Giants in four. Thank you Clark Spencer. Thank you Miami Herald. In other words the Marlins can't win at home. Why am I not surprised.

 

Herald Link

 

Posted on Tue, Sep. 30, 2003

 

Who has the edge?

BY CLARK SPENCER

cspencer@herald.com

 

Hitting

? Marlins: Going into the season, most figured the Marlins didn't have enough power and run-producers to succeed. But they have done surprisingly well. Derrek Lee and Mike Lowell each eclipsed the 30-homer mark, and four Marlins finished with at least 85 RBI. The emphasis on offense has remained on ''small ball'' since opening day, and the Marlins like to bunt and advance runners early in games to stake their pitchers to early leads. The Marlins went 61-27 this season when they scored first. The Marlins (150 steals in 224 attempts) run far more than the Giants, who stole just 53 bases -- fewest in the NL.

 

? Giants: Take away Barry Bonds -- which, of course, the Marlins would love to do if they could wave a magic wand -- and the Giants bear a striking resemblance to the lineup their staff will be facing. Both teams hit for similar averages and, while the Giants have hit more home runs (180-157), the margin isn't that large considering the Marlins don't have a Bonds in their lineup. Outfielder Marquis Grissom, who batted .300 with 20 home runs and 79 RBI at age 36, enjoyed his best season since 1999, and veteran catcher Benito Santiago continues to supply solid numbers. It's a lineup -- though not in the same league as the Braves' -- that complements its superstar and pitcher-friendly park well.

 

Starting pitching

? Marlins: How uniform can a starting staff be when three members of the rotation tally exactly 14 wins, as Brad Penny, Mark Redman and Dontrelle Willis did this season? Even fifth starter Carl Pavano, who will be stationed in the bullpen for the playoffs, ended up with 12. And what does it say when the Game 1 pitcher is the only member of the staff not to reach double digits in wins? But Josh Beckett (9-8, 3.04 ERA) has been the Marlins' best starter the past six weeks. He is 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA over his past six starts. Beckett delivered one of his finest performances at Pac Bell Park in 2002 when he one-hit the Giants over seven innings. As solid as the rotation has been, not one starter has appeared in the postseason.

 

? Giants: Right-hander Jason Schmidt (17-5, 2.34 ERA) is a leading contender for the Cy Young Award. Opposing batters hit just .200 against him. While Jeff Conine has never played in Pac Bell Park, he has had success against Schmidt (4 for 8 with a pair of homers). Schmidt did not receive a decision in his only appearance against the Marlins, which came at Pro Player Stadium in a Giants win May 6. But the Marlins managed just two runs on three hits against him. Game 2 starter Sidney Ponson, another right-hander, joined the Giants near the trade deadline and started slowly, going 0-3 before defeating the Marlins on Aug. 22 for his first win. Left-hander Kirk Rueter, scheduled to start Game 3 at Pro Player, is the only pitcher the Marlins defeated on their 1-8 road trip in late August.

 

 

Bullpen

? Marlins: After losing confidence in Braden Looper despite the right-hander's team-leading 28 saves, manager Jack McKeon turned the closer role over to veteran Ugueth Urbina in the final week of the season. The demonstrative right-hander, a key acquisition at the trading deadline, sparkled in the second half with the Marlins by recording six saves. He led the AL in saves when the Rangers traded him. Right-hander Chad Fox was another key find, turning into the team's top set-up man. But the bullpen is not deep and lacks a dependable left-hander.

 

? Giants: Closer Todd Worrell finished with 38 saves, good for fourth in the NL. But he is no Eric Gagne, as evidenced by his less-than-impressive .246 average against. Nonetheless, the Giants bullpen is strong, starting with right-hander Felix Rodriguez, who went 8-2 with a 3.10 ERA out of the bullpen, and right-hander Joe Nathan (12-4, 2.96 ERA).

