BERARDINO: Success comes with a belt

Published June 28, 2006

 

MIAMI GARDENS -- Randy Messenger will show you the belt if you ask.

 

"World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion," it reads across the fake-gold plastic facing. The rest of the belt is made of thin black rubber, but there's no clasp or holes in the back.

 

"Here it is," the Marlins' reliever says, reaching into his locker at Dolphin Stadium. "I need to get some elastic. It doesn't even fit around my hips, but it's still pretty cool."

 

Cool? It's practically the symbol of this unlikely Marlins turnaround.

 

Back on May 20 in Tampa, Messenger and fellow pitcher Scott Olsen were out on the town after yet another Marlins loss. Words were exchanged, and Messenger, who goes 6 feet 6 and 240 pounds, punched his 6-5, 215-pound teammate in the left eye.

 

Even did it through an open car window, which can't be easy.

 

Olsen showed up at Tropicana Field the next day sporting a huge shiner as the Marlins dropped their seventh straight to fall to 11-31.

 

A few days later, he took the mound against the Cubs still wearing the evidence of a short-lived boxing career. Olsen didn't win that day, but the Marlins did.

 

And then the most amazing things started to happen. The Marlins kept winning. And winning.

 

Tuesday's 8-4 shellacking of those same Devil Rays pushed their record to 34-40. And Olsen? He is 4-0 since receiving the, uh, message from his teammate.

 

"We had a little discussion and it got a little out of control," says Olsen, who starts tonight. "That's all I can say. But we have no hard feelings toward each other. We all think it's hilarious."

 

The belt arrived about a week after the two rookies threw down. Veteran infielder Wes Helms brought it into the clubhouse as a joke and saved it for the right moment.

 

When "Judge" Joe Borowski convened his first Kangaroo Court before a game against the Mets, the Marlins' reliever awarded Messenger the snazzy memento as his first order of business.

 

He loved it. Still does. The big kid from Reno doesn't mind being known for his gifts of intimidation.

 

"They were all calling me Mike Tyson," Messenger says with a grin. "The belt is mine until somebody else comes along."

 

As long as things keep going this way for the Marlins -- and even if they don't -- no one is likely to take a run at Big Mess. Things are so good he and Olsen have taken to joking about their showdown.

 

Olsen keeps urging Messenger to display the belt outside his locker, so it's easier to see. They joke about attending memorabilia shows in tandem and posing with the belt.

 

About the only thing they haven't come up with yet is a name for the incident.

 

"Hey, what do we call what happened?" Olsen yells across the clubhouse.

 

"I don't know," Messenger yells back. "The Knockout?"

Olsen seems stunned. Again.

 

"Ouch," he says, shaking his head and maybe even a fresh round of cobwebs.

 

Whatever it's called, that little scuffle between teammates seems as good an explanation as any for this sustained run of success. Call it a jarring experience.

 

"Ever since it happened, me and Olie have started joking about that," Messenger says. "But it's true. The whole team started jelling and playing good baseball after that."

 

It wouldn't be the first time a disagreement between teammates broke up the monotony of a long and ultimately successful season.

 

Four years ago, Giants stars Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent went at it in the dugout and had to be separated by teammates. Bonds later made his first and only trip to the World Series.

 

In 1974, Reggie Jackson and Billy North scuffled in the A's clubhouse en route to a third straight World Series title.

 

Also in the mid-'70s, Don Sutton and Steve Garvey rolled around in the middle of the Dodgers clubhouse. That same pairing combined for three National League pennants in five years.

 

Ty Cobb? Frank Chance? They scrapped with teammates a full century ago.

 

Who knows? If this improbable Marlins run continues, decades from now historians could be referencing the "Don't Kill Him, Messenger" fight of 2006.

 

Or, if you prefer, the "Tampa Tussle."

 

"That's definitely not why it happened," Olsen says with a laugh, "but if that ended up being the turning point of the season, we'll see as the weeks and months go on."

 

So why did it happen? Neither pitcher will say. But that could change.

 

"If we win the World Series, you have my word," Olsen says. "I will tell you what it was about."

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-mik...la-sports-front

:thumbup

Love it. :thumbup

read that this morning at breakfast. I love how 'Olie' and 'Mess' are doing well now and seem to be thriving off that one incident. Good stuff.

Great article

Just another feel good story to come out of this clubhouse lately. :thumbup

nice article...remember all the fire joe girardi threads early in the year?...hmmm...as it turns out, i think he was a pretty ok choice

remember all the fire joe girardi threads early in the year?

 

Not really, no. If anyone had a "fire Girardi" thread after a month either it was a joke or they're an idiot.

 

Some had issues with the way he was handling the bullpen, but in retrospect we can see he had nothing to work with.

thats nothing short of AWESOME...and it brings a smile to my face...this team is so fun

Since when has Berandino taken to writing positive articles about the face? :blink:

 

 

That being said, I want to find out what the fight was about!

That being said, I want to find out what the fight was about!

 

well then you know what has to be done.... :mischief

That being said, I want to find out what the fight was about!

 

well then you know what has to be done.... :mischief JOBU!!!!!

"The belt arrived about a week after the two rookies threw down. Veteran infielder Wes Helms brought it into the clubhouse as a joke and saved it for the right moment.

 

When "Judge" Joe Borowski convened his first Kangaroo Court before a game against the Mets, the Marlins' reliever awarded Messenger the snazzy memento as his first order of business."

 

 

 

 

There's been alot of back and forth here about the value of veterans and their roles on the team.

 

I thought this was a good insight (for the fans) on how veterans are viewed among their younger peers, and some of their contributions to "team" besides onfield play. From my point of view, I suspect this may pour cold water on the idea of trading Borowski if he's cast in this role.

I still say the biggest reason for the Marlins' change is the "Marlins need to make their move" topic by one of our members on May 22nd, the day things started turning around. :thumbup

What about Festa's exorcism of the team's demons which occured at the same time? :shifty

"The belt arrived about a week after the two rookies threw down. Veteran infielder Wes Helms brought it into the clubhouse as a joke and saved it for the right moment.

 

When "Judge" Joe Borowski convened his first Kangaroo Court before a game against the Mets, the Marlins' reliever awarded Messenger the snazzy memento as his first order of business."

 

 

 

 

There's been alot of back and forth here about the value of veterans and their roles on the team.

 

I thought this was a good insight (for the fans) on how veterans are viewed among their younger peers, and some of their contributions to "team" besides onfield play. From my point of view, I suspect this may pour cold water on the idea of trading Borowski if he's cast in this role.

 

could we trade "judge" borowski for judge ito? :whistle

BERARDINO is the biggest bandwagon fan of them all!!!