August 27, 200718 yr http://www.miamiherald.com/591/story/216305.html Marlins' Gonzalez keeps even keel in tough times Fredi Gonzalez has watched his team plummet into last place after it showed so much promise last year. The big difference, though, seems to be a pitching staff decimated by injuries. Posted on Mon, Aug. 27, 2007Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email BY MIKE PHILLIPS mphillips@MiamiHerald.com The pain and frustration is getting to Fredi Gonzalez. You don't see it because Gonzalez is not going to throw chairs or scream at reporters. He's not going to be the sound bite everyone listens to on talk radio, or the must-see ''manager blowing up'' highlight that plays over and over on ESPN. He's a first-year manager on a team that is free-falling fast, and if Gonzalez believed throwing a chair could help the Marlins win, he'd be tossing them daily. It's just not his style. The question is simple: Is Gonzalez doing his job? The Marlins were expected to contend for a wild-card spot this season, but they are buried in last place, and limp home today after losing five of six on the road and 11 of the past 12. A year ago they were on a nine-game winning streak, shocking baseball with a team that was supposed to lose 100 games. Their manager, Joe Girardi, won the National League's Manager of the Year Award, and then was fired. Could Girardi have won more games this season? Not unless he could throw strikes. As one big-league scout pointed out: ``Fredi would be a much better manager if he could pitch.'' And former Marlins manager Jack McKeon said, ``You have to have the horses to win, and Fredi lost most of his pitching staff. He would look a lot smarter if Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco were pitching this year the way they pitched last year. ``You can't blame the players, so what do you do? You blame the manager. But he's done a good job. You can't blame him for the injuries.'' Sanchez, Johnson and Nolasco, who were a big reason for the Marlins' success in 2006, missed most of the season with injuries. Gonzalez's critics don't seem to realize those three pitchers won 33 games a year ago. ''Take [33 wins] out of any rotation and you are going to have trouble winning, and I don't care who the manager is,'' McKeon said. On Sunday, Gonzalez started Daniel Barone, who is pitching for the Marlins because the rotation has been ravaged by injuries and he was the best they had in Triple A. He gave up nine runs in three innings. Rick VandenHurk was pitching for the Waikiki Beach Boys in an obscure Single A league in Hawaii last year, but Gonzalez has had to count on him this year. Sergio Mitre was supposed to be in the bullpen, but he has made 24 starts. Even the two who returned to the rotation -- Dontrelle Willis and Scott Olsen -- have had off seasons, and some scouts and front-office people around baseball wonder if Willis will ever be the same. ''Fredi has had to deal with a lot of injuries,'' Marlins general manager Admin Beinfest said. ``He has had a lot of things happen that were unforeseen, and he's had to handle a lot more than anyone could have -- or at least I could have -- expected. He has handled everything well.'' SEARCHING FOR CLOSER Girardi had something else Gonzalez never had -- an established closer in Joe Borowski. Gonzalez was stuck with the Jorge Julio experiment that blew up in everyone's face and had to find a closer after the season was in full swing. Kevin Gregg has done an adequate job, but the Julio disaster and search didn't help the team's confidence early. The Marlins set a club record for home runs and runs scored a year ago, and this year's team is on pace to break both records, so the hitting is at least as good and the run production is at least as good or better. Last year's Marlins hit .264, and this year's team is hitting .267. The Marlins lead the majors in errors with 106, but last year's team was ranked 28th of 30 teams in fielding and committed 126 errors. If the Marlins make fewer than 20 errors in their final 31 games, they will be a better fielding team than the '06 team. And yet the perception is this year's team is far worse in the field, and that Girardi was tougher on the team. ''It's the way people look at Fredi,'' Marlins catcher Matt Treanor said. ``He comes off in the media as a calm guy and he doesn't embarrass his players in the media. But Fredi holds team meetings, and he gets guys one on one. ``I don't think we worked any harder last year than this year, but when Joe talked to the media he came off as this military-type guy with a lot of discipline. He [yelled at guys in the dugout] and everyone saw it, so there's this image of him being tougher.'' One big-league scout agreed with the two-image theory. ''Joe was a guy who went in there with a young team and gave them a lot of tough-love stuff,'' he said. ``He stayed on them all the time because that's the kind of guy he is. He wouldn't let Miguel Cabrera get fat. He'd be in the weight room right with Cabrera. Fredi has a different style. He is a lot like Bobby Cox. That's the guy he learned from, and that's the kind of manager he is going to be. LACKING VETERANS ``Bobby Cox has a lot of veterans in that Atlanta clubhouse, and Fredi doesn't have any in his. If Cabrera came in late in Atlanta, Bobby wouldn't have to do a thing. He's got veterans like Chipper Jones [and others], and they would have taken care of Cabrera.'' Gonzalez has something else Girardi never had. '[because of the pitchers' injuries], we never got a chance to build on the success from last year,'' Beinfest said. Beinfest isn't pleased with the result, but he does see a bigger picture. ''We have to play better defense. It's unacceptable,'' he said. ``. . . Fredi has them prepared. They have to execute.'' Should he have thrown a few chairs along the way? ''We are not going to air our dirty laundry,'' said Gonzalez, who has held closed-door meetings and has ``addressed every issue head-on. ``. . . But these guys have not quit playing hard. They are out here early, getting extra work in, and they play hard every game.'' Treanor said Gonzalez's method works. ''He's been positive,'' Treanor said, ``and I think we need that. If he's pointing fingers, then the next thing you know players are pointing fingers. I don't think we needed that.'' They do need to win. ''Yes, we're disappointed we haven't won more,'' Beinfest said. ``We wanted to build on the success we had last year. The team has to play better. But he has worked everybody hard. . . . He has kept a calm about this club. He does not show panic.'' It's well documented that Girardi and Beinfest and the ownership of the Marlins didn't get along, but Gonzalez doesn't have that issue. ''Fredi works well with the front office,'' Beinfest said. ``He works well with the players and coaches. We had hoped the young players would have continued to improve. ``We are disappointed in that we have not played better, but Fredi has handled things well.''
