Alex Sanabia, SP

[nny]

When did Tucker tear up the minors?

fuck the love for him

He's my anti-mba-volstad

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Who is your least favorite? Sanabia or Tucker?

What I meant was that Tucker was having a great season in AA when he was called up only for him to get torched after a couple major league starts.

[nny]

Tucker

All he had was a pretty ERA in AA. He had a 2 K/BB ratio with bad control and unimpressive strike out rates and fuck him

[Miamarlin21]

I'd take Tuck over Mexicali because Tucker could be a real force in the bullpen. If he will or not, we'll see.

[Valid]

Alex Sanabia 2010

So far has a 3.95 ERA, 3.57 FIP, and 1.32 WHIP. His control has really impressed me, as he currently boasts a 2.14 BB/9. I really think this kid could end up being a fixture in our rotation for the long run. The WHIP is a little high, but if his control stays as good as it is now, you've gotta think it will improve as he goes along, correct?

[Swifty]

He's impressive. I see his change up as a legit strikeout pitch. He should be a 3/4 in the NL for a long time.

[wanks1212]

I worry about Sanabia being able to keep this up next year, because his stuff isn't great, but with his control he should, at the worst, be a decent reliever. And if he can keep fooling hitters then he slots in great behind JJ, Nolasco, and Anibal.

[nny]

I worry about Sanabia being able to keep this up next year, because his stuff isn't great, but with his control he should, at the worst, be a decent reliever. And if he can keep fooling hitters then he slots in great behind JJ, Nolasco, and Anibal.

yep. his 4.72 xFIP as a starter is just real meh. he has very cool control but his 2.25 K/BB as a starter aint exactly good considering he's a fly ball pitcher. And considering how bad his strike out rates have been in full season minor league ball, I don't really see the K/BB getting all that much better.

If we didn't have Volstad in the rotation, cool. But if both are gonna be putting up an mid-upper-4 ERA as starters, I think Sanabia works out better out of the bullpen. Though I have more faith in Sanabia in being able to be the 4th low-4 ERA guy that we really need.

[Ralph]

Slider needs to improve.

[wanks1212]

BY DIDIER MORAIS
dmorais@MiamiHerald.com

Hanging above Alex Sanabia's locker are a pair of black boxing gloves. Taped over the Marlins pitcher's nameplate is a paper inscribed with the name Rocky Balboa, referring to the fictional boxer from the movie series that began in the 1970s.

The objects -- placed by his teammates -- are simply lighthearted jokes, poking fun at the rookie's participation in a Sept. 1 brawl against the Nationals that earned him a five-game suspension. But the boxing items also could symbolize Sanabia's journey to the big leagues. Considering he was selected in the 32nd round of the 2006 draft, it took quite the fighting attitude for Sanabia to overcome the improbable odds of making the Marlins roster.

``When draft day came and it was the 32nd round, I was like, 'Uh, damn, that's late,' '' said Sanabia, who is 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 12 appearances. ``But to me, going that late, it made me just want to work harder.

``It was just, `Bust your tail and make that dream come true.' ''

And when Sanabia makes his 10th career start Friday against the Cubs, the sight will still seem unrealistic for Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez, who managed Sanabia for two years in the minors.

Reflecting on those times, Rodriguez admitted he initially thought Sanabia didn't have the physical tools to ascend to the majors.

``If you would have seen him three years ago, you would have been like, `Who signed this guy?' '' Rodriguez said. ``He was skinny, not strong. And then all of a sudden he's in the big leagues and pitching well in the big leagues.''

But Sanabia's story hasn't always been a fairy tale. His major-league aspirations nearly imploded between 2007 and 2008.

Pitching for Class Short-Season A Jamestown (N.Y.) and Single A Greensboro (N.C.) throughout the period, Sanabia endured the worst slump of his career, finishing a combined 7-11 with a 5.03 ERA.

LOSS OF CONFIDENCE

The miscues subsequently caused him to lose confidence.

During that span, Sanabia's doubts escalated to the point that he called his family in California to inform them he was considering quitting.

``Greensboro was a lot of ups and downs for him,'' said Mike Stanton, Sanabia's Greensboro teammate and now a Marlins outfielder. ``But he didn't take it to the doghouse and self-destruct. Some tend to give up. He came back with that fire in his eyes.''

It was the typical fighter's mentality. Striving to pursue his dream, Sanabia battled through his issues and experienced a resurgence in 2009 that earned him a spring-training promotion to Double A Jacksonville and then the Marlins on June 20.

``You've got to have that confidence,'' Sanabia said, reflecting on what he learned. ``If you don't believe in yourself, then who is?

