Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis became household names two seasons ago when as a 22-year-old flame-throwing right-hander and 21-year-old rookie left-hander, they helped the Florida Marlins knock off the New York Yankees to win the World Series.

 

Last season, because of injuries to Beckett and inconsistency by Willis, the Marlins faded to third in the division.

 

But the two young Marlins -- neither of whom has celebrated his 25th birthday -- have once again found the rhythm that made them world champions, as they lead the best pitching staff in baseball.

 

Eight Marlins pitchers have sub-2.00 ERAs, including Beckett (4-1, 1.36) and Willis (4-0, 1.50). It's a ridiculous pace the Marlins can't possibly keep up -- or could they?

 

"It'd be pretty cool, wouldn't it?" queried 39-year-old Al Leiter, a veteran brought in to help tutor the young staff. "Right now, I'm just enjoying watching them pitch. What has impressed me most is they really know how to pitch -- throwing a 2-1 curveball and coming back with a high fastball, not just rocking a hitter (front to back) but (back to front).

 

"You watch a guy with plus-plus stuff and say 'wow,' even if you're on another team. You admire young talented guys that could be superior, and these three guys (including 28-year-old A.J. Burnett) definitely can. I once threw hard too, but I didn't put it together the way these guys have."

 

Despite their pedigrees and repertoires, the Marlins' big three were a combined six games over .500 for their career entering this season, despite all posting ERAs well under 4.00. None has won more than 12 games in a season.

 

"Every year I've been healthy at the beginning, but I want to be healthy in September," said Beckett. "That's what I'm striving for. No speed bumps. Frustrating probably is the right word to describe last year. You expect so much out of yourself. But you learn a lot more through failure than succeeding all the time. Now it's time to put all the things I learned together."

 

Beckett has been touted as a possible Cy Young candidate since debuting late in the 2001 season. It seems like he's finally ready to fulfill those projections.

 

"You're not going to win a Cy Young with nine wins," said Beckett. "But I think wins and losses are the luckiest stat in baseball. I think a lot of things have to go right for you to win your starts -- and for you to win 20 games, everything has to go right. Your team has to score runs, the bullpen has to hold the lead. There's a lot of intangibles. More importantly is how many games you started your team won. That's what the other stats are there for."

 

But Marlins manager Jack McKeon feels the 11-2 record of his three developing starters this season has more to do with luck.

 

"When Jim Bunning pitched, he'd have a 5-2 lead in the ninth and you'd get two more off him, but no more," said McKeon. "ERA is a good stat for guys who have bad years, it's a number to take to arbitration. But I don't care if you have a 7.00 ERA, give me the wins. The good ones know how to win.

 

"Every year, these guys have matured and they've been labeled good young pitchers for a long time. They're ready to prove something."

 

If the Marlins end the Braves' run of 13 straight division titles this year, it could be the start of another run. The expectations have been there for so long now that it's hard to fathom that Beckett and Willis are still early in their careers and could have a lot to learn.

 

"It's just the way sports is going right now," said Willis. "When a girl is 17 years old winning Wimbledon, you don't think of her as the same 17-year-old in your house. But this is a professional league. Al Leiter's been pitching longer than I've been alive, so you have to carry yourself like a professional. It's not any more pressure.

 

"I just don't dwell on success or failures. When it's my day to compete, that's what I do. You make every at-bat a battle and if you win enough battles, you'll win the war."

 

McKeon acknowledged the National League East remains the Braves' division until someone proves otherwise. But he also admitted his team could very well be the one to prove otherwise.

 

"If all three of those guys are sound and if they get 30-34 starts, we'll be tough," said McKeon. "They make quality pitches now and don't just see how hard they can throw. And when they get in trouble, they take a deep breath, reassess the situation and react accordingly. They have a better sense of pitching.

 

"They've started really well this year. You'd like to think they can keep it up."

 

http://www.nj.com/sports/sunbeam/index.ssf...35631288950.xml

Good article, but : None has won more than 12 games in a season.

Dontrelle won 14.

 

And: "But I think wins and losses are the luckiest stat in baseball. I think a lot of things have to go right for you to win your starts -- and for you to win 20 games, everything has to go right. Your team has to score runs, the bullpen has to hold the lead. There's a lot of intangibles. More importantly is how many games you started your team won. That's what the other stats are there for."

Nice to see Beckett remembers what Penny told him his first day in the bigs...

Great article. This team is only going to go as far as Beckett, Burnett and Dontrelle can take them. If they can stay healthy and consistent for the whole year, then the sky is the limit and we can be talking about a NL East championship in September. I don't think anyone of them are worried about Cy Young awards or big contracts at this very moment and since they have already gotten a taste of late October baseball, I think they really want to get back in that spot and see how far they can go.