Monday, October 02, 2006
End-Of-Season Stuff
Many fans stayed till the end, even though the stadium was collapsing around them. Meanwhile, the veterans are thinking about where they'll be next year, just as Beinfest remained mum on Girardi's fate.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
ESPN: Girardi's Gone This Week
'According to the source, the chances are "99 out of 100" that Girardi's replacement will be Braves third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez.
'Girardi's firing could come at a Tuesday morning meeting with Marlins management, according to a report on MLB.com.
'One reason the Marlins want to act quickly on naming Girardi's successor? The Nationals. Former Atlanta executive Stan Kasten, now president of the Nats, is looking for a replacement for manager Frank Robinson and is expected to consider hiring Gonzalez.' (ESPN)
'Girardi's firing could come at a Tuesday morning meeting with Marlins management, according to a report on MLB.com.
'One reason the Marlins want to act quickly on naming Girardi's successor? The Nationals. Former Atlanta executive Stan Kasten, now president of the Nats, is looking for a replacement for manager Frank Robinson and is expected to consider hiring Gonzalez.' (ESPN)
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Saturday's Games
Champagne Makes Olsen Angry
"I hate the Phillies, and I don't want to see them celebrating" (PalmBeachPost)
ALSO IN THE ARTICLE: Olivo's broken but not out, the Nats may want Girardi if he's out, and Jacobs is out with his ailing brother.
MORE: Former Fish Alex Gonzales is also out for the rest of the year, and his position's uncertain. (Telegram.com)
ALSO IN THE ARTICLE: Olivo's broken but not out, the Nats may want Girardi if he's out, and Jacobs is out with his ailing brother.
MORE: Former Fish Alex Gonzales is also out for the rest of the year, and his position's uncertain. (Telegram.com)
Friday, September 29, 2006
TGIF's Games
Phillies Half-Asleep With Their Backs to the Wall
They lose in the wee hours of last night, coming to Florida 2 games back in the Wild Card with 3 to go. (Philly.com)
BUT: The Phils are fully aware that the Marlins have (thrown down the gauntlet.
BUT: The Phils are fully aware that the Marlins have (thrown down the gauntlet.
In The Papers
Dave Hyde explains what the young Marlins had learned this year. Kevin Baxter recounts the anonymous magic of pitching coach Rick Kranitz. Mike Berardino tells how the Reds GM ruined the Marlins' chances this year. Joe Capozzi reveals why the Marlins won't campaign for their ROY canidates.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Thursday's Games
More History
'The Marlins are the first team in major league history to have four rookie pitchers with 10 wins - Sanchez (10-3), Scott Olsen (12-9), Josh Johnson (12-7) and Ricky Nolasco (11-10). Dontrelle Willis (12-12) gives the Marlins five 10-game winners for the first time in franchise history...
'Ramirez hit his seventh leadoff homer of the season, tying him for the major league record for a rookie with Nomar Garciaparra , who hit seven with Boston in 1997.' (ProTrade)
'Ramirez hit his seventh leadoff homer of the season, tying him for the major league record for a rookie with Nomar Garciaparra , who hit seven with Boston in 1997.' (ProTrade)
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Wednesday's Games
Willis A 'Hometown Hero'
'In the initial announcement of "DHL presents Major League Baseball's Hometown Heroes" on ESPN Tuesday night, Dontrelle Willis was named as the Marlins representative in the first group of 10 who most embody the game's legacy and the franchise's history.
'Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (Yankees); Hank Aaron (Braves); Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles); Reggie Jackson (Athletics); Mike Schmidt (Phillies); Gary Carter (Nationals); and Wade Boggs (Devil Rays) were named in addition to Joe Carter (Blue Jays) and Frank Thomas (White Sox).'
ALSO IN THIS ARTICLE: Uggla's battles...start times are changing but starters may not...and the meeting with MLB and Hialeah is postponed again. (SunSentinel)
'Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (Yankees); Hank Aaron (Braves); Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles); Reggie Jackson (Athletics); Mike Schmidt (Phillies); Gary Carter (Nationals); and Wade Boggs (Devil Rays) were named in addition to Joe Carter (Blue Jays) and Frank Thomas (White Sox).'
