Consider this. The Marlins have...
1. the lowest payroll on baseball.
2. the worst fan-support in the majors.
3. a roster full of Double-A and Triple-A talent. (other than Willis)
4. a rookie manager who is in an all-out feud with the owner.
By all accounts this team should be headed for a 100+ loss season. But low-and-behold... THEY'RE IN THE PLAYOFF HUNT. How in the heck did this happen???
2006-09-05 04:36:53 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
They have a good manager who didn't let the team just "play out the season" despite getting off to a horrible start (something like 11-31). When they made all of the trades and acquisitions this past off season, they picked up highly talented players with big upside (i.e. Hanley Ramirez, Anibel Sanchez, and rule 5 pick up, Dan Uggla).
They never gave up on the season + they have pitchers with fantastic stuff (raw, but still fantastic). They have one of the top players in the majors in Miguel Cabrera. Most people don't know how good he is because he doesn't get the publicity of guys like Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, or even Joe Mauer.
Girardi has the team practice fundamentals like taking infield practice before games. Believe it or not, a lot of teams don't take infield practice--some of the players will take ground balls, but the team doesn't have an official (mandatory) team practice.
And most of all, the NL has a bunch of mediocre teams with a lot of parity so a team anywhere near .500 has a shot.
2006-09-05 05:53:24 · answer #1 · answered by The Guru 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i ought to seem for a 2d signal that the international is coming to an end, basically to ascertain. heavily, both championships the Marlins have were both with stacked communities that without delay dismantled actual right here years. P.S. i will have an interest to be certain how your Nationals prediction works out, perchance with the Marlins out of the photo and the Braves staring at their reign fall, you're onto some thing.
2016-12-06 10:59:17 · answer #2 · answered by nealon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd agree they have a fine manager in Girardi, who keeps the team loose yet disciplined (Remember how he defused the Scott Olsen/Miggy Cabrera on-field argument a few weeks back) also, they have players with genuine class and the front office did a great job getting the players they did for their star talent.
Unfortunately the Marlins will have to do it all again in the next two years, as Loria will once again asset-strip the team, a disappointed Girardi will quit for the Cubs and teams will not be as willing to trade their young prospects to Florida.
Also, they play the Nationals quite a bit, which doesn't hurt. Unless, like me, you're a Nationals fan.
2006-09-05 06:40:32 · answer #3 · answered by El Barno 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First off, why in the world would you say that their lineup is full of "Double-A and Triple-A talent"??
You're really missing an obvious one here - Miggy Cabrera came into this season with almost 300 RBI and a .300 batting average at the age of 23. Anyone who knows baseball knows that he is one of the great young talents of the game, and he's in for a tens-of-millions payday when his free agency days roll around.
Yes, they're young, but they're not without talent. If you read Baseball America's annual prospects handbook, you'd see that guys like Uggla, Johnson, Olsen, Willingham, Taylor, Nolasco, Abercrombie and Sanchez were all rated very highly. They may not have had much experience, but by no means were they minor-league material.
They've won through savvy draft choices, smart pickups (like Uggla as a Rule V choice), and great pitching in a weak league. I'm honestly not at all surprised to see them where they are, given the collection of young talent that they have at their disposal.
2006-09-05 05:33:30 · answer #4 · answered by Craig S 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because the National League has about ten teams still in the wild card hunt, the NL West is a weak division, the NL Central only carries about 4 decent teams, and Besides the Mets and Phils, and perhaps Atlanta, their division is not that great this year either.
2006-09-05 04:41:06 · answer #5 · answered by Dirty Randy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it would be ironic if they played Detroit in the world series.
Leyland was manager of the 97 Marlins when they won the WS.
Dombrowski was GM (both are with Detroit now)
Pudge was the catcher in '03 when they won the WS.
(he's with Detroit now).
If Leyland does win the WS with Detroit, he becomes only the 2nd manager to do so in both leagues.
The First one was Sparky Anderson ('75 &'76 Reds. "84 Tigers).
So that would really be ironic.
2006-09-05 07:34:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contrary to popular belief, their roster isn't "full of Double-A and Triple-A talent". If they were, they'd be as bad as the Royals, regardless of what division they were in.
And if they somehow did get the wild card, they would NOT play the Mets in the first round, since two teams from the same division can't meet in the first round.
2006-09-05 05:14:27 · answer #7 · answered by jdbreeze1 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Their rookie manager is a great motivator. Plus, the NL Wild Card is weak.
2006-09-05 09:38:13 · answer #8 · answered by GJ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The anwser is simple the worst league is the National League East except the Mets it won't matter that the Marlins are still in this thing they wont be there for long since the Mets will beat them in the first round when the Mets will get to play the wild card spot. But that wont matter either since the AL will win it no matter who wins the AL pennent. Wether it be the Yankees or the Tigers
2006-09-05 04:57:55 · answer #9 · answered by josh_patriots 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
they may have a minor league team but the team is a skilled minor leauge team and joe girardi has some great mentors who guess what? they also fueded with their owners (joe torre-george steinbrenner havent always seen eye to eye) and again on that minor league comment miguel cabrrera is amazing worst fan support has nothing to do with it amd low payroll also doesnt mean anything
2006-09-05 05:42:50 · answer #10 · answered by L P 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