July 5, 200521 yr I think we're all disappointed because we want this team to put together a good long winning streak to give them a lot of confidence and silly losses like this are just that - silly. Hopefully we can sweep the rest of this series and then handle the slumping cubs.
July 5, 200521 yr I know this a taboo subject, and Lowell is easily one of my favorite Marlins, and I don't want to get kicked off the boards for saying this, but is it too far fetched to question whether he was juicing? I mean, he seems like a class-act...but just because someone is a nice guy doesn't mean that he's above using roids (or performance enhancers, etc.). I always thought guys like BigMac and Sosa were "nice" guys...but is there any doubt those guys juiced? Lowell has clearly lost a TON of power...normally around this time of the year, he's already hit 18 HRS, has 50RBIs, and a bunch of "line drive" doubles. He's really not that old to be considered "over the hill," and his defense has been fairly solid the whole year - which seems to rule out that his athleticism is diminishing. Anyway, I don't want to tar and feather a guy, but he needs to find his swing quick.
July 5, 200521 yr Do steroids really make you make better decisions though? He's swinging at things that are low and outside almost every at bat.
July 5, 200521 yr I know this a taboo subject, and Lowell is easily one of my favorite Marlins, and I don't want to get kicked off the boards for saying this, but is it too far fetched to question whether he was juicing? I mean, he seems like a class-act...but just because someone is a nice guy doesn't mean that he's above using roids (or performance enhancers, etc.). I always thought guys like BigMac and Sosa were "nice" guys...but is there any doubt those guys juiced? Lowell has clearly lost a TON of power...normally around this time of the year, he's already hit 18 HRS, has 50RBIs, and a bunch of "line drive" doubles. He's really not that old to be considered "over the hill," and his defense has been fairly solid the whole year - which seems to rule out that his athleticism is diminishing. Anyway, I don't want to tar and feather a guy, but he needs to find his swing quick. 840125[/snapback] I'm not so sure that 'roids were involved in his success. His swing is just looking bad and I don't think he is thinking the same way he used to. I might suspect 'roids if he looked like the same player as always but his hits just weren't going as far.
July 5, 200521 yr I know this a taboo subject, and Lowell is easily one of my favorite Marlins, and I don't want to get kicked off the boards for saying this, but is it too far fetched to question whether he was juicing? I mean, he seems like a class-act...but just because someone is a nice guy doesn't mean that he's above using roids (or performance enhancers, etc.). I always thought guys like BigMac and Sosa were "nice" guys...but is there any doubt those guys juiced? Lowell has clearly lost a TON of power...normally around this time of the year, he's already hit 18 HRS, has 50RBIs, and a bunch of "line drive" doubles. He's really not that old to be considered "over the hill," and his defense has been fairly solid the whole year - which seems to rule out that his athleticism is diminishing. Anyway, I don't want to tar and feather a guy, but he needs to find his swing quick. 840125[/snapback] You're not the first person to bring it up...whether that's the case or not, I have no idea, but it just seems like he's guessing at the plate instead of reacting...that's a recipe for disaster at the major-league level...
July 5, 200521 yr Is Pierre really playing better? .250-.280 average with the same amount of walks each of the past two weeks. The stolen bases are probably making you (and I and others) think he's hitting better.
July 5, 200521 yr I have wondered if Lowell is playing hurt or if his body is slowing down at a young age due to the cancer and all the treatments he had.... His hitting and his recent throwing errors remind me of Mike Schmidt at the end of his career when he looked visibly slow by a step and he couldn't hit and his fielding suffered.... If this is true, I feel sorry for Mikey
July 5, 200521 yr Is there any interest in him on the trade market still? Alot of teams are really in need of a 3B. Perhaps it would be best for Mikey to have a change of scenery?? If you can get a decent prospect or outfielder for him would be great. Then Toss Cabrera at 3B and Connie into LF
July 5, 200521 yr Is Pierre really playing better? .250-.280 average with the same amount of walks each of the past two weeks. The stolen bases are probably making you (and I and others) think he's hitting better. 840342[/snapback] :thumbdown Even a hater should take note that he's batting .323 for the last week. And over the last ten games, acording to MLB.com, he's batted .356, so it certainly looks like he's finding his groove again, that is unless someone wants to ignore the obvious. In the last seven games he's had only one strikeout, had two walks, his OBP up 55 points and secured five stolen bases. That has to equate to a good week for the rational among us.
July 5, 200521 yr Lowell shouldn't be in there,he should be in the bench..Or sent to the minors,or traded.
