You can not count Cabrera because he was on the team last year that produced the championship. This discussion is whether or not this team will make the playoffs by comparison to last years team. The lineup they have now does not make the playoffs. I can accept the fact that you may feel that the Marlins will be in the playoffs although i disagree. On the other hand if you feel that castro can replace Fudge you are a fool who can not be reasoned with.

On the other hand if you feel that castro can replace Fudge you are a fool who can not be reasoned with.

What did you call me?

HOW ARE WE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF DROPOFF BETWEEN FUDGE AND CASTRO? THE BASEBALL KNOWLEDGE ON THIS BOARD SHOULD BE BETTER.............

Very good Admin B. But i think you know this as well. That is why you have tried to sign pudge the last two years.

Very good Admin B. But i think you know this as well. That is why you have tried to sign pudge the last two years.

We are going into the 2004 season with confidence in Ramon, and that he can very well match the production of Ivan Rodriguez in 2003. If we did not believe this, I can assure you we would have done more to retain Rodriguez. We feel Ramon is going to step right up into the big shoes Pudge left here to fill, and eventually make them two sizes bigger.

Pudge wears women's size five...Ramon doubles that easily.

Pudge wears women's size five...

I wouldn't doubt it.

I do not believe that we NEED another arm in the pen. I think that unless we get Saurbeck that there isnt anything that will improve our team.

 

But a hitter i would understand. I like the players which he have on our squad but i just dont feel as comfortable with the offense as i think we should. I think that we should sign a good reliable hitter to give our outfield and choi rest when they need it. Plus be a good pinch hitter like hollandsworth was for us in the playoffs and as u can see from the playoffs a good reliable pinch hitter is nessesary in a championship team.

I do not believe that we NEED another arm in the pen. I think that unless we get Saurbeck that there isnt anything that will improve our team.

 

But a hitter i would understand. I like the players which he have on our squad but i just dont feel as comfortable with the offense as i think we should. I think that we should sign a good reliable hitter to give our outfield and choi rest when they need it. Plus be a good pinch hitter like hollandsworth was for us in the playoffs and as u can see from the playoffs a good reliable pinch hitter is nessesary in a championship team.

I agree 100%

 

I think that guy should be Eric Karros. I haven't heard anything about him all off-season so I'm pretty sure there's not a lot of competition for him. He absolutely torched lefties last year.

Randall Simon would be a solid bench addition.

Last April's squad vs. this January's:

C: Pudge, Castro, Redmond > Castro, Redmond

1B: Lee > Choi

2B: Castillo < Castillo

3B: Lowell = Lowell

SS: Gonzalez < Gonzalez

IF: A Fox, Mordy = Mordy, Easley/Hooper/Valdez

LF: Hollandsworth < Conine

CF: Pierre < Pierre

RF: Encarnacion < Miggy

OF Banks, G Williams > Banks, A. Nunez/?

Beckett < Beckett

Pavano < Burnett

Redman < Penny

Penny = Willis

Tejera < Pavano

Almanza = Tejera/Sauerbeck?

Looper < Benitez

V Nunez < Neu

Spooneybarger < Fox

Neal, Phelps < Neal/Phelps/Bump/Tejera?

Grading the Marlins for next year (roster as of now) and how they compare to last year.

 

Starting Pitching: A-, BETTER than last year. It would be an A if I knew Burnett was coming back and we had a fifth starter in place.

 

Relief Pitching: C, WORSE. Looper, Urbina, Helling better than what is replacing them.

 

Offense: B, SLIGHTLY WORSE. Will miss Pudge's clutch hitting. Lee's HRs a little bit.

 

Defense: A-, SLIGHTLY WORSE. Will miss Lee and Pudge's defense. Still good.

 

Speed: B+, SLIGHTLY WORSE. Will miss speed at catcher, Lee, Encarnacion.

 

Bench: C+, BETTER. Anything will be better than last year.

 

Coaching: A, BETTER. Need to explain?

