Fish Bait

2009-04-22T19:45:23Z

If the Marlins don't go yard, they won't win.

That's one of the lessons learned Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park from a series sweeping defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4. Florida began the series red hot with an 11-1 record, a seven-game winning streak and a 6-0 road record, only to be greeted to the cold Pittsburgh conditions being outscored 18-6.

Ricky Nolasco benefited from an awakening of four runs in support only to earn his second loss in three starts this season, allowing six runs over six innings of work.

Nolasco, like the other Marlin starters this season, fell into trouble early when Adam Laroche belted a ground rule double that hopped over the center field wall and scored Feddy Sanchez.
Two innings later, Sanchez was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored off a Nate McClouth single. Pittsburgh tacked one more run in the third off an Andy Laroche sac fly.

With the Marlins down 3-0 entering the fourth, it appeared a sweep was immentinet. That was before Wes Helms lifted a 2-for-17 skid with RISP, with an RBI double to score Hanley Ramirez.

Florida would then chip away at the defecit with a Nolasco RBI single in the fifth and Ronny Paulino's RBI single in the sixth.

Cody Ross would tie the game at 4 with an double in the sixth and for the first time this series, the Marlins would be tied with the Pirates. But not for long.

Nolasco took the ball in the sixth inning and after a quick out, pinch hitter Delwyn Young doubled off the wall and scored off a Nyjer Morgan single, who reached second on the throw home, to reclaim the lead at 5-4. Morgan swiped third and when Paulino's throw skipped down the left-field line, Morgan scooted home to give the Pirates a two-run cushion.

Pittsburg tacked on another run in the seventh and Matt Capps prevented another Marlin Miracle as seen in DC.

Florida got on the board with a run against Pittsburgh ace Paul Maholm in the top of the fourth, but probably should have had more. Emilio Bonifacio and Jeremy Hermida kicked things off with singles. Bonifacio stole third to put runners at the corners. Hanley Ramirez hit a comebacker to Maholm, who turned and fired to second to force Hermida. But Sanchez then fired home instead of to first to get Bonifacio hung up for the taylor made 1-4-2-5-1 double play.

Despite the sweep and their first three-game losing streak of the season, the Marlins still had a 6-3 road trip and return home 11-4 atop the National League East.

Last time the Marlins got swept in a three-game series by Pittsburgh was May 30-June 1, 2005.

The Marlins bats came alive with runners in scoring position, going 4-for-9 Wednesday with four doubles and all runs scored with two outs. Florida hit .156 with RISP their last five games.

Marlins Win Streak Comes to Crashing Halt

2009-04-21T04:51:02Z

The Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff caught the nations attention Monday night.

Their major-league leading fourth shutout came against the red hot hitting Florida Marlins, resulting in an 8-0 victory. Of coarse it would come on a cold, wet and rainy Pennsylvania night in front of 8,790 brave souls.

One of those souls, the biggest question mark on the Marlins starting rotation, Andrew Miller will plead the fifth in proving a lock in the rotation.

Miller exited an out before ending the fifth inning letting four runs score off five hits and four walks. The control problems might have been due to a strained right oblique muscle which will sideline Miller for the next 15 days on the Disabled List. Miller was a DL victim last season with a knee injury. Might be a bad omen, but in 2008 Miller was replaced in the starting rotation by Josh Johnson and ended the season in the bullpen.

"I just didn't have that second gear when I wanted to put somebody away," Miller said. "It felt like I was throwing at 80-85 percent to prevent [the injury] from obstructing with my ability to throw the ball because I just couldn't throw through it."

Entering Monday's game, the exclamation point was the high powered offense that thrusted the Marlins into a seven game winning streak and dash to ten games above 500. Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf quietly entered and cut that streak to a half, winning just his second career major league game. The hurler earned it through a career high seven innings pitched allowing just two hits and get this, NO Homers.

The long ball were the Marlins bread and butter in their winning steak, four straight games involved a homer and every game they rocked out at least nine hits. Not Monday night as Ohlendorf was able to do what Johan Santanta, Derek Lowe and the entire Nationals rotation couldn't do: hold the Fish from extra base hits.

Impressive numbers considering the Ivy Leaguer was trade scrap to the Yankees for Randy Johnson and then to Pittsburg for Xavier Nady.

Pirates relievers Tyler Yates and Jesse Chavez pitched a perfect eighth and ninth, respectively.

