SportsNation Blog Archives
Miami Marlins
On Thursday, "First Take" debated Ozzie Guillen's future in Miami. Guillen's comments admiring certain qualities of Fidel Castro caused fans in Miami to protest his continued employment at the team. The often-controversial manager's brief foray into political commentary has potentially put his job as Marlins manager in jeopardy. Can he last the rest of the year in Miami? What's your take?
It looked like Danny Ainge was about to tear the Celtics down and start all over again, but that was before they remembered they're still a pretty good team. Boston beat Miami for the second consecutive time on Tuesday night, and it looks like the Celtics might be a factor come playoff time.
- nnNundu: "Hey remember when the Heat were 1-3 against the Celtics in the regular season last year? Me too."
- CoachHoy: "Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be great. Knicks could surprise from the 7 seed. Philly is a great defensive team and could be a problem if they get in. Monta Ellis could go for 40 night after night and surprise some team if the Bucks get in. Orlando and the Pacers are both good team. The Hawks are tough. Boston is tough. Miami and Chicago are the favorites. Strap on your seat belts."
- TownesGuitar: "If this group goes deep in the playoffs, it will be the best coaching job Rivers has done. This team has been decimated by injuries (and serious ones--heart problems/etc.) and made no major moves at the trade deadline. Reminds me a little of how Torre used to handle the Yankees. He just trusted his players and moved pieces around until he found the right combination."
- Tony4286: "I don't know if the C's will go deep in the playoffs. Its just nice to see this group giving us (seemingly) one last legit run and shot when it looked like they might be limping to a 6-8 seed. "
- BostonBawb: "This Celtics team is clicking at the perfect time and it's a beautiful thing to watch. It's such a likable team of unselfish, proud veterans."
- Sincethe3rd: "Let's not get carried away by a game in which the Celtics shot a near record 61% from the field. True they are surging but their lack of depth and lack of quality bigs is a real concern heading into the playoffs. Regular season match-ups mean little come playoff time. Just remember the Heat's abysmal record against both the Celtics and Bulls last year."
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Ozzie Guillen has been suspended for five games as a result of his comments admiring Fidel Castro. Is this a fair punishment?
- johanToya: "Anybody else would've been fired, but this is just "Ozzie being Ozzie""
- SilverWulf1: "What's ridiculous here is that the Marlins KNEW what they were getting when they signed him. And now they want to punish him for it. "
- nswcbama: "When you live and work in a city that is almost 70% Hispanic and a large section of that is of Cuban discent, you build your new stadium in the heart of a part of town called "Little Havana", and you hire a manager that you hope will be able to relate to the large Hispanic population, you would hope that he would have sense enough to know what would be out of bounds."
- SportsFan206: "I disagree completely with his comments, but I thought this was America where you can say what you want to say. I'm not sure I like the idea of someone being suspended for saying he admires a person, no matter how disgusting that person happens to be."
- LAHomersofAnaheim: "He is allowed to say what he wants, but his employer is allowed to suspend him too. Freedom of Speech is only there between an individual and the Govt. It has nothing to do with employees and employers."
- Realbrick Michael: "His tarnishing of "the game" far outweighs any contribution he makes to his club or MLB in general. Toss him!"
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Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?
Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series
Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?
World Series repeat?
The Cardinals prevailed over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, but St. Louis lost its biggest gun this past offseason ...
Best player?
... which is a pretty big loss, considering he might be one of the best players of all time.
Odd one out?
The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season after an epic September collapse. Will they be on the outside looking in once again?
AL's best?
Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were probably the two biggest additions to teams in the American League, meaning the balance of power could shift.
NL's best?
Likewise, the addition of Jose Reyes to the Marlins could give the team a huge upgrade -- offensively with new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, and defensively at shortstop.
A change of scenery?
The latest rumors seem to indicate the Washington Nationals are the leaders in the clubhouse for Prince Fielder's services. Will playing in the nation's capital outweigh whatever the Chicago Cubs possibly offer?
Movin' on up?
The rise of the Tampa Bay Rays has made an already talented AL East even more impressive. But would Prince Fielder's arrival in Washington, coupled with Jose Reyes in Miami, make for an equally dangerous division?
Bigger potential?
The Marlins have been active signing Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano and Mark Buehrle, creating a buzz in Miami, but would the Nationals with Prince Fielder be a bigger postseason threat?
Diminishing returns?
Prince Fielder's 275 pound frame may have some potential buyers worried about how he will hold up over the course of his contract, but the 27-year-old has only missed 13 games in his six full seasons in MLB and just one over the past three seasons.
If you can't them to join you, get somebody to beat them. That might not be quite how the saying goes, but it seems to be the plan for the Miami Marlins after a brief flirtation with Albert Pujols. Instead of signing the star slugger for more than $200 million, the Marlins landed Mark Buehrle for $58 million. That might just leave them enough money to continue their shopping spree by adding another arm.
More from SportsNation: What does Pujols mean to the Angels?
- "Much better move by Marlins. Great pitcher with a doable contract. Pujols is going to cripple every team's ability to surround him with players, with the exception of the NYY." -- SN commenter jholzem
- "The Marlins without Pujols are going to have no team! That's what you needed. Reyes has one solid year and everyone is a stiff." -- SN commenter mrftball007
Which side backed away first?
We think we know that Albert Pujols and the Marlins are going their separate ways, but who broke off the courtship is a matter of debate.
