THOMAS JOSEPH

The draft is critical to the Bendix strategy, with solid picks and no complete whiffs in the top rounds over the next few years. As a player, I would be quite pleased to be drafted by the Marlins. Opportunities galore, especially the possibility of quick advancement.

Optimism is not dead (yet) - Marlins win the series 2 games to 1. The MVP is the returning Jake Burger. Thanks.

I stand by my "X" posts calling for the Marlins pitchers to get mean and stop being doormats. When teams whoop it up during games, there is a deep disrespect because they come in expecting to cruise to a series win. Pitchers need not be Drysdale, Gibson, or Martinez to help cure this. Not only does pitcher aggressiveness put batters on their heels in the box, but it also enhances confidence in the hurler's teammates. Of course, the lackadaisical attitude must be placed squarely at the feet of Marlins on-field leadership - yes - Schumaker and Stottlemyre. Marlins' pitchers are timid, just waiting for the beatdown. Turn that around a little bit by emulating the historic bulldogs of the mound. What, we might lose or something?

It's important for baseball that the Doggers do not win the Championship, vindicating their plan to simply overwhelm every other team through FA spending. Following their usual path, they can be the regular season doyens all they want, just as long as they fall in the playoffs. This is required since the owners aren't going to do anything to address what Forbes magazine says are untenable systemic inequities.

Thank you for the updated rankings and information. As with you, I suspect there will be plenty of updates needed over the next few months.

Thanks for bringing us the Game Notes.

It is frustrating to watch Cabrera nibble, nibble, nibble for some reason. Even when he was ahead in the account, there was no bulldog in him. He simply struggles to put hitters away. The high pitch counts bring even otherwise adequate starts to early ends. I have questions. How is Stottlemyre addressing the mental aspect of Cabrera's game? Why does he pitch so tentatively to hitters with the stuff he usually has? I watched Randy Johnson mature after he left the Expos in the Langston trade. While comparing Cabrera to a Hall of Famer like the Unit is ridiculous, there is ample evidence that pitchers with the physical tools mature later. Last question, then, is, will the Marlins continue to wait? I figure they will not.

There is certainly disagreement over timing and return, however, the process truly is the only path of competitiveness for the Marlins. Along with solid scouting, drafting, and coaching, an organizational culture must be established now. Taking our medicine stinks but would not be so bad except for the team's history. Many are jaded and that is understandable. I figure fans will see incremental improvement with exciting young players over the next few years - an experience not unlike the recent Reds, Pirates, and Orioles have achieved. Hopefully.

Dodgers win the series two games to one. MVP is Wil Smith.

Even if the Marlins family road trip is arduous and we're going proverbially kicking and screaming, we're on the Bendix highway. As always, we can leave, threaten to leave, and vent, but the team has decided. Moreover, we are not in on the decisions any more than we ever were. Over the years, teams have surveyed me and other season ticket holders about certain issues. Often, the released results show the team wanted to measure the resistance to something. It wasn't a referendum. The Reds moved Spring Training to Arizona, despite effectively eliminating fans who used to drive to Plant City/Tampa from Cincinnati the team's regional support area. The Bengals added seat licenses to the tab when the new stadium opened. Starting times of games. But never has any team asked about on-field baseball issues and they never will. That's understandable.

I read your passion and, certainly, the questions you ask are germane to the situation. Still, fans will never be privy to the inner workings of teams, financial information, or even the true expectations. Never is a difficult word to stand on, yet the teams know the fans follow them, even with ups and downs, without inclusion in the internal decisions. Moreover, it is to the team's benefit to play most things close to the vest. Perhaps the most painless way to overcome the systemic and increasing inequalities in baseball (as described by Forbes magazine) is to expand the playoffs again, granting more teams the chance to "just get in." This eases fan hopelessness and mitigates the huge financial gap between the top teams and the rest of the league. While the current playoff format dilutes the regular season compared to the old days of only division winners being included, adding more teams makes the 162-game season akin to the NBA and NHL where more teams make it than miss. Figure on that to happen in the next decade, since the owners don't want a salary cap. In the Marlins situation, the league cannot and will not allow the team to fail with huge expansion money on the line. I figure greater CBT sharing is also on the way. Information, though, is not forthcoming.

