Manny Mania: The Scoop

Just got back from the Marlins' scintillating 7-5 win over the Mets...which further solidifies my belief that the Fish should go for it all, RIGHT NOW.

What better way to do that than by adding one of baseball's all-time greats, Manny Ramirez. And this wouldn't just be Manny...this would be a motivated Manny. This would be a case of Manny being the best Manny.

Here are the details:

Some reports had a three-way trade between the Marlins, Red Sox, and Pirates already done. Things have since stalled a bit, so no word on whether it's finalized. The main contents of the deal involve Jeremy Hermida going to Pittsburgh, Jason Bay going to Boston, and Manny Ramirez coming to Florida. The Marlins would be throwing in Ryan Tucker and likely Mike Stanton (two of their top five prospects, according to rotoworld), while possibly receiving a prospect back. The Red Sox would pay all of Manny's salary.

My thoughts? DO IT! The price is steep, certainly, but Manny is a sure thing. This is a franchise desperately in need of a publicity stunt. The Marlins are deep enough in pitching prospects that they can afford to make the sacrifice.

One thing I have to say: No matter what criticism people levy on the Marlins, they have always shown a propensity to make bold moves. While the rest of the league plays cowards, the Marlins go for it. The Marlins may be cheap, but they have guts. And guts won them two titles already.

Valiant Volstad Pitches Gem in Debut

For a split second, Kevin Gregg looked like he may become public enemy #1. But when Jeff Kent's long fly ball fell into Jeremy Hermida's glove for the final out of the game, Gregg earned his 3rd straight save, and Chris Volstad earned the win after surely breathing a giant sigh of relief. In the first major league start of his career, Volstad came within one inning of a shutout, and one out of a complete game. He pitched 8.2 outstanding innings, allowing only 1 run on 5 hits and threw just 100 pitches.

With his family in the stands, the 21 year old Volstad got early help with 3 runs on the board before he even toed the rubber, thanks to Hermida and Jorge Cantu home runs. It was lights out all night for the Gardens High grad. Volstad recorded 6 strike outs, and faced the minimum number of batters in innings 5 through 8. He also got his first major league hit in the game. Big Chris is now 2-0 for the Marlins, who have bounced back after a rough start to the road trip to win to win 3 in a row, and 5 of the last 6.

This start shows so much promise for the Marlins rookie. Drafted 16th overall in 2005, the Marlins have been looking forward to this day almost as much as Chris. Tonight made the wait worthwhile. Congratulations, Chris!

What a GREAT Marlins Win

This has certainly been a roller coaster season for the Marlins. So many close games, many of them heartbreaking and many of them astonishingly wonderful. Yesterday's game fit the latter category, and boy did it ever.

The Marlins rallied back to win in the 9th, despite being without Dan Uggla (reports say until Thursday...we'll have more on that later today). Hanley finally started earning his $70 million, blasting a game-tying home run into left field. Then Hermida doubled, advanced on a wild pitch, and was singled in by Jorge Cantu. All this on a day where Dan Haren was throwing some truly dominant stuff.

The win puts the Marlins at 42-39 through the halfway point and on pace for an 84-78 record. They trail the Phillies by just 1 game in the division race.

And best of all, I LOVE rooting for this team. As Fish Stripes describes here, the Marlins engaged in an all-out celebration. You have to like this quote from Hanley: "It's more like school. It's more like family," Ramirez said. I don't know how serious Hanley was about his schooling, but it sounds like he enjoyed recess.

Willingham Healed. The Hammer is Back!

How long have we been awaiting Josh Willingham's return? Since the ides of April, practically, which would be the appropriate month for a baseball soothsayer (see Caesar, Julius and Shakespeare, William for more details). Okay, it's really been since April 27th...only 12 days off.

Just how good was Willingham before back trouble sent him to the sidelines?

He was hitting .341/.406/.627 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with 6 HRs, 16 RBI, and 16 runs scored. Imagine what those numbers could do for the Marlins offense now.

The bigger question, of course, is how his return will affect the playing time of others. Luis Gonzalez will assuredly be the one who suffers most, but expect Luis to still get a fair share of playing time. Willingham will probably rest every few days to lower strain on his back, and Gonzalez could get some starts in right field over Jeremy Hermida (what a great defensive alignment that is...Willingham-Ross-Gonzalez...easily the worst in baseball).

