Sometimes, often times, I wish we had at least one reporter or columnist in South Florida who gave a sh-- about baseball.

 

If we did we'd know how Alex Gonzalez' surgery went. We'd get some insight into what's happening with our talent in the Arizona Fall League besides trying to read through the lines of box scores and two paragraph game wraps, or whether Mike Lowell is at the gym this morning working his butt off to render the 2005 season nothing more than a bad dream.

 

Of the three, my thoughts are focused most on Mike Lowell and what will be his eventual legacy as a Florida Marlin, the hometown kid made good and now gone bad. Does he come into spring training mentally and physically prepared to compete? Is he even with the team when training camp opens in 2006 and if so, position-wise, where will he play?

 

More than anyone else on the team, Lowell is the enigma. He clouds our view of what kind of team we'll have next season.

 

If he and his homerun bat return do you push Miggy back into the outfield thus stifling the chances of Aguila or Willingham to play everyday? Does Lowell move to second base and Castillo to SS, or do you trade Castillo and let Gonzo depart and pick up an Aurillia or Clayton or Counsell? Does the fantasy geek's dream of Mikey going back to third and Cabrera to shortstop come to fruition?

 

If Mikey's homerun bat returns does the FO trade him during spring training even though this team doesn't score enough runs (so you can use those dollars to lockup Miguel Cabrera longterm ala Albert Puljos) and needs desperately to fashion a team that does?

 

And what if it doesn't? Do you sit Lowell on the bench next to Damion Easley, another fallen high-priced superstar who morphed into a black hole for a handful of years until he found his niche as a utility player, or do you trade him, eat most of his contract, earn a ton of ill-will for sending the local kid packing, and then pray you made the right decision if and when he shows signs of resurrecting his career in a more hitter friendly ballpark?

 

As Lowell goes so goes the franchise. It's like one of those intricate chain reaction domino thingies. Knock one over and then watch all the other pieces fall in place. Of all the decisions facing Girardi and Beinfest and Loria, Lowell has to be the key one and I wish we had one guy in the tri-county region that cared enough to find out what their thinking is or gave us some glimpse into the direction they're taking.

 

If we had one guy who cared (as opposed to the guys we have who are paid to merely report what happened at the last press briefing) maybe we'd know how Scott Olsen is doing and if he and Vargas and Johnson and Ungs fully understand what may be expected of them in 2006, and what they are doing to prepare themselves for their shot at greatness? They haven't stopped talking baseball in Pittsburgh or Chicago or Kansas City or Boston, and certainly not in New York, but in South Florida the dailies seem to revel in the notion they can go days, or even a week without mentioning the hometown team.

 

I wonder if Randy Messenger got the message this season that he'd better learn how to get some movement on his fastball if he expects to have career in major league baseball or if Josh Willingham is shagging flyballs every morning or Guillermo Mota recognizes that the best thing he can do is rest his arm for next three months? Or has AA finally figured out if he lost 30lbs maybe, just maybe he wouldn't have chronic back problems? This isn't the era I grew up in, where all-star major league players had off-season jobs lugging produce or working in lumberyards, professional major league level baseball today pays well enough that players have to make a year round commitment to their jobs, if they want to keep those jobs.

 

I also wonder if this isn't the season we throw caution to the wind and rebuild this team, especially up the middle (2nd, SS, CF) and reconcile ourselves to a .500 team in 2006. I'd like to see that debated in the media, not in the derisive way a Mike Berardino goes at it where every move the Marlins make is the wrong one, or the vague references of Baxter and Spencer who seem to relish imparting as little information as possible as if they were holding a pair of kings at the final table of the World Series of Poker.

 

And certainly not in the way Joe Capozzi writes about trading Carlos Delgado. If you know something tangible Joe, let us in on it, stop beating around the bush.

 

I grew up when baseball reporters told it like it was, or at least how they saw it, and didn't couch every quote with the phrases "a source close to the situation" or "an unidentified GM..." or "a scout told me...". If your source is so chickensh-- to not go on the record then don't waste our time with anonymous quotes. Today's baseball beat reporters are so afraid of offending players that by the time they get done sanitizing what they've observed even Kreskin couldn't figure out what took place.

 

The one guy who has given us at least a glimpse into the locker room is the much-maligned Dan LeBatard, whose piece on Miguel Cabrera's antics in the clubhouse still stands (at least for me) as the single best piece of baseball talk of the entire 2005 season.