All the things the Pirates did right, the Marlins did wrong. Both needed their starting pitcher to go deep into the game, and get quality relief from the bullpen. That didn't happen for manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Logan Kensing entered his fifth game of the season and would last 2 1/3 banged and damaged innings. Kensing let up six hits, four earned runs with two walks, none bigger than a Nate McLouth game-icing, 433-foot, three-run homer in the sixth that splashed into the Artic Allegheny River.

With the game out of grasp, Dan Meyer came on and pitched an eriely quiet eighth inning.

Emilio Bonifacio and Hanley Ramirez contributed the only hits for the Marlins, both singles.

Punchline Summary:

The Bucs take game one on a cold and wet night at PNC Park from a pitcher with one major league victory. Tuesday night will feature the other pitcher acquired from that Nady trade: Jeff Karstens.

Karstens will be making his second start of 2009, lasting four innings against the Houston Astros in his first. Kastens last season went 2-6 with an earned run average of 4.03. The Marlins will counter with Anibal Sanchez, who has just 2 earned runs in as many starts.

Noteworthy Points:
The rain left the downtown Pittsburgh ballpark about 20 minutes too late and delayed the game's start time.

Marlins are the USC of Major League Baseball: An early number one in the polls....

That's according to ESPN's latest Power Rankings which have the beloved Fish tops in baseball (too bad the season isn't three weeks long). The teams seven game winning streak with sweeps in Atlanta and Washington, dethroned last week's number one (Braves) all the way down to 15th.

Down.....But Not Out

Pittsburgh has been a streaky team in 2009, take their past weekend action for instance. They shut down the Braves with wins of 3-0 and 10-0 but slipped on Sunday to get blown out 11-1.

McPherson Goes West

Ok so it appears Marlins President of Ops Larry Beinfest made the right decision sticking with Bonifacio instead of minor league home run king Dallas McPherson. According to Henry Schulman, the San Fransico Giants have signed McPherson and will send him to extended Spring Training before potentially sharing time in the Fresno Grizzles (AAA) lineup

Quick! Grab Your Badenhop Jerseys Out of The Garage

(Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel Marlins Beat Writer Juan C. Rodriguez knows his stuff:

"To replace Miller, the Marlins have promoted right-hander Burke Badenhop from Triple-A New Orleans. Badenhop was scheduled to pitch tonight at Round Rock (Tex.). Instead, he'll be available to pitch in relief tonight before taking Miller's next start Sunday at Dolphin Stadium against the Phillies."

So Bandenhop (involved in the December 5, 2007 Miguel Cabera-Dontrelle Willis trade) is pitching call-up number one on the season. Ryan Tucker who also has big league experience was placed on the DL last week.

Badenhop, a righty, was 2-3 last season with a forgetful 6.08 earned run average, making eight starts in the majors. His promotion will be a blessing to the tired bullpen arms.

Hermida Strikes...Again...and Again....And Then Again

2009-04-18T21:58:48Z

No one on the corners has swagger like them.

Jeremy Hermida had barely cleaned the crust out of his eyes when he lifted the Marlins to a second series win against the Washington Nationals. With their backs against the ropes for a second straight day in Nationals Park, the Florida Marlins leftfielder relived the glory from a Friday night late inning game winning single with a pair of bombs to first tie the game, then give his team a lead.

The Marlins (and Nationals for that matter) could have easily let up on themselves before the first inning came to a close. On a day when a team's bread and butter (starting pitching) was far from solid, their sudden backbone (bullpen arms and a tweaked batting order) came to the limelight.

Josh Johnson, who mastered his way through the Mets and Nationals lineup in his two starts on the season, came across as solved puzzle Saturday afternoon. Johnson was tagged with an Austin Kearns grand slam in the first but managed to minimize the damage through six innings with the Marlins down 6-3.

Handing the ball over to the Marlins bullpen for a win on a day like Saturday appeared to be a prayer entering the season. But this so called Achilles' heel has produced 21 1/3 straight innings without an earned run crossing the plate. You'd have to pull up last Friday night's game against the New York Mets to find an earned run suffered by a Marlins reliever.

Dan Meyer, Kiko Calero (1-0), Logan Kensing, and Reynel Pinto carried the load Saturday afternoon frustrating Nationals hitters with a solo hit the last five innings of a game they started with hit after hit.