Should Gonzalez be given the starts over Hermida? Let's break down their numbers:

Gonzalez: .274/.357/.415, 5 HRs, 29 RBI. Of note: With runners in scoring position, he's batting .357.

Hermida: .272/.330/.434, 8 HRs, 37 RBI.

Their numbers are basically about even, with Hermida the better defensive player and the one with more upside. As much as I've enjoyed Gonzo, he's the odd man out.

Marlins Suffer Bitter Bitter Loss. Familiar?

There are now about five games that have played out similarly. They're all on the road, they all involve see-saw games that go into extra innings, and they usually include some kind of terrible play in the field.

Last night, the Marlins completely blew the game away. Hanley Ramirez and Luis Gonzalez both dropped extremely playable balls in the worst of situations. This, coming despite Dan Uggla's two home runs (one to tie the game), Jeremy Hermida's two-run blast, and a long ball from Hanley. Even Mark Hendrickson pitched moderately well. What a shame.

If the Marlins end up losing the division by 1 game, mark down 6/20/08 on your calendar. This was just brutal.

Edinson Volquez: Beatable?

The Marlins have the tall order of battling rookie sensation-of-all-sensations Edinson Volquez, who has been virtually unhittable all season. The Marlins have had a little success in these situations (Jorge Campillo, for example), but it's going to be very very tough.

The good news is that the Marlins have seen him before, so they won't be stymied by anything novel. Interesting that Mark Hendrickson once again gets the call (and I think we all have less faith in him now). Let's look at how they performed the first time:

- Volquez went 6.0 innings, giving up 7 hits, ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 110 pitches

- The 7 hits: Hendrickson two singles, Cantu single, Uggla single, Amezaga single, Hermida single (so in other words, the Marlins ought to bat Hendrickson in the third spot)

- Hendrickson surrendered 4 ER, 8 hits, 5 BB in just 5.0 innings

Based on the above data, here's what we can conclude:

1. The Marlins need to maximize their hits, since doubles and homers are unlikely.

2. Mark Hendrickson MUST turn in a better showing (2-3 runs tops).

3. Volquez can labor a bit, so the Marlins might be able to tire him out by the 6th inning if they show patience at the plate.

Marlins...Ugh

I'll probably have another post up later today about the Marlins, but I'm just too pissed off to share any real insight. Last night's game was heartwrenching, just like two other games on this road trip. Very difficult to take.

I do want to pass on an absurdly amusing tale, however, courtesy of Fish Stripes. This is one of the most ridiculous and laughable comments I've ever heard:

"Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer told a Philadelphia reporter Sunday that he was upset that Jeremy Hermida, whom he hit with a pitch, wore protective armor on his elbow.

''If you get hit on the elbow, you don't feel it when you have armor on,'' Moyer said. ``He goes to first base and probably doesn't even have ice on it after the game. You are supposed to have a medical reason to wear it.''

Problem: Hermida doesn't wear armor on his arm.

''I wear a sock,'' Hermida said. ``It's just one of those things pitchers wear, those little sleeves. I just wear it to keep my arm loose.''

Hermida said he cuts the toe out of one of his black athletic socks and slips it over his elbow."

COME ON! It's not as if anything Jamie Moyer could throw would hurt. Maybe it's like a Napoleon Complex, except with speed. I hope Moyer's feeling a little ashamed, because that's pathetic.

This Cody Ross Thing is a Joke

The man is a freak. In a good way.

Out of his last nine hits, eight are homers. He has four RBI tonight and he just gave the Fish a 5-4 lead over the under acheiving Metropolitan Baseball Club of New York. He hit three homers in a game against the Mets in 2006, stay tuned because he could do it again tonight.

As Ross rounded the bases - again - the boos rained down on the Mets - again. He is now batting .207. He only has 19 hits this season and nine of them are homers.

The slumping Jeremy Hermida better pick it up or Ross is going to take his job. Ross' production right now is too valuable.

In my opinion, Fredi has to find a place for this guy in the lineup every night until he cools off.

Bizarro World: Mets and Marlins

When the schedule-makers put Marlins-Mets on the slate for late May, they imagined two teams in different positions. Surely the Mets would lead the NL East by 2.5 games, soar with confidence, and start thinking about playoff possibilities. The Marlins? 5-6 games back seems about right, maybe even more than expected.

