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Let's examine the aftermath of the opener, which I described in my game story as "abominable" and "laughingly bad." The Marlins made three fielding errors, their center fielder acted lost and their starting pitcher didn't look anything like ace quality.
Here's what the players and manager had to say afterward:
Player 1: "We played very sloppy....We're not going to cry over one game."
Player 2: "A day off will probably be good for us....."
Player 3: "Errors are part of the game....."
Manager: "We won't play many games like that....I hope. I bet we don't do that again the rest of the year. We'll take anything possible out of that mess."
Monday's 7-1 loss to the Mets?
No, their 8-5 defeat to the Phillies in the 2003 season opener, which was every bit the disaster Monday's was, except for the fact the '03 game was played in front of a Marlins home crowd that booed and began to file out before the fifth inning. Remember?
Josh Beckett was simply awful, knocked out in the third. Infielders Mike Lowell, Alex Gonzalez and Luis Castillo were each charged with errors. A routine fly ball fell in for a hit in front of center fielder Juan Pierre, who lost it in the sun.
Of course, we all know what happened after that.
Jack McKeon took over as manager from Jeff Torborg in May. Castillo won the Gold Glove award as the league's best defensive second baseman (Lowell would win one two years later). Pierre was voted the team MVP. And the Marlins won the World Series, with Beckett recording the final out in a complete-game win over the Yankees.
Not saying history will repeat itself with these Marlins. Just trying to show that one shouldn't draw too many conclusions from a magnified, one-game sampling of a 162-game season.
Here's what the players and manager had to say afterward:
Player 1: "We played very sloppy....We're not going to cry over one game."
Player 2: "A day off will probably be good for us....."
Player 3: "Errors are part of the game....."
Manager: "We won't play many games like that....I hope. I bet we don't do that again the rest of the year. We'll take anything possible out of that mess."
Monday's 7-1 loss to the Mets?
No, their 8-5 defeat to the Phillies in the 2003 season opener, which was every bit the disaster Monday's was, except for the fact the '03 game was played in front of a Marlins home crowd that booed and began to file out before the fifth inning. Remember?
Josh Beckett was simply awful, knocked out in the third. Infielders Mike Lowell, Alex Gonzalez and Luis Castillo were each charged with errors. A routine fly ball fell in for a hit in front of center fielder Juan Pierre, who lost it in the sun.
Of course, we all know what happened after that.
Jack McKeon took over as manager from Jeff Torborg in May. Castillo won the Gold Glove award as the league's best defensive second baseman (Lowell would win one two years later). Pierre was voted the team MVP. And the Marlins won the World Series, with Beckett recording the final out in a complete-game win over the Yankees.
Not saying history will repeat itself with these Marlins. Just trying to show that one shouldn't draw too many conclusions from a magnified, one-game sampling of a 162-game season.
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