Those hits transferred in waves over to the Marlins dugout. After a Cody Ross double, catcher Ronny Paulino proved he could tag lefty pitchers with "half a grand slam" shot in the second inning. The Marlins scraped together a run before Nationals closer Joel Hanrahan again entered the ninth trying to preserve the lead. But Hanrahan again fell victim to the long ball and will be looking forward for the Marlins to leave town after Sunday's game.

This time it was Hermida who would provide the devastating ninth inning blast to tie the game up, a two run shot to even the score for the first time since inning number one. After an inning and a half of solid pitching, Hermida reached the plate with two on and no outs and swung another pitch into the Nationals Park bleachers.

Calero pitched a quiet 11^th to earn his first win since 2007 with the Oakland A's.

The Marlins improved to a big league-best 10-1. The Nationals have the worst record at 1-9.

Wild Finish In Nations Cap

2009-04-18T17:21:53Z

Facing their second loss on the season just two outs away, Cody Ross took matters into his own hands...err his own bat off a ninth inning John Hannan fastball. Ross belted the inside pitch into the Nations Park left field seats and told Leo Nunez to strap up because the game was going at least nine full.

After another night of Nunez doing his job, Jeremy Hermida's infield single scored Jorge Cantu in the 10th inning, capping a two-out rally to give the Marlins a 3-2 win over the last place Washington Nationals.

Hermida's at-bat was an afterthought for Nationals catcher Jesus Flores, who started for the dugout along with reliever Saul Rivera after Dan Uggla took a 2-2 pitch on the outside corner with two out and Cantu on.

Just about all involved thought it they'd hear the "SSSSSStrrrrrikkkke!!!" call from home plate umpire Tim Timmons, except Tim Timmons. Uggla dumped the "new life" next pitch into short right, setting up Hermida for the game-winning RBI on an infield single to short Friday at Nationals Park.

Closer Matt Lindstrom survived an Elijah Dukes lead-off double in the bottom of the 10th to notch his second save and give the Marlins their best start in franchise history.

Noteworthy: LHP Taylor Tankersley had successful surgery Friday to repair a stress fracture in his throwing elbow. Tankersley, on Class AAA New Orleans' roster, will be evaluated in six weeks before a throwing program is determined.

Nolasco was pretty angry after exiting the game before the fifth. Not quite sure at whom but take a look at what he said after the game to decide. "I'm pretty angry I wasn't able to go deeper"

Lucky Can of Skoal earns Marlins MVP of the Week...it's safe to say that Cody Ross broke out of his 2 for 25 slump to enter the season with two homers in as many games. But how exactly did he break out of it? Well according to Clark Spencer and Mike Phillips in their Herald blog it was because of the empty Skoal can given to Ross by none other than Hanley Ramirez. Hey when you guys are done with it...my church league games are Wednesday nights.

Marlins Off-Season Deals

2009-02-15T17:06:45Z

A spot in the rotation. A Closer. A backup catcher. A Leftfielder and a first basemen.

If Florida Marlins General Manager Larry Beinfest drew up a shopping list this offseason those would be the main entrees for them to pick up. With 17 players due to get a huge pay raise since playing at the major league level for three seasons, it was going to be an interesting Hot Stove for the Marlins.

For starters you parted ways with a ninth inning pitcher whose contributions were in question. On paper, Kevin Gregg is a proven closer with 32 and 29 saves the last two years, respectively. However, August was a month he was happy to end last season. Gregg lost four games including back-to-back blown saves to the New York Mets during what was turning out to be a close race for first place. A day after giving up a lead changing grand slam to Carlos Beltran with two outs in the ninth, Gregg complained about "inflammation in his left knee" and also learned he wouldn't be resigned next season. Matt Lindstrom won the September closer audition over set-up man Joe Nelson, who left for greener pastures in Tampa.

Trades were inevitable for the Marlins and none bigger when Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen were shipped to divisional rival Washington. Willingham averaged 20 homers with a .266 batting average but his 100 strikeouts a season was far too much for Beinfest, not to mention missing 60 games last season due to a back injury. As for Olsen, his DUI last season mixed with fights with teammates became too much to bear along with a 31-37 win-loss mark. We'll be seeing the Nationals 18 times this season.

Here's a breakdown of the players who won't be returning to camp this year. Interesting to note it would have cost us 20 million to retain these players.

