arthur_freyre2023
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Craig Heil reacted to a blog entry:
The Next Step
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By all accounts, the Marlins have done a commendable job replenishing their minor league system. However, to break the cycle of trading away good players, the Marlins are poised to take the next step. This next step is about nurturing and developing the next generation of Marlins, instilling in them the winning mindset and skills. Between 1997 and 2003, when the Marlins won the World Series, this team did not have a winning record. The Marlins have failed to have a winning season. 2003 could have been another fire sale year if not for the team’s success before the trading deadline. Between 2003 and 2011, before the team changed its name from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins, it had four winning seasons. Between 2011 and 2023, the team only had two winning seasons. It was the only time they made the playoffs. Part of the reason for that failure is that the Marlins front office failed to sign a free agent that would serve as a mentor to the younger players after the fire sales. The Marlins front office was unable to set expectations. Management consultant Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The meaning of that saying is that culture trumps any plans that an organization has to implement. Unfortunately, the Marlins culture did not prioritize improving the team. That required an investment. Please note that what I am referring to is not some big-name free agent. This could have been a guy who would give the team depth. His value was passing on his experience and wisdom on how to become a winning ball club. For instance, the Marlins do not have a Udonis Haslem-type player, someone who could pass down how to be a successful player. One could argue that is what a manager is for, but culture is learned from players. If you ask any player from any championship team, they will tell you that the culture learned from their teammates allowed them to win. A culture that called for accountability when a teammate failed, a culture that supported a teammate when they were slumping. A culture that produces a love for each other and motivates them to play for each other, not to wait to be traded to another team. Looking ahead, the front office must act swiftly to secure a mentor figure through free agency. This mentor will be instrumental in teaching the younger players the preparation and mindset required to win. The urgency of this task cannot be overstated-it's about teaching the players not to waste an at-bat, and to understand that urgency comes in the fourth inning, not the ninth. In closing, we saw the impact of good culture in the early 2000s with the Canes, the Heat, and most recently, the Panthers when they won the Stanley Cup. Finding a player or players who can teach this new group of Marlins how to win should be a priority in this upcoming offseason. If ownership finds that mentor, then we can have a team to be proud of and support for years. Failure to find and pay for that mentor will lead to another sale, and history will repeat itself.
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An Open Letter...
arthur_freyre2023 commented on arthur_freyre2023's blog entry in An Open Letter...
Thank you for your response. Here are some additional thoughts: 1. I expect the Marlins not to give us full details. I think Marlins ownership needs to be held accountable by the local media (i.e., 560, the local news stations, and the Herald). When the last fire sale occurred, I do not recall anyone in the media asking hard questions. My recollection was that the local media did not care about the team or its struggles compared to the Heat or the Dolphins. Holding them accountable, the way the media holds the Dolphins or the Heat accountable after a losing or mediocre season is not a bad idea. The organization needs to feel a warm seat. 2. I think the Rays model could succeed in Miami because you need an excellent scouting department and need to draft well. The difference between the Marlins and the Rays is that when the Marlins become consistently successful, you will see an increase in team revenue due to higher attendance. With that increase in team revenue, we could see the Marlins lock up some players long-term and/or get better free agents. 3. The revenue disparity is out of the ownership's control. It is part of the terrain. But let's not forget that the big revenue teams have existed for more than fifty years. Those teams have fan bases that span generations. If anything, Marlins ownership must realize they must develop that fan base. Fire sales no longer cut it. 4. Regarding extra playoff spots, I think two wild card spots are enough. It generated a lot of fan interest and forced teams that would be considered sellers to hold off and become buyers. -
THOMAS JOSEPH reacted to a blog entry:
An Open Letter...
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Ely Sussman reacted to a blog entry:
An Open Letter...
