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Florida Marlins carry some lofty expectations for new season
BY CLARK SPENCER
cspencer@MiamiHerald.com
David Samson looked like a clairvoyant with his dead-on prediction of 91 wins for the 2003 Marlins, a team given almost zero chance by baseball pundits and experts. Samson, the team's president, ended up having ``91'' engraved inside his World Series ring.
As he stood inside the visiting dugout at Citi Field on Sunday, gazing out as the Marlins took batting practice in final preparation for Monday's season opener against the Mets, Samson was asked if he would venture another win prediction.
Samson gave it some thought, tossing around numbers inside his head, before deciding that words -- not a number -- better expressed his vision of how it all would end for the Marlins six or seven months from now.
``I think this season ends with a pile,'' Samson said.
As in a victory pile. That's right. In so many words, Samson envisions the Marlins winning the franchise's third World Series in what is only its 18th year of existence, even though -- again -- few others are sharing that feeling.
Most have either the Philadelphia Phillies or Atlanta Braves winning the National League East. ESPN asked its army of baseball writers, analysts and commentators to predict the division and wild-card races, and the Marlins ended up getting named by only two of their 31 experts.
``I like being the best-kept secret,'' said Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who also was on hand for Sunday's workout. ``I'm glad no one is picking us. Put the pressure on somebody else. Nobody ever picks us.''
But, throughout the offseason and spring training, Marlins executives have been not only adamant, but also outspoken in their belief that they expect the team to make the playoffs after winning 87 games in 2009 and falling short of the postseason.
They signed pitcher Josh Johnson, the team's ace and Opening Day starter, to a four-year contract worth $39 million. They held on to second baseman Dan Uggla after it was rumored he would be traded. They also kept outfielder Cody Ross and third baseman Jorge Cantu despite their escalating salaries.
But they didn't sign any free agents to a major-league contract over the winter and didn't trade for any front-line help until they snagged veteran pitcher Nate Robertson from the Detroit Tigers a few days before the end of spring training. The Tigers are paying all but $400,000 of Robertson's $10 million salary.
To critics who have complained that the Marlins didn't do enough to improve the roster, Loria had this to say:
``We didn't have to,'' Loria said. ``We've got the players. Making a deal for the sake of making a deal isn't what we're about. We're about knowing what we have. We know who these men are and they are no longer boys. They're men.''
In other words, the Marlins, who have failed to make the playoffs since 2003 despite finishing with winning records in four of the past six seasons, are counting on the improvement that comes with experience and maturity to get them over the hump.
They're counting on the 1-2 punch of Johnson and Ricky Nolasco at the top of the rotation.
They're counting on Chris Coghlan to keep swinging the bat like he did last season when he garnered NL Rookie of the Year honors, and for Hanley Ramirez to remain one of the elite players in the sport. They're counting on home-run pop from Cody Ross and Dan Uggla, and run production from cleanup hitter Jorge Cantu. And they're counting on a suspect bullpen, with lightly experienced Leo Nunez as their closer, to perform above expectations.
``We've got what we need,'' said Ramirez, who won the league's batting title last season and also finished second in MVP voting to the Cardinals' Albert Pujols. ``Everything we need, I think we've got it right now. You go player for player, and I think we can match anybody in the league. We can beat anybody.''
Ramirez said adding Robertson to the starting staff was a big plus.
``We got Uggla back, we got Cantu back,'' Ramirez said. ``What we need right now to get to the postseason is to focus all year long and stay healthy. I think that's what we need.''
Said Coghlan: ``It's going to be exciting for us to go out there and show the world what kind of team we're going to put out there.''
Starting Monday, when the Mets' Johan Santana fires the first pitch to Coghlan, the Marlins' leadoff hitter, there will be no more talking and projecting. It will be a 162-game race to decide who was right in their predictions and who missed the boat.
For the moment, at least, the Marlins believe they will be the ones celebrating at the end.
``I pick the Marlins,'' Ramirez said.
Said Samson: ``I saw their faces in the clubhouse [Sunday]. It's the fifth year I've gotten to look in their eyes. And they had it.''
