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The Florida Marlins Season Project: Year 2
Welcome back to another MLB season and a thread devoted to the Florida Marlins. Last year’s thread turned out to be quite a fun one and we had a lot of insight from various people including The Lock, Karmiforum, and Bread (before he was booted). Hopefully people found the thread useful last year and at least got some insight into the games, I know I had a great time because the Fish are MY TEAM, and I live and die with them.
As was the case last year, I don’t try to force plays daily so 162 Marlin only plays is highly unlikely but if something catches my eye then so be it. Last year we ended up betting only 85 games, but we had quite solid season and we hit both of our futures plays:
Marlins Only: 49-35-1 (57.6%) +21.499 units
MLB Overall: 78-58-2 +47.040 Units
Hopefully this year will be just as profitable not only on the Fish but on all of MLB. So with that recap, let’s dive into a 2010 season preview:
Off-Season Recap:
After an incredible start last year, we quickly faded and went on a horrific 25 games stretch which turned out to be the main reason we missed the playoffs even with that late run we made. The end of the 6 year cycle, WS Champs in ’97 and ’03, led to owner Jeffrey Loria voicing his displeasure and his demand for a playoff berth in 2010. I can not possibly disagree with this statement given we have all the talent we need and anything other than a season that extends into October and September is a waste.
In the off-season we lost a few guys, Jeremy Hermida who went to play second fiddle in the outfield in Boston, and Kiko Calero. Hermida ok, he never lived up to what I and everyone else expected, NL ROY and a dominant presence in RF. Calero though was a tough guy to lose after a tremendous season where he was one of the most reliable set up men in the league. With those losses we did gain a few players, mainly agreeing to bring back Dan Uggla and Cody Ross, both giving us that pop in the heart of the lineup which we lived on last year. We also bring in a new pitching coach, Randy St. Claire, who left Washington after doing several good things but didn’t get the results on the field. I really like this hire because Mark Wiley had his chance with the young arms of Andrew Miller, Chris Volstad, Rick Vanden Hurk and Annibal Sanchez but simply could not get any more results from them. St. Claire loves watching video and has already seen strides of improvement with all of them. We also recently gained Nate Robertson from the Tigers for Jay Voss, who was still a few years away. Robertson is a decent signing and hopefully he can give that extra veteran presence that the young arms like Miller and Vanden Hurk need. All in all, I would have liked to have added a few extra arms in the pen because that is still a point in question.
Season PreviewPosition Players:
As noted, last season was a disappointment and things are looking sky high for the Fish in 2010. Mr. Everything, Hanley Ramirez leads this crew and is coming off a Batting Title and wants more. There’s not much to say about this stud, but he should have another monster season and look for his fielding to improve once again this year. Rounding out the infield we have Uggla at 2B, Cantu mostly likely at 3B and Gaby Sanchez at 1B, after he won a heated spring battle with Logan Morrison. Morrison will be with the team though and offer a big left-handed bat off the bench. The duo of Paul Baker and Ronnie Paulino will share the duties behind the plate, though Baker is the number 1. I think these two guys are some of the most underrated catchers in the game and both have great bats and know how to call a game. The outfield consists of ROY Chris Coghlan in left, Cameron Maybin in center and Cody Ross in right. Though not flashy in names, all three are very reliable defensively and bring both speed and some reliable contact hitting with some pop to the lineup.
Starting Pitchers:
The staff is led by Josh Johnson, who just took home a pretty contract and is wrapped up for a long time. He had a GREAT season last year and could have won 20 games if a couple late leads had not been blown by the pen. He is the work horse of this team and has had several great showings this spring, where opposing hitters have commented that “ He looks effortless and at times almost unhittable.” Ricky Nolasco had quite a tumultuous 2009 season, starting 2-6 with an ERA of 9.07 before getting sent to the minors to retool and gain his confidence back in his second and third pitches. Upon his return, Ricky had a tremendous season, going 11-3, dropping his ERA to 5.06 and almost had a perfecto in one game and had 5 games with 10+ K’s, while before the demotion he had not exceeded 6. Behind these horses we have Annibal who has looked great in the spring and hopes to return to his 2008 form. The fourth spot goes to Chris Volstad and we’re rounded out by Nate Robertson, who together hope to get on the right track early because there are several capable arms to come in and replace them if needed.
Bullpen:
The pen is led by closer Leo Nunez, who showed some signs of brilliance last year while also showing times of concern. If he can eliminate the gopher ball and simply stop playing with hitters and just go after them, he will have a very surprising season. Brian Sanches is a great set-up man and will be expected to be just as reliable as he was last year, 4-2, ERA: 2.56 in 56 innings, with Calero gone. A young arm I like is Cristhian
Martinez, who have lights out stuff but have been inconsistent at times but hopefully his time in the minors has solved those problems.
Overall, the 2010 Florida Marlins are pretty much the same as the 2009 Fish but they come with another year of experience and a deeper burn to feel that rush of playoff baseball. Holding back my diehard views, I SERIOUSLY see this team competing to win the NL East, though almost every preview book as them in 3rd and 4th, which I don’t know how they get that. Loria is dedicated to wining this year and with the new stadium on the horizon, I truly believe that if moves are needed to be made, the GM Larry Beinfest, easily one of the best in all of sports, will get the job done and bring in some big names.
As I mentioned, I hope this thread is a good source of information and offers some winners so let’s get to it.
GOOD LUCK IN 2010 and GO FISH!!!!
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Originally Posted by Coming Back!
