Boone Out 2-3 weeks

By JOE CAPOZZI

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

MIAMI GARDENS — First baseman Aaron Boone hobbled into the Marlins' clubhouse on crutches Tuesday a happy man.

Boone, who left Sunday's game after tweaking his left knee in the fourth inning, will be out two to three weeks with a sprained metacarpal ligament.

"Considering what it could have been, I'm actually pretty excited about all that it is,'' said Boone, who feared he might have torn a ligament in his knee.

"I felt like I was on trial for murder and the jury came back with not guilty.''

On Sunday, Boone went to cover the first-base bag before realizing the ball got through. He changed direction to prepare for the cutoff throw and felt some discomfort.

After Sunday's game, he said he expected to play Tuesday. But he said it stiffened up Sunday night. When he woke up Monday morning in pain, he underwent an MRI exam that showed the low-grade sprain.

Boone (.286, five home runs, 28 RBI) had been platooning with Mike Jacobs. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Jacobs now will get the majority of starts, even against left-handers. If there's a particularly tough left-hander, Gonzalez said he might opt to start Jason Wood.

Boone will be on crutches for two to three days and then begin rehab work by the end of the week.

He hopes to return by or right after the All-Star break. Boone said his injury is not related to two surgeries he had on the same knee in 2004. He missed that entire season after hurting the knee in a pickup basketball game. He required surgery to repair torn ligaments and had a second procedure six months later to remove loose cartilage.

Palm Beach Post

Nolesmarlins' Power Rankings

It's been awhile...


1. LA Angels: The halos take over the top spot because of an incredible June. Unfortunately for them, one of the reasons for their ascent to the zenith of the major leagues, Casey Kotchman, is on the bench with a concussion. This team would leapfrog the Red Sox for good if they can acquire another bat, preferably one that replaces Chone Figgins. Miguel Tejada shifting to third would be an exceptional acquisition.


2. San Diego: Never mind the sweep by the Mariners last week, they expended a lot of energy in their own sweep of the hated Dodgers right before and the Mariners aren't half bad. This may be the best Padres team ever... no doubt about the pitching.


3. Boston: Don't worry, even though the Yanks swept them they are in absolutely no danger of losing the division.


4. Cleveland: Grady Sizemore is one special player and all, and that Fausto Carmona kid has some electric stuff, but this team just is missing something. If they add either an impact bat or an ace (especially both) they might be able to take that last step to the series.


5. Detroit: Verlander is just amazing. If he goes on an extended hot streak his pitching and Magglio's MVP-worthy bat stand a good chance to leapfrog the Indians for the AL Central.


6. NY Mets: They are much better than their recent play, trust me. That being said, this team looks old and overpaid. Right now the Mets would have no chance in a playoff series against the Padres.


7. Milwaukee: Not too many people give this team much respect despite how much of a lead they have in the NL Central. I think that's a mistake... this is one talented young team with a very solid lineup, rotation, and bullpen.


8. Oakland: The best pitching staff nobody has ever heard of. They certainly still have a chance for the wild card, especially if Cleveland hits a rough patch.


9. Arizona: Losing Randy Johnson for a few starts doesn't help. The Dbacks probably won't be able to overtake the Padres for the division no matter how slim the lead happens to be now but they definitely have the talent to hold off the Braves and the Dodgers for the wild card. Their chances will dramatically improve if Carlos Quentin ever comes around and Johnson makes a quick return.


10. Seattle: They looked very impressive in their sweep of the Padres, unfortunately they have lost a few in a row recently. The M's can't really afford to do that again, but their recent success and the fact that they are very much in the race for the wild card ensures that Ichiro stays with this team for the rest of the year. They cannot afford to lose him to free agency.


11. LA Dodgers: Great pitching, but the Dodgers need an impact bat more than any team in baseball.


12. NY Yankees: Yeah yeah yeah, nine in a row, we all saw it. Too little too late...


13. Atlanta: They are VERY lucky that the Mets have also gone cold. Their season could have been completely over, but instead they still have an outside shot at a playoff spot.


14. Colorado: Matt Holiday is the most underrated player in the game, followed by Garrett Atkins. If they find a way to develop some young pitching that can handle the high altitude this team might actually compete for once.


15. Philly: BIG gap between #14 Colorado and #15 Philadelphia. They always seem to need starting pitching.


16. Minnesota: Johan Santana just hasn't been the same pitcher this year. Even with him, they aren't going to seriously compete until Liriano comes back.


17. Florida: The Fish have lost three series in a row. JJ's return should help, but the Marlins still have a long ways to go before they can seriously compete for the wild card. Fredi Gonzalez does not appear to be inspiring this young squad to win with his lackadaisical approach to managing.


18. Toronto: Now AJ goes to the DL... just like clockwork with him.


19. San Francisco: The Giants would be five games above .500 if they were in the Central.


20. Washington: Congrats to Dmitri Young for turning his career around. The Nats have a pretty good supporting cast going if they can manage to develop, or acquire, a couple of all star types.


21. Kansas City: The Royals' young offense has just as much potential as Tampa Bay's despite the fact that they get half of the press.


22. Tampa Bay: Carlos Pena has been a pleasant surprise for the Rays.


23. Chicago Cubs: Should have signed Zambrano when they had the chance, now they can kiss him goodbye.

24-29. Pittsburgh, Texas, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Houston: It doesn't really matter where I place these teams, they all suck about equally as much.