BY CLARK SPENCER
cspencer@MiamiHerald.com
David Samson looked like a clairvoyant with his dead-on prediction of 91 wins for the 2003 Marlins, a team given almost zero chance by baseball pundits and experts. Samson, the team's president, ended up having ``91'' engraved inside his World Series ring.
As he stood inside the visiting dugout at Citi Field on Sunday, gazing out as the Marlins took batting practice in final preparation for Monday's season opener against the Mets, Samson was asked if he would venture another win prediction.
Samson gave it some thought, tossing around numbers inside his head, before deciding that words -- not a number -- better expressed his vision of how it all would end for the Marlins six or seven months from now.
``I think this season ends with a pile,'' Samson said.
As in a victory pile. That's right. In so many words, Samson envisions the Marlins winning the franchise's third World Series in what is only its 18th year of existence, even though -- again -- few others are sharing that feeling.
Most have either the Philadelphia Phillies or Atlanta Braves winning the National League East. ESPN asked its army of baseball writers, analysts and commentators to predict the division and wild-card races, and the Marlins ended up getting named by only two of their 31 experts.
``I like being the best-kept secret,'' said Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who also was on hand for Sunday's workout. ``I'm glad no one is picking us. Put the pressure on somebody else. Nobody ever picks us.''
But, throughout the offseason and spring training, Marlins executives have been not only adamant, but also outspoken in their belief that they expect the team to make the playoffs after winning 87 games in 2009 and falling short of the postseason.
They signed pitcher Josh Johnson, the team's ace and Opening Day starter, to a four-year contract worth $39 million. They held on to second baseman Dan Uggla after it was rumored he would be traded. They also kept outfielder Cody Ross and third baseman Jorge Cantu despite their escalating salaries.
But they didn't sign any free agents to a major-league contract over the winter and didn't trade for any front-line help until they snagged veteran pitcher Nate Robertson from the Detroit Tigers a few days before the end of spring training. The Tigers are paying all but $400,000 of Robertson's $10 million salary.
To critics who have complained that the Marlins didn't do enough to improve the roster, Loria had this to say:
``We didn't have to,'' Loria said. ``We've got the players. Making a deal for the sake of making a deal isn't what we're about. We're about knowing what we have. We know who these men are and they are no longer boys. They're men.''
In other words, the Marlins, who have failed to make the playoffs since 2003 despite finishing with winning records in four of the past six seasons, are counting on the improvement that comes with experience and maturity to get them over the hump.
They're counting on the 1-2 punch of Johnson and Ricky Nolasco at the top of the rotation.
They're counting on Chris Coghlan to keep swinging the bat like he did last season when he garnered NL Rookie of the Year honors, and for Hanley Ramirez to remain one of the elite players in the sport. They're counting on home-run pop from Cody Ross and Dan Uggla, and run production from cleanup hitter Jorge Cantu. And they're counting on a suspect bullpen, with lightly experienced Leo Nunez as their closer, to perform above expectations.
``We've got what we need,'' said Ramirez, who won the league's batting title last season and also finished second in MVP voting to the Cardinals' Albert Pujols. ``Everything we need, I think we've got it right now. You go player for player, and I think we can match anybody in the league. We can beat anybody.''
Ramirez said adding Robertson to the starting staff was a big plus.
``We got Uggla back, we got Cantu back,'' Ramirez said. ``What we need right now to get to the postseason is to focus all year long and stay healthy. I think that's what we need.''
Said Coghlan: ``It's going to be exciting for us to go out there and show the world what kind of team we're going to put out there.''
Starting Monday, when the Mets' Johan Santana fires the first pitch to Coghlan, the Marlins' leadoff hitter, there will be no more talking and projecting. It will be a 162-game race to decide who was right in their predictions and who missed the boat.
For the moment, at least, the Marlins believe they will be the ones celebrating at the end.
``I pick the Marlins,'' Ramirez said.
Said Samson: ``I saw their faces in the clubhouse [Sunday]. It's the fifth year I've gotten to look in their eyes. And they had it.''
Poor Fredi.
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