 

From Dan LeBatard, Miami Herald, Sunday 7/03/05:

 

Miguel Cabrera, child prodigy, is strutting around nude. He is so very comfortable here at the top of his sport. He is like his favorite player -- lovable airhead Manny Ramirez. And the no-brains, no-headaches approach works for him, obviously.

 

Let the opposing scouts and coaches spend the night poring over spray charts, as Marlins infield coach Perry Hill did his big Friday night in this city, trying to figure out exactly where to position Castillo for Brian Moehler's first pitch to Cliff Floyd. Cabrera will just take all of their advance scouting and hit it over the left-field fence.

 

''Soy un caballo!'' Cabrera shouts in Spanish at Hall of Famer Tony Perez, the Marlins' Latin liaison.

 

I am a horse.

 

It is the highest form of Hispanic baseball compliment, being a horse, and Cabrera is playfully paying it to himself.

 

He lets this echo without response from Perez, then amends it.

 

''Soy un caballote!'' he shouts at Perez.

 

What's that?

 

''A horse that is bigger than a horse!'' Cabrera explains, not boasting as much as speaking the God's Honest Truth.

 

But I want more, much more, and I want it now.

It died? I don't think we have ever had a good pure baseball writer. Berardino cross-dressed as one before Torborg got fired and he went on his jihad, but the closest we have to pure baseball writers are the guys at the Herald.

Great post

Edit

Bob Rubin used to write some decent baseball.

 

Boog will talk some on 790, but only if provoked. Most hosts claim (and rightly so) that they will talk about what the callers call in about. Apparently, the callers (except for Izzy) don't wanna talk no hardball.

 

Speaking of which, where's the Cro? He was supposed to be back from coaching some Orientals in AZ around 9/1, but he hasn't re-appeared............

That was a great post BTW. It's just if we CANT resign Gonzalez, keeping Castillo is a must. If not, our infield D goes to sh*t. Ya want to know what I hope the opening day lineup for next season is? I'll give it to you and we can discuss it:

2B-Castillo-$5 mil

LF-Hermida-$300K

3B-Cabrera-$500K

1B-Delgado-$13.5 mil

RF-Sheffield-$4-mil

C-Lo Duca-$6-mil

CF-Aguila-$500K

SS-Gonzalez-$4 mil

Bench:

Conine-$1.5 mil

Easley-$750K

Mabry-$750K

Abercrombie-$300K

Willingham-$500K

 

Rotation:

Willis-$4 mil

Beckett-$4 mil

Olsen-$300K

Johnson-$300K

Vargas$300K

 

Pen:

Resop-$300K

Messenger-$300K

Kensing-$300K

Villone-$2.5 mil

Tankersly-$300K

Mota-$2.5 mil

Jones-$3 mil

 

This is where my build pitching from within comes in handy, by using 7 rookies in the staff, we free up money to give Jones the deal he needs, and sign Beckett/Willis long term. Trade Lowell/JP to the Yankees for Sheffield, let the Yankees eat half his contract(they will for JP). Abercrombie/Aguila split time in CF. That puts payroll right around $55 mil, give or take. A lot of young players, but alot of good young players. They will perform

My takes on a few of the issues:

 

Lowell will probably show up "ready" to play, but whether that translates into on field results is a huge questionmark. By the time we know what kind of Mike Lowell we're getting (S.T. '06) we'll likely have our infield and outfield in place, barring injury. If Lowell has an Abraham Nunez type spring, I think it would be in our best interests as a team to see if someone is willing to take his contract and its remaining balance, and that money can then be used to lock up either Willis, Beckett or Cabrera.

 

Who knows what we're planning on doing with the young guys (outside of Hermida), but I'd like to see Willingham at least get a long look in S.T. in the corner outfield, probably left, and as for Aguila...meh.

 

Give it time though, there isn't really a whole lot going on, the hot-stove won't pick up until the G.M. meetings next week...

 

 

 

Trade Lowell/JP to the Yankees for Sheffield, let the Yankees eat half his contract(they will for JP).

 

No, they won't eat money on Sheff's contract and take Lowell's bad contract.

 

And either way, if they eat half of the deal, it's still $7 million that he'd be making, he's got one year left at $13.5 million.

I started a Marlins offseason thread at a cardinals board, and they all think we will be bottom feeders next season, because they say "everyone wants out".

 

I personally havent heard anything along those lines, in fact it seems as if Gonzo wants to resign and Delgado does not want to be traded.