Nice way to salvage the series on Sunday. I hear Burger is back for the Dodger series, as well.

Look forward to hearing your full evaluation of the new Marlins. These deals take years to discern, but for most fans like me, the initial lowdown must come from a reliable, reasonable source. I see Padre fans asserting that it was a steal of Arraez already. All in all, it was strictly timing and venue issues for an Arraez trade.

Weathers' six innings surprised and delighted me after the 28-pitch first inning. Well done and more like it. One crushed pitch made the difference, although the Marlins cringingly failed in situational hitting, which continues unabated. DLC's double play with the runner on third and one out set the all-too-familiar tone for the game. Still, we applaud Weathers' work, Luzardo is close to returning (although he might not pitch again for the Marlins, one thinks), and the Arraez move might settle the Burger return roster issue.

I appreciate that Skip acknowledged the normal human reactions to the trade while balancing the professionalism required of the Marlins.

Going with the Marlins to take 2 of three. DLC takes the series MVP.

I'm all in with the upside for Cabrera. Don't trade him, please, and continue to work toward his maturation as a pitcher to combine with his talents. That is supposed to be a Marlins and Stottlemyre specialty, so let's see to it. To this end, Stottlemyre must reiterate how devastating a give-back run is, especially one created by a leadoff walk. Once the Marlins had the lead, the next half-inning sets the tone for the rest of the game. I also cringed at the leadoff walk - it wasn't situational nor was the hitter particularly troublesome. It was simply the old bugaboo that seemed so incongruent with fundamentals. Again. I pitched only through college, but I know how disproportionally a give-back inning applies to the big leagues and a pitcher with Cabrera's stuff shouldn't be nibbling endlessly. I want to forget these types of things after a Marlins win, mostly, and especially, if it's not repeated constantly. Even though it was the Rockies, the start to May is encouraging.

We need a strong few months of production, especially with his limited positional situation, for Bell is important for the Marlins to move him and the $8m at the deadline. It's a long shot now that this will happen, and we know the Marlins won't eat the money. He knows the deal and that he won't be back in Miami next year anyway.

I'm glad I watch every game - not permanently discouraged by April's performances/record. I know there's no postseason this year, but there's no reason to think there will be no progress in the long-term plan. The progress may be quite slow and incremental for fans' tastes, but let's not think this is an entirely wasted season. After the Expos' immediate post-expansion years (1969-1972), which were horrendous, some glimmers appeared in 1973 with Steve Rogers and Gary Carter. The franchise was low-income and fought throughout its tenure with scouting/development (from scratch), finding the proverbial diamonds in the rough, and lots of moves/trades. The Expos developed six HOFers in their 36 seasons - one every six years. Amazing! Perennial competitiveness can be done with the right scouring, coaching, and front-office talent.

I don't care who the Marlins played - two in a row feels so good. No "yeah, buts" from me. Taking the win and smiling watching the young guys taking advantage of their opportunities. We have a couple of months, probably, before the bigger moves start, but I would like to see more position players up - Johnston, Mesa, Jr., Banfield.

Some thoughts on the game last night. Exhilarating, that is, as exhilarating as one can be given the records of the two teams. But who cares? It was fun baseball, the kind that restores some hope, just at the end of a terrible month when such rejuvenation is most welcome. Brujan and Myers are hot - nothing like streaks - ride those horses while we can! The DLC play at the plate is a turnaround play? Not leading to anything too crazy, one suspects, but at least some respectability. Lastly, I feel for Feltner. In the near past, this guy would have been given the chance to close out the game. Frankly, in his position (Feltner was five pitches from his season high, as I understand it) and for the Rockies in their seasonal position, he deserved the chance. For me, these situations always point to my favorite player ever, Steve Rogers. The Expos ace started 393 games in his career and had 129 CGs! That is a bulldog. Moreover, he played his entire career with the Expos. I certainly realize it's a different era, and maybe it's even better objectively, but I don't think so.

