The Marlins go into the All-Star break at 50-45, 1.5 out of first and in third place. It hurts to fall behind the Mets...it hurts a lot, but it's only by a game. With a restored rotation and the team regaining some confidence, this should shape up for a strong three-horse race to the finish (and don't discount the Braves either).
Still, let's be practical. Did anyone expect this? Most Marlins fans would have taken 45-50 and a bag of sour peanuts, let alone 50-45. The Marlins are skeptic-defying contenders, establishing reputations and instilling legitimate fear leaguewide. All in all, the Marlins deserve a nice pat on the back.
Let's look at some facts:
1. The Marlins started the year 30-20. They then endured a 14-23 stretch, before closing at 6-2.
2. As you all know, they lead the league in home runs.
3. This was all accomplished with Josh Willingham out for two months, Josh Johnson making one start, and Sergio Mitre and Annibal Sanchez still on the DL.
4. Hanley Ramirez was locked up for six years.
5. Dan Uggla is now a household name.
6. In what appeared to be a dismal spring battle at 3B, Jorge Cantu has thrived, Dallas McPherson has 30+ HRs in AAA, and Jose Castillo helped drag the Giants to the bottom of the league.
Yes, things have been good.
Monday, July 14, 2008
At 50-45, It's an Excellent First Half
Monday, March 24, 2008
Jose Castillo Gone? WHAT???
I have no reservations whatsoever about Jose Castillo losing the third base job, but the way it happened has me scratching my head. The only thing harder to imagine than why the Marlins ended the Jose Castillo 3B experiment after a career-improving .273/.293/.418 (AVG/OBP/SLG) Spring performance is why the Giants wanted him.
Let me recap the situation a bit. After trading Miguel Cabrera, the Marlins looked to Jorge Cantu, Dallas McPherson, and Jose Castillo to plug the hole at 3B (three horrible options, if I may say. The only one with any promise is Dallas McPherson, and he's still hurt).
Here are Jose Castilo's career lines, courtesy of mlb.com:
SEASON TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
2004 Pitt. 129 383 44 98 15 2 8 39 141 23 92 3 2 .298 .368 .256
2005 Pitt. 101 370 49 99 16 3 11 53 154 23 59 2 3 .307 .416 .268
2006 Pitt. 148 518 54 131 25 0 14 65 198 32 98 6 4 .299 .382 .253
2007 Pitt. 87 221 18 54 18 1 0 24 74 6 48 0 0 .270 .335 .244
There is nothing here whatsoever that would suggest Jose Castillo as a viable offensive option, yet the Marlins gave him a chance because of his superior defense. Then he goes out and has a marvelous Spring by his standards and gets released.
Did the Marlins simply discover the foolishness of their original move to sign him, or were they just clearing a roster space? Either way, the Marlins' loss is the Giants' gain...or is it more that the Marlins' gain is the Giants' loss. I think the latter.