September 2, 200719 yr Miami Herald Gonzalez hurt by lack of luck, not leadership By DAN LE BATARD The sloppy Marlins lead the league in all the worst categories -- strikeouts, errors, walks allowed, wild pitches and balks. That proves they are undisciplined and the manager isn't doing his job, right? Except that last season, when the Marlins were lovable overachievers and Joe Girardi was credited and crowned Manager Of The Year, they also led the league in striking out, set a franchise record for errors and walked more batters than all but two teams in baseball, never mind just the National League. There are facts, and there is perception, and the two get blurred whenever you are losing. Vladimir Guerrero, who just keeps running until someone tags him, gets to be aggressive, not undisciplined. As Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera spat Saturday, ``When things go bad, everything looks bad. This is not Fredi Gonzalez's fault. This is not our fault. We're hurt. What do you want? A miracle?'' Um, yes. Why can't baseball's least-deserving fan base demand a miracle every year? No team in baseball has had more days on the disabled list than the limping Marlins. That's an explanation, not an excuse. And it also is a lack of luck, not a lack of leadership or discipline or any of the other silly sports intangibles that get thrown around lazily whenever a team is losing. You can't lose three-fifths of your starting rotation when you have no payroll to bandage it, especially not when the two pitchers who have remained healthy (Dontrelle Willis and Scott Olsen) have unhealthy ERAs. ''It kills you,'' Aaron Boone says of the pitching injuries. ``It crushes you. But nobody wants to hear it. Just win.'' Gonzalez won't hear it, either. ''You never, ever give into that,'' he says. ``That's the mentality of pity. I expect to compete.'' If that's your attitude, though, you have to be OK as manager accepting the blame when you don't compete. Asked to grade the job he has done, Gonzalez said, ``You get graded by wins and losses. If you grade me by that, then I haven't been very good. That's the only way to judge, right? Is there any other way?'' As he says this in the dugout, Cabrera comes over and playfully hugs Gonzalez from behind for no reason. That is one of the knocks on Florida's rookie leader -- that he is too kind to his players. But reserved Tony Dungy and Joe Torre and Bill Belichick and Phil Jackson all managed to be friendly to their employees en route to the throne. What is angrily overturning a buffet table going to do other than leave a bunch of ham and cheese on the floor? ''Don't confuse being nice with weakness,'' Gonzalez says. Maybe you can figure out what Gonzalez being nice has to do with an immensely proud and motivated Willis getting one victory in his past 17 starts. Oh, you can find a manager who has lost his team, if that's what you are intent on finding. The Marlins clubhouse is part frat house and part preschool, what with all the girlie posters in lockers and players annoying clubhouse cleaners on the road by doing things like leaving their pants on the kitchen floor (the candy store next to Willis' locker has evidently gone bankrupt). But just because Gonzalez refuses to rip his players publicly doesn't mean Hanley Ramirez didn't get a savage berating behind closed doors after making an error against St. Louis. It is just that Gonzalez never would go public with something like that or call closed-door meetings just to appease a fan base that prefers he be the fiery boss for show. The manager who embarrasses his players is covering his own rump, not impacting winning in any appreciable way. Gonzalez would be perceived as running a loose and fun clubhouse if the standings were upside down. Undisciplined? ''That's a lie,'' Cabrera says. The perception that Cabrera and Ramirez are running roughshod? Cabrera laughs at this. ''The ones that run this place are the manager and the owner,'' he says. A locker over, Ramirez says, ``That has no merit. I do what I'm told.'' It is never good, though, when your youngest players are your best players. The Marlins could use more professional veterans for guidance. As he was watching college football Saturday, Gonzalez noticed that the ages of Cabrera and Ramirez came up for some of the college seniors. Boone was brought in to guide, but he hasn't felt right correcting some things he has noticed. ''It is harder when you are on the disabled list,'' Boone says. ``It is hard for me to be as vocal as I want to be and should be because I'm not taking my lumps with them. I lose a little of my voice.'' Gonzalez is asked what the last month of misery has been like. He smiles wearily. ''Tough,'' he says. ``Tough. Tough.'' Sleep? ''Some nights are better than others,'' he says. ``People are lying if they say they can leave it here at the ballpark. Maybe if you've done it for 25 years and had a lot of success . . .'' But not when your year is your first and your place is last.
September 2, 200719 yr I usually can't stand LeRetard but this aricle isn't as bad as most. Injuries have certainly taken there toll here, maybe next year?
September 2, 200719 yr Author I find with LeBatard that, whether you agree with him or not, he makes his points in an eloquent manner. I'd rather read his column than listen to him.