ALSO IN THIS ARTICLE: Uggla's battles...start times are changing but starters may not...and the meeting with MLB and Hialeah is postponed again. (SunSentinel)
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Cincinatti Reds Come to Miami
Some Girarticles
'Girardi is very prepared, works hard and takes pride in "teaching" the game. What's hurting him is dealing with others in the organization. Obviously, there have been huge differences in opinions on how to work together. I will say this, it's amazing that whatever tensions have been in place for a while didn't impact the players themselves. They've stayed focused on playing. Perhaps somehow, upper management and manager can patch up their differences in this final week of the season. It may be too late.' (MLB)
'It's hard to know whether all the leaked negative reports are true, or if any are. The Marlins' Steinbrenner wannabe, owner Jeffrey Loria, won't discuss the situation. It's hard to know, but I can say that the very first and supposedly key incident leaked doesn't ring true at all -- at least not all of it.
'The initial hint Girardi might be fired in a year in which?he is a prime candidate for Manager of the Year came when reports surfaced that Loria nearly fired Girardi for supposedly telling Loria to "shut the ---- up''?after Loria was continually yelling at home plate umpire Larry Vanover during a game this summer. While Girardi may well have told Loria to shut up (possibly after Vanover warned Girardi to curtail the chatter), the story seems just a little shakier when it is claimed that Girardi swore at Loria. In one report, Girardi's admonishment to Loria was said to be "profanity laced.'' No shot of that being true.
'"I have never, ever in my life heard Joe Girardi saying anything off-color or use a curse word," said Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, who's known Girardi for a decade and worked with him in the YES Network booth for two years. "Sometimes it gets off-color in the breaks, but never with Joe. Never, ever. I can't even imagine him saying the 'F' word. This is a real legitimate, religious guy."
'What else has been skewed to make Girardi look bad? Did, for instance, Girardi really argue for Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco to start in the bullpen rather the rotation, as has been reported? And did he favor?slugger Josh Willingham to catch over Miguel Olivo?
'Did he really "refuse" to attend some unspecified team function this spring? And if so, who cares?
'One real yet never recounted factor in the disintegrating relationship between Girardi and his bosses came right in the beginning. When they were courting Girardi, they didn't disclose the fact that they were about to embark on a pervasive fire sale; sure, Girardi understood that A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett would be gone, but he didn't know that Juan Pierre, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca and others would be, too. If the relationship between Girardi and his bosses started to fray early, as has been written, perhaps it was over the false picture Girardi's bosses painted during the interview process.
'I do believe what unnamed sources are saying about Girardi being headstrong, even prickly, at times. He is a drill-sergeant-type, and this style has worked splendidly for the young Marlins, as they hoped it would. He offers strong opinions and upsets some folks. But he is bright and talented, and a personality clash is no reason to get rid of him.' (SI.com)
'Of 73 e-mails, 62 were supportive of Girardi. This tells of the publicity crisis Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and General Manager Larry Beinfest face. They deserve that part of this mess, too.
'Loria, who hired Girardi, didn't broker peace or stay quiet but became embroiled in a silly and public spat with his manager. Beinfest, the main figure on the Marlins' baseball side, has hid from view for most of the year, giving fans few answers to even the most harmless questions.
'But it also says something that many talking points around Girardi seem all wrong. For instance, in another common thread, Joseph of Tamarac wrote: "While I often disagree with Girardi's pitching moves ..." And "Marilyn the Marlins fan" wrote: "I like him, but you [reporters] could make him own up to the way he works the bullpen."
'Girardi may have faults as a manager, like an annoying infatuation with bunting. But the bullpen's downfall isn't on him. Who could he trust besides Joe Borowski and Taylor Tankersley as the dream season faded in September?
'Yet, night after night, when one of the league-leading 33 games were blown after the seventh inning, people increasingly questioned Girardi. The questions should have been directed at Beinfest for not making a trade. Or maybe Loria for now allowing it.
'Beinfest and his scouts did a remarkable job in trading for talent last offseason. That's been gone over, many times, and proves they're the engine that drives this franchise. Still, once in the playoff hunt, nothing was done to improve an overachieving team with a $15 million payroll.
'This franchise is printing money this year, too. Look at the ledger sheet. It got $30 million in revenue sharing last year and will get around that this year. It conservatively will make $10 million for local TV (ratings remain strong), according to a source. It can expect around another $18 million from national TV.
'Then there's licensing deals, a $10 million payout from the Washington Nationals sale coming at some point and -- oh, yeah, tickets, concessions plus whatever slice of the stadium lease that we constantly hear is the worst in sports. It surely is, too. John Henry had the same complaint. (Quick aside: H. Wayne Huizenga did offer the Marlins free rent forever in Dolphin Stadium if they just would get rid of the infield dirt. They said there was no way around the dirt).
