Posted on Mon, Feb. 23, 2004

 

MARLINS NOTEBOOK

 

 

Castro has inside track to starting catcher job

 

BY CLARK SPENCER

 

cspencer@herald.com

 

 

All eyes will be on Ramon Castro this spring when he tries to fill the void left by Ivan Rodriguez.

 

Though a starting role isn't guaranteed, Castro's power hitting gives him the edge over veteran Mike Redmond to handle most of the catching chores given Florida's loss of offense: Rodriguez and fellow power suppliers Derrek Lee and Juan Encarnacion are gone.

 

''Now it's different,'' said Castro, who has collected more splinters sitting on the bench than he has hits the past two seasons. ``Now I know I'll play more than two or three times a week.''

 

Castro hasn't played a full season since 2001, when he hit .336 with 27 home runs and 90 RBI for Triple A Calgary (Alberta). He batted only 53 times last season and 101 times in 2002.

 

Castro said he'll put more emphasis during spring training on trying to learn the pitchers than he will on oiling his swing.

 

Meanwhile, his future with the club remains in limbo while he awaits the outcome of sexual-assault charges made against him. No court date has been set in the case, which stems from an alleged incident in Pittsburgh last August.

 

MR. ONE-LINER

 

It was banter as usual for veteran reliever Toby Borland, the Marlins' king of the one-liners, when he showed up Sunday for mandatory physicals.

 

The thin-bodied Borland is no Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he joked about his lack of muscle tone to reporters as it pertained to the recent steroids investigation.

 

''I ain't got a chance [of making the team] this year -- no more steroids,'' Borland said in his native Louisiana drawl while glancing down at his spindly arms.

 

Borland's rental car was stolen from the parking lot of the team hotel last year during spring training. The thief took Borland's Dodge Neon, ignoring the Hummers, BMWs and Mercedes driven by his teammates.

 

''I ain't going to get a car this year,'' Borland said. ``I'm going to thumb it.''

 

Then again, after giving it some thought, Borland said that if a missing thumb would help him throw a sinker, ``they can take it right now.''

 

As for the various celebrities -- actress Alyssa Milano and Carl Pavano, lingerie model Leeann Tweeden and Josh Beckett, and volleyballer Misty May and minor-league catcher Matt Treanor -- now dating several members of the Marlins, Borland had this to say: ``Those women must need cataract surgery.

 

Nobody in this clubhouse is going to win any beauty contests.''

Ramon's AAA digits from his time there are truly impressive, and if he can just give us the "threat" of power on a consistent basis he will be an above average C.

 

Redmond is and always will be a superb backup who will give you everythign he has once a week...

My man Ramon will do well.

And Beckett is dating Tweeden?

 

DAAAMMMMNNNN

 

I just hope he doesn't pay for dinner with anymore gift cards.

I never heard of Tweeden until I read Beckett was dating her. So who is promoting who here?

 

It is funny to see he and Pavano dating these 'hot' chicks. The Marlins winning the World Series has surely helped me too... Well, I was already with my girl, and she is a Cubs fan...

I never heard of Tweeden until I read Beckett was dating her. So who is promoting who here?

eh she's been around Jonny.... in fact she has her own show on Fox Sports called 54321, and she is on The Best Damn Sports Show Period too....

I never heard of Tweeden until I read Beckett was dating her.? So who is promoting who here??

eh she's been around Jonny.... in fact she has her own show on Fox Sports called 54321, and she is on The Best Damn Sports Show Period too.... I dont doubt I am out of the loop here. We dont get FSN up here in Tallahassee. So I looked online, and she is...meh...ok. Good for Beckett though - we need him to be brash and cocky. As long as he is loyal to this team then it is all fun. And he seems to be pretty loyal.

As long as he is loyal to this team then it is all fun. And he seems to be pretty loyal.

Let's just hope he's nothing like Andy and Roger...

As long as he is loyal to this team then it is all fun. And he seems to be pretty loyal.

Let's just hope he's nothing like Andy and Roger... if he is here for 8 years and brings us 3 more rings.... when he is 30 or whatever he can go back to Houston if he wants

 

:thumbup

I dont doubt I am out of the loop here. We dont get FSN up here in Tallahassee. So I looked online, and she is...meh...ok. Good for Beckett though - we need him to be brash and cocky. As long as he is loyal to this team then it is all fun. And he seems to be pretty loyal.

she is, "meh...okay"????

 

man you must have some pretty high standards!