So how did these teams find themselves on the opposite sides of the fence? When in doubt, you need look no further than the NY media. I give, for your immense satisfaction, this NY Post story highlighting this very theme. Here are a few good excerpts:

"The Mets and Marlins are perfect foils, and the series which begins tonight should demonstrate that. The Mets are primarily a group of expensive, underachieving veterans. The upstart Marlins have the lowest payroll in the majors ($21.8 million) and are the biggest surprise of the first two months."

Not to mention that much of the above paragraph is due to trades with each other. The Marlins acquired Mike Jacobs+ for Delgado. In the separate Paul Lo Duca deal, Mr. Lo Duca isn't even with the Mets anymore, while Gaby Hernandez looks poised for a promising career. Larry Beinfest played a significant role in wrecking Omar Minaya and the Mets.

"It didn't help Reyes that the player to whom he is often compared, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, got off to an MVP-caliber start. Ramirez is batting .305 with nine home runs and 13 stolen bases despite a recent 6-for-39 slump that dropped his batting average almost 40 points and seemed to coincide with being moved from his customary leadoff spot to No. 3."

It's probably not the best time to rave about Hanley, considering he's in a terrible slump, but the Reyes-Hanley contest is a dead argument right now. Even Hanley's defense is better these days.

"Perhaps the bigger culprits in the Mets' demise have been Delgado and Beltran. They are paid handsomely to produce runs but have combined for 12 homers and 53 RBIs. Compare that to the combined 27 home runs and 65 RBIs of Marlins Dan Uggla and Mike Jacobs.

To further illustrate the futility of Beltran and Delgado, compare their numbers to those of Cantu and Jeremy Hermida, the fourth and fifth most productive hitters in the Marlins lineup. They've combined for 13 home runs and 48 RBIs."

And to make matters worse, the Marlins' hitters are on the way up, while some of these Mets are declining rapidly. Finally:

"The Mets are built to win now. That's why they traded talented outfielder Carlos Gomez and three young pitchers for Santana. It also played a part in the trade of controversial prospect Lastings Milledge for catcher Brian Schneider and Church, who has been a revelation in right field.

The Marlins are built for the future, which is why they traded slugger Miguel Cabrera and workhorse lefty Dontrelle Willis for a package of prospects. But as June approaches, it's the Marlins who appear to have most of the pieces in place while the Mets scramble for answers."

That last part tickles the throat like the gooey warmth of a chocolate souffle.

Marlins are the Mother F** of Baseball

Yes, it's Mother's Day. You know what else? The Marlins are some bad mother f****** right now. At this moment (pending the Red Sox result), the 23-14 Marlins have the best record IN THE MAJORS!

It was another impressive win. Trailing 4-2 in the 8th, Hermida and Uggla both launched gopher balls into the seats (Uggla's second of the day and eleventh of the year) to give the Fish a permanent 5-4 lead.

You think those analysts were a little off with their preseason predictions? There will be lots more on that later.

In the meantime, the rest of the league should check who's been with their mothers lately.

Shuffling the Cards

A team loses a player, say Josh Willingham, so what can a manager do, especially after being swept in a 3-game series? You need to do something, so you just shuffle the cards a little, and re-deal a new hand. At least that is the way some managers think, and when it works, you get the credit! Sounds simple, but it also helps when you play an inferior team with your "almost ace" on the mound.

In the case of the Marlins, winning 6-4 over the Padres last night at home, the strategy worked, or did it? Hermida went 3 for 4 in the two-spot, Uggla hit 2 homeruns in the 6 spot, and Hanley extended his streak of reaching base at home to 47 games in the 3 spot. Sounds great, but is it the shuffle or the schedule that makes the difference?

When a strategy seems to work, you stick with it, so I would expect to see a similar line-up tonight once again. The problem is that with Jake Peavy on the mound at 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA, it might take a little more than a simple shuffle to win. It might just take a great outing by Nolasco, a little more clutch hitting, and a little better pitching by the closer who again managed to get into some trouble in the ninth with a 3-run lead.

And then there is the problem of tomorrow afternoon's game, when Andrew Miller and his 9.12 ERA face Greg Maddux going for his 350th career win. Perhaps a little shuffle in the starting pitching rotation might be a good idea. At least that way, the manager can take some credit there too if the Marlins just happen to win. But there's the rub. No matter how you shuffle the cards in your deck, you still have the same number of aces in your hand when you pick them up.

