2005 Year in Review

[PBMarlin]

Marlins' season full of ups, downs

 

Willis stellar in '05; team trades several starters for prospects

 

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

 

A year that started with so much promise and hope turned into one of the most topsy-turvy seasons in franchise history.

The Marlins ushered in 2005 with a big splash, shocking the baseball world by signing slugger Carlos Delgado to the richest-contract since the club's inception in 1993. Luring in a big fish like Delgado was supposed to be a symbol that the team not only was going to be legitimate contenders on the field, his presence was expected to spark season-ticket sales while drumming up more political support to get a retractable-roof stadium built in downtown Miami.

 

Plans didn't work out that way. On the field, the Marlins fell short of playoff expectations. And now their long-term future in South Florida is very much up in the air because their pitch for a new ballpark in Miami collapsed.

 

The year did produce a number of highs as Dontrelle Willis led the Major Leagues in victories, and the D-Train finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Miguel Cabrera again was an All-Star, and Todd Jones became a surprising comeback story by posting 40 saves.

 

As the organization moves forward, Joe Girardi steps in as an enthusiastic first-year manager, replacing savvy, cigar-smoking skipper Jack McKeon, who remains an adviser to owner Jeffrey Loria.

 

As the Marlins move forward, what the future holds for the franchise is in doubt. The league has granted the club permission to seek relocation. The payroll also will dramatically reduce in 2006. While many of the names from the past few years are being replaced, the organization is aiming to restock with young talent in the hopes of once again emerging as a serious contender. It just may take some time, and where that future will be is unknown as 2005 draws to a close.

 

January

 

Entering a new year, the Marlins made a major statement that they were going to give every effort to compete in 2005. The month started off with the signing of catcher Paul Lo Duca to a three-year, $18 million contract.

 

Following up their commitment to Lo Duca, the front office set their sights on one of the biggest free agents available. Owner Jeffrey Loria cut short a business trip in Europe to attend a "meet-and-greet" with slugger Carlos Delgado.

 

After an intense monthlong courtship, the Marlins signed Delgado to a four-year, $52 million contract, the richest deal ever by a Marlin.

 

February

 

The opening of Spring Training raised the excitement of the arrival of Delgado to his first Marlins' camp. The slugger created a stir the minute he stepped into the Roger Dean Stadium clubhouse in Jupiter for the first time.

 

With Cabrera, Delgado and Lowell batting in the Nos. 3-5 spots, the Marlins entered the season with arguably the most imposing heart of the order in team history.

 

The team's bid for a new stadium got a boost when city of Miami and Miami-Dade County commissioners approved the retractable-roof stadium plan next to the Orange Bowl.

 

March

 

Eager to get their Grapefruit League schedule started, the Marlins suffered an early injury that had a big impact the rest of the spring. Juan Pierre, their speedy center fielder, sustained a strained right calf muscle in early action and missed three weeks. The absence of their leadoff hitter was felt, as run production was a problem.

 

On the positive side, the team's pitching was effective, thanks largely to Josh Beckett showing overpowering stuff. Based on a super spring when his ERA was 0.99, Beckett was named the Opening Day starter for the third straight season.

 

The Marlins finished Spring Training with the worst record in the league, which had players like Delgado itching to let the regular season begin.

 

April

 

Optimistic team president David Samson made a bold prediction the day before the season opened, forecasting the Marlins would win 93 games. Prior to the 2003 season, Samson made a dead-on pick when he said the team would win 91. They matched that number and went on to win the World Series.

 

In the season opener, Beckett was boosted by ample run support as the Marlins rolled by John Smoltz and the Braves. Juan Encarnacion's first-inning grand slam set the tempo for the 9-0 win.

 

Strong starting pitching carried the Marlins in the first month, as Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Willis all logged complete games. Burnett collected a Player of the Week honor.

 

As strong as Burnett was, Willis went 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Those impressive numbers earned the D-Train the National League's Pitcher of the Month.

 

May

 

On the field, the Marlins entered May on a roll, as they competed with the Braves for first place in the division. Off the field, the month began with a stadium setback. The team's bid for a $60 million sales tax rebate was rebuffed in the Florida Senate, which didn't even allow the issue to be put up for a vote. Disappointed, team owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement that the team would explore other options.

 

The month turned out to be up and down for the Marlins. On May 24, Damion Easley homered in the ninth inning off Phillies closer Billy Wagner to send the game into extra innings. And in the 10th inning, Delgado's RBI double won it, improving the team's record to 26-16.

 

But after going 10 games over .500, the Marlins went into a downslide, losing six of seven to close out the month.

 

June

 

The emergence of Willis continued as the D-Train became the first 10-game winner in the Major Leagues, beating the Mariners 5-4. And his ability to put the Marlins on a winning track came at a time the team was fighting through a slump where they lost 12 of 15.

 

As an organization, the Marlins maintained their commitment to compiling quality young arms. That was evident in the First-Year Player Draft, where the team's three first-round picks were pitchers.

 

In mid-month, the Marlins suffered a blow to their rotation when Beckett's blister problem resurfaced during a start against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

 

July

 

Overall, the first half didn't go according to script. Still, several players were rewarded for their efforts by being selected to the National League All-Star squad. For the second straight year, the Marlins matched their franchise high with four representatives at the Midsummer Classic. Willis, Cabrera, Lo Duca and Castillo each were voted in by their peers.

