THOMAS JOSEPH

Broadly, I agree Bendix and Sherman have responsibility. Of course. Still, players play and must be responsible for their lack of ability or failure to execute. Mental errors, lack of situational hitting, nibbling/timid pitchers, and strategic in-game decisions cannot be divorced from the manager and coaching staff. Has Skip checked out? No, I figure he has the usual incentive for his next gig. He and his staff are not immune from criticism, though, and cannot hang their collective caps on last season's unicorn results, IMO.

It's frustrating, but it is important to consider how hot the Phillies are right now. On the other side, that doesn't seem to matter with the Marlins this year. Teams are confident playing the Marlins, and Marlins pitchers are seemingly waiting for their beating, it often seems. I'd like to see the Marlins' pitchers get mean, which is the perfect segue to Rogers' dugout remonstration. I loved it.

I heard Samson say he would let Skip go now since there is no point in a lame-duck manager. Although wags say that the Marlins don't want to pay another guy for this year, I figure it is mainly buying time and avoiding another PR hit. More of those are coming anyway, though. Schumaker benefits from any silver linings he can create and won't be held to account for the final result as he looks for his next position. Still, the F.O. has been working on a replacement since the obligatory offseason "philosophical" split, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a change late in the year when everyone has no more rage to vent.

With the season unraveling early, one of the things we can be hyper-focused on is individual player progress. I truly do not understand why the Marlins shouldn't use this obvious no-pressure go-around to get some meaningful ABs in for guys like Edwards, Conine, Johnston, Myers, Mesa, Jr., Banfield, and others. Why not? Anderson is here for a few more months, Garcia is already a sunk cost, Rivera/Lopez/Bethancourt are expendable journeymen. Let's see what happens after the deadline and/or the next round of trades, which will likely open spots at the top club. I watched the first Wahoos game to see the new guys, which didn't disappoint.

Good read here and we certainly need Balkovec to succeed as an integral part of the new team. I hope she kills it and obtains solid rewards for doing so. I like the "blank slate" and fresh ideas environment she mentions. I'm fine with the "have fun and relax" cultural milieu, but that better be watermarked, not at the forefront. These are professionals with the highest casualty rate, necessitating competency, work ethic, coachability, and, frankly, overachievement if one wants to stay in the mix for long. The "everyone is told" admonition from "Moneyball" is as ruthless as it is ineluctable. So, the unconventional blank slate appeals to me, but it must be juxtaposed with the reality of MLB. Bendix, Balkovec, et al., deserve a fair chance, realizing that they are starting in a hole, but they will own the results, make no mistake about that. So, I am all in with the new regime because that wager has already been placed.

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.