 

Intangibles: A, BETTER. Experience, cohesiveness, motivation, etc. better.

are u sure about that. Mike Neu had a better era than looper had last season and he was in the american league where it is harder to pitch in. Plus last season they had to stop using looper as much when he couldnt throw a strike for his life. Is this a good pitcher in the pen that is making almost 4 million a year? Also Helling was barely used last year. He only pitched 16 innings.

 

I actually like this year's pen better than last. I never reeeaaally like urbina last season and if you look at stats, he didnt have that good of a year. 8 blown saves in the AL at the all star break. cmon this year the pen is filled with good young arms that can only get better and with some veteran leadership aswell.

 

Cant wait til the end of next season for people can see how this pen really is.

Grading the Marlins for next year (roster as of now) and how they compare to last year.

 

Starting Pitching:? A-, BETTER than last year.? It would be an A if I knew Burnett was coming back and we had a fifth starter in place.?

 

Relief Pitching:? C, WORSE.? Looper, Urbina, Helling better than what is replacing them.

 

Offense:? B, SLIGHTLY WORSE.? Will miss Pudge's clutch hitting. Lee's HRs a little bit.

 

Defense:? A-, SLIGHTLY WORSE.? Will miss Lee and Pudge's defense.? Still good.

 

Speed:? B+, SLIGHTLY WORSE.? Will miss speed at catcher, Lee, Encarnacion.

 

Bench:? C+, BETTER.? Anything will be better than last year.

 

Coaching:? A, BETTER.? Need to explain?

 

Intangibles:? A, BETTER.? Experience, cohesiveness, motivation, etc. better.

are u sure about that. Mike Neu had a better era than looper had last season and he was in the american league where it is harder to pitch in. Plus last season they had to stop using looper as much when he couldnt throw a strike for his life. Is this a good pitcher in the pen that is making almost 4 million a year? Also Helling was barely used last year. He only pitched 16 innings.

 

I actually like this year's pen better than last. I never reeeaaally like urbina last season and if you look at stats, he didnt have that good of a year. 8 blown saves in the AL at the all star break. cmon this year the pen is filled with good young arms that can only get better and with some veteran leadership aswell.

 

Cant wait til the end of next season for people can see how this pen really is.

Neu only has about 40 innings in the majors, you may as well consider him a rookie. He may turn out to be an excellent acquisition but at this point there just isn't enough data to really make an intelligent guess about his skills.

Of course the fallacy in this argument is so incredibly obvious.

 

You can't say "Cabrera replaces Pudge" from a production standpoint and then come to conclusion that therefore we won't lose production by losing Pudge. It seems you've forgetten you don't have anyone to replace Cabrera's production numbers and let's face it everyone agrees Castro is no Cabrera.

I'd say the bullpen's a little weaker right now, but that depends on whether you're comparing it to the 2003 pen at the start of the season or at the end.

 

At the end, obviously the 2003 pen was much better, but the opening day bullpen lineup turned out to be a disaster. Almanza? Neal? Nunez? Tejera? Spooney injured, etc...

 

Fox and Urbina were the ones (along with Loop) who really stabilized things, and they weren't acquired until later.

 

We have every reason to believe that this front office will go out & acquire bullpen depth in July or August if there is a need and the team's contending for the playoffs.

 

By the way, anyone know when Tim Spooneybarger is projected to come back?

Of course the fallacy in this argument is so incredibly obvious.

 

You can't say "Cabrera replaces Pudge" from a production standpoint and then come to conclusion that therefore we won't lose production by losing Pudge. It seems you've forgetten you don't have anyone to replace Cabrera's production numbers and let's face it everyone agrees Castro is no Cabrera.

Miggy, Choi, Castro, Conine, Castillo's healthy hip, experience, players developing > Lee, Pudge, Encarnacion, 1/2 Miggy, 1/6 Conine

Offense is fine. It's defense that's taken a hit. Believe or not, Conine is in the upper echelon of corner outfielders in fielding. Castro and Choi are above-average but they're replacing gold glovers. Miggy had problems last year in the outfield, and while not Manny Ramirez he's no Jim Edmonds either.