``This has always been what I've wanted to do since I was 5 years old. I just fought through it.''

Now just three months removed from his major-league promotion -- which included a three-week stint in Triple A -- Sanabia is bolstering Florida's pitching staff and contending for a permanent role in next year's rotation.

Sanabia's ascension could come at the expense of fellow teammates Andrew Miller and Brett Sinkbeil, who were both first-round selections the year Sanabia was drafted and have struggled in limited appearances this season. But Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire believes that predicament simply showcases the beauty of baseball competition.

``To me, it's not a telltale sign where you're drafted about where your career is going to be,'' St. Claire said. ``You see a lot of guys that are drafted real late develop and become very good major-league pitchers. [Sanabia] being late in a draft doesn't surprise me at all.''

MANAGER IMPRESSED

Rodriguez, however, remains astounded about Sanabia's development. After watching him overcome debacle after debacle in the minors, the Marlins manager couldn't help but marvel over the pitcher's toughness.

``What has impressed me -- and I'm sure a lot of guys agree with me -- is his poise on the mound,'' Rodriguez said. ``He's not afraid of any situation. He could have the bases loaded with no outs, and he's still throwing strikes. He's not afraid of any hitter.''

Just like Rocky Balboa.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/1...#ixzz0zlN3RwnN

[Miamarlin21]

Great find. Gotta love Alejandro

[Miamarlin21]

Placed on the 7-day disabled list with a left oblique injury. Righty Omar Poveda will take his place in New Orleans.

[emkayseven]

Whenever Alex Sanabia needs a reminder of what it looks like when he is on top of his game, he watches the film from the dozen big-league starts he made for the Marlins in 2010.

“It was a great time for me — I was 21 and having fun,” said Sanabia, who made his first start of the spring Saturday against the Mets. “That’s what I want to get back to.”

Sanabia, who turns 25 on Sept. 8, is hoping he earns the opportunity to start for the Marlins — and shine — again this season. After being slowed by a strained elbow in 2011 and then spending the first half of the 2012 season in Triple A before straining his oblique, the 6-2, 205-pound right-hander entered this spring as one of five players with an opportunity to land the fifth spot in the starting rotation.

On Saturday, Sanabia tossed two scoreless innings in a 8-8 tie with the Mets at Tradition Field. He threw a total of 28 pitches for 16 strikes and produced four fly outs, a ground out and one strikeout.

Hardly a dominant performance, but those type of efforts are typical of the former 32nd-round pick. For Sanabia, who has a two-seam fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a changeup and a slider he’s still working on, good days have always been about pitching to contact and getting outs.

“I thought he did a nice job,” manager Mike Redmond said. “He missed on a few pitches outside the zone early but got himself back on track and did what he needed to do. I thought he looked good.”

Three years ago Sanabia quickly climbed the ranks through the Marlins farm system. After going 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 14 starts in his first season at Double A Jacksonville, Sanabia got promoted to Triple A New Orleans and made just two starts (he went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA) before the Marlins called him up to the big leagues. He made his major-league debut in relief at Baltimore and struck out the first two hitters he faced.

“Those are the type of memories you never forget,” Sanabia said.

With Chris Volstad struggling, the Marlins decided two weeks later to put Sanabia into the rotation after three relief appearances. He didn’t disappoint, going 5-2 with a 3.66 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 15 walks. The Marlins went 8-4 in the games Sanabia started.

Now he hopes what he did three years ago will not be the peak of his career.

After entering the 2011 season with high hopes, Sanabia bombed in spring training, going 0-2 with a 16.87 ERA in two starts that lasted just 2 2/3 innings. He started the season in the minors and on the disabled list with elbow discomfort. After going 0-5 with a 5.75 ERA in nine minor-league starts that season, the Marlins called him up in September to help fill in for an injured Josh Johnson. Sanabia went 0-2 with a 3.27 ERA in three appearances, two starts.

Last spring, with Mark Buehrle and Carlos Zambrano new to the rotation, Sanabia knew he had no shot of making the big-league roster. Things started well in New Orleans. In his first 14 starts, he went 6-4 with a 3.16 ERA and had the lowest ERA and WHIP on the team. But a strained oblique quickly landed Sanabia back on the disabled list, and he finished the year 0-3 with a combined 13.50 ERA in his last three starts.

“Everything I’ve gone through has definitely made me work harder so I can get back to where I once was,” Sanabia said. “I’ve always tried to take the positive out of the negative. Hopefully, I can give myself an opportunity to make the team or get a better look.”

http://www.bradenton.com/2013/03/03/...#storylink=cpy