Stanley J Makowski

I'm not disappointed. Yes, he read all of the commercials well which seemed to be his primary job. Hecould often go off topic and be carrying on about something when there was meaningful action on the field. I have no idea if he has any responsibility for the preponderance of those inane player interviews during play. They almost never have any meaningful content and are a distraction in my opinion. Is Rich Waltz available? I'd rather have him then any mid-level free agent. Off topic, but look at DNC's record with Pittsburgh and compare that with the type of player this team could get with our esteemed owner's plentiful spending history. And he was moved for good reason. I expressed my opinion recently in the comments section about how the team will fare in Home Depot Park if you want to see the ravings of an angry old man.

This is a good time to add this old fool's thoughts to the above theme. I must commence by differing with nearly everything that is presented. Let's start with a few facts as I see them: 1) The park is huge which is detrimental to power in general. 2) As stated above, power hitters are more expensive, and this runs contrary to our owner's very being. 3) Also as mentioned above, the park is conducive to seeing increased base hits from singles to triples. 4) Speed here is a definite essential on both offense and defense. 5) If defensive positioning was lacking during this past year, that reflects poorly on the coaching staff. 6) One could make a reasonable argument that several players were playing defensive positions for which they are ill suited. Again, we must look to the coaching staff as well as the manager. Considering all of the above, can added power have a positive effect? Rather this protagonist would advocate a nearly opposite approach: 1) First and foremost, a competent hitting coach is critical. These uppercut swings must be better controlled. The terrible toll that results from "taking" called third strikes must be addressed. The almost universal inability to be able to bunt at all should be addressed next Spring. Many Marlin players can hit adequately with no one on base, but their performance in "scoring" situations is dismal. 2) My goal would be to seek players with good to excellent OBP. 3) There is speed on this team already, but it was generally underutilized. 4) An abundance of speed can disrupt the opposing players and sometimes visibly knock them off of their own game. Would all of my ideas lead to a better winning percentage? Yes, and for one very pertinent reason. THIS TEAM WILL HAVE EXCELLENT PITCHING NEXT YEAR. It would be hoped, and should be expected, that it will take fewer runs to win a game. After all of the above, I damn sure better have some proposals for consideration: 1) Put Edwards where he belongs at 2B. 2 Leave Fortes alone. He is a fine defensive catcher who has an excellent record of putting his bat on the ball. If he can already do that, then we come back to a competent hitting coach. He showed marked improvement during the season's second half, so build on it. Remember how critical the pitching will be, let's not muck that up with some new guy who knows nothing about them. 3) Bride seems to be an asset to the team. However, he hits more like a 3rd baseman than a 1st baseman. So put him there and get Norby far away from that bag where he certainly doesn't belong. 4) Norby has shown enough potential to be a right-hand platoon outfielder. Put him in LF along with either Conine or a player picked up in trade and let him run! But by all means, dump Stowers. 5) I read nothing of substance about little Sanoja, but to my way of thinking, he can be a critical piece to the overall puzzle. The guy has hit (a la our ballpark) wherever he has played, and he can run, run, and run some more. But where to place him? Could he play SS on a ML level, or CF for that matter. Either would make a critical difference. 6) And now for Otto Lopez. Could he play the short field? If not, out he goes to RF to platoon with Sanchez. The shortstop situation is still probably unresolved under my ideas, so this might be the place for a trade. Nonetheless, I think this would be a winning team, even in our division, and with our damn owner spending very much money, which let's face it, he won't do anyway.

And there we have the problem, sticking out like a sore thumb.

What has transpired in the past few weeks is that 3 different respected long term baseball men have turned down the opportunity to work for a ballclub owned by our esteemed owner. There is a great deal of significance regarding this in both the short and long term. Does this situation also apply to potential free agent signings? Will other teams take advantage of this situation in future dealing with our GM who was specifically hired to follow this owner's biddings? Will the eventual manager who is chosen be of a second-rate nature? Of the most important consideration in this situation is the possibility, remote as it may seem, that these circumstances force this bastard to sell the team?

