August 7, 200322 yr You knew it was going to happen, it was inevitable. The media loves this kind of crap, but it is fun to see that they CANT help but be positive for once. How fickle...Here is the article though. Enjoy! Better than the best? By the numbers, this season's Marlins trump the 1997 Marlins at nearly every position. That team won the World Series. This year's team is asking: `Why not us?' BY MIKE PHILLIPS mphillips@herald.com More photos 1997: On their way to the World Series, the Marlins featured a fast-rising rookie pitcher in Liv?n Hern?ndez. HERALD FILE Still wondering if the Marlins are for real? Suddenly, these upstarts are in the playoff hunt, two games out of the wild-card race. One thing keeping the Marlins out of first place is geography: They would be tied for the lead with Houston if they played in the National League Central. But how do they compare against the 1997 Marlins? You remember those guys -- they won the World Series. That team had such stars as Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Alex Fern?ndez, Mois?s Alou, Bobby Bonilla, Al Leiter and Robb Nen, not to mention a rookie sensation named Liv?n Hern?ndez. Surely the '97 team would hammer the '03 Marlins. Think again. This year's Marlins are better. At least in statistics, and at least at this point of the season. Breaking down the numbers by position, today's Marlins overwhelm the '97 version. It's not even close. True, the '97 Marlins had a better record in early August -- 65-46 vs. 60-51 -- and had the experience and hard-to-quantify intangibles that carried them to the title. But in the eight-man starting lineup, the only '97 player with a statistical edge is left fielder Mois?s Alou, the team's MVP. You might think Gary Sheffield would get the edge over Juan Encarnaci?n in right field, but look at the numbers: Encarnaci?n is a better hitter (.269 vs. .247 batting average) and has driven in 20 more runs. Sheffield gets the edge in home runs (13 vs. 12), but Encarnaci?n has more stolen bases (17 vs. 8) and is better defensively. No outfielder on the '97 team can match Encarnaci?n's arm strength. Comparing payrolls doesn't help in trying to explain the statistical discrepancy. The '97 Marlins had a payroll of $54 million, one of the highest in baseball at the time. The '03 Marlins' $45 million payroll is one of the majors' lowest. The '97 team had the big names, but most of those players had average seasons. No one knew who Dontrelle Willis was two months ago, and now every baseball fan in the country knows about the 21-year-old rookie pitcher. ''That was a name-brand team,'' says Marlins closer Braden Looper. ``They bought a lot of free agents and they had the big names, but we have as much talent. We have players who haven't been around as long. That team had experience we don't have. But this is a talented team. That team believed it was going to the playoffs, but so does this one.'' Third baseman Bobby Bonilla was one of the '97 team's best run producers, but his output pales against that of Mike Lowell, who has 30 homers and 90 RBI. And Bonilla was a mediocre fielder at best compared with Lowell, a Gold Glove candidate. It's the same thing at first base, where Derrek Lee is better defensively than either Jeff Conine or Darren Daulton, who came in a July trade. And, surprisingly, Lee's numbers (.260, 22 HR, 69 RBI) dwarf Conine's (.238, 9, 39). INFIELD DIFFERENCE Today's Marlins are a much better defensive team, with an infield some consider the best in the majors. ''This is the best infield I've ever been around,'' says 72-year-old Marlins manager Jack McKeon. 'They are a thing of beauty to watch. We go into cities and people can't get over the plays they make. I just say, ``Oh, that's nothing, you should see the really good plays.' These guys are unbelievable.'' The '97 team gets a defensive edge in center field -- Devon White vs. Juan Pierre -- and in left -- Alou vs. rookie Miguel Cabrera. At catcher, they're even defensively, but Iv?n Rodr?guez is having a better year batting than Charles Johnson did. NUMBERS GAME More than any sport, baseball is defined by numbers, and the numbers say the 2003 Marlins are a better team. These Marlins have more power (116 vs. 82 homers) and more speed (123 vs. 79 stolen bases). These Marlins have committed 60 errors -- compared with 82 by the '97 team -- and are superior defensively. And they lead in the camaraderie category. ''That was a great team,'' says second baseman Luis Castillo, the only member of the '97 team still with the Marlins. ``That team had a lot more experience and it had [stars]on it, but this team is much closer. Everybody on this team pulls for each other. We push each other, and I think that's why we are winning, because we are so close.'' In '97 Castillo was sent to Triple A when the Marlins made the July 27 trade for Craig Counsell. The