August 1, 200521 yr Happy together: Marlins celebrate as trade deadline passes. By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Monday, August 01, 2005 MIAMI GARDENS ? The Marlins were on their way to a 4-2 loss on a hot Sunday afternoon, but the mood in the home dugout was like Times Square on New Year's Eve. "Ninety minutes to go!'' backup outfielder Chris Aguila shouted to A.J. Burnett at 2:30 p.m. after checking the clock above the left-field scoreboard at Dolphins Stadium. "One more hour!" another player yelled at 3 p.m. "I had 10 different people at different times: 'Hey, 15 minutes. Hey, eight minutes,' " Burnett said. "At 4 o'clock, I gave a big hug to Luis (Castillo) because Luis told me if I got traded, his heart would be broken." Never mind that Livan Hernandez and the Washington Nationals snapped Florida's four-game win streak Sunday with an impressive performance in 91-degree heat. By the eighth inning, there were hugs all up and down the Marlins' dugout for Burnett when the non-waiver trading deadline passed at 4 p.m. without the highly sought pitcher being dealt to another team. "I prefer being here, without a doubt. But I think both A.J. and myself, we understand the business," said third baseman Mike Lowell, who was linked with Burnett in several trade proposals over the past two weeks. Trade-rumor distractions? The Marlins have won eight of their past 11 games, including two out of three against Washington. They begin a nine-game road trip tonight against St. Louis with a real chance to gain ground in the National League East. "We're still in (the playoff race). We're right there," Lowell said. "I think we did what we had to do to put ourselves in a situation to make a run.'' The most significant victories in that stretch apparently came last weekend in San Francisco, where the Marlins won two out of three before returning home. Without naming Burnett or Lowell, General Manager Admin Beinfest told reporters Sunday that the front office had a meeting last Monday in South Florida, and a decision was made to remove "core players" from the trading block. "We focused our attention quickly on the bullpen, and that's pretty much where we've been shopping all week,'' said Beinfest. The Marlins acquired left-hander Ron Villone from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday for two minor league pitchers. "We think the team is set and can make a run as is." Burnett said he wished the front office would have told him last week that he was off the trading block. He said the past two weeks were a distraction for him and his family. Florida had a chance to break the game open in the first inning, when three of the Marlins' first four batters reached base. They scored just one run and eked out another in the sixth. "The game was decided in the first inning when we had a chance to break it open,'' manager Jack McKeon said. Hernandez allowed two runs in eight innings and added a run-scoring single, helping the Nationals end a season-high six-game losing streak. Despite the loss, there were encouraging signs for the Marlins, who fell 6 1/2 games behind Atlanta. Miguel Cabrera, who had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, is batting.450 since the All-Star break. And Lowell, who struggled miserably in the first half of the season, had three hits to finish with a.322 average for July. "It was only a matter of time for Mike," Beinfest said. "You don't go from being a three-time All-Star to the prolonged slump he was in." Beinfest said the team's steady improvement since the All-Star break factored into why Burnett and Lowell are still with the team. "These were not difficult decisions," Beinfest said. "The team helped with those decisions the way it played on the road." Team owner Jeffrey Loria "wants to win now with the team as is." Link I particularly like the team reactions. Who knows? Perhaps AJ will have a preference to stay in Florida when all is said and done.
August 1, 200521 yr Perhaps AJ will have a preference to stay in Florida when all is said and done. 883001[/snapback] Don't bet on it
August 1, 200521 yr "I had 10 different people at different times: 'Hey, 15 minutes. Hey, eight minutes,' " Burnett said. "At 4 o'clock, I gave a big hug to Luis (Castillo) because Luis told me if I got traded, his heart would be broken." Awww..... Luis.
August 1, 200521 yr Perhaps AJ will have a preference to stay in Florida when all is said and done. 883001[/snapback] Don't bet on it 883008[/snapback] Sure, at $9 mil a year +.
August 2, 200521 yr Possible Stadium Deal gets done - Mike Hampton - Pudge + Possible Playoff Money = Anything Possible
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