Mike Jacobs- The power-hitting first baseman was a centerpiece of the Carlos Delgado trade. A converted catcher, Jacobs put up huge numbers last season with 32 homeruns and driving in 93 runs. However 119 strikeouts and just 118 hits was a major flaw in Jacobs. He's currently battling arbitration with the Royals, whom he was traded to for Leo Nunez.

Expected '09 Salary -Seeking 3.8 Million '08 395,000

Kevin Gregg- Gregg was lights out during his two-year stint with the Marlins. Totaling nearly 30 saves both seasons. However struggles to the bullpen before the September stretch run saw demotion come Gregg's way who was playing with "Inflammation in left knee." With the closer role open during September, Matt Lindstrom out-battled Joe Nelson to secure the gig.

Expected '09 Salary 4.2 Million '08 2.5 Million

Joe Nelson- Nelson was a very solid reliever for the Marlins and his departure to intrastate rival Tampa Bay will be missed. Nelson appeared in 59 games and allowed just a dozen earned runs all season. However 1 save in 5 opportunities made it clear who the 2009 closer would be.

Expected '09 Salary 1.3 Million

Scott Olsen- 25 year old southpaw with plenty of potential. Hopefully things pan out for him in the nation's capital.

Expected '09 Salary 2.5 Million (Asked for 3.5 but agreed since he would lose arbitration) '08 405,000

Josh Willingham- Will have to compete with a crowded outfield in DC with Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, Elijah Dukes, and Willie Harris.

Expected '09 Salary Currently taken to Arbitrators (Asking 3.6 million, Received an offer of 2.55 million)

Matt Treanor

Expected '09 Salary 750,000

Doug Waechter

Expected '09 Salary 645,000

Mark Hendrickson

Expected '09 Salary 1.5 million

Justin Miller

Expected '09 Salary- Invited to Giants camp

Luis Gonzalez

Expected '09 Salary Currently Unsigned Free Agent

Arthur Rhodes

Expected '09 Salary- Signed a 2 year, 4 million dollar deal

Paul Lo Duca

Expected '09 Salary Currently unsigned Free Agent

Jacque Jones

Expected '09 Salary 650,000 (If he makes the Reds 25 man roster)

Uggla Wins Arbitration

2009-02-12T22:36:30Z

So just got news that the Associated Press is reporting Dan Uggla won his arbitration case against the Florida Marlins. Uggla will get 5.35 million as opposed to the 4.4 the Marlins front office offered.

Uggla batted .260 last season with 32 homers and drove in 92 runs. Impressive numbers considering he plays a position with very few power hitters. Glad to see he got his value in the market and you can't really blame the Marlins front office striving for efficiency.

What will be interesting to see this season is with plenty of depth and talent in our farm system at second base, whether or not Uggla finishes the season with us. Reason I say this is because guess what, it's another contract year for the Tennessee native. And with the Ryan Howard deals out there that I ranted and raved about, as long as Uggla produces and the offseason deals increase, Uggla could get a higher salary in 2010.

I know.......I'm getting ahead of myself. Just trying to be a good journalist and look ahead. I personally wish we could lock him up long term.

Arod's Lasting Legacy

2009-02-09T23:00:22Z

There is no doubt Arod is a marked man. But it's another chapter, not the end of the book.

After the startling admission that the 3-time MVP and arguably best player in baseball took performance-enhancing drugs during the 2001-2003 season, many in the baseball world have written his legacy off. The results from six years ago of 104 players with positive tests were taken in a confidentiality agreement, but due to Rodriguez's elite name and high contract, his results got leaked out. And since public scrutinity entailed.

But imagine how Arod can greatly improve the game of baseball.

Let me paint you a picture... Five or six years from now, when Rodriguez is closing in on a fully tainted 762 homerun record by Barry Bonds. Imagine Arod blasting number 763. After the momentus occassion, Arod saying something like this:

"Early in my career I struggled with who I was and was unaware of my influence in the sport. Entering the league at 18 and in my first full season hitting 36 homers and 123 RBIs, it all happened rapidly. I didn't know what I was getting into and for three seasons went along with my peers. I didn't need the performance enhancers since my numbers didn't even increase those seasons. After being marked in 2009, I had to prove to myself that I was a better player off them. Standing here as a clean home run king proves that."

Isn't that the American way? Sure his legacy has taken a hit, but what lies ahead of him is better than whats behind him. Arod has the ability and opportunity to clean his name, be an ambassador of the game and be an outspoken leader in the clubhouse by making sure his teammates are clean.

