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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...rlins_0217.html

 

 

 

Expectations higher for sophomore stars

By Joe Capozzi

 

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

Saturday, February 17, 2007

 

JUPITER ? When the Marlins opened spring training in 2006, the baseball world expected them to lose 100 games.

 

But, despite using 22 rookies and having the lowest payroll in the majors, the Marlins competed for the wild card deep into September and finished with 78 victories - five fewer than the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Today, the Marlins open their 2007 camp knowing they have to prove last season was no accident.

 

"Obviously, the expectations are higher this year than they were last year," second baseman Dan Uggla said. "Everybody has seen how good we were last year, and how young we are, and how talented we are. They're going to be expecting a lot more out of us."

 

Pitchers and catchers will undergo physicals today and begin working out at 10 a.m. Sunday at Roger Dean Stadium.

 

Uggla and the rest of the position players don't have to report until Monday, with their first workouts Wednesday. But many of them have been in camp for more than a week, eager to dispel any notions of a letdown by a team laden with second-year players.

 

"I don't know if it's a sophomore slump, but maybe a sophomore challenge," General Manager Admin Beinfest said. "There's added pressure on some of these players to go out and show everybody that '06 wasn't a fluke, that their physical abilities are real, that they're going to be major leaguers for a long time and be productive major leaguers.''

 

The Marlins didn't add any big-name free agents over the winter and still have to decide on a center fielder and a closer before they open the season April 2 at Washington.

 

But Beinfest believes the team will improve this year because of how it persevered through the early struggles of 2006.

 

"Coming from 20 (games) under (.500) tells you a lot about these players," Beinfest said. "You're always going to go through some hiccups along the way, but we think we have a strong group in terms of their mental makeup.

 

"You sense that they don't want to be one-year wonders. ... I don't think we expect any of these guys to not (have) worked hard this winter or not (have) prepared and say, 'You know what, this was great last year, I'm just going to come in and cruise.' ''

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SOPHOMORE SLUMP???

 

MARK MY WORDS:

 

The good:

 

Dan Uggla= .270/35hr/100 rbi

Hanley Ramirez= .310/20hr/60 rbi/50sb

Mike Jacobs= .310/40hr/120 rbi

Josh Willingham= .290/35hr/95 rbi

reggie Abercrombie= .275/20hr/70 rbi/20 sb

Jeremy Hermida= .325/25hr/90 rbi/.425 OBP

 

the bad:

 

Miguel Olivo= .230/10hr/40 rbi

 

the overrated:

 

Miguel Cabrera= .295/25hr/100 rbi

 

 

CARVE IT IN STONE. i will be right within .10 points in batting avg, within 5 hr+ or -, and within 10 rbi + or -... Anyone care to make a friendly bet? :shifty

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SOPHOMORE SLUMP???

 

MARK MY WORDS:

 

The good:

 

Dan Uggla= .270/35hr/100 rbi

Hanley Ramirez= .310/20hr/60 rbi/50sb

Mike Jacobs= .310/40hr/120 rbi

Josh Willingham= .290/35hr/95 rbi

reggie Abercrombie= .275/20hr/70 rbi/20 sb

Jeremy Hermida= .325/25hr/90 rbi/.425 OBP

 

the bad:

 

Miguel Olivo= .230/10hr/40 rbi

 

the overrated:

 

Miguel Cabrera= .295/25hr/100 rbi

 

 

CARVE IT IN STONE. i will be right within .10 points in batting avg, within 5 hr+ or -, and within 10 rbi + or -... Anyone care to make a friendly bet? :shifty

 

I'd take you up on a bet, but I fear with the predictions you've made that you probably can't afford a bet that would cost more than it takes to buy a Happy Meal at McDonalds.

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SOPHOMORE SLUMP???

 

MARK MY WORDS:

 

The good:

Dan Uggla= .270/35hr/100 rbi

Hanley Ramirez= .310/20hr/60 rbi/50sb

Mike Jacobs= .310/40hr/120 rbi

Josh Willingham= .290/35hr/95 rbi

reggie Abercrombie= .275/20hr/70 rbi/20 sb

Jeremy Hermida= .325/25hr/90 rbi/.425 OBP

 

the bad:

 

Miguel Olivo= .230/10hr/40 rbi

 

the overrated:

 

Miguel Cabrera= .295/25hr/100 rbi

 

 

CARVE IT IN STONE. i will be right within .10 points in batting avg, within 5 hr+ or -, and within 10 rbi + or -... Anyone care to make a friendly bet? :shifty

:blink: think about what your betting on

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SOPHOMORE SLUMP???

 

MARK MY WORDS:

 

The good:

 

Dan Uggla= .270/35hr/100 rbi

Hanley Ramirez= .310/20hr/60 rbi/50sb

Mike Jacobs= .310/40hr/120 rbi

Josh Willingham= .290/35hr/95 rbi

reggie Abercrombie= .275/20hr/70 rbi/20 sb

Jeremy Hermida= .325/25hr/90 rbi/.425 OBP

 

the bad:

 

Miguel Olivo= .230/10hr/40 rbi

 

the overrated:

 

Miguel Cabrera= .295/25hr/100 rbi

 

 

CARVE IT IN STONE. i will be right within .10 points in batting avg, within 5 hr+ or -, and within 10 rbi + or -... Anyone care to make a friendly bet? :shifty

 

I'll give you 50 dollars and I'll take a month long ban if more than 2 of those "good" players get within 5 homers of your projections. If not, you give me 20 and take a 2 month ban. How about it?

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