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Dear Miami Marlins Organization, Let’s start with a simple pop quiz about Miami baseball. What is significant about the year 1982 as it relates to Miami baseball? I was waiting to ask this question. You had just swept the Rockies and were heading to Oakland with a chance to start a streak and correct the hole that the team created. There was optimism and belief, but now you have decided that this season is over, and we must start again. I have been a fan since the major league baseball announced that Miami was given an expansion team. I have gone through multiple fire sales as a fan, hoping the last one was the last. But again, it appears history is repeating itself. Since it seems history is repeating itself, here are my questions: What is the vision of the team? Define Marlins culture. Besides the athletic attributes, what other characteristics are you looking for besides “asset value” in a player? Are you looking for players who have grit and determination? Do we have players who lead by example and players who are vocal and will hold other players accountable when the team is mired in mediocrity? Are you looking for players who will teach the younger players how to win? Are those players on the roster right now? Will you trade those players or keep them as part of your plan to rebuild the team? The problem with fire sales is that it creates a culture of losing and mediocrity. There is no player accountability. Why? Because upper management does not care about excellence. I challenge your analytics department to explain why my thesis is wrong and provide me with examples. Please find me a team that is continually in fire sale mode that creates a culture of excellence. If I am right, why do we repeatedly do the same thing? The economics of the game is only a narrow part of analyzing a team. If the economics of the game is all that you value, then Mr. Sherman, please get more investors or sell the team to an ownership group committed to winning. What revenue range should the Marlins need to be competitive in the free-agent market? I am sure that the organization has a number. Please share that range. I ask these questions because we expected this ownership group not to conduct fire sales. Teams go through growing pains, but this is getting ridiculous. Do I expect you to be the New York Yankees? No. The Yankees have history and tradition. But here’s what you have that very few major league baseball teams have-you are sitting on top of a culture of baseball excellence found in South Florida’s high schools and colleges. Put another way, you are a beggar sitting atop a gold mine and do not realize or appreciate it. Now, to answer the question, “What is the significance of 1982 in Miami baseball?” It was the year that the University of Miami won its first College World Series. From the years Ron Fraser coached to now, University of Miami baseball and excellence were synonymous. Besides that, multiple high schools, both private and public, have won state titles or were considered the elite in the state of Florida. If you are unaware of this history, then I suggest that the organization learn it well. If you need names, please let me know. This is the natural history of Miami baseball. Miami is more than a destination spot, the gateway to Latin America, or a spring training tradition. Our true history is in excellence and not being flashes in a pan. So, I look forward to reading your response. Silence is not optional. Sincerely, Arthur M. Freyre
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Interested in submitting your own FanPosts? Leave a comment on this article with your preferred email address and we will set things up! If the Miami Marlins’ run to the playoffs were the surprise story of the season, the front office shakeup after the playoffs would make it a candidate for the surprise story of the offseason. Changes were to be expected. But, like everyone else, I was surprised to read that Marlins GM Kim Ng decided not to renew her contract for one year, declining her side of a 2024 mutual option. Now that there is a vacancy in the front office, the decisions made by Marlins’ ownership must be prudent. Two challenges face the Marlins’ front office. The first challenge is to repeat last year’s success. The Marlins have a talent that can compete for a playoff spot. The new front office people must realize they have inherited a playoff team. This is different than a reset or starting over. Marlins’ ownership needs to build on that fact to increase attendance. The front office must ensure this team can make the playoffs this coming season. Back-to-back playoff runs will signal to the fan base that the Marlins’ organization is committed to winning. The second challenge the incoming front office must face is player development. Coaching can’t be a problem because the Marlins’ AA team-Pensacola and the Marlins A team-Jupiter were in the respective leagues' championship games. Pensacola won the AA championship in 2022. From a team perspective, the players have experience chasing for a playoff spot and being in a playoff series. That experience will come in handy when they are in the major leagues. Part of why I believe that the Marlins are struggling in player development is that they are not taking advantage of the robust baseball culture in South Florida at the high school and college levels. Here are a couple of examples for your consideration. The first example is this past high school baseball season in South Florida. Four South Florida (i.e., Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach area) won state championships in their respective classes this past year. Out of those four schools, two were nationally ranked. The second example is on the collegiate level. At the University of Miami, two of their top players were third baseman Yohandy Morales and C.J. Kayfus. Both players were either First-Team All-ACC or Second-Team All-ACC and play positions of need for the Marlins. Yet, the Marlins bypassed both players. Contrast the Marlins’ decisions in the draft to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays selected three players from South Florida in this year’s draft. Ironically, immediately after the Marlins made their first-round pick, the Los Angeles Angels selected Nolan Schanuel, a first baseman from Florida Atlantic University, a school about an hour away from Marlins Park. It seems every other team appreciates the talent in the area except the hometown team. It does not have to be this way. The Marlins, the Rays, the Dodgers, the Giants, the Rangers, and the Astros have one advantage that most