 

Whenever the team was showing signs of piecing together a nice winning streak, they endured an untimely setback. Beckett went on the DL for the second time with an oblique strain.

 

The short-term loss of Beckett opened an opportunity for Double-A left-hander Scott Olsen, who showed promise in his early starts.

 

After the All-Star break, the Marlins gave another left-hander from the Minor Leagues a shot, calling up Jason Vargas from Double-A.

 

The arrival of Vargas, however, meant the departure of a proud veteran, Al Leiter. At age 39, Leiter never found a consistent groove in his second stint as a Marlin.

 

A few days after being designated for assignment, Leiter was traded to the Yankees for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Ultimately, he was moved for cash, roughly $400,000. As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approached, there were numerous rumors floating around that Burnett was headed to the Orioles. One proposed deal included Lowell being shipped with the hard-throwing right-hander.

 

The Marlins avoided making a major move because they started winning. Burnett went on a roll, and the team followed. The core of the team remained intact.

 

One trade was made at the deadline. Left-handed reliever Ron Villone was acquired from the Mariners for two Minor League pitchers.

 

August

 

Some wear and tear began catching up to the lineup in early August. Lo Duca pulled his right hamstring at Cincinnati. While the injury didn't land the All-Sar on the disabled list, it did impair him the rest of the season. At the time Lo Duca went down, the lineup suffered a major blow when Delgado went on the DL with a sore left hand.

 

Compounding the injury problem, Encarnacion sat out with a sore left wrist. Seeing three key starters go down could have crippled the team's playoff hopes, but late in the month, behind the surging pitching of Burnett, Willis and Beckett, the Marlins gained ground in the standings. Burnett rolled off his seventh straight win on Aug. 19. It would be his last win of the season.

 

Willis, meanwhile, put his name in the team record book by notching his 18th victory, tying the franchise mark set in 2004 by Carl Pavano.

 

The month ended with a bang, even though the Marlins were on the losing end of a 10-5 decision to the Cardinals. Prize prospect Jeremy Hermida made his Major League debut in grand style. The left-handed hitting outfielder, called up from Double-A, connected on a pinch-hit grand slam in his first big league at-bat. It was the first time in 107 years that a player belted a grand slam in his first MLB at-bat.

 

September

 

In more than 50 years involved in professional baseball, McKeon achieved a great number of things. Twice the cigar-smoking skipper was named National League Manager of the Year. On Sept. 3, he reached another milestone, collecting his 1,000th win as a MLB manager.

 

More milestones were soon to follow. Cabrera became the first Marlin to ever post two 30-home run seasons.

 

Shortly after, Willis became the first 20-game winner in franchise history, and the 13th African-American in baseball history to reach the plateau.

 

From a team standpoint, the Marlins reached their highest point in the standings when they toppled the Astros on Sept. 14, boosted by Lo Duca's dramatic homer.

 

The victory put the Marlins 1 1/2 games ahead of the Astros, and one game up on the Phillies, in the Wild Card standings. That was as good as it got for Florida, which went into a tailspin. Mounting injuries helped lead to the team's late-season swoon. A crushing contest came on Sept. 18 when Willis carried a 2-0 shutout into the ninth inning against the Phillies. Instead of collecting his 23rd win, the Phillies took advantage of four Florida errors on their way to a 10-run inning in a 10-2 win.

 

That heartbreaker became the turning point, effectively ending any realistic chances the club had at reaching the postseason.

 

October

 

In the season finale, the Marlins were unable to reward Willis with his 23rd win. Still, the club did finish up on a high by rallying to beat the Braves in 10 innings. Hermida's dramatic homer with two outs in the ninth forced extra innings, and Pierre's RBI single in the 10th gave the Marlins a 7-6 win.

 

Immediately after the game, McKeon retired as manager, accepting a role as special adviser to Loria.

 

Close to three weeks later, Girardi was introduced as the club's eighth manager.

 

The month featured a satisfying award for Willis, who was named the 2005 Warren Spahn Award winner, presented to the top lefty in the league.

 

November

 

While Willis would finish second to Carpenter in the Cy Young Award voting, two Marlins brought home gold when Lowell and Castillo were named Gold Glove winners.

 

As players from 2005 were being recognized for on-field achievements, the organization's bid for a retractable-roof stadium next to the Orange Bowl fell apart. With no solid stadium deal in sight, Samson announced the club received permission to seek relocation.

 

Two days later, on Thanksgiving night, the Marlins swung two major deals. First, Delgado was traded to the Mets for Mike Jacobs and two pitching prospects.

 

A few hours later, Beckett, Lowell and Guillermo Mota were traded to the Red Sox for more prospects, including Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.

 

December

 

Continuing to scale down payroll, Castillo was dealt to the Twins for a couple of pitching prospects.

 

Two days later, Lo Duca was headed to the Mets for more prospects. And before the Winter Meetings wrapped up, the popular Pierre was dealt to the Cubs. With so many key starters traded, Loria addressed the future of the franchise.

 

The search for a new home, possibly out of Florida, officially began when Samson and other team officials visited San Antonio.

 

Working with a revamped roster didn't diminish Girardi's enthusiasm. The 41-year-old skipper fully expects his young team to produce while not making inexperience an excuse.

 

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

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