http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/14229429.htm

 

By PAUL HAGEN

hagenp@phillynews.com

 

Fourth in a series

 

JUPITER, Fla. - For better or worse, for richer or poorer, most franchises develop an identity over the years.

 

For the lordly New York Yankees, it's winning. Twenty-six world championships have branded the team. For the Phillies, sadly, it's the opposite. Thirty last-place finishes plus the infamous collapse of 1964 have seen to that.

 

For the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, it's frustration and heartache. And for the Florida Marlins, the scarlet letters spell out two words:

 

Fire Sale.

 

The Marlins won the World Series in 1997. The champagne-soaked clubhouse carpet had barely dried before owner Wayne Huizenga directed his roster to be taken apart like a stolen car at a chop shop.

 

What's really mind-boggling, though, is that the dismantling of 8 years ago looks half-hearted compared to the slash-and-burn offensive new owner Jeffrey Loria ordered this winter after a his team fell out of contention in the last week of the season.

 

Then, the payroll went from $53 million to $32 million.

 

This time it plunged from $66 million to $18 million... and that includes payments to departed players Carlos Delgado, Pudge Rodriguez and Al Leiter.

 

Then, for at least the first 6 weeks of the season, the Marlins still had Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Edgar Renteria and Craig Counsell.

 

This time, any fan who can identify a single Marlin after Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera deserves to win a baseball autographed by Jeremy Hermida. Since Opening Day last year, seven of eight starting position players, two of top three starters and 40-save closer are long gone.

 

Then attendance dropped sharply and the Fish lost 108 games.

 

This time, it's anybody's guess how low they can go.

 

See ya Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett. Good luck Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, Jeff Conine, Juan Encarnacion, Paul LoDuca. Best wishes Juan Pierre, Guillermo Mota, Todd Jones, Alex Gonzalez. See you around Antonio Alfonseca, Guillermo Mota and Mike Lowell.

 

And that may not be the worst of it. Blocked in attempts to get taxpayer funding for a new stadium with a retractable roof, team officials have been openly scouting possible relocation destinations.

 

Las Vegas has been mentioned. So have Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Portland.

 

But wait! It still gets worse. Contraction, which has been off the table since the last Basic Agreement was negotiated, goes back in play again at the end of this season. There has even been speculation that Major League Baseball could take over the team as it did the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.

 

Loria hadn't made any public comments since hiring manager Joe Girardi to replace Jack McKeon last October before showing up at Roger Dean Stadium this spring. When he did, he pointed a finger directly at the lack of a new stadium.

 

"We do need a place to play in 2010," he told assembled reporters, referring to the point at which the Marlins will [supposedly] no longer be welcomed as tenants at Dolphins Stadium.

 

"I've said that a million times, but we do have to find a solution to this. A domed facility. We're just looking at our options right now. When we have something to say about the options and what's going to be, we'll let you know. Right now it's just looking at all possibilities."

 

Loria could have added that despite fielding a team that was 2 years removed from its second world championship and in the race until the end last season, the Marlins still had the fourth lowest attendance (1,852,608) in the majors, ahead of only the Royals, Devil Rays and Pirates.

 

He could have pointed out that general manager Admin Beinfest did an admirable job of harvesting some top prospects in return - Hanley Ramirez, Mike Jacobs, Yusmeiro Petit, Anibal Sanchez, Sergio Mitre - who could form the foundation for a contending team in the future.

 

None of that helps alleviate the grim reality of the 162-game slog that lies ahead of them, though.

 

"We're going to be the underdogs in every game we play, except when Dontrelle [Willis] is on the mound second baseman Pokey Reese observed when camp opened.

 

It somehow fits into the current Marlins state of flux that, 2 weeks later, Reese left the team under mysterious circumstances and had his contract voided.

 

"It's been like watching a minor-league camp, all the players you've never heard of, all the work on fundamentals," said one scout who has been following the Marlins closely this spring.

 

And there are some dangers in keeping Willis and Cabrera as the lone building blocks.

 

Willis, 24, is an electrifying lefthander. Last year he won 22 games and was runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award. He has one of the most effervescent personalities in the game. But you have to wonder if the constant drip-drip-drip of defeat will inevitably dampen his enthusiasm.

 

Cabrera is even more problematical. Although he doesn't turn 23 until April 18, he's a veteran of two-plus big league seasons. But concerns rose last year that he had had so much success so soon that he was beginning to develop bad habits. In a perfect world, a respected veteran would pull him aside and gently chide him about showing more respect for the game. Of course, all the guys who could do that are now playing for other teams.

 

And, with little protection in the lineup, he shouldn't see many pitches to hit.

 

There's no guarantee, of course, that assembling a bunch of talented youngsters will necessarily morph into a championship team.

 

And if it does for the Marlins, it won't be this year. It won't be next year. And, for all anybody knows, it might not even be in Florida.

that last sentence just annoys me. he writes for the freaking phillies, the hell do they do every year? get a couple free agents and finish out of the playoff race every year cuz the choke down the stretch.

