At the baseball trade deadline, I was reminded why I'm no longer a Marlins fan.
It was never about the team at all. In fact, part of me writing this blog is to admit I was wrong about the team. I predicted the Marlins to finish in dead last in the NL East, and to set all kinds of losing records. I honestly didn't know where the wins were going to come from, but they have proven me wrong with power hitting, solid pitching, and a positive attitude. For me, giving up the faith was never about the team.
It once again comes back to the worst management in the history of sports. It isn't the fact that the Marlins didn't get Manny Ramirez, as I'm not sure he would have made THAT much of a difference. However, it is the reason that the Marlins didn't get Ramirez that kills me.
Early reports say the Red Sox were not only willing to give Ramirez to the Marlins, but they were going to pay for his entire salary as well. The Marlins then decided to ask for another two million dollars out of nowhere, perhaps giving Loria enough money to take a vacation this offseason as he deals away more players. Don't tell me that the deal fell through because the Marlins were reluctant to part ways with Jeremy Hermida, as many reports say that the Marlins would have loved to get rid of the potential large upcoming salary. In the end, as it always is, it was all about the Benjamins.
It's obvious that the asking price wasn't that much, as the Dodgers quickly stole the Marlins place in the trade and gave up very little to get a big bat in their lineup. The Dodgers will make a playoff run in the weak NL West, and it may come back to this trade.
I still contend that although I was wrong about the Marlins, and even though they continue to prove me wrong by splitting series with great teams, and even taking a few, there's no way in the world the Marlins make the playoffs. They will miss by 5-10 games, and it may indeed come back to this trade.
The Marlins may lose another couple of promising players this offseason because of salary concerns, but they will still compete and do well next year. We're just going to have to learn the names of about five new starters.
You know, same drill as every year.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A Quick Reminder
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20 comments:
As a self-proclaimed diehard Fish fan, i couldn't disagree with you more. I personally think the Marlins are an aquired taste, and a team you have to be patient with....but in the end they are so much fun. Guess what? The Dodgers got those extra 2 million dollars...so it wasn't that much to ask, especially considering who our owner is. And say we do lose Willingham and Jacobs to arbitration...we have Mike Stanton and Dallas McPherson waiting down in AA and AAA. The fish will happily do that trade.
The Marlins can't keep banking on every minor leaguer becoming the next star. They have gotten lucky on many occasions, but unfortunately it doesn't always pan out that way. McPherson has already been let go once in his career. He's got great power, but he can't field and strikes out all the time. I was a Marlins fan for over a decade, but the acquired taste you talk about is much like sardines. The ownership doesn't give a damn about the fans, and that's what kills me. If this team was self run by the players, I'd root for them. Also, can you link me as to where the Dodgers got the extra two million? I've never heard of that anywhere.
I definitely get where you're coming from, but they've signed Hanley already...and barring Braman stupidity, a stadium. True they haven't exactly become the Yanks...but I think theyre on the right path. And im commenting on my phone at the moment...but when I get back tommorow..I'll try to hook you up with a link.
We've been banking on our minor leaguers pretty much every year and they usually seem to come through, and even if some don't we trade our vets for some promising young players from other teams (Hanley Ramirez). The Marlins know exactly what they are doing with their young players. The Marlins organization knows exactly what to look for in young players and that has been proven over and over. The Marlins are the most over-achieving team in the league.
In regard to the Manny trade:
Isn't part of the reason we traded Miguel Cabrera was because he was becoming very lazy and a bad model for our young players to learn from? Manny is an even worse model for our young guys, and besides, we are close to one of the better hitting teams in the league. We certainly do not need the offense.
Asad- The Hanley move was great, and even I praised the franchise for that. The stadium will be huge as well. Thanks in advance for the link.
Pg- It's true that more times than not, the Marlins know where to find the young talent, but it gets tiring seeing them deal it away when they reach their peak. Also, if you read what I wrote I said I didn't even really think the Marlins needed Manny, but that I thought it was ridiculous to ask for more than his salary to get him.
I think you've sorely misplaced your unhappiness with the team. The Pirates have horrible management, the Royals have horrible management, the Reds have horrible management. There's quite a few more teams that consistently have bad seasons, draft high, and get nothing out of it. The Fish have won 2 championships in a little over a decade. If anything their management and scouts are one of the best in the league as they consistently get a winning team when even their fan base, like you, expect them to suck, and even when they win, they find something to complain about.
I completly understand your frustrations. I'd been feeling them too. I think if you take a closer, optimistic view of the organization as a whole, you'll realize they've been good more than they've been lucky. Yes, they rely on young players a lot. But they've had better scouting and a better farm system then most teams in the Bigs, and that's as much a part of the org. as paying many millions of dollars to big names for 2 months at time. This team has won two championships since '97. There are few other clubs that can say that. Luck goes into winning a championship, no matter the make-up of the team. But getting the right guys at the right time in the right place is as much a part of it as anything. Chemistry is huge in this game. It's not the NBA where one or two players are the difference in being a title contender or being a lottery team. In the market they are in, with the lack of fan support they have, I don't think there's another team that comes close to what the Marlins have done in recent history.