August 27, 200718 yr Well I'm glad they are getting along with their new manager despite what is going on in the field.
August 28, 200718 yr i believe it was bill parcells who stated you are what your record says you are , we are a bad team for a variety of reasons but the buck stops with fredi
August 28, 200718 yr http://www.miamiherald.com/591/story/216305.html Marlins' Gonzalez keeps even keel in tough times Fredi Gonzalez has watched his team plummet into last place after it showed so much promise last year. The big difference, though, seems to be a pitching staff decimated by injuries. Posted on Mon, Aug. 27, 2007Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email BY MIKE PHILLIPS mphillips@MiamiHerald.com The pain and frustration is getting to Fredi Gonzalez. You don't see it because Gonzalez is not going to throw chairs or scream at reporters. He's not going to be the sound bite everyone listens to on talk radio, or the must-see ''manager blowing up'' highlight that plays over and over on ESPN. He's a first-year manager on a team that is free-falling fast, and if Gonzalez believed throwing a chair could help the Marlins win, he'd be tossing them daily. It's just not his style. The question is simple: Is Gonzalez doing his job? The Marlins were expected to contend for a wild-card spot this season, but they are buried in last place, and limp home today after losing five of six on the road and 11 of the past 12. A year ago they were on a nine-game winning streak, shocking baseball with a team that was supposed to lose 100 games. Their manager, Joe Girardi, won the National League's Manager of the Year Award, and then was fired. Could Girardi have won more games this season? Not unless he could throw strikes. As one big-league scout pointed out: ``Fredi would be a much better manager if he could pitch.'' And former Marlins manager Jack McKeon said, ``You have to have the horses to win, and Fredi lost most of his pitching staff. He would look a lot smarter if Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco were pitching this year the way they pitched last year. ``You can't blame the players, so what do you do? You blame the manager. But he's done a good job. You can't blame him for the injuries.'' Sanchez, Johnson and Nolasco, who were a big reason for the Marlins' success in 2006, missed most of the season with injuries. Gonzalez's critics don't seem to realize those three pitchers won 33 games a year ago. ''Take [33 wins] out of any rotation and you are going to have trouble winning, and I don't care who the manager is,'' McKeon said. On Sunday, Gonzalez started Daniel Barone, who is pitching for the Marlins because the rotation has been ravaged by injuries and he was the best they had in Triple A. He gave up nine runs in three innings. Rick VandenHurk was pitching for the Waikiki Beach Boys in an obscure Single A league in Hawaii last year, but Gonzalez has had to count on him this year. Sergio Mitre was supposed to be in the bullpen, but he has made 24 starts. Even the two who returned to the rotation -- Dontrelle Willis and Scott Olsen -- have had off seasons, and some scouts and front-office people around baseball wonder if Willis will ever be the same. ''Fredi has had to deal with a lot of injuries,'' Marlins general manager Admin Beinfest said. ``He has had a lot of things happen that were unforeseen, and he's had to handle a lot more than anyone could have -- or at least I could have -- expected. He has handled everything well.'' SEARCHING FOR CLOSER Girardi had something else Gonzalez never had -- an established closer in Joe Borowski. Gonzalez was stuck with the Jorge Julio experiment that blew up in everyone's face and had to find a closer after the season was in full swing. Kevin Gregg has done an adequate job, but the Julio disaster and search didn't help the team's confidence early. The Marlins set a club record for home runs and runs scored a year ago, and this year's team is on pace to break both records, so the hitting is at least as good and the run production is at least as good or better. Last year's Marlins hit .264, and this year's team is hitting .267. The Marlins lead the majors in errors with 106, but last year's team was ranked 28th of 30 teams in fielding and committed 126 errors. If the Marlins make fewer than 20 errors in their final 31 games, they will be a better fielding team than the '06 team. And yet the perception is this year's team is far worse in the field, and that Girardi was tougher on the team. ''It's the way people look at Fredi,'' Marlins catcher Matt Treanor said. ``He comes off in the media as a calm guy and he doesn't embarrass his players in the media. But Fredi holds team meetings, and he gets guys one on one. ``I don't think we worked any harder last year than this year, but when Joe talked to the media he came off as this military-type guy with a lot of discipline. He [yelled at guys in the dugout] and everyone saw it, so there's this image of him being tougher.'' One big-league scout agreed with the two-image theory. ''Joe was a guy who went in there with a young team and gave them a lot of tough-love stuff,'' he said. ``He stayed on them all the time because that's the kind of guy he is. He wouldn't let Miguel Cabrera get fat. He'd be in the weight room right with Cabrera. Fredi has a different style. He is a lot like Bobby Cox. That's the guy he learned from, and that's the kind of manager he is going to be. LACKING VETERANS ``Bobby Cox has a lot of veterans in that Atlanta clubhouse, and Fredi doesn't have any in his. If Cabrera came in late in Atlanta, Bobby wouldn't have to do a thing. He's got veterans like Chipper Jones [and others], and they would have taken care of Cabrera.'' Gonzalez has something else Girardi never had. '[because of the pitchers' injuries], we never got a chance to build on the success from last year,'' Beinfest said. Beinfest isn't pleased with the result, but he does see a bigger picture. ''We have to play better defense. It's unacceptable,'' he said. ``. . . Fredi has them prepared. They have to execute.'' Should he have thrown a few chairs along the way? ''We are not going to air our dirty laundry,'' said Gonzalez, who has held closed-door meetings and has ``addressed every issue head-on. ``. . . But these guys have not quit playing hard. They are out here early, getting extra work in, and they play hard every game.'' Treanor said Gonzalez's method works. ''He's been positive,'' Treanor said, ``and I think we need that. If he's pointing fingers, then the next thing you know players are pointing fingers. I don't think we needed that.'' They do need to win. ''Yes, we're disappointed we haven't won more,'' Beinfest said. ``We wanted to build on the success we had last year. The team has to play better. But he has worked everybody hard. . . . He has kept a calm about this club. He does not show panic.'' It's well documented that Girardi and Beinfest and the ownership of the Marlins didn't get along, but Gonzalez doesn't have that issue. ''Fredi works well with the front office,'' Beinfest said. ``He works well with the players and coaches. We had hoped the young players would have continued to improve. ``We are disappointed in that we have not played better, but Fredi has handled things well.'' Fredi do something show like you actually have a pulse Dude!
August 28, 200718 yr yelling and screaming wont do anything for this team...a healthy pitching staff would do a hell of a lot though
August 28, 200718 yr yelling and screaming wont do anything for this team...a healthy pitching staff would do a hell of a lot though If the three healthy starters pitched well maybe our record would be a just a tad better, I think.
August 28, 200718 yr yelling and screaming wont do anything for this team...a healthy pitching staff would do a hell of a lot though If the three healthy starters pitched well maybe our record would be a just a tad better, I think. Stupid fredi makign his starter's pitch poorly, what an ass.
August 28, 200718 yr With all due respect, when you lose 11 of 12...you blame the manager. That way the players get absolved from all the blame, which is truly all theirs.
August 28, 200718 yr yelling and screaming wont do anything for this team...a healthy pitching staff would do a hell of a lot though You're neglecting the very important conversion rate of Managerial Rants to Quality Pitching Starts. Last time I checked, the going rate was 3 full-blown rants yielding 1 quality pitching start. Hell, Bobby Cox's antics have singlehandedly kept his team in the NL East race. And, is there anything more than can be said about the job Lou Pinella is doing? Every time he kicks dirt on an umpire, it's equivalent to adding serious movement on Ted Lilly's slider.
August 28, 200718 yr Boat load of crap all Fredi has done well is kiss mgmt's ass!! :| Thats exactly what he was asked to do.... JoeG didnt do it and now where is he? :|
August 28, 200718 yr Boat load of crap all Fredi has done well is kiss mgmt's ass!! :| Thats exactly what he was asked to do.... JoeG didnt do it and now where is he? :| On this forum, being a troll.
August 28, 200718 yr Author yelling and screaming wont do anything for this team...a healthy pitching staff would do a hell of a lot though You're neglecting the very important conversion rate of Managerial Rants to Quality Pitching Starts. Last time I checked, the going rate was 3 full-blown rants yielding 1 quality pitching start. Hell, Bobby Cox's antics have singlehandedly kept his team in the NL East race. And, is there anything more than can be said about the job Lou Pinella is doing? Every time he kicks dirt on an umpire, it's equivalent to adding serious movement on Ted Lilly's slider. :notworthy
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