I entered the season thinking the team would win betwen 55-65 games, so I had low expectations(the official Las Vegas number was 64). I thought that the games would be just as interesting to watch, maybe more interesting......as compared to last year. To me this season is not about wins...it's about individual progress and achievments by the rookies.

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.So far, the team has been involved in quite a few close and exciting games. And it's been great to see the offense from Uggla and Hanley. The pitching problems were something I expected as well.

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.

What I did not expect is that even though the team has pretty much performed as I expected, with the exception of Uggla and Hanley, which comes as a nice surprise......I'm finding the games hard to watch. I think maybe I was deluding myself about the wins not meaning anything. Or maybe it's the fact that we've had so many close games with heartbreaking losses. Losing these kinds of games is also to be expected. Winning teams with veterans find a way to win. Losing teams with rookies find a way to lose. I don't blame things on Girardi, or the bullpen(the bullpen is a problem for almost every team).

.

.

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In the end I have to admit that to me, last year's underachieving team was more watchable than the rookie progress thing.

I entered the season thinking the team would win betwen 55-65 games, so I had low expectations(the official Las Vegas number was 64). I thought that the games would be just as interesting to watch, maybe more interesting......as compared to last year. To me this season is not about wins...it's about individual progress and achievments by the rookies.

.

.

.So far, the team has been involved in quite a few close and exciting games. And it's been great to see the offense from Uggla and Hanley. The pitching problems were something I expected as well.

.

.

What I did not expect is that even though the team has pretty much performed as I expected, with the exception of Uggla and Hanley, which comes as a nice surprise......I'm finding the games hard to watch. I think maybe I was deluding myself about the wins not meaning anything. Or maybe it's the fact that we've had so many close games with heartbreaking losses. Losing these kinds of games is also to be expected. Winning teams with veterans find a way to win. Losing teams with rookies find a way to lose. I don't blame things on Girardi, or the bullpen(the bullpen is a problem for almost every team).

.

.

.

In the end I have to admit that to me, last year's underachieving team was more watchable than the rookie progress thing.

 

 

No matter what anyone says, it's gonna be hard to watch the team this year. Nobody wants to see their team go out and lose over 2/3 of their games. Even though the past two years' teams were "underachievers," they were still competing for the wild card spot and that automatically invests you in the game.

living in south Louisiana I would kill to be able to watch these games.

living in south Louisiana I would kill to be able to watch these games.

 

 

I agree with you. I grew up in Orlando and left right when Miami got a team but now I am back in the area and love being able to see them play in person and on tv. It's hard to watch but I think they are really going to be good very soon. Right now our bullpen sux as bad as the offense is good, so once they shore that up things will get interesting (in a year or two).

just remind yourself that the team was this bad back in 1995 and 1999 and still managed to win a World Series within a few years after each of those seasons

I entered the season thinking the team would win betwen 55-65 games, so I had low expectations(the official Las Vegas number was 64). I thought that the games would be just as interesting to watch, maybe more interesting......as compared to last year. To me this season is not about wins...it's about individual progress and achievments by the rookies.

.

.

.So far, the team has been involved in quite a few close and exciting games. And it's been great to see the offense from Uggla and Hanley. The pitching problems were something I expected as well.

.

.

What I did not expect is that even though the team has pretty much performed as I expected, with the exception of Uggla and Hanley, which comes as a nice surprise......I'm finding the games hard to watch. I think maybe I was deluding myself about the wins not meaning anything. Or maybe it's the fact that we've had so many close games with heartbreaking losses. Losing these kinds of games is also to be expected. Winning teams with veterans find a way to win. Losing teams with rookies find a way to lose. I don't blame things on Girardi, or the bullpen(the bullpen is a problem for almost every team).

.

.

.

In the end I have to admit that to me, last year's underachieving team was more watchable than the rookie progress thing.

 

 

 

Good post.

 

I too expected the Marlins to lose tons of games this year (Las Vegas oddmakers are much better at futures than "Eugene from Boise,ID") so I figured we'd win around 60 or so games.

 

 

To be honest though, Im simply astonished at just how many different ways the team has managed to lose games. The Fish could have easily woke up today and been preparing for the 4 game sweep of the hated Braves @ Turner. We lost ALL 4.

 

I'll still watch though. I can't help but watch.

You know it's bad when I'm actually glad there's not a marlins game tonight.

I love watching these games because I'm able too see the future of the Marlins. Many of these players will be around the next time they win the WS. So it's exciting too watch.

it's the heartbreaking losses that's making it tough to watch, no question.

 

We've already had enough of those for an entire season.

 

If we were just getting killed every day 9-1 like today's game, there wouldn't be nearly as much heartache, but would you feel better about a team like that?

 

In retrospect I'll take the one that competes at least. They'll learn to win with experience.

 

But man it is rough on us die-hards...

Not to start a Loria rant, but I'm angry at the FO, because in my heart I do not believe that a bare-bones payroll is the proper way to develop a team. If this team had a closer (not a great closer...merely one who is somewhat dependable), one solid bullpen arm, and an Easley-type utility player, this team would be exponentially better. Not merely a few games, but there is a chance we could be playing .500 ball. Our offense, even with the horrendous start of Arbercombie, Reed, and Jacobs, has been solid, and it is improving on a daily basis (today's ineptness aside). They still wouldn't contend, but a $20 Million payroll would have given our youngsters a much better environment to develop their skills, and would have made watching the games MUCH easier. But, it is hard to fault the FO for bringing this pain on all of us, considering that nobody goes to the games.