A Quick Reminder: South Florida has the worst/dumbest/most ignorant fans in the world. Posts like this prove it.
As the rest of baseball world tries to figure ot how the Marlins are good year after year, all the people in South Florida want to do is criticize them for it.
Stanley - I agree with everything you're saying. I just wish they would keep these amazing young kids that come up. It's just a viscious cycle that never ends. I understand that they always have an amazing farm system, but when those guys come up, they're always gone and replaced with more.
Anonymous - You're a dumbass. I have radio shows and blogs and I bet I know more about any team in any sport than you do. It's great when people try to start stuff online nonetheless without saying who they are. If you don't understand why people are frustrated with the management, you're mentally ill.
I'm a dumbass? You're the one that thinks "there is no way in the world" the Marlins will make the playoffs and will miss them by 5-10games, in spite of the fact of a solidified starting 5 and a strengthened bullpen with the addition of Rhodes. Not because you have an actual reason ... but because you hate the owner.
If you think replacing players with younger, better players is a "vicious cycle" then there really is no use in arguing with you.
See you in October.
The only dumbass is you. the Marlins have won 2 championships and have NEVER traded for a Manny type superstar at the deadline to make that happen. They make do with what they have and when those guys get too expensive they move on.
Miguel is showing in Detroit that he bought all the hype about himself, became a fatass first basemen and will probably never be what he can be. Hanley is the type of player that is 1 in a million, and the Fish management showed how smart they are by investing their very little money wisely.
And please, do not try and pretend that because you "have a radio show and blog" you suddenly know more than someone else. Beinfest constantly gets a winner out of nothing, which is called good management, and I can't figure out why you don't grasp that. I can't wait to see you come out and apologize when the Fish are right there in the race in September. Of course you'll probably pretend you never wrote this ignorant trash, but hey, that's what makes you the bandwagon Marlins fan.
I'm NOT a Marlins fan anymore dumb shit. I won't come back and deny anything. I always admit when I'm wrong, and if you actually read this blog I already did. The Marlins are not going to make the playoffs this year whether you like it or not, so if you want to see me in October, you'll have to do so by watching other teams on TV. You think this team has good ownership? You'd have to be on drugs to think that just because they get good talent, that means they're a great management. They're the best at finding the talent. There's no denying that. But they just get rid of it. You've all been brainwashed or something. At least objective people can see other people's frustration with the franchise. It's the biased people like you guys that can't lend an ounce of credence that give sports fans a bad name.
But when the Marlins move talented players they don't just "get rid" of them as you say.
I'm not brainwashed. I do understand people's frustrations with the Marlins, I just think they're silly. I know that fans get attached to players and are sad to see them traded away. But those fans don't know what's coming in return or whose ready to emerge from the minor leagues.
The Marlins are lucky to have maverick ownership that allows the baseball operations people to run the organization in such a creative way, despite what the shortsighted fan base and objective ex-Marlins fans think. Because in the end, they'll all come running back when the team wins.
But I'm just a dumb shit and you have a blog, a radio show and an electric guitar, so you're probably right.
Actually that would be a bass, but I'm done with arguing online. Doesn't get anymore pointless than that.
I still don't understand why it's okay for the management to get rid of players just because there's young people in the system all the time. Why can't the team sign guys like Uggla, Nolasco, or Olsen when they perform well? They picked Ramirez, and that was a great thing for the franchise. But it happens too few and far between. Why is this a "creative way" to run a team? People buy the jerseys, player shirts, etc, and they can't wear them for more than a couple of seasons. It gets tiring as a fan to keep learning new names year after year. Sometimes a little stability is nice.
The reason they can't sign all those players is because it doesn't make financial sense. Why, for example, would you commit $50 million dollars to Uggla, if Chris Coghlan can be had for 300K, is better defensively and is a better hitter? Just because Joe Fan bought a T-Shirt? Because people don't want to learn a new name?
But how can you be 100% certain that Coghlan's numbers are going to translate perfectly to the pros? Uggla is proven at the major league level, and therefore you know what you're going to get with him, and that's obviously an All-Star level player. Minor league stars bust too often to always take the chance. It's just an odd way to run a team in my mind. When your players perform, you reward them with a chance to stay with the team for a while.
You can't be. But you can be fairly sure by this point in Uggla's career that .300 is a stretch, there will be tons of homers and strikeouts, and the defense leaves a lot to be desired.
You have to trust your draft at some point. The Marlins historically draft as good as anybody. I'm not saying that Uggla isn't awesome and the Marlins may very well sign him long term, but the fact that they are always looking for somebody that's better is exciting. Obviously, I'm in the minority, look at the attendance. But, that doesn't necessarily make me or the Marlins' brass wrong.
It is a strange, er creative, way to run a team. That's what is so, as asadler said, fun about it. That is if you like winning, can learn a few new names every couple of years and don't mind buying jerseys without the names on the back.
Fair enough. I think we can respectfully agree to disagree.
Imber's not a Marlins fan?
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