This is from the Jackson Sun, the hometown paper of the Diamond Jaxx with whom both pitchers played with. Pretty good article.

 

The Florida Marlins, who tend to alternate between the World Series and off-season fire sales, picked up ex-Diamond Jaxx Ricky Nolasco and Reynel Pinto with an eye to the future.

 

For the 23-year-old Nolasco, the future may be now.

 

The fight is still on for the final spots in the Marlins' revamped pitching staff. The 23-year-old righthander, obtained from the Chicago Cubs along with Pinto and pitcher Sergio Mitre in a deal for All-Star leadoff man Juan Pierre, has a good shot at being in a big-league uniform when the season opens Monday night in Houston.

 

"It's going to be down to the wire, but he's done nothing but help his case," Marlins' rookie manager Joe Girardi said. "He's got some awfully good upside."

 

Nolasco, the Southern League's pitcher of the year in 2005 with the Jaxx, is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings this spring. He gave up his first earned-run Monday in an exhibition game with Baltimore, but held on for the save.

 

"Everything's good right now," Nolasco said, "but I'm trying not to dwell on things I don't have control over, like where they send me.

 

"But this was a good chance for a fresh start with a team where there's a lot of opportunity."

 

Mitre also looks to be part of a rotation that has several question marks behind ace Dontrelle Willis and journeyman Brian Moehler. Pinto, after an early look, will start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque.

 

"You look to get value, but we got some awfully nice arms in that deal," said Marlins' pitching coach Rick Kranitz, who would know where to look. Before taking the job on new manager Joe Girardi's staff, he was the pitching coach for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, and managed both Nolasco and Pinto at Class A Daytona Beach in 1993.

 

Nolasco's development in two seasons has particularly impressed Kranitz.

 

"Ricky (a fourth-round draft pick in 2001) was really on the fast track, and hit a little speed bump (going 2-3 with a 9-plus ERA in a short stint at Iowa in 2004)," Kranitz said. "But his overall presence is so much better now. He's more aggressive in the strike zone and showing a lot of confidence, especially with his curve ball. He throws it anywhere he wants it, and can put guys away with it. He's also developed a nice little changeup."

 

Nolasco, 14-3 at West Tenn last season and 41-17 overall, said he "worked a lot with (Jaxx pitching coach) Alan Dunn on the changeup as my third or fourth pitch. But mostly we worked on balance. If I can keep good balance, I won't have problems anywhere in my delivery."

 

Marlins' minor league pitching coordinator Wayne Rosenthal figured he might not see Nolasco in his world.

 

"I saw him pitch twice against our Carolina team last year, and he manhandled us," Rosenthal said.

 

Right now, Nolasco is just trying to soak up what he can of the teaching, and the experience. Girardi, just two years removed from a 15-year catching career that included three World Series rings with the Yankees, is a good start.

 

"He's a great teacher for someone like me," Nolasco said. "Right now he's preaching that we concentrate on the basics, and stay togther."

 

Mechanics is the reason that Pinto, also 23, was sent to the minors.

 

"We're trying to get him to bring his delivery, especially on the slider, more over the top," Girardi said. "He tends to drop sidearm a bit, and the pitch flattens out and becomes more hittable. But it shouldn't take much time."

 

Pinto has spent the last two seasons shining at West Tenn (21-11) and struggling at Iowa (2-3).

 

He's responded pretty well. Last week, in a game against the Mets' Triple-A club, he pitched four scoreless innings, striking out six.

 

"Reynel showed us the kind of command we're looking to see," Rosenthal said.

 

Pinto, a Venezuelan lefthander signed as a free agent, figures continued progress will bring opportunity on what could be a fluid pitching staff.

 

"The nice part about being here is that there will be opportunities," he said. "I work hard, get my mechanics in shape, and the opportunity should be there. You'll see movement (on the roster)."

 

Pinto said that likely wasn't going to be the case in Chicago, "where they're pretty well set at the big-league level."

 

That, however, is always open to debate, given the frequency of Kerry Wood's and Mark Prior's visits to the disabled list. Neither Wood (knee), nor Prior (shoulder) have pitched this spring, and were officially put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.

 

"I'm not going to say that the Cubs gave up too much to get Pierre. That's their business," Nolasco said.

 

But then he added, not tipping off the inside shot, "I heard that the Cubs were out looking for pitching right now."

 

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../603300313/1006

i like both these guys. i've been very impressed by nolasco... he's going to do extremely well for us. i look forward to seeing him pitch during the season. i saw pinto pitch somewhere on tv this summer and he can really bring the heat. he throws real hard. you could tell he was wild, but if he could somehow improve his command and not walk so many guys yet retain his stuff, he could be an outstanding mlb pitcher.

no offense, but they wrote that these players were acquired for All-Star lead off man Juan Pierre....someone pls refresh my memory and let me know when JP made the All-Star game...

 

 

im still a big JP fan but don't remember him making it to the mid-summer classic

nolasco is one hell of a talent and pinto is not far behind, i just cant wait to see nolasco pitch come season time

This is from the Jackson Sun, the hometown paper of the Diamond Jaxx with whom both pitchers played with. Pretty good article.

 

"You look to get value, but we got some awfully nice arms in that deal," said Marlins' pitching coach Rick Kranitz, who would know where to look. Before taking the job on new manager Joe Girardi's staff, he was the pitching coach for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, and managed both Nolasco and Pinto at Class A Daytona Beach in 1993.

 

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../603300313/1006

 

:mischief2