There is a fundamental problem and it is obvious. I am 88 years old and the distance between the mound and home plate of 60'6" was established 50 years BEFORE I WAS BORN! How tall was the average ML pitcher back in 1886? Perhaps 6 feet on a guess. And how much taller are they now? Maybe about 6' 4" on another guess. That 3-4 inch gap is produced by a much more highly trained athlete who receives superior nourishment, vitamins, and the like. Then how much faster does he throw the ball? And what has that done to the reaction time for the hitter? What we have now are somewhat faster pitches (on average) going a fractionally shorter distance. As a result, bats of necessity have become much lighter and less bulky. No one need mention strikeouts and their proliferation. This has led to fewer balls in play, less action on the field, and batters almost none of whom can do any better than flail away. The game has largely lost the hit and run and any other form of situational hitting. There is now a love affair with power and the HR. A feat which actually stops action and leads to a ridiculous ceremonial trot of dubious merit. Lowering the mound some years ago proved extremely beneficial for the good of the game. Now simply moving the pitching rubber back 4-5 inches, though far less profound and immediate, should at least help a hopeless situation. One thought on the pitcher's injuries. They can't get any worse and that ball is in some way moving during its final flight.

Agreed! Have a "strange" feeling about Meyer and the way that he was handled this year. The Marlins are covering something up. Did he have a drug addiction, or "enhancement drugs" affliction? Haven't posted for a while but liked each and every trade. Love this kid Edwards. Much more valuable player than Arraez by the look of things. Think I read somewhere that if plays in nearly all of remaining games, would be eligible for batting title. This old man hopes so.

We traded a fine player in Arraez. Edwards is giving every indication that he is a better one. Not only has his hitting been fine in all areas during his development, but he is also a fine defensive player, and can and has shown that he can run like the wind! Right now, he has the best OBP of anyone in the ML when considering his number of ABs. I have no trouble with Bendix' trades to date and would love to hear other opinions. We can already say, "Wait till next year". Our pitching should be a revelation. I hope Bell goes to a contender. I still want to repeat my long-held opinion that the pitching rubber must be moved back 3-5 inches. The 60 ft 6 inch criteria was established in 1886. How tall was the average pitcher then? How long was his stride? How long was his arm for that matter. Wouldn't most of you agree that the current distance in more like 55 feet or so and it leads to too many wiffs, and therefore inaction. Fix it over time if necessary so that adjustments by the pitchers themselves can be made.

So much to say and so little enthusiasm to even make the attempt. My youth was spent rooting for the old Brooklyn Dodgers, followed then by the NY Mets. Now as my waning years decline, the Marlins have been my team of choice. So, I have experienced exultation as well as despondency following this wonderful game. But now, as my waning years decline, the Marlins have been my team of choice. Do I have opinions? Oh yes! But today I would like to present just one, as unpopular decisions seem to be the theme of choice. I do not think that the Marlins need an upgrade at catcher. Heresy? Perhaps. In this ancient's opinion, pitching is the primary route to happiness. The Marlins have a preponderance of good, and relatively young pitchers, although some of significance are unavailable until next year. But then, Bendix can have his fill of trading for batting help and from a position of strength rather than haplessness. And whom do these youngish pitchers prefer to have at their receiving end? Yup. Fortes. He is great from a defensive standpoint, is close to their generation, can relate to nearly all. And then we come to the fine art of hitting. No, he will never be an assent here, but the guy has a good level swing. His primary weakness is pitch selection. Can this skill be taught? I can remember Branch Ricky making Duke Snider and I believe Gil Hodges stand in the batter's box during Spring Training solely to call the pitches presented, they were not there to swing at all. It seemed to work pretty well in their regard, Pitching is this team's forte, and Fortes is, in my opinion, a large plus in that factor. Keep the guy, Consider what's out there. Some behemoth who can hit 15 HRs and bat a "solid" .240 would be no improvement and probably a detriment. Now you can all tell me how full of a certain effluent that I am.

Of course he isn't upset. Their present journey into ineptitude is a perfect excuse for moving along his road to miserly rebuilding.

