Posted February 6, 200916 yr PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. -- Jack McKeon may now serve in an advisory position with the Marlins, but the former manager remains a popular figure in South Florida. During Marlins Caravan week, McKeon has been a big hit with fans, as he's attended several events to sign autographs, pose for pictures or tell a few stories. McKeon managed the Marlins from 2003-05, and guided the club to a World Series title in '03. He is the only Florida manager to post three straight winning seasons. As a special adviser to team owner Jeffrey Loria, McKeon has observed many of the Marlins' top prospects as they are making their way through the system. With the Marlins opening Spring Training on Feb. 14, McKeon says to keep an eye on rookie Gaby Sanchez, the front-runner to win the first-base job. Sanchez played last year at Double-A Carolina. McKeon, who lives in Elon, N.C., went to a number of Minor League games in the state, and he was able to observe prospects like Sanchez, Chris Coghlan, Michael Stanton and Matt Dominguez. Coghlan, a second- and third-base prospect, also was in Double-A, while Stanton (outfielder) and Dominguez (third baseman) were at low Class A Greensboro. With more than 50 years in professional baseball, McKeon has long been respected for his evaluations of talent. A straight shooter, he doesn't hand out praise easily. "I love Gaby -- I think he's going to be an outstanding big league player," McKeon said of Sanchez. "He knows how to play the game. He's smart. He's a team player. He does the little things trying to make the team better, and he goes up there not trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark every time up. "He's capable of hitting in the big leagues, hitting 20-25 home runs, but that's not his game. That's not what he goes up to the plate to do. He goes up to the plate to get the runs in. He's a run producer. He will take a walk. He's not a burner, but he knows how to run the bases. The guy is just a baseball player. He knows how to play the game. He does all the little things right." Sanchez also is making improvements in the field. He's played catcher and third base, but McKeon feels if he stays at first base, in time he will become a solid defender. "Defensively, he's an average first baseman," McKeon said. "He's moved from first to third. I think if he stays at first, he will be an above-average first baseman in time." As for the prospects in the organization, the former manager is encouraged that quality position players are making their way up through the system. The past few years, the Minor Leagues were stocked with pitchers. Now, there are everyday players to match. "I see a lot of hope because of the fact we have so many good young prospects, and non-pitchers coming into the system," McKeon said. "With the young pitchers we do have now on the roster, and the ones coming up through the Minor Leagues, in a couple of years, this could be a very interesting ball club. This could be a young ballclub that you could say is well schooled on how to win." Are the Marlins ready to win this year? "It's going to be hard to tell," said McKeon. "With the addition of guys like Sanchez who put the ball in play, I think you're going to see less strikeouts and maybe more run production. With the pitching that we have, it's probably one of the best staffs in the National League. Pitching is the name of the game. If we pitch, we can win." The Marlins are banking on a strong young rotation to carry the team. And although it is mostly untested, there is talent in the bullpen that has a chance to blossom. In terms of overall pitching depth, McKeon feels the Marlins have more of it now than they did in 2003. That is high praise, since the championship team featured Josh Beckett, Brad Penny and Dontrelle Willis. "You've got better overall young pitching now, the whole staff, including the bullpen, than what we had in '03," McKeon said. "We had Josh Beckett and Penny just starting to come into their own. We got a tremendous boost from Willis. He made the jump from Double-A." Now with another promising young staff, the Marlins are hoping to recapture the magic they showed six years ago. Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I hope Jack is right bout our future. As for Gaby being a average first basemen right now thats definently an upgrade over jake.
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