'Couldn't they have found a reliever to keep this team in the hunt? Everybody else tried to fill holes. The Phillies got Jamie Moyer and Jeff Conine. The Dodgers got Greg Maddux. The Reds reloaded their bullpen. On and on. And Girardi got blamed when he had no arm to help in the seventh inning of games?' (SunSentinel)
'Think about it. This could be the ideal present from the Marlins organization to Chicago. A bit of payback for the Cubs falling apart like wet bread in the �03 National League Championship Series and basically handing the Marlins a spot in the World Series (which they went on to win).
'What Girardi must do now is go to great lengths to ensure his release. Call Loria at home in the middle of the night disguising your voice as Jack McKeon. Maybe slip a Whoopee Cushion beneath him during a team banquet. Something. Anything.
'Then come to Chicago and turn around a franchise in need of a swift 180.
'Cubs manager Joe Girardi. Kind of has a nice ring to it, the emphasis on ring.' (Tribstar.com)
'It's hard to know whether all the leaked negative reports are true, or if any are. The Marlins' Steinbrenner wannabe, owner Jeffrey Loria, won't discuss the situation. It's hard to know, but I can say that the very first and supposedly key incident leaked doesn't ring true at all -- at least not all of it.
'The initial hint Girardi might be fired in a year in which?he is a prime candidate for Manager of the Year came when reports surfaced that Loria nearly fired Girardi for supposedly telling Loria to "shut the ---- up''?after Loria was continually yelling at home plate umpire Larry Vanover during a game this summer. While Girardi may well have told Loria to shut up (possibly after Vanover warned Girardi to curtail the chatter), the story seems just a little shakier when it is claimed that Girardi swore at Loria. In one report, Girardi's admonishment to Loria was said to be "profanity laced.'' No shot of that being true.
'"I have never, ever in my life heard Joe Girardi saying anything off-color or use a curse word," said Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, who's known Girardi for a decade and worked with him in the YES Network booth for two years. "Sometimes it gets off-color in the breaks, but never with Joe. Never, ever. I can't even imagine him saying the 'F' word. This is a real legitimate, religious guy."
'What else has been skewed to make Girardi look bad? Did, for instance, Girardi really argue for Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco to start in the bullpen rather the rotation, as has been reported? And did he favor?slugger Josh Willingham to catch over Miguel Olivo?
'Did he really "refuse" to attend some unspecified team function this spring? And if so, who cares?
'One real yet never recounted factor in the disintegrating relationship between Girardi and his bosses came right in the beginning. When they were courting Girardi, they didn't disclose the fact that they were about to embark on a pervasive fire sale; sure, Girardi understood that A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett would be gone, but he didn't know that Juan Pierre, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca and others would be, too. If the relationship between Girardi and his bosses started to fray early, as has been written, perhaps it was over the false picture Girardi's bosses painted during the interview process.
'I do believe what unnamed sources are saying about Girardi being headstrong, even prickly, at times. He is a drill-sergeant-type, and this style has worked splendidly for the young Marlins, as they hoped it would. He offers strong opinions and upsets some folks. But he is bright and talented, and a personality clash is no reason to get rid of him.' (SI.com)
'Of 73 e-mails, 62 were supportive of Girardi. This tells of the publicity crisis Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and General Manager Larry Beinfest face. They deserve that part of this mess, too.
'Loria, who hired Girardi, didn't broker peace or stay quiet but became embroiled in a silly and public spat with his manager. Beinfest, the main figure on the Marlins' baseball side, has hid from view for most of the year, giving fans few answers to even the most harmless questions.
'But it also says something that many talking points around Girardi seem all wrong. For instance, in another common thread, Joseph of Tamarac wrote: "While I often disagree with Girardi's pitching moves ..." And "Marilyn the Marlins fan" wrote: "I like him, but you [reporters] could make him own up to the way he works the bullpen."
'Girardi may have faults as a manager, like an annoying infatuation with bunting. But the bullpen's downfall isn't on him. Who could he trust besides Joe Borowski and Taylor Tankersley as the dream season faded in September?
'Yet, night after night, when one of the league-leading 33 games were blown after the seventh inning, people increasingly questioned Girardi. The questions should have been directed at Beinfest for not making a trade. Or maybe Loria for now allowing it.
'Beinfest and his scouts did a remarkable job in trading for talent last offseason. That's been gone over, many times, and proves they're the engine that drives this franchise. Still, once in the playoff hunt, nothing was done to improve an overachieving team with a $15 million payroll.
'This franchise is printing money this year, too. Look at the ledger sheet. It got $30 million in revenue sharing last year and will get around that this year. It conservatively will make $10 million for local TV (ratings remain strong), according to a source. It can expect around another $18 million from national TV.
