The Marlins just lost to the Chicago Cubs. I noticed some problems with the team tonight, and I feel there are ways to fix them going into the 2009 season. No I’m not a pessimist, already giving up on the 2008 Marlins, I’m just a fan who sees some glaring weaknesses and how we can fix them.

1. 1. The Defense: With Jorge Cantu leaving this off season for a bigger contract than the Marlins can offer, there will be a hole at third base again. I already can hear you screaming Dallas McPherson’s name with his 40 homeruns this year in the minors, but I suggest a different approach. Hanley Ramirez has great range as a short stop, the problem is consistency. Moving him over to third base will give the Marlins their best defensive everyday 3rd baseman since Mike Lowell. But who plays short you ask? How about a platoon? Alfredo Amezaga and Robert Andino both are better defensively at short than Hanley. Alfredo can start against right handed pitchers and Robert can start against left handers.
2. 2. Consistent hitting: For leading the league in homeruns the Marlins sure do ruin it by also leading in strikeouts and being one of the worse teams in hitting with runners in scoring position. The struggles of moving runners up and bringing a runner home with a sacrifice fly this year have driven poor Tommy Hutton insane this year.
3. 3. Management: While I like the way Freddy manages this team, Girardi demanded more, and got it. Crack the whip Freddy, crack it! Furthermore you can get more aggressive on base. Start sending runners, forcing these kids to hit in a hit and run situation will make them focus more on making contact.

Ok, I fixed it. No worries fans were going to be good next year. By the way, did anyone notice I haven’t mentioned the pitching? Why would I, Johnson, Volstad, Nolasco, Miller, Olsen, Sanchez, with Tucker, Vandenhurk, and Badenhop waiting in the wings. The pitching is strong, and no longer a weakness. If this team can attack with a small ball mentality, like the 2003 Marlins the sky is the limit. We have better pitching than that team, Mark Redman, Carl Pavano, and let us not forget that we only had 2 arms we could rely on from the bullpen. This new Marlins team can be special, we’ve sensed it for 3 years, but pretty soon potential will become present, and were tired of waiting.

The blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of ownership and the front office for being either too dumb or too stubborn to fix the real problem on this team, the bullpen. It seems odd that in a year that saw the Marlins pen at one point (April & May) considered the best in baseball, we would also see it become a liability in the team’s quest for October baseball.

Among playoff contending teams only the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets have bullpens that have blown more saves, 27 and 21 respectively. And although a blown save does not always equate to a loss in the end, its certainly not a stat worth ignoring either. Baseball gets much harder in October, if you want to beat a team, you don’t give up the lead when you have them pinned down for the loss.

The Marlins bullpen has been particularly worrisome as of late. Closer Kevin Gregg blew a 2 run lead in the 9th inning Friday night against the Cubs, his 7th blown save of the season. Then on Sunday afternoon Renyel Pinto imploded allowing 5 earned runs while striking out none and walking 3, all in 2/3 of an inning.

Ownership and management knew exactly what areas of this team needed improvement, areas that if not improved could cost this team a playoff spot, and they did what amounts to nothing. The single move the front office made was to acquire 38 year old Arthur Rhodes, slap a gold bow on him, and call the bullpen situation solved. Clearly it is not as the pen continues to cost the team games.

Clearly the players share the blame when a team fails to perform, but you can’t expect a player to perform above their abilities. The front office knew that ability was lacking in the bullpen and still did nothing, so if the Fish are golfing in October instead of competing for a World Series crown, all of us fans will have management to thank.

As Sunday afternoon gave way to evening, it became clear that the Florida Marlins season is on the brink of disaster. The Marlins lost again to the Chicago Cubs, dropping 2 of 3 this weekend and falling to 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Fish have hung in there all season, against the odds and doubted by many, they refuse to go away. They led the NL East for the majority of April and May, and spent the dead of summer rotating between 2nd and 3rd place. Now as autumn approaches, the Marlins find their playoff hopes slowly slipping away. As of Sunday night, they are are 4 1/2 games behind the NL East leading New York Mets.