Marlins Hitter Evaluations: 2nd Edition

After being prodded enough by Jay Warman and a few readers, I've decided to come out with the next edition of Marlins Hitter Evaluations. You may recall that in the first edition, I had some choice words for Jorge Cantu, while praising Robert Andino to no end. Things have evened out a bit, so prepare yourselves for a brunch-like meal of crow:

1. Hanley Ramirez: .333/.406/.622, 20R, 17RBI, 7HR, 8SB - The average has dipped, but the power has become explosive. Even more impressive are the 7 steals since my last edition. The best news? His defense has improved considerably from last year. My only concern is that he's becoming homer-happy, turning himself into an all-out slugger instead of the placesetter they need him to be.
Full Season Projection: 147R, 125RBI, 52HR, 59SB (Wow!)
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: A+)

2. Dan Uggla: .262/.333/.488, 10R, 10RBI, 3HR, 8 Doubles - Uggla has been on an absolute tear over the last two weeks, benefiting in part from The Great Andino's bat. The OBP is steadily rising, while the power continues to show. This generation's "Charlie Hustle" is now on track for another excellent season.
Full Season Projection: 77R, 77RBI, 23HR, 61 Doubles
Grade: B+ (Previous Grade: D+)

3. Mike Jacobs: .277/.307/.614, 13R, 17RBI, 7HR, 7 Doubles - The much-discussed Mike Jacobs is rarely walking (4BB), but he's taking advantage of everything he swings at. Jacobs not only carries the distinction being the Marlins' top slugger, but he also hit the fastest HR in the majors this year (4/11/08 at Houston).
Full Season Projection: 100R, 130RBI, 54HR, 54 Doubles
Grade: A (Previous Grade: B-)

4. Josh Willingham: .329/.396/.659, 15R, 16RBI, 6HR, 5 Doubles, 2 Triples, 2SB - Willingham has been steadily and consistently mashing the ball. While Hanley and Jacobs have gotten all the attention, Willingham has been nothing short of phenomenal. Just look at those numbers!
Full Season Projection: 110R, 118RBI, 44HR, 15 Triples, 15SB
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: C)

5. Jeremy Hermida: .246/.295/.421, 8R, 10RBI, 2HR, 4 Doubles - Hermida's totals are down because he missed the first week of the season (see projections). That being said, the OBP is disgusting for a player of his caliber. The power has been nice, but he needs to start lacing more singles and walking a whole lot more.
Full Season Projection: 88R, 110RBI, 22HR, 44 Doubles
Grade: C (Previous Grade: Was on DL)

6. Jorge Cantu: .325/.381/.532, 12R, 8RBI, 3HR, 7 Doubles, 2SB - WHAT??? Where the hell did this come from? I can't argue against this anymore. While it would be foolish to expect him to keep this up and his defense is still poor, this man deserves the highest accolades. By the way, crow has a bitter taste.
Full Season Projection: 96R, 64RBI, 24HR, 56 Doubles, 16SB
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: F)

7. Alfredo Amezaga: .306/.424/.429, 8R, 5RBI, 4 Doubles, 10BB - The average and slugging have dropped, but that .424 OBP is stupendous! For a speedy singles hitter to get on base at that rate, all we can do is applaud. The defense has been terrific too. He has earned the nickname Amazin' Amezaga tenfold.
Full Season Projection: 64R, 40RBI, 32 Doubles, 80BB
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: A+)

8. Cody Ross: .146/.163/.220, 3 Doubles - It's been a slump-ridden season for the likable Ross. I still believe he'll pull out of it (see our piece on his Wonder Boy moment). Don't be discouraged, codyross.org. We still believe!
Full Season Projection: 29 Doubles
Grade: F (Previous Grade: F)

9. Matt Treanor: .211/.268/.263, 3R, 2 Doubles, 1RBI - No matter how often Misti May gives it to him, the power just won't come (okay, that was wrong...I meant gives him encouragement). Even so, he's been an impenetrable fortress behind the plate, and his defense makes him worthy of a roster spot.
Full Season Projection: 41R, 14RBI, 27 Doubles
Grade: D+ (Previous Grade: D+)