major league baseball teams wish they had: a depth of excellent high schools and college baseball programs in their immediate market area to scout from. We may be a small market team, but our community has rich resources regarding baseball talent. Why are we consistently bypassing good players in this area? The Marlins’ scouting team needs to develop a mindset adopted by former UM football coach Howard Schellenberger. We need to establish a “State of Miami.” Just as coach Schellenberger made an effort to recruit good players from Tampa and south, the Marlins’ scouting staff needs to draw a geographic area that covers both high schools and colleges. Then, make the effort to scout those players. We must prioritize and draft players in the “State of Miami” who may have similar statistics to the other players being scouted nationwide. Our scouts need to argue why we should select a player from outside “the state of Miami” if a player with similar characteristics is playing in our backyard. In closing, the new Marlins front office needs to understand baseball's history in this community. By signing players in free agency that will help this team to make it to the playoffs, it signals to the fans that there is a commitment to winning and excellence. It signals to the fans that there will not be business as usual. By drafting players from the area, whether from high school or college, the front office respects the history and tradition of great baseball at the high school and collegiate levels. Photo by David Santiago/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service -
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Interested in submitting your own FanPosts? Leave a comment on this article with your preferred email address and we will set things up! This Marlins baseball season has been trying for Marlins fans. On the one hand, the team is half a game back from the final wildcard spot. On the other hand, the team has been on a losing streak since the beginning of the second half of this season. Some Marlins fans on Twitter have been screaming that this team is a fraud. Yet, we are missing the bigger picture. My question for Marlins’ fans is this: Would you rather have this team fighting for a playoff spot, or would you instead that this team quit on the season and go through the motions as they did in the past? As much as I am disappointed with this team, I am optimistic. Why? This team is learning some tough lessons. Primarily, how to become a winning ballclub and handle “playoff pressure.” Because the Marlins are in contention for the last playoff spot, every team they have played or will play for the remainder of the season will take them more seriously. Why? Because they are either fighting for a playoff spot or trying to get a better seeding in the playoffs. For the Marlins, the room for error is shrinking if they want to clinch a wild card spot. The primary reason why I am optimistic is that the second half of this team’s schedule is considerably more challenging than the first half. The second half schedule can be broken down into elite, fighting for a division or a wild card, and spoilers. In the case of the teams classified as elite and fighting for a division or a wild card, each series carries the pressure of playoff baseball. Elite teams have an excellent record both at home and on the road. Baltimore, Atlanta, Houston, and Tampa have a minimum of thirty wins at home and on the road. These teams are the elite because of their respective home and road records. Playing these teams is a measuring stick of how far the gap is between us and becoming a consistent playoff team. Besides the elite teams, the Marlins have San Diego, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee on their schedule. These teams are hunting for a division title or the wild card spot. An excellent home or a great road record keeps these teams in contention. In the case of these teams, they all have an excellent home record. Who is hosting the Marlins in this group? All of them. Playing these teams tells us how we measure against teams like us, fighting for a wild card spot. Finally, we have the spoilers. Believe it or not, the Yankees, the Mets, the Pirates, and the Nationals may be the “easier” games. However, I do not expect these games to be easy because they could play spoiler to the Marlins playoff chances if they are still in contention. Given these facts regarding the schedule, does this mean we will excuse their performance this second half of the season? No. The losing streak, including a sweep by the Cardinals and the loss of the home series to the Rockies-two teams that they should have beaten, indicates that the old habits of this team in past seasons are emerging. There needs to be a sense of urgency and confidence. The benefit of this second-half schedule is that this type of schedule teaches the importance of being focused one game at a time and developing confidence because you have been through difficult times. Having a sense of urgency, being focused, and developing confidence helped the Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers in their playoff runs. It is what made them resilient. I am concerned that this team is not learning these lessons. Instead, they are treating the second half of the season like every second half of the season: "There is nothing to play for; let’s get this season over." If my assessment is correct, this is a shame, and changes need to be made next season. Besides how the team responds to this pressure, the front office has a good measuring stick for assessing the team's needs for the next season. The additions of Bell and Burger are great. But, if the Marlins want to be considered a playoff-contending team, we need to make some changes, whether we clinch the wild card or not. Any trades or free agent signings that the Marlins make need to focus on more than the statistics. We need players who can teach this team how to handle the playoff pressure and play with a sense of urgency. As disappointing as this second half has been, I would rather see how this team handles the pressure of facing quality playoff teams and treating each series like a playoff series. If the team learns how to handle this playoff pressure and clinch a wild card spot, then this team has taken the next step of becoming a good baseball team. However, if this team learns to play under this pressure, the front office can make some changes this coming offseason. Changes in which the team can learn and handle the stress of being a playoff team. Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins -
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