'Then there's licensing deals, a $10 million payout from the Washington Nationals sale coming at some point and -- oh, yeah, tickets, concessions plus whatever slice of the stadium lease that we constantly hear is the worst in sports. It surely is, too. John Henry had the same complaint. (Quick aside: H. Wayne Huizenga did offer the Marlins free rent forever in Dolphin Stadium if they just would get rid of the infield dirt. They said there was no way around the dirt).
'Couldn't they have found a reliever to keep this team in the hunt? Everybody else tried to fill holes. The Phillies got Jamie Moyer and Jeff Conine. The Dodgers got Greg Maddux. The Reds reloaded their bullpen. On and on. And Girardi got blamed when he had no arm to help in the seventh inning of games?' (SunSentinel)
'Think about it. This could be the ideal present from the Marlins organization to Chicago. A bit of payback for the Cubs falling apart like wet bread in the �03 National League Championship Series and basically handing the Marlins a spot in the World Series (which they went on to win).
'What Girardi must do now is go to great lengths to ensure his release. Call Loria at home in the middle of the night disguising your voice as Jack McKeon. Maybe slip a Whoopee Cushion beneath him during a team banquet. Something. Anything.
'Then come to Chicago and turn around a franchise in need of a swift 180.
'Cubs manager Joe Girardi. Kind of has a nice ring to it, the emphasis on ring.' (Tribstar.com)
Monday, September 25, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Time for the Impossible Miracles
As Clark Spencer says, 'At this point, the Marlins have about as much chance of capturing the wild card as Doug Flutie would have of punctuating a Hail Mary touchdown pass with a drop-kick extra point.
'Blindfolded.
'Actually, at this point, the odds might favor Flutie's chances over the Marlins'.'
And also, the Marlins have to do that blindfold drop-kick pass for 7 more games. Here's today's scores...
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)
DOUBLE-SWEEP: Marlins are swept by the Phillies and swept out of the Wild Card race.
'Blindfolded.
'Actually, at this point, the odds might favor Flutie's chances over the Marlins'.'
And also, the Marlins have to do that blindfold drop-kick pass for 7 more games. Here's today's scores...
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)
DOUBLE-SWEEP: Marlins are swept by the Phillies and swept out of the Wild Card race.
Elias Returns to Willis
'Perhaps you've noticed how much we enjoy notes about pitchers who hit. Well, our friends at Elias have come up with a few beauties about Dontrelle Willis' two-homer night for the Marlins on Wednesday at Shea Stadium:
'-- In the 43-year history of the old barn, only one other pitcher has had a two-homer game at Shea: the Phillies' Larry Christenson on Sept. 5, 1976.
'-- Willis has three home runs this season, all of them at Shea (he also had a grand slam on July 7). He's the first pitcher with three homers against one club in one season since 1971, when the Phillies' Rick Wise hit three against the Giants and the Red Sox's Sonny Siebert hit four against the Orioles.
'-- Willis is the first pitcher to hit at least three in one opponent's ballpark since 1958 when Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves hit three HRs at the L.A. Coliseum against the Dodgers.' (SFGate.com)
'-- In the 43-year history of the old barn, only one other pitcher has had a two-homer game at Shea: the Phillies' Larry Christenson on Sept. 5, 1976.
'-- Willis has three home runs this season, all of them at Shea (he also had a grand slam on July 7). He's the first pitcher with three homers against one club in one season since 1971, when the Phillies' Rick Wise hit three against the Giants and the Red Sox's Sonny Siebert hit four against the Orioles.
'-- Willis is the first pitcher to hit at least three in one opponent's ballpark since 1958 when Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves hit three HRs at the L.A. Coliseum against the Dodgers.' (SFGate.com)
Does Hendry Want Girardi?
'If Joe Girardi doesn't return to manage the Marlins next year, there is wide speculation that his next stop could be with the Chicago Cubs.
'"Joe Girardi works for the Marlins," Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry said Friday, refusing to comment further....
'(W)hether Hendry is interested in Girardi is not known.' (PalmBeachPost)
BUT: 'Adding fuel to the Joe Girardi-to-the-Cubs rumors, Gary Hughes, the top assistant to general manager Jim Hendry, was in Philadelphia on Saturday, scouting the Marlins-Phillies game.' (ChicagoSports.com)
'"Joe Girardi works for the Marlins," Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry said Friday, refusing to comment further....
'(W)hether Hendry is interested in Girardi is not known.' (PalmBeachPost)
BUT: 'Adding fuel to the Joe Girardi-to-the-Cubs rumors, Gary Hughes, the top assistant to general manager Jim Hendry, was in Philadelphia on Saturday, scouting the Marlins-Phillies game.' (ChicagoSports.com)
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