A move that makes sense. Good! Staff, why aren't we seeing games so often. Is the problem within our ownership? Almost no positive publicity all Winter and now this. It's starting to be obvious that Aarez will not be offered a long-term contract and probably ditto for Luzardo. Was Bendix hired to save money and build a nucleus, or just to save money? We can hope and expect the former, but an awful lot is starting to suggest the latter. Another point of contention for me is the advertising. To interrupt the course of an inning with commercials while batters are actually at bat is my opinion of heresy, even if the appellation doesn't fit. How can children become interested in a baseball game while at least half of it has nothing to do with the game itself. Lastly, I have nothing against the multitudes of players from other countries, many who left abject poverty, but it does pose the appearance that baseball is no longer an American pastime. And now the possibility of two additional teams? In my youth I could recite who won the pennant every year from 1903 until expansion. Now some guy wins a batting title, or an MVP and I never heard him. And even at my age, I am still an avid fan. But the next commissioner will certainly have his work cut out for him in my opinion.

Completely agree, Chad, especially about Jeter. A disaster during his stay. Tried to make himself look good with immediate gains that simply didn't work out. Ng would have worked out in my opinion, as will this new regime. I do find fault in their lack of producing any positive news for the fan base for month upon month this off season. Rather than seek another Soler clone, I would like to see Edwards at 2B, Arraez at 1B and Bell at DH. Then emphasize speed with much running to make up for the power deficit. I'll take my chances with this pitching staff for this is a team that wins with pitching rather than "power". As for Bleday, I got the impression that he thought that his sh.t didn't stink.

There was an article featuring the 15 best pitchers as of now. THREE OF THEM WERE EX MARINS and that didn't include Evaldi either. Sanchex has tremendous upside. They simply must keep him...but they probably won't. Rather we will see one or two awful months of Garcia. The shame of it!

NO!!!!

Ely, I think it would be more realistic if you polled both short term and long term. My two votes in that case would not be identical, that's for sure. Long term, I'd vote a 2. Short term a 5 at best. If Bender is back to his former level, I'd go 1 step higher in the short term, but Perez and Garrett are major concerns at this point in time. If their injuries are in any way serious, here comes fifth place.

I would agree with your assessments with one possible exception. If Meyer is being sent down for a week or two, fine. But in my opinion, he should be on the ML roster ASAP. Possibly in a relief role. This team sorely needs more RH relief pitchers. Right now, I'm more worried about Perez and Garrett and their "soreness".

We fans should do just the opposite. Not only that, but we should all send a message to the commissioner. Better yet, someone should organize us into group what would have some clout. I still like the idea of all of us ignored fans sending our esteemed owner a penny in the mail. This team actually had a chance to stay in the playoffs for another year. Not now. Rather the team, through Bendix, is seeking to rebuild the farm system. Translation of that...spending much less on young kids. If one discounts the signing of more front office personnel, a fact that would be lost on the casual fans, there hasn't been any favorable publicity since the season ended. The situation has become so bad, that it would be laughable if it weren't such a concern to us that care. The selfish nerve of this owner is beyond comprehension. Let him perform a bodily function in his hat!

An excellent move and I'm all for it. The guy was injured last year. Hitting at #2 with Arraez on base nearly half the time should help both him and the team. And not a pitcher was moved, another plus.

If the Marlins acquire one of the SS mentioned, how much will it add to extra wins. Let's assume for the sake of this post that it adds 40 RBIs to the team. I'm assuming that the team got about a combined 40 in 2023. That would be about an average of one and a fraction per week. Compare how that would lead to runs when contrasted with any wins lost through the trade of one of our starters. In sum, the team would be foolish to trade pitching at this time which is the team's strength and the reason why they made the post season last year. While writing this, I was listening to a pod that discussed trading Cabrera because of his excessive walks. No one mentioned how few hits he gives up at the same time. I think he has overwhelming "stuff", probably best on the staff. Before any of us speculate on immediate and longer-term solutions, MONEY must be part of the major considerations, especially regarding any long-term commitments. This FO has shown absolutely no inclination to spend funds toward any immediate improvement.