September 2, 200719 yr I find with LeBatard that, whether you agree with him or not, he makes his points in an eloquent manner. I'd rather read his column than listen to him. Co-Sign. Bam.
September 2, 200719 yr I know you're kidding, but I was definitely expecting to open this thread and see everyone who once defended Hermida because of luck and continue to defend Train because of luck just push this article aside. Great article by LeBatard.
September 2, 200719 yr I know you're kidding, but I was definitely expecting to open this thread and see everyone who once defended Hermida because of luck and continue to defend Train because of luck just push this article aside. Great article by LeBatard. I could be mistaken, but I believe basically everybody like that is, at worst, not anti-Fredi, considering all the people like that off the top of my head continually talk about the lack of a pitching staff whenever somebody bashes Fredi. I myself like Fredi.
September 2, 200719 yr I know you're kidding, but I was definitely expecting to open this thread and see everyone who once defended Hermida because of luck and continue to defend Train because of luck just push this article aside. Great article by LeBatard. I think the ones who pull the luck card whenever they have nowhere to turn will probably like this article.
September 2, 200719 yr I know you're kidding, but I was definitely expecting to open this thread and see everyone who once defended Hermida because of luck and continue to defend Train because of luck just push this article aside. Great article by LeBatard. I think the ones who pull the luck card whenever they have nowhere to turn will probably like this article. Good bit.
September 2, 200719 yr Fredi is just mediocre...He is as good as just about anyone else. His only strentghs as a manager is that he speaks spanish and the players like him but he doesn't bring much else to the table
September 3, 200719 yr if its comes from "LaBastard" i discount it as rubbish already...he is garbage............ a managers ability to lead and movtivate, especially on a young team matters beacuse the way they carry about their business now is they way they will do it for the rest of their careers, I say Fredi really lacks in this area..... *ie, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Leyland, McKeon, are winners, and took last place teams nearly to first in a short time period, man has Fredi a lot to learn.................
September 3, 200719 yr if its comes from "LaBastard" i discount it as rubbish already...he is garbage............ a managers ability to lead and movtivate, especially on a young team matters beacuse the way they carry about their business now is they way they will do it for the rest of their careers, I say Fredi really lacks in this area..... *ie, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Leyland, McKeon, are winners, and took last place teams nearly to first in a short time period, man has Fredi a lot to learn................. You're garbage.
September 3, 200719 yr Great article (saying that about Dan LeBatard makes me shiver a little, but hey, give the devil his due).
September 3, 200719 yr if its comes from "LaBastard" i discount it as rubbish already...he is garbage............ a managers ability to lead and movtivate, especially on a young team matters beacuse the way they carry about their business now is they way they will do it for the rest of their careers, I say Fredi really lacks in this area..... *ie, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Leyland, McKeon, are winners, and took last place teams nearly to first in a short time period, man has Fredi a lot to learn................. You're garbage.
September 3, 200719 yr This is a funny article, when the team overacheive, its because of luck, and when they underachieve, its because of injury. Dan is an idiot, he forgot some of the players that are still here who are slumping: Willis, Olsen, Uggla, Olivo.
September 3, 200719 yr I know you're kidding, but I was definitely expecting to open this thread and see everyone who once defended Hermida because of luck and continue to defend Train because of luck just push this article aside. Great article by LeBatard. I think the ones who pull the luck card whenever they have nowhere to turn will probably like this article. I prefer the luck card over this card though.
September 4, 200719 yr if its comes from "LaBastard" i discount it as rubbish already...he is garbage............ a managers ability to lead and movtivate, especially on a young team matters beacuse the way they carry about their business now is they way they will do it for the rest of their careers, I say Fredi really lacks in this area..... *ie, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Leyland, McKeon, are winners, and took last place teams nearly to first in a short time period, man has Fredi a lot to learn................. You're garbage. nice comback. idiot........whenever anyone makes a well thought out answer on this board, they are a smart ass comment from a jerk who wasn't born when I was watching the games....... you and Fredi have a lot to learn//////
September 4, 200719 yr if its comes from "LaBastard" i discount it as rubbish already...he is garbage............ a managers ability to lead and movtivate, especially on a young team matters beacuse the way they carry about their business now is they way they will do it for the rest of their careers, I say Fredi really lacks in this area..... *ie, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Leyland, McKeon, are winners, and took last place teams nearly to first in a short time period, man has Fredi a lot to learn................. You're garbage. nice comback. idiot........whenever anyone makes a well thought out answer on this board, they are a smart ass comment from a jerk who wasn't born when I was watching the games....... you and Fredi have a lot to learn////// Did McKeon yell in his players faces?
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