fishfan25 Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I was reading an article about this guy in the Sport Section newspaper today. I didn't know we had him. He is a pretty good pitcher and I would be very happy to see him in the Marlin Rotation. That really sucks what happen to him in 2000 when he got hit in the face just like Kevin Olsen this past year. Anyway what are your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beinfest4Prez Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Yeah that was a good read. That was almost as gory a picture as Clint Malarchuk having his jugular cut. PM if you want to see the pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nc marlin Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Who's Clint Malarchuk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geemoney Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Unless an accident takes out our whole rotation, he won't make it there. He could, conceviably, make the bullpen. More likely, he'll end up at AAA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishfan25 Posted February 23, 2004 Author Share Posted February 23, 2004 Unless an accident takes out our whole rotation, he won't make it there. He could, conceviably, make the bullpen. More likely, he'll end up at AAA. yeh he most likely will but I am saying it would be cool if he made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Card Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Our bullpen won't be as bad as some think, for one reason: competition. There are SO many people competing for a spot in the pen that it may bring a few people's games to the next level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossInfoMan Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 Here's the article about Florie in case you wanted to read it: Seeing, and believing His face shattered and his vision clouded by a line drive in 2000, Bryce Florie has steadily regained his sight and his baseball bearings. Now he hopes to join the Marlins bullpen. BY CLARK SPENCER [email protected] JUPITER - His right cheek is a soft red, a shade darker than his left. And the vision in his right eye, even with corrective lenses, is 20/40 -- a vast improvement over the legally blind 20/500 vision pitcher Bryce Florie was left with after a line drive shattered his face and halted his baseball career with a sickening crunch more than three years ago. His cheekbone was broken. His nose was broken. The orbital socket surrounding his right eye was broken in three places. His entire face, as he sat crumpled on the mound at Fenway Park on Sept. 8, 2000, was a bloody mess. He looked like some mad scientist's experiment gone wrong, a real-life Frankenstein inside a Boston Red Sox uniform. No wonder, then, that when Florie stepped into the examination room Sunday to have his eyes tested -- part of the requisite spring training physicals given to all Marlins players -- he used the opportunity to joke with the team's optometrist. 'When I walked in, I said, `I'm kind of nervous. This isn't my best test,' '' Florie said. Florie, 33, is trying to make a comeback as a nonroster invitee hoping to earn a spot in the Marlins bullpen. But he said he wouldn't be disheartened if he lands in the minors, because Triple A is a far better place to be than some South Carolina church softball league, which is where Florie played all of last summer. ''It could have been worse,'' he said of an injury that, in the March issue of Men's Health, is ranked fourth on the magazine's list of the ''Greatest Hits and Hurts'' in sports history -- ahead of a matador's goring and Kermit Washington's famous punch against Rudy Tomjanovich. FLORIE'S HORROR Literally and figuratively, Florie's life flashed before his eyes. He had just given up a ninth-inning single to Derek Jeter when a fastball he threw to Ryan Thompson came back faster than it was delivered. Acting on nothing more than raw instinct, Florie tried to raise his glove in time to make the catch. He was a split-second late. ''Every pitcher in this room has been hit somewhere with a line drive,'' Florie said while standing inside the Marlins' spring-training clubhouse, ``and the first thing you usually try to get out of the way is your head. For me, unfortunately, I didn't try to get out of the way. Before you realize you can't catch it, it's too late. The ball is moving too fast.'' The ball struck Florie's head with such force that it shot toward third base, and the fielder's throw was made in time to retire Thompson at first. The scorer credited Florie with an assist. ''1-5-3, off the cheek,'' Florie said. Florie wasn't knocked unconscious. But the ''dead silence'' inside Fenway Park and the terrified expressions on the faces of fans and teammates (''Like they were looking over a cliff, like they didn't know what to do, or what to say -- silent and scared'') indicated to him something had gone terribly wrong. ''I didn't know anything other than I couldn't see,'' he said. ``I knew it hurt like hell. And I had blood in my nose and my mouth, and swallowing it.'' Surgeons repaired the damage to his eye and face as best they could, but recovery was slow. His eyesight improved, but only gradually. He spent 10 