The remaining schedule for the Marlins isn’t easy either, outside their division they are one the road to face San Fransisco, Arizona, and St. Louis. No part of that schedule will be a gimme. On top of that, the Marlins have 6 games each against the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lets not forget though, this is a team with the lowest payroll in baseball, and it is not even close. They have defied the odds all season and showed that they are in fact a team that is very talented and under appreciated. So lets look at the plus side of this situation. The Marlins have 6 games each against the bottom feeding Washington Nationals and the slumping Atlanta Braves. Not only that, they have those 6 games each against the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, the two teams they are chasing.

The Marlins destiny is in their own hands and it is entirely within their ability to succeed and reach the playoffs. I for one believe they can do it, I still think this team can make the playoffs. They have the advantage that most teams don’t, they have the power to determine their own playoff fate. Defeat the teams below you in the NL East when you face them, and beat the teams you are chasing. It can be done, and I think it will be done.

Lately, the Florida Marlins appear to be a team out of sync. They can’t seem to get the whole team firing on all cylinders on the same night. The current four game series with the St. Louis Cardinals serves as the perfect example of a trend that has been emerging over the best 3 weeks of the season.

When the offense is on, the pitching is off. When a starting pitcher does well, the bullpen seems to blow the game later on. Or even worse, a starting pitcher puts in a solid effort and the bats just can’t contribute.

Monday night for instance, Anibal Sanchez put in a quality start for the team going 7 innings and allowing 3 earned runs while striking out 8. Runs or no runs, he kept his team in the game, and in the end the other 8 guys just couldn’t come up with any runs. The Marlins blew 3 solid chances in a run one game to tie or take the lead. All of this against the worst starter in the Cardinals rotation, a starter with an ERA over 5.

And then Wednesday night. Ricky Nolasco gave another solid effort for the team, going 6 innings giving up only 2 runs. Nolasco left the game tied at 2, and then the bullpen proceeded to fold and allow 4 runs and the Marlins lost 6-4.

If one thing is in sync for the Marlins, it is their competition in the NL East. Monday evening all three contenders, the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Marlins lost. Last night, though the Mets won, the Marlins lost and the Phillies lost their third straight game. As a result, the Mets and Phillies are tied for first place and the Marlins are now 1 1/2 games out of first.

However, luck is fickle, it is sometimes there when you need it and almost never there when you want it. If the Marlins want to take the NL East for the first time ever and go deep into the playoffs, they are all going to need to get on the same page. The bullpen needs to be prepared every night in case the starters struggle, and the batters MUST start bringing guys home when they have runners in scoring position. If the problem isn’t fixed soon, the NL East will become a two horse race and the effort the Marlins have given all season will be wasted.

Back on July 11, in Los Angeles, 21 year old Chris Volstad took to the mound as a starter for the first time in his young MLB career. Volstad went out and pitched 8 2/3 innings, scattered 5 hits, allowed 1 run while striking out 6 and the Marlins beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1. Normally young pitchers are given a chance by teams out of contention for a playoff spot. Volstad however was asked to step into the middle of the fire in the NL East and help the Marlins in their playoff pursuit, consider the challenge answered.

Last night against the St. Louis Cardinals Volstad answered the call again. Though shaky early, giving up 5 hits and 3 ER in the top of the 1st, Volstad shut it down afterward not allowing another hit in the next 4 innings he pitched, and his teammates picked up the slack. Marlins relievers allowed 1 hit in the final 4 innings and the Marlins defeated the Cardinals 4-3.

Mike Jacobs got one run back in the bottom of the first on an RBI double. Hanley Ramirez hit a 3R-HR in the bottom of the second, and that was all that was needed for the Marlins to prevail 4-3 in a rain delayed game Tuesday night in Miami. With the Philadelphia Phillies again losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Marlins move to within 1 1/2 games of first place in the NL East.