We finally got a player who can hit his weight. Then again, he doesn't weigh that much. I've been very critical of every FO move this off season. Primarily because publicity is so important regarding public opinion. Millions are spent to influence political opinion, yet this FO has done absolutely nothing to add team interest to the average fan. In fact, the opposite effect seems to be happening. I'm going to call out two major "IFs" that could greatly influence this year's performance and just might be within the club's plans. !) IF our young infielder, Edwards, has improved his arm strength to the extent that he could be our regular short fielder, it would be a tremendous boon to seeing more men on the basepaths, especially men with speed. Seeing him lead off in front of Arraex would be a huge improvement over the top of our order last year. Our new manager did a marvelous job last year, especially with team morale. However, he did not utilize the speed of his essentially young team. I hope that will change. I also think that hitting Soler second was a horrible mistake. A player with that many HRs should have had more than 75 RBIs, or only 6 more than our leadoff hitter. 2) IF the FO has not acquired a substantial RH relief pitcher because they are counting on Meyer to fill that role, then these nobodies that have been recently featured are of little relevance. I am going to commit heresy here and say that in my opinion, relief pitchers are more important to this team than the starters. I think that fantastic winning percentage in one run wins proves my point. Should these two daydreams come to fruition, this team will compete on a much higher level than by procuring some middle of the road power hitter with his multiple Ks tagging along. Lastly, dumping Burdick was addition by subtraction.

Marlins sign free agent lefty Kent Emanuel Could anything be more thrilling? Perhaps signing yet another FO agent fills the bill. But being told that Marlin's Park set an attendance is really the clincher. All great news to warm our expectant hearts. Note: none of the new FO personnel play shortstop. Where in hell is this team going? We have relatively young players in DLC and Sanchez with excellent potential but who need work in Spring Training to refine their development. How will that happen while an entire coterie of nobodies is clogging up the hours that should be devoted to players who could actually make a difference this year? Let's review some significant unhappening events for this offseason: 1) The best pure hitter in baseball was not even offered an extended contract. Pretty obvious that he will not be on the team much longer. 2) The team nickels and dimes one of their best players in arbitration, then signs another nobody for cash considerations. I don't blame him for not showing up for fan fest and don't believe the FO explanation. 3) For some reason that belies me, Hampson, a fine utility player with almost unlimited versatility, was not resigned. Yet now they seem to want to sign someone as his replacement. It seemed to me that "things happened" when he was in the lineup. 4) Not one player of substance has been signed this off season. We fans are subjected to a plethora of potential signees, most of whom have already shown that they cannot hit their weight. 5) This team won with pitching last year and this should be able to carry over into this year with the acquisition of 2 quality RH relievers. It hasn't happened at all unless one considers these nonentities as being of quality in any way. 6) Here is my pet peeve. Tim Anderson has a fine pedigree as a hitter, but just had a bad year. So did Sandy but is anyone writing him off? Sign the guy and be done with it. But it should have been accomplished weeks ago for publicity's sake. 7) Pitching is this team's strength, and our FO seems to actually be lessening its impact for one reason or another. Trading a pitcher after Rogers and Meyer prove or disprove their worth would be the time to move a pitcher, hopefully from a position of strength. One personal aside...I would never trade Cabrera. 8) Last but far from least, there has been no inclination at all that this FO will spend even a scintilla of their money for 2024.

A relatively young SS named Ortiz. But that is a pipe dream. In most concerns, I hope you are right. However, I'm just not high on Rogers. But can't deny that it is possible that he could become a very good pitcher again. Mr. Mills, this new GM simply HAS to do something of significance. Even signing these nobodies can have negative connotations. I seriously wonder if this FO could be speculating about being interested in some of these less than desirable players just to demonstrate the futility of managing anything of significance. Then they can proclaim that there was "nothing" out there so they will be forced to go with what they have. That would allow them to save millions. In reality, there has not been a single transaction this off season that would disprove this hypothesis. Can anyone think of any positive publicity that could influence an average Marlin fan to buy a ticket or tickets to the 2024 team? This new FO staff is in all probability unknown to all but those of us who post. There is only the success of last year and that's it.

I'd do it in a flash, but only if Rogers is the one to go. Might sound crazy, but I'd rather have the kid they just got. Then would consider switching to one of other pitchers if necessary. I say this purely because of financial considerations. Don't think there is any way our esteemed owner will spend that kind of bucks when he has much cheaper alternatives.

Some teams get new players. Our team gets new uniforms.