months on the disabled list. ''I had blood behind my retina, so I couldn't see out of my eye,'' Florie said. ``My field of vision was the top of my eye and the bottom of my eye. But the whole middle I was looking through blood. It's like going underwater and trying to open your eyes in a muddy lake. You can't see.'' Florie returned to the mound for Boston late in the 2001 season, receiving a 10-minute standing ovation from Fenway fans. But he wasn't the same pitcher, and Boston cut him after that season. He was signed by Oakland, but an elbow surgery caused him to miss all of spring training in 2002, and he was only able to pitch for the A's minor-league team in Sacramento. Last year, he didn't play at all -- except as an outfielder for his church softball team near his home in Charleston. COMEBACK BID This marks the first spring training he has participated in since 2000. ''I'm low-risk. If things work out, I've been around for a few years,'' said Florie, who has a 20-24 record in 261 major-league games with the Padres, Brewers, Tigers and Red Sox. ``If it doesn't, I go to Triple A and make Triple A money. I never lost my major-league stuff. I didn't lose any pitches by getting hit in the head. I lost vision. My body's in shape. I just don't see quite as good.'' Last June, Florie turned on his television to watch a Red Sox game. They were playing the Marlins. When Florida pitcher Kevin Olsen was felled by a line drive that struck him in the temple, Florie said it was like he was looking into a mirror of his past. 'My first thought was, `Oh, my God,' '' he said. ``It was so eerie to me. Here he was: Same type of pitch. Same hit. Same mound. You have the same cart coming out to the field. The cart took him to the same area I was taken. ``I felt sick because a couple of years before that, it was me. I knew what he was thinking. You're scared.'' Olsen wasn't invited to the Marlins' major-league camp this spring. He'll be with the minor-leaguers when they show up. Florie's locker isn't too far from where Olsen's was last spring. ''I'll fight like hell to make this team,'' Florie said. ``I'm nervous and excited and anxious because I didn't play last year. You just can't jump back in and think you're going to be back right where you were before. I'm just happy to be in spring training talking about it. But I'd like to change what people know me for.'' If you want to see the pic of what his face looked like, go to http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/8017805.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 Typical Herald crappy piece. Soft...soft...soft. Just like last year, filling their spring training space with profiles of (relatively) unknown players who have about as much chance of making the team as I do, rather than actually covering spring training. I have to say I'm impressed with the effort the Palm Beach post is making this season covering the Fish. Let's hope they mature into a real force in sports journalism this year, god knows it's going to be more of the same old same old from the Herald. Clark Spenser could have done this story from a phone booth in Des Moines for all the flavor of the first days of spring training he gave us. This should have been four paragraphs long and in Marlins Notebook. Not to say I don't wish the guy good luck because I do, it was tragic what happened but sheesh, enough already. Why does this guy deserve front page with color over say, Hee Seop Choi or Darren Oliver (who would have been my choice for a Monday after ST starts piece) or a number of other guys? Looks like we're in for another year of crappy coverage from the guys at One Herald Sq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishfan25 Posted February 24, 2004 Author Share Posted February 24, 2004 Has there been a huge story like this one on Jeff Conine Or Ramon Castro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossInfoMan Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 I swear, the Herald could print a story about anything and you can put a negative twist on it. This is an amazing comeback story, Im sorry if it doesnt fit your criteria. How do you expect the author to "give a flavor of the first few days of spring training" when all that had happened when this article was written were physicals?Spring training works out to about 6 weeks, there cant be a story about a star player everyday. Im not saying Florie will make it to the team, but who knows? No one ever thought Juan Alvarez or Allen Levrault or Tommy Phelps would make the team last year and they all did and pitched well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 Bryce Florie is a career nothing pitcher, check out his stats. It would be a nice story if he made the team but in my opinion, and I guess what you really are complaining about is the fact that I have an opinion, he's about the least likely guy on the wouldbe pitching staff that deserves front page, color treatment except that it was an easy fill for Clark Spenser. I stand by what I said, he could have done that piece from a phone booth in Des Moines. I'll hold my breath and wait for the Darren Oliver interview. One thousand one, one thousand two... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geemoney Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 I swear, the Herald could print a story about anything and you can put a negative twist on it. This is an amazing comeback story, Im sorry if it doesnt fit your criteria. How do you expect the author to "give a flavor of the first few days of spring training" when all that had happened when this article was written were physicals?Spring training works out to about 6 weeks, there cant be a story about a star player everyday. Im not saying Florie will make it to the team, but who knows? No one ever thought Juan Alvarez or Allen Levrault or Tommy Phelps would make the team last year and they all did and pitched well. I tend to agree. I'm not offended by this "lack of coverage"....they cover guys like Conine and Castro EVERY DAY during the season...we KNOW their stories already...there's not much else you can tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossInfoMan Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 If I had a problem with people who had opinions, I would hate everyone here. Fact is, whether or not he is a big star, this is a very compelling story. And I dont see why the first story had to be about Oliver. If it was a story about Oliver, then you would say why not Burnett or Beckett or Benitez? My one issue is that you see everything the Herald prints as being negative, even a feel-good story such as this when nothing else had happened in Jupiter yet. I am hardly an apologist for the Herald, I hate it when they have negative stories, but when you can make a negative of even a positive or at worst, non-negative story, thats what I have an issue with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Fillet Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 I swear, the Herald could print a story about anything and you can put a negative twist on it. This is an amazing comeback story, Im sorry if it doesnt fit your criteria. How do you expect the author to "give a flavor of the first few days of spring training" when all that had happened when this article was written were physicals?Spring training works out to about 6 weeks, there cant be a story about a star player everyday. Im not saying Florie will make it to the team, but who knows? No one ever thought Juan Alvarez or Allen Levrault or Tommy Phelps would make the team last year and they all did and pitched well. Wow, and opinion with rampant rationalism mixed with a good dose of common sense. STOP IT, dammit!!!!!! I'm becoming disoriented!!!! :o Good post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 If I had a problem with people who had opinions, I would hate everyone here. Fact is, whether or not he is a big star, this is a very compelling story. And I dont see why the first story had to be about Oliver. If it was a story about Oliver, then you would say why not Burnett or Beckett or Benitez? My one issue is that you see everything the Herald prints as being negative, even a feel-good story such as this when nothing else had happened in Jupiter yet. I am hardly an apologist for the Herald, I hate it when they have negative sotries, but when you can make a negative of even a positive or at worst, non-negative story, thats what I have an issue with. Ross, I happen agree with you that it is a compelling story. Perhaps a leopard can change its spots, perhaps the Herald has changed its demeanor when it comes to the Marlins, but I doubt it. When they show that they are willing to at least level the playing field regarding the Fish, I'll be the first one to say so. I have to admit, were it me, if I were running the sports newsroom I would have led with someone everyone is interested in getting acquainted with, a Hee Seop Choi (who is in camp early) or a Darren Oliver or Benitez, not some rummy who had the misfortune of not getting his glove up fast enough. And I happen to agree with geemoney that they do enough on Conine et al, and that "we" (hardcore fans) already know a ton about them, but they aren't writing for us, they are writing to the masses. Go read spring training coverage in other major market dailies and how they cover their hometown team and you'll see a marked difference in approach and content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Fillet Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 And I happen to agree with geemoney that they do enough on Conine et al, and that "we" (hardcore fans) already know a ton about them, but they aren't writing for us, they are writing to the masses Exactly. And this article is a prime example of "writing to the masses." You think some housewife in Plantation cares about Beckett's WHIP, or wants to read a preview of the upcoing split-squad ST showdown for the Fish up in mid-Florida? Human interest stories. Appealing fodder for the masses. Oh, God. I'm defending the Herald. :banghead Spontanous combustion is sure to follow. I'm going to hell. :confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossInfoMan Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 This has gotten way off-topic and I apologize for my part in that. I felt my opinion needed to be expressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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