People are calling for his head. Bill Madden is asking for his job. Most are claiming he ain't a Hall of Famer. Regardless of what they think today, prove to us and yourself that steroids gives only a mental edge by continuing your tear on the record books. If baseball writers can't forgive you, take a page from the late, great Buck O'Neil. The first black manager in the majors with the Cubs was overlooked in 2006 when Negro League players were specially elected into Cooperstown. O'Neil, who's legacy has been his pleasant attitude, had an excellent response. "If I'm not a Hall of Famer for you, that's alrite with me."

Arod can't do anything to please the hall of fame voters. Don't try. Just do the best you can to improve your career and clean your name. The satisfaction of a successful, clean career will be your Hall of Fame.

I'd rather have a half-tarnished Home Run King than a fully-tainted one. Don't just apologize and sweep it under the rug, Alex. Clean up your act, clean up the game of baseball, and break 762. America will forgive you.

Continuing My Marlins History Lesson

2009-01-30T00:28:04Z

So in anticipation of Spring Training I'm counting down the 16 seasons of Florida Marlins baseball. Unfortunately I counting backwards, from worst season for the franchise to the best. My first post was on the 1998 squad and boy that was hard to stomach. It was hard to believe that whole summer we were technically "defending the trophy." HA!

So my next ranking will actually be the 14/15 rankings. Thankfully we've only past the century mark in the loss column once. Our divisional rivals to the North, The Phillies had hundred loss seasons for five straight years, a baseball record from '38 to '42. The Braves and Mets were not far behind with four consecutive seasons granted the Bravos did it was a hundred years ago when they were the Boston Doves and the Mets entered their first four years of pro ball with a hundred losses a year. Other franchises remarkably have stayed competitive enough to stay above that Mendoza line: Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, and the California/Anaheim/LA Angels...of Anaheim.

But two years the Marlins came awfully close, the inaugural 1993 season and the 1999 team. Please let me bash the '99 season first. Ha.

So the largest firesale of a World Series Champion, esentially trading a world champion for minor league players, took a couple years for rebuilding. In '99 the theme was the same, no expectations of making a playoff push let alone a .500 push. The 3 million fans that showed up in '93 was less than half in '99.

But those that made it to Pro Player Stadium welcomed back skipper John Boles, who replaced Rene Lachman in 1996 for 75 games. No...he did not live under a rock and realized he was coaching an entirely different team.

The offense was starting to look good with the rise of Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, Preston Wilson, and Alex Gonzalez. Mark Kotsay and Kevin Millar were solid bats. Surprisingly the lineup was pretty well rounded with a .263 team batting average. The pitching staff...however...was rough.

Only one pitcher had double digit wins (Brian Meadows), and Dennis Springer's career high 16 losses. The rotation saw a young Ryan Dempster and AJ Burnett, so we defintely had promise. The pitching staff was loaded in closers: Dempster, Matt Mantei, Branden Looper, and Antonio Alfonseca. However with an aging Alex Fernzadez, a tailing Livan Hernandez and Brian Edmonson, Vic Darensbrough and Vladmir Nunez, the entire NL East must have had a .100 point bump in their batting average. No wonder Chipper Jones won the MVP Award.

The lasting legacy of this 98 loss team were the transactions this team were able to make. The solid core of a World Series champions were built by the moves made in '99. The Fish traded three virtual unknowns to the Yankees for Mike Lowell. A solid first round pick in Josh Beckett. Signing a 16 year old Venezuelan named Miguel Cabrera. And sending a promising closer Matt Mantei for a 6'4 righty named Brad Penny. 14 future World Series Champions were due to the comings and goings of the '99 season.

Not to let the front office go completely scott free. Forget Dan Uggla, the Marlins could have made the best Rule 5 pickup if we held onto a young pitcher named Johan Santana who was traded to the Minnesota Twins. The rest as they say...is history.

Ranting and Raving on Arbitration

2009-01-21T21:20:48Z

Arbitration to me has some pretty stupid points.

The common purpose for it, correct me if I'm wrong, is for players that are due a raise after their third year in the league. I'm a Marlins, fan and I completely agree some players (Dan Uggla) are incredibly underpaid from others. Hence why arbitration is a positive.

