Jose Fernandez Flew to Miami to See Doctor for Stiff Shoulder

[Swifty]

Willis IS a great comp for this reason though: for a team that struggles to draw anything, there's a marked bump at the gate when Willis pitched and when Jose pitches.

Couldn't say that for any of the other arms we had, all varying in degrees of brilliance. Maybe Brown a little bit because his two years here were like super-nova bright, but in terms of developed, loved and people pay to see pitch, I think it's only Jose and Dontrelle, even if some other guys were close in terms of any number of measurements of either talent or lovability.

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I mean, the dark ages Marlins had guys who were fun but you couldn't find their merchandise anywhere. In 2003, you could actually buy a Dontrelle Willis "shirsey"...that's a big freaking deal.

[Namaste]

I think Dontrelle was ridiculously marketable. We're over a decade removed from when he was king here but that guy had that special "it" quality that comes along very rarely.

But, yeah, talent wise there's a pretty significant gap between the two.

[Valid]

I think Dontrelle was ridiculously marketable. We're over a decade removed from when he was king here but that guy had that special "it" quality that comes along very rarely.

Not to the extent of Fernandez. The Jose being Cuban thing is pretty huge in Miami. I know it sounds silly, but it's true.

[emkayseven]

It does sound silly because there are currently and have been other Cubans on the team and they don't turn people out. People come for Jose because he's incredible, not because he's Cuban.

The talent disparity between the two is large. But again my larger point is that they had no reason not to sign Dontrelle and they still didn't do it. He had very good seasons, health, was young, was marketable, sold tickets, etc and they still went year to year and then traded him.

[Miamarlin21]

I still believe everyone each year messing with his mechanics ruined Dontrelle. Am I the only one that thinks that?

[thatnewguy]

I think they come see Jose because he's an incredible Cuban. They aren't mutually exclusive. And not for nothinf, if Willis is Jose than Cabrera is Stanton. The fact they changed course there and re-signed him bodes well for resigning Jose.

[Swifty]

I think they come see Jose because he's an incredible Cuban. They aren't mutually exclusive. And not for nothinf, if Willis is Jose than Cabrera is Stanton. The fact they changed course there and re-signed him bodes well for resigning Jose.

Cabrera was a once in a lifetime talent. The organization is still recovering for how bad that was fucked up.

[Namaste]

It was the most poorly handled budding superstar in the history of baseball.

[emkayseven]

Babe Ruth probably begs to differ

[Namaste]

Ok. ONE other decision in the history of baseball was worse.

[thatnewguy]

The only decision worse in the history of the sport deals with, you know, only the greatest player in the history of the sport.

[Bobbob1313]

Fun thing about Cabrera being a "once in a lifetime" talent is the Marlins developed at least two players in the following 10 years who were nearly as good (in Hanley's case) if not better (in Stanton's case).

I have no idea how much of that is blind, stupid luck -- given how bad they are at everything else, it's probably a lot of luck -- but it's crazy that they've been unable to build contenders around prime Hanley and Stanton.

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They got 18 seasons of Miguel Cabrera, Giancarlo Stanton and Hanley Ramirez, and got ONE playoff appearance out of it.

[Miamarlin21]

Didn't Miggy sign with the Marlins because of Alex Gonzalez?

[marlinsfan24]

Didn't Miggy sign with the Marlins because of Alex Gonzalez?

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/199...uts-dombrowski

[Todd]

I am not sure that you can say the Marlins developed Hanley Ramirez. I mean he made his debut with the Red Sox.