I suppose it is ok to be happy Chisholm was ejected - and not only because of the outcome here. Surely, Myers will have more playing time, as well he should. I listened to the X after-game show and wondered about some of Skip's moves myself. After all, if Schumaker gets high marks for last year's "success," doesn't he also have some level of responsibility for the team's non-physical issues this year? I do not subscribe to some level of strategic losing as a way to highlight the front office's moves or lack of moves. Managers have the single mission (for most of us) of winning, something that would be nearly miraculous after this start. Should he do so, or even significantly mitigate the poor start by the end of the season, his stock (i.e., career prospects) also significantly rise. Schumaker may pass small, between-the-lines slaps at Bendix and Sherman, but that's it. Accordingly, it is perfectly reasonable to question on-field actions.

Look, blowing a seven-run lead is rare, but losing the game, to boot, truly hurts. Remember the 20th win in a row for the Oakland A's as depicted in "Moneyball?" The Royals stormed back from a huge deficit. Of course, Hatteberg's home run walks it off, and all is well - the win and the streak are saved. The Marlins loss to the Nationals on Sunday had no such happy ending. The team now owns the worst record in baseball. Peter Bendix is swimming against a tide of fan despair and anger. We fans cannot see the entire picture - finances, internal discussions, expectations, and anticipated timelines are all unavailable. While I suspect the brain trust is honestly surprised at this level of ineptitude, they certainly WANT to win and draw fine crowds. Wags counter that these two obvious things are pollyannish or delusional. OK, fair enough. Win with these players? Ask people to attend games to see such a poor team, at an inconvenient ballpark, on top of past spurious situations? However, we must take a step back. For our mental health and because, well, it's only baseball and not life and death. I read several posts on "X" that call the year a total loss. Even if that is so, the season is qualified to be the often-rough start to important, systemic changes. It's a purge of our baseball system. We know the scouting and developmental foundation of the franchise must be amended. Low-income franchises must excel in this area to attain long-term competitiveness. We can look to the Orioles and Astros for comfort (or my oft-referenced Montreal Expos developmental prowess, starting from dead scratch as an expansion team in 1969). We simply must acknowledge those teams' agonizing seasons as a component - medicine, so to speak - that has led to amazing success (Astros) and a current robust, young, exciting team (Orioles). Yet, it is important to realize those teams did/do not face the challenges the Marlins have when it comes to payroll limitations. Bendix is fighting a two-front war without the support of the civilian population (sorry for the martial metaphor). Perhaps (continuing with the metaphor), he will be our George Washington - losing many battles, but staying true to the disciplined plan, gaining strength, and prevailing. If history, much less baseball history, reveals anything, it is that "hopeless" situations turn around and groups rise again. The Dodgers could spend their $3 billion in the next five years (to go along with the billions already spent in the Roberts era) and have only the pathetic 2020 fishbowl "championship" to show for it. Nothing is guaranteed. Atlanta won only one World Series in their dominating decade of the 1990s. David Samson is right (cringe) when he states that he would rather have two championships in thirty years and stink for the other twenty-eight years than be "competitive" throughout and win nothing. No fan is truly happy being "competitive," or winning regular season games. Ask the Dodger fans if they would trade their great regular seasons. No one cares. Similarly, like Sunday's game, it hurts a lot more to lose that one than a 10-2 drubbing ever will. Yes, I realize the new playoff system is the impetus for a "just get in" mentality. That is smart and realistic - sorry. It will be the ticket for the Marlins again, as well. So, while we are rightly frustrated, embarrassed, and ticked off, let's give Bendix a chance. When the team wins number three, it will be incredibly sweet. Wouldn't it be fantastic if the Marlins won number three before the Dodgers, Braves, or Yankees won it all again? Oops!

Our guys are not bulldogs. I only played into college, never reached the lofty heights. Still, pitching is pitching, and the coaching I received is ever pertinent. With a big lead, pitch to contact - no free passes (including HBPs). Take your outs and move the game along. Brujan's error epitomizes the team because it was entirely avoidable, the product of a lackadaisical approach, forced Weathers to throw more pitches, and brings into question Skip's positioning. I have to agree that the positioning was odd. Most of all, our pitchers have to get mean, for themselves and for the team. Demand respect. No matter what the final record, make teams work when they play the Marlins.

Good to hear some positive news, especially regarding catching. The three guys you mentioned in the article certainly must see the current positional production (lack of production) in Miami as fantastic opportunities for them.