10. Mike Rabelo: .216/.250/.324, 4R, 4RBI, 1HR - Another near waste of space in the lineup, at least Rabelo has a little power (just a little). Any gains he may have made there on Treanor, however, are quickly forfeited by his much inferior defense.
Full Season Projection: 55R, 55RBI, 14HR
Grade: D+ (Previous Grade: Was on DL)

Others:
Luis Gonzalez - Any drop in average has been more than made up for by his patient plate appearances in key situations, power, and salubrious clubhouse influence
Robert Andino - The Great Andino hasn't gotten much playing time, and his numbers are a lot more human. We'll still never forget his walkoff shot and stellar defense. Also, he gets credit for giving Dan Uggla his magic bat.
Wes Helms - Wes hasn't shown much yet, but we should give him time to work out of his slump

MVP: Hanley Ramirez/Josh Willingham (a tie)
Most Improved: Dan Uggla
LVP: Cody Ross
Most Likely to Improve: Cody Ross
Most Likely to Decline: Jorge Cantu
Most Likely to Break Out: Jeremy Hermida
Who to Watch: Dan Uggla

Luck, Chucks, Hacks, and Politics - Marlins Style

We've had several discussions here at The South Florida Fan about the role luck has played in the Marlins' success. Just today, JSponge referenced the upcoming series against Atlanta as evidence; the Marlins will bypass Hudson and Smoltz. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald makes a similar point, but is quick to point out: "But that's an improvement over last season, when they struggled with their fellow dregs."

According to Hermida? "''I think [it's] the sign of a good team [that] you're supposed to beat those guys,'' right fielder Jeremy Hermida said. 'That's something we didn't do last year. We played to our opponents' level sometimes. We knew we were better than certain teams, and sometimes we'd play down to those teams.'' I like what I'm hearing.

Fish Stripes may have the inside scoop on why Dan Uggla is hitting better. He's using Robert Andino's bat! We've already coined our favorite walkoff slugger "The Great Andino," but if he keeps helping the rest of the squad, there may be no bounds to his greatness.

Another key to the Marlins success? First-pitch hitting, according to Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel. In his words: "Entering Monday's game against the Pirates, the Marlins were pacing the circuit with a .408 average (29 for 71) when putting the first pitch in play. No other NL team had a higher slugging percentage in those situations than the Marlins (.817). Only the Rockies (.425) had a higher on-base percentage (eight points higher)."

First-pitch swinging has its ups and downs. It's hardly effective in tiring out pitchers and pitchers will catch on quickly, but it also seems to be working. Furthermore, if opposing pitchers are afraid to throw first-pitch fastballs, the Marlins' hitters could find themselves repeatedly ahead in the counts. While I would normally be worried, I can't argue with the current results.

Lastly, don't expect to see Jeremy Hermida at any of the "Count our delegates" campaigns down in Florida. Not only was he unaware of the big primary today in Pennsylvania, but flatly admitted, "''I don't pay too much attention to it,'' Hermida said. ``I've never even actually voted [in any election].''"

Don't worry, Jeremy. It's not as if Florida votes count anyway. You're just saving yourself the trouble.

Good day to be a Rays fan, another slap in the face to Marlins fans

According to Fox Sports, the Rays are about to sign uber 3B prospect Evan Longoria to a long term deal. The deal is believed to be in the 6 year, $17mil range and there would be options for them to buy out his last 2 seasons of arbitration. A fantastic deal from both sides and it just makes you sigh as a Marlins fan. When you see guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Fausto Carmona, Curtis Granderson, and Grady Sizemore (not to mention many other young stars) get these reasonably cheap long term deals you feel like punching things.

I don't know if it's more the Marlins don't believe in this kind of thing (which would be beyond idiotic) or that they don't want to shell out money (sigh) but we could have signed Hanley to a 6-7 year deal in the $30-35mil range after his rookie year and we did nothing. Now he's en route to having a HUGE deal at some point when he's done with arbitration. Maybe we're waiting till Opening Day in the new park and Hanley will be still be locked up, but it's definitely disconcerning.

At this point, Hanley is not going to go for a smaller deal. What they need to do though is try and lock up Jeremy Hermida now and when Cam Maybin comes up, him too. Those are the 2 "musts" I see right now. Uggla? Absolutely not. I like Josh Willingham alot but by the time he starts making real time money, he'll be 30-31 and there probably won't be room for him on this team anyway. Same goes for Jake.

