jonnylons Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 This is the kind of stuff I want to read about my Marlins! And written by Le Retard!! What the hell is going on!? IN MY OPINION Marlins' untold stories revealed Marlins' journey: insults, injuries, etc. DAN LE BATARD [email protected] JUPITER -- Did you know Josh Beckett and Pudge Rodriguez often clashed? Or that Marlins manager Jack McKeon loudly ripped outfielder Juan Encarnacion through curses on one postseason flight for arriving late? Or that Mike Lowell was in such pain by Game 5 and 6 of the World Series that he couldn't take warm-ups and needed painkillers just to make the easiest throw across the diamond? For all the coverage, there's plenty that remains unknown about last season's champions. So this was the question posed to them this week: What one thing can you tell us about the 2003 team that nobody knows? And here are some of their answers: ? Mike Redmond: ``Ballplayers do some strange superstitious things. I did them naked. I had to break a losing streak, so I did it by taking batting practice in the cage wearing nothing but spikes and batting gloves. [Hitting coach]Bill Robinson was soft-tossing, laughing hysterically. Naked flips, we called them. And we won. So I had to keep doing it, of course. We ran off six straight, so I had to do it six times. Once, at home, I had to walk down to the cages that way, and we had to put sheets and tape on the windows so fans couldn't see what it took to be a champion.'' ? Brian Banks: ``Do you know how heavily medicated Mike [Lowell] was by the end of the season? We were all limping to the finish line with pill bottles open, but Mike couldn't make any routine throws because of his elbow at the end. Game 5 and 6 of the World Series, he couldn't even take warm-ups. He played way in on all the Yankees, playing everyone to bunt, because he couldn't make the throw to first because of the pain. You have to wonder if the Yankees would have bunted more if they had known that.'' ? Lowell: 'I hate to give that [steve] Bartman guy any more attention, but do people know what we were chanting in our dugout after that ball wasn't caught? Redman started saying, `Let's make that guy famous! Let's make him famous!' And we did.'' ? Dontrelle Willis: 'Game 1 of the World Series. I have to come in and get Jason Giambi out. If I give up a hit to one of the best power hitters ever, we're trailing. I get to the mound for the first time in a World Series, real nervous, in Yankee Stadium, and I'm expecting Jack [McKeon] to help me out with some speech or some advice or something. Keep the ball down. Don't let him get his arms extended. Something. Give me some of that 50 years of baseball experience. But he just shrugged, handed me the ball, slapped me on the butt and said, `Go get him.' It's hilarious now, but I felt pretty alone at the time.'' ? Miguel Cabrera: ``That we were never afraid. Everybody thinks I should have been afraid when Roger Clemens threw that pitch near my head [Cabrera got up, stared at Clemens and hit an opposite-field home run later in the at-bat], but I only fear death, nothing else. You can't do anything in fear. You have to be tranquil and believe. I faced [Kerry] Wood, [Andy] Pettitte. What's to be afraid of? Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm afraid. He has the ball. But I have a bat.'' ? Brad Penny: ``We have to vote for playoff shares after the World Series -- it's like $303,000 per share. We can also vote 75 percent shares, 50 percent shares, quarter shares. And one guy gets up and votes a share for the baby-sitter. They already get paid to baby-sit. And I don't have any kids. No way, no chance, no share. That got shot down real quick.'' ? Josh Beckett: ``How hard we all were on each other. It was nothing but insults all the time. We all have the same kind of ego, so we could handle it, but I went home after the season and was the same with my friends and they'd get their feelings all hurt. Had to dial down the volume when I got home.'' ? Chad Fox: ``You mean aside from all the female flesh we got flashed in the bullpen?'' ? Lenny Harris: ``Pudge's shoes were lucky. I'm serious. I asked him for a pair because I had to get rid of my bad-luck shoes. He still doesn't know why I asked, but I took those shoes, wore them and still have them here in my locker. Turned out all right, didn't it?'' ? Jeff Conine: ``During the playoffs, one of the pitchers was tipping his pitches. He could have been yelling to me what he was about to throw, it was so obvious to me. I told everyone on our team, but what is obvious to one person isn't so obvious to another. I can't tell you the pitcher because we may face him again, but I can tell you we won that game, and I did very well.'' ? Mike Mordecai: ``How much pain guys were in by the end. We were held together by tape and Band-Aids. A lot of guys were playing with stress fractures. Luis Castillo, there were games it was hard to watch him across the clubhouse. I always thought he wasn't going to play, but he always played.'' Mike Redmond - you the man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugg Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 He has the ball. But I have a bat. I don't know why, but that's one of the greatest quotes of all time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accord Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 That was a great article, I love reading things like this. Mike and Luis, wow, they sure know how to get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanleylicious Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I only fear death, nothing else. You can't do anything in fear. You have to be tranquil and believe. The Kid is a warrior, and he plays like it as well. That quote is going straight in my sig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beinfest4Prez Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Chad Fox: ``You mean aside from all the female flesh we got flashed in the bullpen?'' Great! :lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGreatOne Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Great article nice to know some of the things that went on behind the clubhouse. I wonder who was the pitcher tipping off his pitches to Conine. :mischief2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Card Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 He has the ball. But I have a bat. I don't know why, but that's one of the greatest quotes of all time. No, THIS is the greatest quote of all-time: "Ballplayers do some strange superstitious things. I did them naked." :lol But I loved Foxy's line, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heckeroo Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 great article Miguel Cabrera's the greatest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reclusedx Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 man what a great article. they should write a book on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBurque Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I'd buy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzie Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Awesome article, I love getting in on these kinda things too. Great lines by Redmond, Cabs, Fox...everyone. And that's crazy that Mikey was so drugged up and how they all were so injured. I couldn't even imagine that because during all the games, they looked perfectly fine to me, just does to show ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marlins02 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 oh God, now i got a picture in my mind of Redmond taking BP. its a picture i seriously dont want. whatever works i guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catchoftheday Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Great article nice to know some of the things that went on behind the clubhouse. I wonder who was the pitcher tipping off his pitches to Conine. :mischief2 haha .... id put my money on Mike Williams ... we ripped that guy apart in a couple of back to back games, it was bad. Great Article though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossInfoMan Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I was wondering who Conine was talking about, too. I found that the playoff games in which he had 3 hits and the Marlins won were against Wood and Clemens. Very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG Z Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Do any of you know this,kevin millar takes to tylenol's every game,i been knowing this for a couple years,strange... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer_fran Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I was wondering who Conine was talking about, too. I found that the playoff games in which he had 3 hits and the Marlins won were against Wood and Clemens. Very interesting. I bet you it was Wood. I seriously doubt it was against Clemens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heckeroo Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 clemens wouldn't do that Wood might, tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bman8316 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Fox's quote was funny maybe thats why some of the bullpen struggled at the end of the year. Redmond taking BP must have been a very odd sight that I am glad I didnt have to see That quote shows that Cabera is going be a star in this league not only does he get it done but he has the attitude to go with it. I just hope that he can become a star in a Marlins uniform Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot4beckett Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 Cool quotes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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