 

Fielding

? Marlins: Had the reserves not committed three errors Saturday, the Marlins had a chance to finish the season with the best fielding percentage in the NL. There's no better double-play combination than shortstop Alex Gonz?lez and second baseman Luis Castillo. First baseman Derrek Lee is a deserving Gold Glover, and third baseman Miguel Cabrera has a strong arm and proved to be a more-than-capable replacement for Mike Lowell.

 

? Giants: San Francisco's infielders don't have great range, but they make all the routine plays. The team's overall fielding percentage is on par with the Marlins. Their outfielders have average range and solid arms. Santiago can still throw out runners. The Giants don't make the spectacular plays, but they're as solid as they come.

 

 

Intangibles

? Marlins: McKeon, 72, is experiencing the postseason for the first time, as are most of his players. But the Marlins have shown they can handle pressure, sweeping the Phillies in their key final showdown and taking control of the wild-card race. The Marlins went 1-5 this season against the Giants, who were the only team to sweep them at home. But each game was close. On the other hand, their only win over San Francisco came on a day when Bonds wasn't in the lineup.

 

? Giants: Manager Felipe Alou, at 68, is no spring chicken. But he's still younger than his counterpart. Neither has managed in the postseason, providing a distinct old-timers backdrop to the best-of-5 series. Pac Bell is pitcher-friendly, as is Pro Player, and the Giants perform as well there as the Marlins do in their stadium. The Marlins have never played well in San Fran, where they are 14-34 since 1993.

 

Prediction

 

? Giants in four.

How OBNOXIOUS. At least the Sun Sentinel picked us to win. In addition, they have a MUCH NICER special section in today's paper than the Herald. Nice big color pictures and TONS of good reading.

 

Way to go, Sentinel!

 

GO MARLINS!

I dont understand this f***ing s***! Why does the media want us to fail!?

This is the Miami Herald we are talking about! They couldn't figure a way out of a wet paper bag! :shifty

I dont understand this f***ing s***! Why does the media want us to fail!?

 

Sham, you really have to ask that question? Because what's bad for the Marlins is good for the Herald.

I thought it was interesting that the Herald printed excerpts from previous articles on a page about how the media was wrong about this team:

What they were writing earlier

 

. . . we get an owner-in-hiding. We see a man who gives the impression that he is just another tourist from Canada, his bags already packed for wherever the Marlins will be relocated next season. Loria asking fans for support is a little like a CEO trying to sell investors on a company careening toward dissolution.

 

-- GREG COTE, MAY 7, 2002

 

How about, The Marlins: See 'Em While You Still Can! Or, The Marlins: Good Seats Available!

 

-- COTE, FEBURARY 17, 2002

 

So what does this trade mean exactly? Two words:''payroll flexibility.'' At least that's the phrase general manager Admin Beinfest kept using. And what does that mean? Two more words: ''Yeah, right.'' How can we believe anything the Marlins do or say these days? Why should we listen to any of their promises? This franchise still wears a strange face, speaks with an unfamiliar voice and could be leaving town soon.

 

-- JEFF MILLER, MARCH 28, 2002, ON MIDSEASON RYAN DEMPSTER/CLIFF FLOYD TRADE

 

The Marlins are masters of the dump, having ridded themselves of the salaries of Antonio Alfonseca, Matt Clement, Cliff Floyd and Ryan Dempster earlier this year. Marlins president David Samson doesn't like the term ''dumping.'' He sees the moves as jettisoning ballast to make a listing ship more sleek.

 

-- LINDA ROBERTSON,

 

NOV. 24, 2002

 

Bottom line: No one wants to play for the Marlins. Buy those season tickets today! Apparently, our baseball team will end up with Juan Pierre, a couple lesser names and some saved millions. That's assuming Pierre hasn't since retired or demanded that he, too, be traded from a place where it rains so much even the sports teams keep shrinking.