Here's a breakdown of some of the contracts listed above.

Time to Face Facts: The Marlins Are Good

This joyride of a season has now reached 14 games, and the Marlins sit atop the National League East at 9-5. Predicted by nearly every analyst to finish last, there were clearly some miscalculations. What were they?

1. Hermida and Jacobs: Contributor Mike had some choice words for Mike Jacobs this week. Regardless of what any scouts or sabermetric proponents say, the guy keeps hitting homeruns. I watched his ABs carefully tonight. Yes, he's been feasting on fastballs, but I maintain what I argued before; he set himself up for it. In his HR tonight, he patiently waited for a 2-0 count before getting the juice. Maybe his greatest gift is that he knows his limitations and bats around them.

Hermida, on the other hand, is finally achieving his early potential. When I think of a South Florida parallel, Olli Jokinen comes to mind. It's as if the light bulb went off last summer, and now everything is falling into place. Between Hanley, Hermida, and Jacobs, the Marlins have a bit of a murderer's row.

2. Supporting Cast: In 2003, a number of Marlins had career years. It seems to be happening here too, with the likes of Alfredo Amezaga, Jorge Cantu, Robert Andino, etc. Luis Gonzalez has fit in beautifully as the 4th OF (homered tonight), and with Wes Helms replacing Jason Wood, there isn't a weak spot on the offense.

3. Bullpen: The bullpen has been nothing short of Fish-tastic. So Marlin-ous has this group been, that they've completely covered for the starters to date. The bullpen hasn't failed in a single game, maintaining every lead they were given. If this keeps up, the Marlins could be showing some resemblance to the 2006 Angels.

I don't blame the experts for undervaluing the Marlins. Few could have seen this coming, but for the above reasons, we can now say the Marlins are officially a good team.

Commence The Mike Jacobs Free-For-All

The start by the Marlins to the ‘08 season should be savored. The Fish are in first-place, but the success needs to be met with tempered enthusiasm. The team has a -14 run differential, and still has to compete with the supremely talented Mets, Braves, and Phillies. That said, it’s not uncommon to play winning baseball with some smoke, mirrors, and the fortuitous injury to a division foe’s ace or star bat.

And, being the optimist that I wish I was, the team is stacked with a deep crop of arms down on the farm, a high 1st round pick this year, a potential star in Cameron Maybin, and a group of young assets already on the 40-man roster.

And there is a group of players who will become expendable come July and in December: The arbitration-eligibles and the upcoming free agents.

• Kevin Gregg
• Luis Gonzalez
• Mark Hendrickson
• Sergio Mitre
• Alfredo Amezega
• Justin Miller
• Jorge Cantu
• Hanley Ramírez
• Dan Uggla
• Dallas McPherson
• Scott Olsen
• Josh Willingham
• Jeremy Hermida
• Mike Jacobs

Ramírez, Uggla, McPherson, Olsen, Hermida, and Jacobs will all be entering their first year of arbitration, so even Hanley, Uggla, and Hermida will be cheap enough to be members of the ’09 Marlins. The rest will certainly be cheap enough to keep, too; but should they be moved? The name that jumps out to me is Mike Jacobs. Jacobs, Pedro’s former BFF, along with the late Nelson de la Rosa (RIP), is off to a hot start. He’s batting .298, .951 OPS, and 5 HRs in only 47 ABs. Any statistical argument at this point is premature due to the small sample size. But if he can keep up this hot start, his value come late June or July may be at its highest. This is because Jacobs is a very flawed player, overall.

First, the reasons why he may appear to some GMs as a valuable pickup would be his age (27), his power (53 career HRs in only 1042 ABs), and his handedness (lefty hitting). The key reason, though, is his contract. Arbitration eligible next year, Jacobs will likely earn $1.25MM-$2.00MM in 2009 depending on his 2008 season.

It's simply too much for a player on the Marlins with the holes in his swing that Jacobs has. His swing is long, and the evidence backs it up. Jacobs’ power is entirely fastball power; he hits an abysmal .063 against LHP curveballs, and .129 against sliders from lefties. And the scariest part is how much he hedges on the fastball, cheating his swing. His swing rate on 2-0 counts is 52%, which is much higher than the average player. For reference, even Adam Dunn, one of the premier fastball sluggers, swings 38% of the time on 2-0 counts; and Andruw Jones, who has been cheating on fastballs for the bulk of his career, is at 42%.