July 5, 200521 yr Send him to the minors to find his swing. If he can't find it down there, leave him in the minors to shame him into taking a cheap buy out. Lowell makes Bret Boone and Jason Giambi look like All Stars. 840065[/snapback] Lowell will not be going to the minors to "fix his swing." It would turn into the Giambi situation when they wanted to send him down to Columbus, he laughed in there face. Lowell is the best defensive 3rd baseman in he game, and we need that on the field. His bat, yeah it does suck, so what do we do....have Easley cost us games at thrid, or Lowell cost us games with his bat....tough decision...
July 5, 200521 yr Do you think, he may have problems with his vision? 840469[/snapback] I was thinking about that.
July 5, 200521 yr Author Send him to the minors to find his swing. If he can't find it down there, leave him in the minors to shame him into taking a cheap buy out. Lowell makes Bret Boone and Jason Giambi look like All Stars. 840065[/snapback] Lowell is the best defensive 3rd baseman in he game, and we need that on the field. His bat, yeah it does suck, so what do we do....have Easley cost us games at thrid, or Lowell cost us games with his bat....tough decision... 840461[/snapback] no he isnt the best defensive 3b in baseball also, all you gotta do is move Cabs to 3rd and that opens up alot of idea for the OF
July 5, 200521 yr Author Is Pierre really playing better? .250-.280 average with the same amount of walks each of the past two weeks. The stolen bases are probably making you (and I and others) think he's hitting better. 840342[/snapback] :thumbdown Even a hater should take note that he's batting .323 for the last week. And over the last ten games, acording to MLB.com, he's batted .356, so it certainly looks like he's finding his groove again, that is unless someone wants to ignore the obvious. In the last seven games he's had only one strikeout, had two walks, his OBP up 55 points and secured five stolen bases. That has to equate to a good week for the rational among us. 840405[/snapback] amen 03... I've been on the JP hate train for awhile but he has certainly looked to have turned the corner
July 5, 200521 yr Send him to the minors to find his swing.? If he can't find it down there, leave him in the minors to shame him into taking a cheap buy out.? Lowell makes Bret Boone and Jason Giambi look like All Stars. 840065[/snapback] Lowell will not be going to the minors to "fix his swing." It would turn into the Giambi situation when they wanted to send him down to Columbus, he laughed in there face. Lowell is the best defensive 3rd baseman in he game, and we need that on the field. His bat, yeah it does suck, so what do we do....have Easley cost us games at thrid, or Lowell cost us games with his bat....tough decision... 840461[/snapback] 1. Let him laugh in our face. It will give the team an excuse to sit him for a long, long time on the bench. 2. It is hard to take you seriously when you say he is the best defensive 3rd baseman in baseball. Have you ever heard of Scott Rolen or Eric Chavez? They not only are much better hitters than Lowell ever has been, but they probably are also the two best defensive 3rd basemen in the world.
July 5, 200521 yr Is Pierre really playing better? .250-.280 average with the same amount of walks each of the past two weeks. The stolen bases are probably making you (and I and others) think he's hitting better. 840342[/snapback] :thumbdown Even a hater should take note that he's batting .323 for the last week. And over the last ten games, acording to MLB.com, he's batted .356, so it certainly looks like he's finding his groove again, that is unless someone wants to ignore the obvious. In the last seven games he's had only one strikeout, had two walks, his OBP up 55 points and secured five stolen bases. That has to equate to a good week for the rational among us. 840405[/snapback] amen 03... I've been on the JP hate train for awhile but he has certainly looked to have turned the corner 840473[/snapback] I'll second that. I was wondering about him earlier this year but I never understood why people wanted to trade for Kotsay. I've always thought Pierre would break out of his slump. I wish I could say I feel the same for Lowell. :plain
July 5, 200521 yr I know it's not popular, or going to happen, but as I've said last week or the week before, I'd bench Lowell through the all-star game and see what some time off would do for him. There has to be some way to get the guy started. Maybe he just needs to clear his head.
July 5, 200521 yr My apologies. I was looking at his weekly stats Sunday and noticed the two-week trends. I do contend the increased stolen bases are influencing our opinions, but that may have always been the case. P.S. Props to Marlins2003 for using facts to debate his case.
July 5, 200521 yr Approaching the All Star Game, he's now had almost the entire first half of the season to "work out of it". In my opinion, as an optimistic supporter of his for most of the year, he must be benched. I agree with '03; let him sit from now through the break and see if that can help turn him around. It's obvious that playing through it hasn't been the answer, so a new course of action should be persued. I'd like to see Cabrera moved to third, and a platoon of Niner and Willingham in left field. That gives us six games to analyze our other options. Then after the allstar break, play Mike for a week, and give him a final chance to prove himself. If the platoon's offense is appreciably supererior to Lowell, let him ride it out on the bench.
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