As far as my understanding, arbitration should be for three year veterans whose output has far surpassed the league minimum they are getting. Ok. No problems with that.....

But then there's the Ryan Howards.....the Erik Bedards...and the Adam LaRoches.

Please let me start with the latter. LaRoche puts up decent numbers for an everyday first baseman. But the keyword is decent! LaRoche had THE SAME EXACT NUMBERS in 2008 as 2007 and....get this: gets a raise up to 7.05 (up two mill). Why? Am I the only baseball fan that heard the news and looked up if he were deserving? Let me say I'm aware of not being a major leaguer, but business is business. Competiveness drives my career. If I produce the same 2009 as 2008, the last thing I'm deserving of is a raise.

LaRoche, like most arbitration clients, benefit from the Mark Teixara signings that other teams make. But I'd like to pose the question, if he gives you the same output, why should his salary increase? It should be about what LaRoche brings to the table more so than what the market value for him is.

Ryan Howard is smart to avoid a multiyear contract. No need to compete and better your numbers, just keep the same numbers and you'll get a raise...every year. Don't agree? Erik Bedard of the Seattle Mariners won just six games last season and failed to reach 100 innings pitched, but the offseason dealt him a 750,000 raise. Wonder if he called CC and AJ and thanked them for putting a new porch in his house.

Maybe I'm being too critcal. Maybe it isn't that big a deal and I'm trying to blow it out of proportion. That's what I'd like the baseball world to decide. Is this just part of the business...or bad business? I would like to say, Can't wait for the umpire to say "Play Ball" so we can forget about all this. Haha.

Nolasco, Amezaga, Ross Come to Terms...Uggla a Different Story

2009-01-21T17:13:45Z

Just hours before the Tuesday noon arbitration deadline, the Florida Marlins did come to terms with three players, but interesting was the one they didn't sign.

Ricky Nolasco, Alfredo Amezaga, and Cody Ross, all agreeing to one year contracts meant the Marlins have either signed or traded 16 or their 17 arbitration elgible players.

Thanks to a healthy 2008 campaign, Nolasco was the ace last season with a 15-8 record and threw over 200 innings. Nolasco agreed to a 2.4 million dollar deal with roughly 50,000 extra if he puts up as good of numbers as last season.

Ross gets $2.25 million next season with a chance for $25,000 in performance bonuses, and Amezaga agreed to a deal worth $1.3 million plus $100,000 in available bonuses.

Ross was an every day player (145 games) for the first time in his career and proved his bat would help a lineup, setting career highs in hits, homers, and RBI. Ross will be making the switch in 2009 from centerfield to possibly leftfield with the addition of Cameron Maybin.

As for "The Amazing Amezaga", he plays wherever the Marlins asking him to. Anywhere from centerfield to short to second and third. Amezaga somehow manages to dig and scrap his way into the lineup (132 games in '06, 133 in '07, and 125 in '08); so keeping him on the roster will prove benefital to the Marlins.

So you would wager before the off-season, of the 17 arbitration eligible players on the Marlins roster, a two All-Star whose brief three year career already has 90 homer runs would be top on your to-do list?

Mike Berardino of the Sun-Sentinel is reporting the Marlins couldn't be further away from coming to terms on the greatest Rule V, well EVER. Having already passed the Tuesday noon deadline, both the Marlins and Dan Uggla will take this case to an abritrator who most likely will side with Uggla.

Uggla, seeking $5.35 million, was the only Marlin to exchange salary figures with the team at Tuesday's noon deadline. The Marlins countered with an offer of $4.4 million, which still would represent a massive raise over the $417,000 Uggla made last season.

Per club policy, the Marlins will cease nogitiations with Uggla and await the February hearing, which will be a three-person panel. If the panel sides with Uggla, the Marlins then could trade the second baseman.

Which in my opinon, is horrible for a man that deserves more than 5.35 million. All-Star teammate Chase Utley puts up near numbers as Uggla, and he signed a seven-year, 85 million dollar deal which puts him annually at 6.5 million.

Countdown to Spring Training

2009-01-20T19:15:49Z

Welcome to the hardest-working Blog covering the Florida Marlins. New to the business of Major League Blogging, Fish Baits will be an excellent site for fans to get an opinionated view of the Marlins Front Office.

Throughout the summer, Fish Baits will be providing you with a year-by-year recap of the most unique franchise in the big leagues.