 

So, someone tell me(I know they dont know the team that well but still), but has anyone heard anything about anyone wanting out besides AJ and Enc?

I started a Marlins offseason thread at a cardinals board, and they all think we will be bottom feeders next season, because they say "everyone wants out".

 

I personally havent heard anything along those lines, in fact it seems as if Gonzo wants to resign and Delgado does not want to be traded.

 

So, someone tell me(I know they dont know the team that well but still), but has anyone heard anything about anyone wanting out besides AJ and Enc?

 

 

No, I haven't heard of anyone wanting out besides those two. If we keep Carlos, Miggy, Dontrelle, and Josh, we'll be competitive.

Nice post 2003!

 

I search the local papers on the net almost daily in hopes of finding a few tidbits....but find little to nothing. Even this site has slowed down considerably. Perhaps it's just the doldrums before the hot stove season gets going, but it sure seemed like we had more activity this time last year.

I started a Marlins offseason thread at a cardinals board, and they all think we will be bottom feeders next season, because they say "everyone wants out".

 

I personally havent heard anything along those lines, in fact it seems as if Gonzo wants to resign and Delgado does not want to be traded.

 

So, someone tell me(I know they dont know the team that well but still), but has anyone heard anything about anyone wanting out besides AJ and Enc?

 

 

No, I haven't heard of anyone wanting out besides those two. If we keep Carlos, Miggy, Dontrelle, and Josh, we'll be competitive.

 

Thats what I was thinking. I think they are just saying that because, even if we lose Enc and AJ, we are one of the few teams talent wise better than them. They are scared.

AGREE!!

 

I think all our writers are F***in' Bandwagoners! Le Batard seem always to come out with his "best" marlins stuff when we win.. Like in 2003!

 

As for the FA, all of people are saying it rebuild time but come on???? Loduca, Willis, Delgado, Beckett, Thats rebuilding!!?? Give me a break we can win the divison next season if we dont completly tear up our team... Encarnacion in my opinion can leave, Hermida is ready!! We need some pitching, both starting and reilief!

Im getting the feeling that the FO wants to give Lowell a second chance.

That was a great post BTW. It's just if we CANT resign Gonzalez, keeping Castillo is a must. If not, our infield D goes to sh*t. Ya want to know what I hope the opening day lineup for next season is? I'll give it to you and we can discuss it:

 

RF-Sheffield-$4-mil

 

Rotation:

Willis-$4 mil

Beckett-$4 mil

Olsen-$300K

Johnson-$300K

Vargas$300K

 

 

 

 

 

FIRST OFF; NICE POST

2ND OFF; GARY SHEFFIELD? LMAO WOW...GARY SHEFFIELD MAKING $4 MILLION...never happen and especially not with the marlins

 

3rd off: thats not the rotation

Im getting the feeling that the FO wants to give Lowell a second chance.

 

 

And why shouldn't they? He has stood behind this team through the difficult times when he could have gone elsewhere, so why shouldn't the FO stand behind him now?

Alas 03, it's the sad truth. Sure can't ever expect to find any news on the Marlins minor leaguers in our papers.

 

Best hope is to just check out the Marlins official site, & of course MB.com, for the latest.

There isn't a wide demand for the Marlins here in South Florida, it is a fringe sport here save for when we are in the WS. The end. Especially, when they aren't playing and the Dolphins are. Nothing for it. It's not like the media here are all depriving the masses of Marlin talk, just the few hundred dedicated fans on this site.

 

Boog and Eddie K are really your only outlets to satisfy your immediate baseball talk needs. Things will heat up again, once the awards are handed out, then comes FA signings/rumors, then ST before you know it!

Some people are holding their grudge against Berardino a bit too long. He's written many excellent articles in recent years, especially in the past 12 months.

 

 

Then again I can remember liking Joe Capozzi before he stopped leaving his desk to seek out stories.

Then Apply for a job with the Sentinel and be there main Baseball guy

Then Apply for a job with the Sentinel and be there main Baseball guy

 

 

I've already retired from the newspaper business, thank you.

 

You, I suspect, missed the point, which is that baseball talk is alive and well throughout America but sadly missing here. It's an editorial management decision as much as anything, although the caliber of people working as beat reporters is sadly lacking as well.

 

Hopefully Swifty is right that things will heat up around the time of the upcoming GM meeting. Lets hope so anyways.

It's football season and Miami is a football town. That's all there is to it. Also, the vast anti-Marlins conspiracy by the Illumi...ooops, I've said to much.