Marlins also added Daulton, who was an inspiration in the clubhouse. ''There's no doubt that was a great team,'' says Marlins infield coach Perry Hill, who was with the Detroit Tigers in '97. ``They had a lot of big-name players. But in the last month we have really played as a team. There's no selfishness here.'' The '97 team had won five more games at this juncture of the season, but that team limped into the playoffs, going 27-24 over the final 51 games. The '03 Marlins, one of the hottest teams in baseball, would need to win 32 of their final 51 games to match the '97 team. ''We can definitely do that,'' Looper said. ``The way we've been pitching lately, there's no reason why we can't win 90-92 games. As long as we don't hit a downspin. But our starting pitching has been so good lately. They've carried us.'' SIMILAR PITCHING The '97 Marlins had a better team ERA (3.66 vs. 4.06) at this point, but if you compare the starting rotation and closers, there's not much difference, and today's pitchers get several edges. The '97 staff's ERA rose to 3.88 by season's end, despite Kevin Brown's winless streak after July. The '03 Marlins' ERA has been dropping and might get below 4.00. Brad Penny has been pitching better, and a healthy Josh Beckett has made a difference. Florida has added strong setup man Ugueth Urbina. Then there's Willis (10-2). The team believes it's going to win every time he pitches. ''This team has all the ingredients -- pitching, defense, clutch hitting,'' says Marlins hitting coach Bill Robinson. ``That ['97] team had great players, but this team reminds me of the '86 Mets. It has that confidence, and they are hungry. It's so much fun right now. You see that chemistry and guys pulling for each other. It's not about big names. It's about guys stepping up. ``Why not us? Tell me, why not the fish. Look at Anaheim last year. Nobody gave them a chance, but guys stepped up and came through? Why not us?''
August 7, 200322 yr u guys are like wild hyenas if anyone does/posts anything older than 5 minutes. Give it a rest already. Not everybody has their face pressed up against a monitor all day you know. I, for one, thought the article was pretty interesting, albeit irrelevant, it was still interesting (and positive). Thanks Jonny
August 7, 200322 yr i thought the content of the article was good...but very poorly written. Sounded like a kid wrote it.
August 7, 200322 yr you know whats funny. you people b*tch about no positive articles on the marlins. now you get positive articles and you still b*tch. give me a break. what do you want?
August 7, 200322 yr i just dont think you can compare these 2 teams..... the 03 team has done zilch and wouldnt even be in the playoffs if the season ended yesterday thats all im saying
August 8, 200322 yr good info, poorly written. "Then there's Willis (10-2). The team believes it's going to win every time he pitches." That is a paragraph right there. Doesn't that just sound like a 14 year old wrote that?
August 8, 200322 yr the article was pretty poorly written, the hook sucked but what can you expect from a newspaper that has a 6th grade reading level. but the significance is good though
August 8, 200322 yr yeah, i got guys on my staff who write better. really, when you evaluate it, its a bunch of fragments. wild i think you still got a lot to learn about newspaper kid. IMO, the whole newspaper stinks. miami needs a daily for the people that is made of good content from miamians and miami team fans, not critics and snobs
August 8, 200322 yr what can you expect from a newspaper that has a 6th grade reading level. Which newspaper (that features sports articles) do you know that is written above a 6th grade reading level? There are many different styles of writing. This article is more in the style of stream of consciousness, and not necessarily paragraph by paragraph style. hmm usa today new york times the tribune boston globe boston herald im telling you, we need a 2nd daily, hell, Hartford,CT has 3! and yes i know its a pretty big city and a rich state, butr cmon, a mid major city has 2 and we have 1 CRAPPY ONE
August 8, 200322 yr see.... always something to piss and moan about. now the writing is not good enough. what do you want a pulitizer prize winning column?
August 8, 200322 yr i just dont think you can compare these 2 teams..... This infield is better. That outfield would kill this one. The pitching is pretty damn equal talent wise, but the '97 team gets the edge for veteranship.
August 8, 200322 yr i just don't think you can compare these 2 teams... You can't really...The only improvement this team has over 97',IMO, is the infield. The starting pitching was better and the bullpen was also better in the 97' season. And as WildCard stated...veteranship...That team wah chock full of veteran players.
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