June 12, 200521 yr Power arms will bring drama DAN LE BATARD dlebatard@herald.com The Florida Marlins are good enough, experienced enough and armed enough to give us the same kind of feel-good run the Miami Heat just did. Never mind the local baseball team's temporary spot in last place when the Heat season ended. The Marlins, remember, were 19-29 before winning their last World Series. They've endured injuries to their closer and second baseman, career-worst slumps by their third baseman and center fielder and a disastrous start by their highest-paid pitcher and are still right in the race. They've gotten all the bad stuff out of their system and remained within 3 ? games of first in the NL East, which isn't easy to do when you are busy losing 12 of 17 games. The Marlins are the most talented and pitching-deep team in their division. That will put them in the playoffs, as a division winner or wild card. They have been as maddening as the Yankees -- good company -- in losing to the likes of the Pirates and Nationals. But Josh Beckett, Dontrelle Willis and A.J. Burnett will get this turned around if, unlike Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, they can stay healthy. That Florida is 13th in the league in runs isn't a season-long indictment of the offense as much as it is a temporary aberration. Mike Lowell and Juan Pierre will hit closer to their career norms as the season progresses and Luis Castillo will be healthier. Florida prevents runs in a way that is championship-worthy, and that will reward them as the season stretches. Been there, done that? Yawn? The Heat run was novel, therefore more exhilarating than a rerun run in baseball? No, this won't get old. Winning never does. Did Edgar Renteria winning a Game 7 in the most dramatic way possible somehow diminish Pudge holding on to the ball at the plate against San Fran or Bartman helping the wrong team or the silence of Game 6 in Yankee Stadium? All that heartbreak against the Knicks didn't make this heartbreak against the Pistons any more tolerable. Why would it work that way in reverse? Why would winning ever be boring? Given every team in the NL East, most GMs would take Florida's starting staff over any other. The bullpen problems are correctable, as they were late in the 2003 season through trades. Florida is flawed, certainly, but, unlike every team in this division, they have the pitching to be great every night. And the bats can't and won't be this bad all season. This star-powered Heat run was sweet, especially seeing Wade grow up. But now it's Miguel Cabrera's turn to demand his spot in the discussion of best young athletes we've had in South Florida since Dan Marino. The Marlins are going to the playoffs and, while baseball is more slippery in the postseason than basketball, the best talent not always getting rewarded, the Marlins have the power arms to give us just as much tension, theater, drama and domination as the Heat just did. And maybe more. Link
June 12, 200521 yr AH CRAP!!!!!!!!!!! When was the last time Le RETARD was right about anything. We're doomed I tell you doomed. Thanks A LOT Le Retard :banghead
June 12, 200521 yr Author jinxed Marlins don't win another game this season 806525[/snapback] :lol Well at least it's nice to see LaBatard write something positive about the Fish for a change.
June 12, 200521 yr jinxed Marlins don't win another game this season 806525[/snapback] :lol Well at least it's nice to see LaBatard write something positive about the Fish for a change. 806574[/snapback] agreed
June 12, 200521 yr jinxed Marlins don't win another game this season 806525[/snapback] :lol Well at least it's nice to see LaBatard write something positive about the Fish for a change. 806574[/snapback] agreed 806579[/snapback] Boy, there is no one here who has taken Dan Le Batard to task more than I have since 2003, but to suggest he's isn't on the Marlins bandwagon, and hasn't been for some time, is in my mind, ignoring the body of what he's written over the last year or so. LeBatard isn't the problem. Anyone who attended last night's game and read Clark Spencer's revisionist recounting of what transpired in today's Miami Herald has to draw the conclusion that LeBatard has his finger on the pulse of this team and not the beat reporter who covers them. Spencer actually seems disappointed Rogers and the Rangers lost last night, he obviously had a different story in mind (and perhaps already written in his laptop) and was forced to jettison it when things didn't go the way he hoped. So we can keep lambasting LeBatard but I for one am here to say he's not the guy we should be focusing on.
June 12, 200521 yr It looks like he was trying to write good about the Marlins but didn't know how too. Anyways, I agree, we will make the playoffs.
June 12, 200521 yr Author jinxed Marlins don't win another game this season 806525[/snapback] :lol Well at least it's nice to see LaBatard write something positive about the Fish for a change. 806574[/snapback] agreed 806579[/snapback] Boy, there is no one here who has taken Dan Le Batard to task more than I have since 2003, but to suggest he's isn't on the Marlins bandwagon, and hasn't been for some time, is in my mind, ignoring the body of what he's written over the last year or so. LeBatard isn't the problem. Anyone who attended last night's game and read Clark Spencer's revisionist recounting of what transpired in today's Miami Herald has to draw the conclusion that LeBatard has his finger on the pulse of this team and not the beat reporter who covers them. Spencer actually seems disappointed Rogers and the Rangers lost last night, he obviously had a different story in mind (and perhaps already written in his laptop) and was forced to jettison it when things didn't go the way he hoped. So we can keep lambasting LeBatard but I for one am here to say he's not the guy we should be focusing on. 806599[/snapback] LeBatard irritated the hell out of me a few times over the past years. That being said, I have started listening to his show on the drive home and find him quite funny. He has an interesting perspective and not afraid to say it like he sees it. I've learned you can't take him too serious.
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