Spring Training Odds and Ends

[Miamarlin21]

Nice call on the website having Voley as Dustin Richardson. Fail.
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And in the one they did get it right, it had "Chris Volstan"

AND they kept putting "Brian" Peteresen and not "Bryan."

Who are these amateurs? Fail.

[Party]

Hanley has new shoes.

[MiamiHomer]

I like them a lot.

[rmc523]

That pic looks like it's from a FSN promo commercial.

That's the first thing I thought as well.

[MiamiHomer]

Congratulations to John Baker. His wife had a baby girl this morning.

[emkayseven]

how is babby formed?

[MiamiHomer]

how is babby formed?

Should have asked him during the interview.

[MiamiHomer]

CC and Infante will alternate during the spring in the lead off spot.

[Mainge]

I'd be so proud if my brother was a big leaguer. Congrats MH.

[MiamiHomer]

I'd be so proud if my brother was a big leaguer. Congrats MH.

I wouldn't, I was the better baseball player!

[AdamRavs]

Looks like Cogs in the leadoff spot and Infante in the 2nd

http://joefrisaro.mlblogs.com/archiv..._lead_off.html

[Todd]

Congrats Buck.

[lou]

Had Donnie Murphy not dislocated his wrist last Sept. 1, President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest said the Marlins would have offered him a guaranteed contract. Murphy is in camp on a minor-league deal because neither he nor the Marlins were confident he would be ready for Opening Day. That no longer appears to be the case.

Murphy entered Sunday’s exhibition at short in place of Hanley Ramirez and thus far he’s been able to do everything without any discomfort. If he’s healthy, Rodriguez said Murphy is all but a lock to make the Opening Day roster.

“We’re all very surprised how he has rehabbed his injury,” Rodriguez said. “We’re very positive about the situation, although we’ve been very careful anyway. Some days, maybe twice a week, he’s not going to be swinging a bat even [though] he’s feeling better. We weren’t counting on him being on the team because of his injury. We saw last year what he’s capable of doing. In my opinion, he has nothing to prove. It was a matter of him being healthy. I would like to take him with us Opening Day. Let’s see how everything plays out.”

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports...tinel+Blogs%29

This is baffling to me. I like Murphy for who he is, but to want to guarantee him a contract after whiffing 19 times in 47 AB? Sure, his dingers were pretty awesome and 'clutch,' and you have to love the .277/.335/.519 in AAA (41 whiffs in 206 AB, enormous whiff differences so maybe he is better), but that seems a bit much. I'm glad this turned into a minor league deal as even guaranteeing him $750k annoys me. I know it's relatively a small sum, but just makes little sense in a guaranteeing Badenhop type way. But hey, if the front office wants to blow a few million a year on contingencies, I'm cool. I still think in save every penny 2005-2010 mode.

This makes the bench him, Helms, Bonifacio, Hayes, and Baker/lefty bat. Are we really carrying 1 pure outfielder (Stanton) on the roster, and going to masquerade a 2B in CF, a 1B in LF, and utility infielders as our backups? Cousins just has to replace Baker here if this is the arrangement?

I like this idea better if Dominguez is in the minors two months and we can carry Cousins, Wise, or Petersen. I can live with Murphy, Bonifacio, and Helms batting 8th for a little bit. Also an indication Martinez going to AAA and no real shot at 3B 'competition.'

Just weird.

[Todd]

He can play lots of positions. I doubt he would have got $750K even on a guaranteed deal, probably closer to league minimum.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Update on Nolasco.

Starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco threw off the mound for the first time on Tuesday after being cleared by the Marlins medical staff.

Nolasco, who has been slowed by a jammed right thumb, threw 55 pitches and said he was pain free. His next bullpen session is scheduled for Friday.

“It’s not getting any worse,” the right-hander told reporters. “I’ve been doing some pretty aggressive stuff with it. So we just sat down and went over my schedule. I said, ‘It’s not going to matter if I go (Wednesday), Thursday, Friday or Saturday.’ So I just wanted to do it today and see how it felt.”

Nolasco, who said he threw all of his pitches, originally was schedule to throw on Wednesday but manager Edwin Rodriguez said on Tuesday morning the club was not going to rush him back to the mound.

“That will depend on today, see how he feels _ the pain or discomfort that he feels,” Rodriguez said before Nolasco was cleared. “Everything is tentative. It’s too early to try to push him.”

Rodriguez said would like to see Nolasco throwing in a game in two weeks to get ready for the season.

Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco pain free after throwing first bullpen