Florida Marlins Information
The 17th season for the Florida Marlins will open this season with a new look as the team hopes to make a run into the playoffs for the first time since 2003. In preparation for their moving to Miami next season, the Marlins will no longer have "Florida" on the front of their road jerseys and the "F" will be removed from the sleeve.
The franchise made a number of off season moves to include Jeremy Hermida being traded to the Boston Red Sox for 2 prospects, pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez. The team signed their ace pitcher Josh Johnson to a 4-year deal, second baseman Dan Uggla.
The team did lose a number of players to include 1B Nick Johnson, 1B Ross Gload, RHP Matt Lindstrom, OF Jeremy Hermida, RHP Scott Proctor, RHP Brendan Donnelly, INF Alfredo Amezaga and RHP Kiki Calero.
The projected pitching rotation for the team is RHP Josh Johnson, RHP Ricky Nolasco, RHP Chris Volstad, RHP Anibal Sanchez and LHP Andrew Miller/LHP Sean West.
Previous Seasons:
The Florida Marlins came into the ’07 with high expectations from the fans, after having a successful ’06 season. Hopes were a bit dashed, however, after starter Josh Johnson discovered a previous injury led to nerve damage in his throwing arm. Coach Perry Hill also retired during spring training, making ’07 more difficult for the Marlins. And more injuries followed, with Jeremy Hermida left with a bone bruise in his kneecap, and further blisters, sprains and strains for the team – which led to some changes in the bullpen. The Fish did send Miguel Cabrera to the All Star game, going for a for a franchise record. As of August, in the midst of injuries and inconsistent playing they are in a a 6 game losing streak and losing 11 of 15. But don’t count out the Marlins just yet - they have an established post-season record, and have been to the playoffs as a wild card twice.
The Florida Marlins shocked the world in 2003 with their unexpected run to a World Series championship. The title gave the Marlins two championships in only 11 seasons of existence. It was also only the second time the Marlins had even made the playoffs, showing that when given the chance to play baseball in October, they take full advantage of it. Many believe the Marlins’ run started when 73 year old Jack McKeon, best known for his cigars in the clubhouse, took over as manager when the team was 10 games below .500 early in the year. McKeon had been in charge of four different teams throughout the years, and although he posted a respectable winning percentage, he had never even taken a team to the playoffs, much less to a World Series championship. McKeon’s last stint with a team was from 1997-2000 with the Cincinnati Reds, where he compiled a winning percentage of .526, but many expected that at his age, the Cincinnati job would be McKeon’s last. He made sure to point out to his critics that he wasn’t done yet. Pro Player Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, would have to go through a major renovation project in order to accommodate the Marlins. Among these renovations were lights for night play, a removable pitching mound, and retractable seats. The stadium can also hold a capacity crowd of around 36,300, and for the most part is quite symmetrical. The left field line is 330 while the right field line is 345, and there is a triangular shape opening just to the left of dead center where the field extends to 435 feet from home plate.
The Marlins have an exciting young staff that should
be fun to watch for years to come. Dontrelle Willis
rejuvenated the team and the fans last season with
his pitching, and Brad Penny was downright overpowering
for most of the season. Josh Beckett stepped up his
play to the level of legends in the playoffs, including
two shutdown performances of the New York Yankees,
one coming in the elimination game that won them
the World Series. The biggest off-season addition
will likely be Armando Benitez, a closer with unbelievable
potential, but a knack for a lack of focus. Part
of that problem Benitez might have been facing was
the media attention he had to deal with while playing
in New York. The Marlins know just how good Benitez
can be, and they’re optimistic a change of
scenery will put him in the right frame of mind.
The Marlins offense will be led off by Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo, two players
with stunning speed. All-star third baseman Mike Lowell is coming off an injury
plagued season, and looks to bounce back in 2004. Playoff superstar Miguel
Cabrera will look to prove naysayers wrong in their assumption he was a fluke
in the playoffs. Alex Gonzalez will also look to build on a solid 2003 campaign
by having a better 2004 season.