Soooooooooooo.... let's begin my countdown at number 17. And what an easy and uncontroversial season to pick: 52 games behind first place. Winners of 10 games in a month just twice and playing 56 games under .500.

When the topic of worst baseball teams ever came up. Of course the obligatory '62 Mets and '03 Tigers come up, as it should.

The 1962 New York Mets were an expansion team that brought baseball back to America's largest city after the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants left for the West

Coast in 1957. In 1962 the Mets failed to have a player drive in 100 runs (The two franchises that left New York had the top two leaders in RBI that year), batted .240 as a team, and lost 120 games (the single most loses in MLB History).

The 2003 Tigers didn't have much to brag about. The Mets had to choose from a list of castoffs to start their franchise, the '03 Tigers dug themselves into a 43-119 season. Starting Pitcher Mike Maroth lost 21 games while teammate Jeremy Bonderman missed the mark with 19 losses. Most college graduates (including myself) weren't even alive the last time a major league pitcher lost 20 games in a season, when Brian Kingman lost that many in 32 starts for the A's in 1980. It was a common occurrence during an era when starting pitchers closed games (The Tigers had just 3 complete games during their unremarkable 2003 tear; which is unfathomable. To put it in perspective Walter Johnson completed 531 starts; In 1904 Jack Taylor completed 39 consecutive starts, yet the Tigers had 3). Back to my point, many pitchers lost 20 games in season.

1950s 11 1960s 16, 1970s 14, 1980s 1, but 1990s 0 and 2000s 1


So Maroth did something no pitcher had done in 23 years. Impressive.

Back to the All-time worst. If you look at worst winning percentage, the 1899 Cleveland 
Spiders take the cake with a 20-134 record (.130 percentage), 1916 Philadelphia A's 
(36-117 .235 percentage), and the 1935 Boston Braves (38-115 .248) all have a worse 
winning percentage than both the Mets and Tigers.

Ok so now you're saying, "Where the hell is this kid going with this." Well....it's a perfect
segway to describe the 1998 Florida Marlins team that won just 12 more games than the
all-time worst. To add insult to injury, the Marlins won the World Series months before 
the '98 team tried to defend the crown. Laughable.


14 of the 25 1997 team were traded in what had to be the largest fire sale of a World 
Series winner in baseball history. Left field would no longer be manned by Moises Alou 
who drove in 115 runs...his replacement? A 25 year old Cliff Floyd, who at the time,
never hit more than 6 home runs in a season despite a 16 year career of 233 homeruns.  
Greg Zaun took over for one of the greatest defensive catchers in Charles Johnson. Devon
White and Gary Sheffield had a combined 24 years of major league experience by

1998...and they were replaced by Todd Dunwoody and Mark Kotsay, who weren't even 
on Earth for 24 years.

Needless to say it was a sad off-season for Marlin fans. The highest of highs turned into the 
lowest of lows. The 1998 squad fielded future All-Stars Derek Lee, Edgar Renteria, Cliff 
Floyd, Luis Castillo, Alex Gonzalez, Preston Wilson, Ryan Dempster and Livan Hernandez.

Hernandez and Brian Meadows combined for 40 percent of the 54 wins. The runner up for
Rookie of the Year in 1997 went 10-12 the following season, while Meadows had his 
career mark of 11 wins in a season. Outside of that, names like Donn Pall, Andy Larkin, 
Rafael Medina, Eric Ludwick and Gabe Gonzalez will make you scratch your head. The 
Marlins bullpen combined for just 24 saves that year. An ex-Marlin (Trevor Hoffman) led 
the league with 53 saves BY HIMSELF.

The '98 Marlins had two players with more strikeouts than hits. Three players with over 
100 strikeouts, no one drove in 100 runs, and no one watched it. Why? Because ticket 
prices increased 12%. What a year!


But the lasting legacy of the worst season in franchise year will be the opportunity to acquire
pivotal players such as Derek Lee, AJ Burnett, Preston Wilson, and Mike Lowell. Heck,
we even housed a future Hall of Famer (Mike Piazza) for five games; although he never hit a
home run during his stint.

Compare the '98 squad to the '03 Tigers with a 20 game loser, the '62 Mets with 120 
losses, or the 1899 Spiders (if given 100 games would win 13) and realize they were in the
neighborhood but weren't the kings. However, the pain and agony of dismantling the 
champs will always live in the hearts and minds of South Floridians and some have never 
been back.