hope that helps.
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