Maybe I missed where the guy said there was no win in the firesale. Most of what he seems to say is rather true. He seems to at least like the pieces we got back. What is the problem that he says the rookies might gel and doesn't say they will? I mean what do you want this guy to say? I don't really see where he lied or said all the Marlins did was bad. But it is hard to be rosey about a team who has won 2 championships and can't get local support for a stadium or get enough of a fan base to keep a good product on the field. Plus there is an anti-Loria sentiment out in the baseball world by some this guy might have bought into that for all I know I don't think I ever read him before.

What a lazy article. Oh yeah, the Marlins may have gotten a few prospects back in return.

 

We're more likely to win again then atleast half the teams in the league. I really hope this teams surprises alot of people. Especially all of those scumbags in Philly and NY.

Doesn't stuff like this make you want to go out and beat the livin' crap out of the Phillies this year?

 

I know it does me.

All I know, is that right now, the Marlins are no worse than even with the Phillies at multiple positions, and by next season we should be able to run circles around that roster.

^ Todd Pratt would whoop my ass!

All I know, is that right now, the Marlins are no worse than even with the Phillies at multiple positions

 

1b? No

2b? No

SS? No

3b? Better than

LF? No/push if Willingham

CF? Almost even

RF? No

Catcher? Worse if not Willingham/better than if him.

SP:Marlins have a better ace, but Phillies have a more proven guys 2-5. Maybe Push on 2 and 3 but they get 4 and 5.

RP: Phillies

 

You want to knock the guy fine but I mean come on don't fool yourselves.

if this article wasnt written in Philly and was written on ESPN.com what would the reaction be

All I know, is that right now, the Marlins are no worse than even with the Phillies at multiple positions

 

1b? No

2b? No

SS? No

3b? Better than

LF? No/push if Willingham

CF? Almost even

RF? No

Catcher? Worse if not Willingham/better than if him.

SP:Marlins have a better ace, but Phillies have a more proven guys 2-5. Maybe Push on 2 and 3 but they get 4 and 5.

RP: Phillies

 

You want to knock the guy fine but I mean come on don't fool yourselves.

 

 

Just wait.

 

Hanley, Cabrera, Willingham and Dontrelle/Olsen/Vargas are all equal to if not greater than their Philly counterparts, and Hermida will soon be on Abreu's level.

 

And I don't understand how you think Reggie Abercrombie is almost Rowand's equal, that's such a run away for Philly, but I hope you're right on that one.

 

if this article wasnt written in Philly and was written on ESPN.com what would the reaction be

 

 

All of what was said is true, aside from the Phillies having more to look forward to than the Marlins.

 

If one of the teams is winning a pennant in the next 5 years, you sure as heck know it's not Philly. That's the point I think most are making, don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

That's the point I think most are making, don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

 

Well said :thumbup

All I know, is that right now, the Marlins are no worse than even with the Phillies at multiple positions

 

1b? No

2b? No

SS? No

3b? Better than

LF? No/push if Willingham

CF? Almost even

RF? No

Catcher? Worse if not Willingham/better than if him.

SP:Marlins have a better ace, but Phillies have a more proven guys 2-5. Maybe Push on 2 and 3 but they get 4 and 5.

RP: Phillies

 

You want to knock the guy fine but I mean come on don't fool yourselves.

 

 

Just wait.

 

Hanley, Cabrera, Willingham and Dontrelle/Olsen/Vargas are all equal to if not greater than their Philly counterparts, and Hermida will soon be on Abreu's level.

 

And I don't understand how you think Reggie Abercrombie is almost Rowand's equal, that's such a run away for Philly, but I hope you're right on that one.

 

Abreu is an all-star back to back years. Do you not think you might be hyping Hermida just a bit? He's had at least a .400 OBP the last 4 years and been at least a 20/20 guy since 1999. Just won a gold glove last year and a silver slugger 2 years ago. Abreu is kinda good and has proved it.

 

Cabrera is the best offensive player on either team no doubt.

 

Jimmy Rollins is a 3 time all-star. Fished 7th in the NL in hits in 2004 and 3rd last year. He also is one of the best triple hitters in the game. He isn't too shabby at stealing bases either. Once again he has proved his worth.

 

Since the lows of 2003 Burrell has gotten better two years in a row. Just fell shy of getting 100 walks last year (getting 99). He could hit pretty close to .300, if not over, and most likely will flirt with a .400 OBP most of the year. And his strikeout:walk ratio has been getting better the last few years as well which is a good sign for him.

 

Dontrelle is the best starter between the two teams, no doubt. Myers though (the #2) is only 26, and posted a 13-8 record last year and a 3.72 ERA. He boasted over 200 IP and over 200 Ks. I think I will put that over Olsen or Vargas. Corey Lidle is a step back, so whatever the Phillies gain from Myers they give back in Lidle. Madson and Floyd are their 4 and 5 though and I would take then over the Marlins 4 and 5.

Doesn't stuff like this make you want to go out and beat the livin' crap out of the Phillies this year?

 

I know it does me.

 

 

 

You bet. And I wouldn't be one bit surprised if the 2006 Marlins finish ahead of the Phillies.

I love me some Shadez but to say he's equal to if not greater than Jimmy Rollins right now is a major reach.