 

The general public could care less about the Marlins, and it makes it that much tougher on the rest of us...the TRUE fans. But, it makes it that much SWEETER when we win. There is no denying it. You couldn't wipe the grin off my face from Nov. 2003 to April 2004. But, it wouldn't have tasted so sweet, if I didn't endure the pain of 1998, 1999, 2000, etc. And, the way our future looks, it is quite possible everyone on this board may have an obnoxious, unwavering, Cheshire grin in 2008 and beyond. So, if we have to endure some rough times now, so be it.

as tough as the losses are i love to watch the game still because we all know once these guys learn how to play better their going to be awesome. they have so much talent its all about putting the right pieces together and getting rid of the players that arent contributing. in a couple of years this will be looked back as nothing and just another rebuilding year. we have talent and not duds unlike other teams out there.

If this team had a closer (not a great closer...merely one who is somewhat dependable), one solid bullpen arm, and an Easley-type utility player, this team would be exponentially better.

 

Borowski and Herges count.

We're missing, but we also have a ton of pitching prospects and very few places to put them

See Helms, Wes

 

A solid innings-eater which could have been had for a third of the salary of your proposed acquisitions or the price they're paying Moehler would have a greater effect than all of those three.

I wasn't around so I wonder, were the 98/99 games this frustrating and painfull to watch? Or it's the way we are losing this games that makes them much more hard to watch?

I wasn't around so I wonder, were the 98/99 games this frustrating and painfull to watch? Or it's the way we are losing this games that makes them much more hard to watch?

 

 

I would like to know that too. I had season tix for those seasons but I forgot everything that had happened. I remember the players but thats all.

I was around for 98-99. Probably went to more games in those years than any other year. It wasn't as hard to watch as this year. You had the nucleus then of what a fan could see as great prospects. DLee, Castillo, Gonzo, etc. Pitching prospects as well. Same as this year, good prospects and the team lost games, but it wasn't as hard to watch. In fact, I can say that I had more fun in 1999 during the course of the season than any other year, except of course how 97 and 03 wound up in the end. Perhaps it has something to do with the stadium uncertainty. But I don't think about the whole relocation thing when I watch the games this year. I just don't know. We did have some semblance of a bullpen in those years. All who watched those years remember Matt Mantei and the Ice Girls. The bottom line is as far as I'm concerned those years were fun to watch as a baseball fan. This year is hard to watch as a baseball fan.

''it's almost interesting to watch and see how they blow it this time.''

 

Thats how I watch the game, if they cant win, at least I have a reason to watch.

One thing I learned about these losses is that tomorrow is another day. Once I wake up in the morning I forget about the loss the day before. When we lose put that loss behind you and look forward to the next game.

living in south Louisiana I would kill to be able to watch these games.

 

 

I bought MLB.tv

If this team had a closer (not a great closer...merely one who is somewhat dependable), one solid bullpen arm, and an Easley-type utility player, this team would be exponentially better.

 

Borowski and Herges count.

We're missing, but we also have a ton of pitching prospects and very few places to put them

See Helms, Wes

 

A solid innings-eater which could have been had for a third of the salary of your proposed acquisitions or the price they're paying Moehler would have a greater effect than all of those three.

Borowski and Herges would count if they were "somewhat dependable" or "solid." They are neither. When we first picked up Borowski, I thought he'd be a good pickup, ala Todd Jones. But, I never thought Herges would be anything great. Still, they are not producing, and do not count.

 

A "solid innings-eater"....I don't even know where you get one of those. If you mean a "starter," I'm fairly certain our team couldn't have afforded anyone worth the money. But, I agree with you that an innings-eater would have made our team much better.

 

I'm all for Moehler being dumped, but only because his presence on the team is counter-productive to the development of Pinto, Sanchez, Petit, Nolasco, etc. Nolasco may be starting now, but it would have been nice if he had 5 starts under his belt thus far.

I agree that it's been pretty tough for me to watch these games. Especially after hoping that the rebuilding years of 1998-2002 were long gone...

I'm thoroughly enjoying watching the team this year. Sure, it sucks to lose, but at the end of the game I can forget about it and there will be another one tommorow to get excited about. That's the beauty of baseball.

Despite the losses, it's still fun to watch Uggla, HanRam, Abercrombie, and The Hammer everynight.

As a guy who's followed this team non-stop since 1993, I can certainly agree that this is a tough season to endure. Even for us true fans, sometimes it's hard to get fired up for these guys. I still give the young players props for trying their best, irrespective of the fact that most of them are probably not ready to be in the major leagues.

 

But we gotta remember one thing - Derek Lee, Alex Gonzalez, and Luis Castillo were once youngsters that most people didn't know about in 1998, 1999, etc. Most people don't know that Luis Castillo played as a regular in a few games dating back to the 1996 season.

 

I think that a few players on this current team will comprise the eventual nucleus of Marlins that will be a competitive force in the National League, come 2008 or 2009. Reggie Abercrombie reminds me of a young Preston Wilson, and Jacobs reminds me of Mark Kotsay in his earlier days. Josh Willingham has also done a decent job.

 

Another fact remains - this team really has no leader. In 1997 and 2003, the Marlins had not just one team leader, but several of them. Sheffield, Conine (both seasons), Kevin Brown, Charles Johnson, Daulton and Eisenrich, Pudge Rodriguez. I wish the Marlins could have at least kept Conine to give them some leadership presence, but it just couldn't happen.

 

We're just gonna have to ride it out this season, as well as in the next 2 to come, at least.

Despite the losses, it's still fun to watch Uggla, HanRam, Abercrombie, and The Hammer everynight.

 

Amen Brother...You forgot Jake!