Could the Marlins do better anyway?
The Marlins already signed Mark Buehrle, but reports suggest they're also still in the running for C.J. Wilson. Would two arms trump Pujols' bat?
What to do with Hanley Ramirez?
Ramirez may be fine moving to third base with Jose Reyes around, or he may be on the verge of causing major headaches. Nobody seems to know for sure.
How much trouble is Ramirez worth?
Ramirez ranks 20th among active players in OPS, first among shortstops. But if he's at third base coming off a miserable 2011 season, is he elite?
The Miami Marlins already have one of the best shortstops in baseball, but it looks like they'll enter 2012 with one extra. The Marlins have agreed to a six-year, $106 million contract with longtime Met Jose Reyes, who will supplant the incumbent Hanley Ramirez at shortstop. Ramirez will move to either third base (most likely) or center field, which would give the Marlins one of the best left sides of the infield in baseball. If their reported interest in Albert Pujols comes to fruition, however, they might end up sporting one of the best infields (period) of all time, and a Big Three to rival that other Miami team.
- "They overpaid for Reyes because he'll never have the season he had last season again." -- SN commenter TommyNJ
- "Although I'm a Marlins fan, I highly doubt that Pujos is going to leave the Cardinals. I would be very excited to have him on our team, but I would also be sad that he couldn't finish out his career in St. Louis. " -- SN commenter sejope87
Was the contract fair?
Reyes had an astoundingly productive 2011 season, but the contract will take him through a few of his decline years.
Who's more valuable?
Ramirez has been a better hitter than Reyes over the course of their careers, but his move to third could mean that his bat is no longer a unique asset.
Will Pujols sign?
Albert Pujols has a number of suitors, but at this point, the Cardinals and Marlins seem to be the two front-runners.
A pro team in Miami is holding a big party to celebrate a new addition months before the start of a season? Didn't this work out rather poorly last time? We don't know whether the Marlins will promise multiple championships tonight, but they are holding a party to celebrate their rebranding as the Miami Marlins. With a new name, a new stadium and a new manager, might they add a new star of the highest order in free agency this winter?
- "Their attendance was 19,000 a game last year and was 28th, not last like most people think. And with a guy like Pujols coming, plus a pitcher off the trade market and maybe even throw in Cespedes, the attendance easily increases to 25-30,000 putting them in the middle of the pack." -- SN commenter sic987123
- "Marlins obviously trying to stir up excitement heading into their new stadium by trotting in Pujols, Reyes, and Burhle, but unlikely to sign any. Teams like the Phillies don't advertise like this when they are interested in a free agent." -- SN commenter leatherpajamas
Is Albert Pujols really in play?
According to MLB.com, Pujols may visit the Marlins this weekend. With his old manager gone in St. Louis, could Miami be a viable alternative for the slugger?
How many eggs in one basket?
The Marlins may have a bigger budget with a new stadium, but it's not infinite. It might not be an either/or situation, but they probably can't afford Pujols, Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle.
Fixing a name that wasn't broken?
It works for the Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers, but is shedding the "Florida" part of the name the right move for the Marlins?
Was the stadium the real problem?
Yes, there is an actual game going on amid those empty seats at Sun Life Stadium. The new stadium opening next season should help, but is Miami a good fit for baseball?
The Rays may have had one of the most epic comebacks in major league history in September, but their season ended abruptly Tuesday night on the strength of three Adrian Beltre home runs. The mood has changed dramatically in Tampa, as principal owner Stuart Steinberg, frustrated with a lack of attendance despite a great deal of success from the team, aired his grievances in the Rays' clubhouse after the game. Steinberg used the ominous phrase "the rubber has got to hit the road" -- could he be forecasting the Rays' departure from Florida?
- "Move the Rays, that's the only solution. I know of half a dozen cities that would love for them to come over. They already have the pieces for a championship. Just need the money and they're set." -- SN commenter bonds_6
Are the Rays long for Florida?
The Rays have had a great deal of success in the past four years, putting up winning seasons and even making the World Series in 2008. The issue is attendance -- they couldn't even sell out home games during their brief playoff run this year.
Would a new stadium help?
Unfortunately for the Rays, scenes like the above have been all too common during their recent history. The team has struggled to find a real foothold in Florida.
Will Florida have any teams?
The Marlins have a similar problem to the Rays -- even though the team has won two World Series in its brief history, it hasn't made much of an impact with its home fans.
Braves second baseman Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 29 games with a single against the Marlins on Monday. At least, we think he did. Eyewitnesses are tough to come by when it comes to the Marlins, who rank last in the majors in attendance. Is it coincidence that the Marlins are 23-35 at home, after another loss Monday, and 32-25 on the road?
- "Marlins announced attendance at just over 20,000 ... is this a joke, Marlins? No way there were even 8,000 there tonight. Good God, what a disgrace." -- SN commenter chpatt
There's no place like home?
The Marlins have a better team OPS at home than on the road, along with a 3.78 team ERA at home and 4.10 team ERA on the road. So what's with all the losses?
Should they listen to Jack McKeon?
Marlins manager Jack McKeon suggested the team wear its road uniforms at home, presumably to confuse the fickle baseball gods.
What is with the Sunshine State?
Only the A's keep the state of Florida from owning the bottom two spots in attendance. That despite the Rays (28th) and Marlins (30th, seen above) combining for a winning record.
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