Volstad improved his record to an impressive 4-2 on the season. Volstad has worked 38.2 innings this season, has an ERA of 3.03, and has struck out 26. Volstad is not just beating up on weak opponents either, he has shut down the Dodgers, Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and now the Cardinals. Marlins fans have seen young pitchers impress before, Josh Beckett, Dontrelle Willis, AJ Burnett, to name a few. As the Marlins race toward the end of the 2008 season, contending for a playoff spot, all 5 starters in the rotation are going to be important. Volstad continues to show that he is ready to answer the call and help his team when asked to do so, pretty impressive for a kid.

Teams in the thick of a pennant race have to be on their “A” game at all times, because if you aren’t the window of opportunity could slam shut in your face. Last night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals was a perfect case in point. St. Louis came into Monday’s game in Miami with their worst pitcher taking the mound, Joel Pineiro. Pineiro has a 5.05 ERA and hasn’t won a game since July 8th, well the Marlins fixed that last night, losing 4-2.

Anibal Sanchez did his part for the Marlins, pitching 7 innings giving up 3 runs and striking out 8. The rest of his team just let him down. Several times the Marlins had opportunities to score and squandered them. In the 6th Wes Helms missed the sign for a hit and run and Dan Uggla was caught stealing, though replays later showed the call to be incorrect. In the 9th Uggla led off with a walk, but was again caught stealing, this time as a result of a lapse in mental focus. Uggla thought he saw the sign to steal, when in fact he hadn’t been given that sign. Even worse, in the 8th inning, trailing 3-2, the Marlins really did themselves in. Hanley Ramirez led off with a single, took 2nd base when OF Rick Ankiel mis-played the ball, and took 3rd when Ankiel’s throw to 2nd was way off. But with Ramirez on 3rd and no outs, Jeremy Hermida grounded out to short, Josh Willingham struck out looking, and Mike Jacobs flew out to left.

The only ray of hope from this game, all its mental errors and poor performances aside, is that things are still as they were on Sunday in the NL East. The New York Mets’ bullpen had a meltdown against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, losing 7-5, and the Philadelphia Phillies comeback attempt fell short as they lost 8-6 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Marlins didn’t lose ground in the NL East, they lost the opportunity to leap frog the Mets and move into second, in addition to falling 6 games off the pace in the NL Wild Card.

Things don’t get easier as the Cardinals send 13 game winner Kyle Lohse to the mound tonight, but the Marlins are talented youngsters who can get the job done. They just need to regain their mental edge and not lose sight of that sweet playoff berth.

It seems like this statement is made at the start of each week, but it is no less true than it was last week, the Marlins face another crucial slate of games the next 12 days to keep themselves in the playoff race. It would not be an understatement to say the Marlins playoff fate will be decided in the next week and a half.

After a brutal road trip to Philadelphia to face the NL East leading Phillies, the Marlins then had three games against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The Fish return home today, now in 3rd place in the division, and face the St. Louis Cardinals for four games, followed by three games against the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs, and begin next week on the road against the pesky San Fransisco Giants. Each and every game will be critical in keeping the Marlins on pace with the Mets and Phillies for the NL East title, and also to bolster their position in the NL Wild Card race, where they sit 5 games off the pace.

The Mets and Phillies meanwhile face less than stellar opposition in the next 12 days. The Mets have five games against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, three against the even worse Washington Nationals, and three against the sinking Atlanta Braves. The Phillies start a long road trip with four games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, three against the San Diego Padres, and three against the Washington Nationals.

The Marlins by far have the hardest schedule of the three teams and will a tougher time staying in the playoff chase than the teams they are chasing. Now more than ever it is imperative that the team is ready to play every time they step on the field, the pitchers have to be on their game, fielding has to be sharp, and the bats, well the bats need to stay hungry!

I think it is safe to say, the Marlins desperately needed to win Sunday to avoid falling too far off the pace in the NL East. Enter Josh Johnson. The 6′7″ 230 pounder took to the mound and made sure that didn’t happen. Johnson looked dominant again, going 7 innings, allowing 2 runs while scattering 5 hits and striking out 5. Johnson improved to 3-0 (the Marlins improved to 6-0 in games he’s started) and lowered his ERA again, down to 3.19.