 

-- JEFF MILLER, NOV. 17, 2002

 

McKeon, 72, replaces immature whippersnapper Jeff Torborg, 61. Management got fed up with Torborg always skateboarding in the clubhouse and listening to Eminem on headphones in the dugout. The club hired McKeon after reportedly being turned down by Tommy Lasorda, Bob Lemon and a half-dozen other former managers who had, unfortunately, passed away. The team's new marketing slogan? These Are Not Your Grandfather's Marlins. However, They Are Managed By Your Grandfather.''

 

-- COTE, MAY 12 2003

 

This Marlins team isn't good enough, or expensive enough, and firing Torborg doesn't fix that. It does, however, deflect blame from a management team that makes you question its competence . . .

 

-- DAN LE BATARD,

 

MAY 11, 2003

 

This rotting Marlins franchise is so blindly desperate for something positive, anything, that management spent $10 million Wednesday to buy some good PR. It wasn't the best way to spend that much money, or even a smart way, but it passes for improvement around here, where spending poorly beats the other gruesome alternatives -- like paying Mike Hampton $23 million to pitch for your division rival. . . . This is the Carmen Electra of baseball signings -- sexy but not smart. The Marlins have just put breast enhancements on a corpse.

 

-- LE BATARD, JAN. 23, 2003, ON SIGNING IVAN RODRIGUEZ

As for the Marlins-Herald conspiracy, every week they ask the four writers to predict the Dolphins result, and it is very rare that they all pick the Dolphins to win (2 picked the Jets to win against the Phins). I hate to tell you, but if you asked people away from this board, most would pick the Giants to win. If the writer feels that the Giants will win, should he change his opinion to please you all? If you all knew he did that, youd say he has a lack on integrity. Of course I think well prove them wrong, but someones opinion is no less vaild simply because you disagree with it.

f***ing bitches dont want us to do anything, way to support the team heard!!!

 

adleast the local TV media is giving us postiive s***... even UNIVISION started the 6 o clock news with the Marlins a nice little segement with the fish for the 1st 10 minz and than they got to the top story thats what im talking about!!!

 

QAM and the Hearld can go to hell, i dont listen to QAM at all or read the hearld much anywayz.....

 

even ESPN predictors have the giants kicking our a** i dont care... they dont know this team like we do..... there is something magical about this team...

 

and why is where ever i f***ing look, some idiot keeps saying RED SOX ova A's..... okay? when does hitting Ova POWER Great pitching???

 

in the NFL when the best OFFENSE go's aganst the Best Defense who wins?????

 

SB Champs Ravens and Bucs...

So because some people pick the Wild Card Marlins to lose to the first place, 100-win Giants, they all suck and are idiots? Wow.

I've read everything from San Fran being the better team and having the experience over the Marlins and that is why they will beat us.

 

 

:nono

 

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they said the same thing about the '97 team and they didn't exactly have the experience either. In fact, I think that team had as much playoff experience as this one does.

 

 

The '97 team won because they played as a team and they wouldn't give up! Remind anyone else of the team that is about to play today? The Fish will be fine. Screw what everyone else thinks and let the guys on the field do the talking.

its all good i just want to see what they'll say when the marlins win thw World series again

The Marlins can send WQAM and the Herald to hell very easily.

 

WIN! Then you can charge more for the rights, WQAM can't pay and WIOD/WRFX gets the Radio deal.

 

You also makeup with Berardino and put the Herald back on blackout street.

 

don't you love the free market? Those communist Herald writers can go to hell!

I dont have a problem with that toilet paper claiming the sky is falling. No. The Marlins have had to prove it all season, why would it be any different now?

 

And experience? Correct me if I am wrong, but were the Angels steeped in experience last year? Hmm...

 

Relax. This team is good. I think we are very dangerous and all we have to do is split this series - take one game in SF. We can take 'em at home.

If we win in SF, we will take the series. Losing manana won't be the end of the world, because we could easily sweep them at home.