Jacobs certainly makes sense for the Marlins this year; he’s cheap ($395,000), mostly, but should produce another 100 OPS+ season and play serviceable defense. Hopefully Michael Hill will strike, though, while the perceived value of Jacobs remains high.

Marlins Still Strong at 7-5

These last two losses have been difficult to take. Poor pitching, anemic offense, questionable managing, and listless fielding were all present, reminding us of why many analysts predicted gloom and doom before the season started.

Fortunately, they were just two games. Let's put this in perspective:

1. The Marlins went 4-2 on the road trip.
2. The Marlins still lead the division by 1.5 games.
3. Jeremy Hermida is back, and he's tearing it up.
4. Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson start the next two games.

As you can see, things are still looking quite good in Marlins Cove. With a day off to let things simmer, the Marlins can take out their frustrations on the Braves.

And let's face it. Would you have taken 7-5, 1st place through 12 games? As in those fateful words from The Who: "You better, you better, you bet."

Marlins Power Their Way to Win

In Houston, the Marlins defeated the Astros 10-6 tonight, marking their 4th straight win. A combination of Hermida (2), Rabelo, Cantu, Ramirez, and Jacobs produced a franchise record 6 HRs in the game for the Fish.

How have the Marlins been so dominant you ask? (You should know my answer considering the previous statistic and the headline of the post. I might just be hinting at something.)

Well, it has certainly not been the pitching (relief pitching excluded).

It has been the hitting - not just from the main guys, but from the lesser contributers such as Cantu and Amezaga. More specifically, though, the Marlins are 7-3 and in first place in the NL East because they have tremendous power and a flare for the long ball.

That's right. Thanks to Mike Jacobs, Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham, Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, and the rest, the Marlins lead the league in Home Runs as of 4/12/08. They are tied for 1st with the 7-2, Major League best, Arizona Diamondbacks at 20 HRs. Thats pretty good company.

So can they keep it up?

Who knows. One thing is for certain - the team is out-performing all expectations.

Welcome Back, Hermida!

I have been predicting a monster year for Jeremy Hermida, and so far (through one night), he seems poised to prove me right.

As in the words of the great rotoworld.com:

"Jeremy Hermida went 2-for-5 with two doubles in his return to action on Wednesday night.
Hermida had a fly ball bounce out of his mitt in the second inning, but atoned for the error by driving in two runs and scoring one himself. Hermida was plugged right into the third spot in the order, and is safe to activate."

And let him stay in the third spot, please. Look at the effect he had on the rest of the lineup. He could (and would, if it should happen) be the key to a Marlins playoff run. I predict a .320, 30HR season, and he's patient enough to draw 75 walks as well.

Hermida was so incredible, in fact, that he inspired Jorge Cantu to become a Major League hitter for a day. Okay, okay...just kidding. Nice shot Jorge.

Marlins Mid-Game Report

In Washington, the Marlins lead the Nationals 10-2 through 7 innings.

Key Stats:

Jeremy Hermida: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Mike Jacobs: 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Scott Olsen: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 101 P

This is very encouraging if you're a Marlins fan. Hermida, expected to be a major source of runs this year, comes up from single A Jupiter for his first game and hits 2 doubles (hitting in the 3rd spot). One of them came at a critical juncture in the fifth inning with Uggla and Ramirez at 2nd and 3rd. That double to deep right put the Marlins up 5-1.

Also, Mike Jacobs continues to tear it up power-wise with 2 more HRs putting him at 4 on the year.

Most importantly, Scott Olsen has been superb so far, pitching 7 full innings, allowing 3 hits, with only 1 earned run on a HR from Cristian Guzman. This is fantastic news for the Fish as Olsen now seems to be fulfilling the role of #1 guy in the pitching rotation. Considering Olsen's previous mediocre start against the Pirates, this start should make fans a bit less anxious.

Some Other Notes:

Dan Uggla had a key double in the 5th putting the Marlins up 3-1 after Hanley was intentionally walked. Jorge Cantu hit a HR sparking a 5th inning rally. Perhaps Cantu is reacting to ASponge's critical evaluation regarding his play so far this season. In addition, Matt Treanor is 2-4 with 2 singles. These guys are not supposed to be key hitters in the lineup so it's always nice to see them contribute.