Hi, Barry. Aimee here. I was inspired to write this just now. It's an op-ed blog type thing about the perception of the Marlins, and I would like to share it with you. I wrote it as a note to my friends on Facebook, and the headline reads, "This needs to be said."

 

Here it is:

 

We all know the national sports media is fickle. But these last few days surrounding the MLB non-waiver trade deadline have made me more convinced than ever that these people are morons.

 

The way the Florida Marlins are portrayed has always been poor, but it has become terribly obvious that the national sports media just doesn't do their homework when it comes to the Marlins (while at the same time, the South Florida sports media continues to make their top stories about their precious yet train-wreck Dolphins, while their baseball counterparts are having a hell of a season).

My problem has partly to do with people saying that Manny Ramirez was a "perfect fit" for the Marlins, who already lead the major leagues in home runs on their own.

 

That ignorance doesn't bother me nearly as much as people like Mike Greenberg saying yesterday that the Fish needed Manny's bat because they "can't pitch" and have one of the worst team ERA's in the league.

THAT is the main reason I was motivated to write this. People like Greenberg look at those numbers while failing to look deeper into why the ERA is that high. And if they bothered to dig deeper, they would realize that the current starting rotation is completely different than that of the beginning of the season.

 

People who know this team remember the rookie foursome from 2006 -- Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez. These four made history in each winning 10+ games as rookie teammates. Josh Johnson even led the majors in ERA in late July! Anibal Sanchez, who was called up in June and won his MLB debut at Yankee Stadium, threw a no-hitter in his thirteenth MLB start. Not to mention the fact that Sanchez was part of the Beckett-Lowell trade that brought Hanley Ramirez to Florida.

 

The future of the Marlins' starting pitching staff looked promising after 2006. But in 2007, Johnson, Sanchez and Nolasco were all out of the rotation with injuries. Johnson had Tommy John surgery, and Sanchez had shoulder surgery.

 

Those three were still recovering at the beginning of the 2008 season. Out of pure desperation, the Marlins signed Mark Hendrickson as a starter. The first week of the season's rotation looked like this: Hendrickson, Olsen, Andrew Miller (from the Willis-Cabrera deal), Rick Vandenhurk.

 

Andrew Miller looked like a terrified sixth-grader about to get his lunch money stolen on the mound. Hendrickson lucked out with a lot of run support at first, but he basically ended up looking like a BP pitcher opposing teams feasted on. He surrenderd Griffey's 600th home run.

 

But then Nolasco came back, and he and Olsen have turned in steady, quality starts in the majority of their outings. Chris Volstad was called up July 6, and the 21-year-old's composure and ability to pound the srike zone brings back memories of D-Train's 2003 call-up.

Right before the All-Star break, Josh Johnson made his return, 11 months removed from TJ surgery. He has been nothing but solid in his four starts so far. And on July 31, Anibal Sanchez made his triumphant return to the majors as the Fish thrashed the Rockies, 12-2.

Sanchez and Johnson have pitched very close to their 2006 form, and will only get better in the next month. Getting these guys back down the stretch is the equivalent of acquiring two frontline starting pitchers, but without having to trade anyone. And it's not like Nolasco, Olsen and Volstad are chopped liver. Now the Marlins will have a chance to win every day with these five guys. I honestly could not say the same during the first half of the season.

 

This will only strengthen the bullpen, which was overworked in the first half. And the bullpen has quietly added 18-year MLB veteran Arthur Rhodes before the deadline, who will give Renyel Pinto a breather as a lefty specialist.

 

I highly doubt that the people who say on national tv and radio that the Marlins "can't pitch" have any idea about any of what I just wrote. They are too busy salivating over the Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Yankees, Mets and Phillies. Their ignorance and failure to learn the facts instead of stats will make it all the more fulfilling to watch the Mighty Marlins fly under the radar yet again to prove everyone wrong.

 

And this time, the happy ending will include the throwing out of Norman Braman's lawsuit and the breaking ground of the Marlins' very own ballpark -- which they deserve.

yeah u call the media morons and u expect a response, not gonna happen

yeah u call the media morons and u expect a response, not gonna happen

 

Nah, I've spoken with BJack before. He's friends with my dad, who taught him in a journalism class at UM in the 80s.

yeah u call the media morons and u expect a response, not gonna happen

 

 

She's just speaking the truth, they are morons.

 

Aimee, job well done!! I like the way you wrote that, and you were so right on about what you spoke about. I can't tell you how often I hear people in the media trash this team, only to hear them spout off with nothing but inaccurate information. If you are going to write articles for public consumption, or commentate about something on the radio/TV, at least get your f***ing facts straight first.

Dear Aimee,

 

Thank you for this insightful letter regarding the Florida Marlins and for simply taking the time to write to me (i'm very lonely). However, you should have realized long ago that as a journalist it is in my contract to constantly talk about the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, and phillies and only mention the Marlins as an afterthought. ESPN controls every single media outlet in the world despite what you may think, and they have given us this rule ever since the Marlins' expansion year of '93. This year they've also added the Rays to the list of teams we have to constantly talk about just to annoy the Marlins and their fanbase even further.

 

So you see, it is not the actual journalists fault that the Marlins don't get much attention, it's ESPN which was also recently purchased by Norman Braman. Again, thanks for writing to me and tell your dad I said Hello.

 

Your pal,

Barry Jackson

Dear Aimee,

 

Thank you for this insightful letter regarding the Florida Marlins and for simply taking the time to write to me (i'm very lonely). However, you should have realized long ago that as a journalist it is in my contract to constantly talk about the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, and phillies and only mention the Marlins as an afterthought (or to completely sh*t all over them if they aren't overachieving). ESPN controls every single media outlet in the world despite what you may think, and they have given us this rule ever since the Marlins' expansion year of '93. This year they've also added the Rays to the list of teams we have to constantly talk about just to annoy the Marlins and their fanbase even further.

 

So you see, it is not the actual journalists fault that the Marlins don't get much attention, it's ESPN which was also recently purchased by Norman Braman. Again, thanks for writing to me and tell your dad I said Hello.

 

Your pal,

Barry Jackson

 

Fixed.

That was very well written and straight to the point. Steve Phillips said the same thing about the pitching yesterday.

Dear Aimee,

 

Thank you for this insightful letter regarding the Florida Marlins and for simply taking the time to write to me (i'm very lonely). However, you should have realized long ago that as a journalist it is in my contract to constantly talk about the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, and phillies and only mention the Marlins as an afterthought (or to completely sh*t all over them if they aren't overachieving). ESPN controls every single media outlet in the world despite what you may think, and they have given us this rule ever since the Marlins' expansion year of '93. This year they've also added the Rays to the list of teams we have to constantly talk about just to annoy the Marlins and their fanbase even further.

 

So you see, it is not the actual journalists fault that the Marlins don't get much attention, it's ESPN which was also recently purchased by Norman Braman. Again, thanks for writing to me and tell your dad I said Hello.

 

Your pal,

Barry Jackson

 

Fixed.

 

Well done. :thumbup