The Marlins entered the weekend series against the New York Mets 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia for first place. After losing Friday and Saturday, the Marlins had dropped to third place, 1 1/2 games behind the second place Mets. Sunday’s win kept the Marlins within scratching distance of the Mets in second and the Phillies in first place. The Marlins are still in third place, 1/2 game behind the Mets and 2 1/2 games behind the Phillies.

What started as a promising road trip earlier this week, fizzled at the weekend. The Marlins took 2 of 3 from Philadelphia before losing 2 of 3 to New York. The road doesn’t get any easier this coming week as the Marlins return home for a 7 game homestand. Up first are the St. Louis Cardinals for 4 games and then a 3 game weekend series with the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs.

The Marlins don’t have time to rest, they’ll need to perform well in these series to keep themselves in the NL East race. At this point, the Wild Card is not going to be an easy option as the Marlins are 5 games back of the NL Wild Card leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Marlins can do themselves a real favor by dispatching St. Louis this week who is in second place in the Wild Card standings, but that won’t be easy either.

Plain and simple, the Marlins MUST win each series they play in the next month and a half to keep themselves in the thick of things. Their best chance at the playoffs lies in winning their first NL East title ever as that race is much closer than the Wild Card race. Its time for the Marlins show baseball they are for real!

After three seasons with the New York Mets, and a half season with the Washington Nationals, Paul Lo Duca returned to the Florida Marlins on Friday. The 36 year old catcher, who was cut by the Nationals after the trade deadline, signed a minor league contract with the Marlins and was to report to AAA Albuquerque.

Lo Duca was traded to the Florida Marlins in 2004 from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who in return received Brad Penny. Lo Duca played 2 seasons in Florida before being traded to the New York Mets after the 2005 season. Lo Duca adds depth, a big question mark for the Marlins, and brings with him a .286 career batting average.

Lo Duca however is 36 years old and is not exactly in his prime any longer. Lo Duca signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Nationals this season, only to miss 52 games with two separate hand injuries. Lo Duca bruised his right hand and then later broke his right hand. He eventually lost his starting job with the Nationals after batting .230 with 0 hrs and 12 RBIs this season and was cut.

While Lo Duca does add depth and bring experience behind the plate, he is not likely to play any vital role in the Marlins playoff push. In the end, the Marlins still haven’t adequately addressed their needs at the catching position. Lets keep our fingers crossed that Matt Treanor can play well through his injury and make it to the off season in one piece.

It wasn’t a sweep, but the Marlins did what they needed to do to keep the NL East race tight and keep themselves in contention for a playoff spot. In front of 45,521 Phillies fans, the largest crowd of the season at Citizens Bank Park, the Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday night 3-0. In doing so, the took 2 of 3 games in the series and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Phillies for first place in the East.

21 year old Chris Volstad pitched 6 dominating innings, allowing only three hits and none until the 5th inning, while striking out three in just his 5th career start. Volstad combined with the bullpen to allow just four hits all game and shut out the Phillies for the 3-0 win. The New York Mets meanwhile took 2 of 3 games from San Diego to remain in third place, just a 1/2 game behind Florida.

The Marlins came into the series in Philadelphia ranked third in Major League Baseball with 155 homers as a team. The long ball is hard to be consistent with, and the Marlins can’t win forever just knocking the ball out of the park. So it was a good sign that the Marlins scored 11 runs in the three game series, all manufactured by knocking the ball around inside the park. If they continue this trend going forward, they will be much more difficult to keep out of the playoffs and to beat once they make it to the post season.

The Marlins will take on the Mets in a three game series this weekend in New York. Ricky Nolasco gets the nod Friday night, with Scott Olsen on Saturday, and Josh Johnson on Sunday. This provides the Marlins an excellent opportunity to keep the pressure on the Phillies by winning, and in so doing pushing the Mets farther off the pace.