30. But nobody sucks as much as Baltimore: This team actually WANTS Girardi to manage them...

Enough of the Fat Jokes II

How Miguel Maximizes his Talents and the Marlins Ensure Their Future

The answer seems so obvious now: Ozzie Guillen.

He was the perfect third base coach when he was with the Marlins and his shadow still lingers. He is irreplaceable. Jeff Cox, Jerry Porter - both these men have tried to simulate in some way Guillen's aggressiveness only to discover that they couldn't.

Part of the magic of that 2003 Miracle Marlins team was Ozzie Guillen, waiving guys around the third base corner to get that run that would make the difference.

Guillen was loud, brash and fun here as a Marlin. He was a jokester, always with something witty to say to cut the mood but when it was time to get serious, he had a way of communicating it effectively to his players. This is evidenced not just with his days as a part of the Marlins coaching staff, but even as a manager on his own in Chicago.

Mike Phillips wrote an excellent rebuttal to Israel Guiterrez's dreck; both pieces dealing with Miguel's weighty issue. What Phillips depicted was Guillen's reaction to Cabrera, and it meshes very nicely with what we talked about in yesterday's blog - the Marlins need to get someone who can have an influence over Miguel that will show him how to be a professional and will hold him accountable.

Ozzie Guillen would be the man for the job. In fact, he would be the perfect Marlins manager.

Guillen loves Miguel like a son - the two have a history going back to when Ozzie arrived as part of the ex-Expo staff that took over the Marlins in 2001, the same year Cabrera arrived. Both are Venezuelan and Guillen took on a mentoring role once Miguel arrived at the bigs for that championship 2003 season. So, what he says has some weight.

"I'm a little upset with him," Guillen said. "You're still young. He knows he has a problem with that. When you are young and good, you can get away with it. But when you're older and you're not hitting home runs, then they will call you a fat boy from Venezuela...You've been eating a lot of arepas! When your mother is Venezuelan and your wife is Venezuelan, you are going to get fat. If he keeps getting bigger, his future is in the Mexican League."

Wow!

With that kind of zing, Ozzie reaches Miguel and holds him accountable. It is hard not to take the medicine with a touch of laughter and sweetness. It is done out of love, not out of jealousy because Miggy can trust in what Guillen says. The appeal from Guillen is heartfelt, it comes to Miguel as an appeal as a fellow Venezuelan, with a proud baseball heritage. This gives Ozzie even more auctoritas as his ethos is one of a professional baseball player who came from Miguel's home country. He's been through what Cabrera is going through, and Ozzie understands the bigger picture and the impact the potential of Miguel could have.

Guillen would be a perfect fit for the Marlins as a manager because he would provide the discipline and focus that Miguel needs and at the same time he could smooth things over for the rest of the team.

We talked about accountability and that although it is easy to call out Miguel for putting on weight, it really isn't as much of an issue as a few of the lightweight sportswriters have been trying to make it out to be. Yet, at the same time, the issue is larger in the sense that it really is an illustration of how the Marlins organization needs to change things. They have to install a winning culture but they also have to instill a professional culture, too. Miguel is the illustration of this, he is the poster child for neglect here. Ozzie Guillen could change all that. He could be the resolution the Marlins need to implement because, let's face it, Fredi Gonzalez is not having the kind of impact these young players need. There is no adaptation, no growth.

So Ozzie Guillen would be perfect on many levels - he would be the ideal mentor to guide Miguel in his growth to superstardom and help him find new ways to challenge himself and grow. Grow in terms of his baseball prowess, not in his waistline.

And maybe Guillen could cook up some low-fat arepas in the meantime.

Enough With the Fat Jokes

You mean Miguel Cabrera has put on weight?

And this is a problem?

This is how out of touch the South Florida media is with the Marlins - they are all a-flutter about Miguel's weight. He signed the big contract, and decided to cash in at the grocery store and is putting on weight as a result.

The apparent ballooning has been observed by the local media because of their hot/cold reactions to the Marlins. For those that cover the team everyday, and for those that follow the team religiously like those of us here at MarlinsNation.com, this is not a story.


Sure, Miguel is not the slim 20-year old SS prospect he once was, displaced on a World Series team as a LFer. But most people, as they start their 20's, put on weight. It is called the "freshman 15" for a reason. Basically, you start to grow your "man-body".

Whether or not Miguel's natural state includes man-boobs is another story.

Yet, there are a few things that are wrong here - and we won't even touch how the media does a horrible job of covering the Marlins, only choosing to pipe up when they want to portray something negatively.

Should we be concerned about Miguel's weight? Yes.

But what we should be more concerned about is how this team is handling their franchise player. Because make no mistake, Miguel Cabrera is one of those rare, generation-defining players that come along very rarely. He is the face of the Marlins today and into tomorrow. He could be not only a franchise-defining player, but an industry-defining player of historical proportions.

So long as those proportions are kept in shape, of course.

We could easily blame Miguel and his 24 year old ways, but that would be like scorning a 5 year old for not filing his taxes - it is just beyond realistic expectation.

Most 24 year olds don't know how to hit a curveball, much less how to feed themselves properly. Could Miguel hire a nutritionist and keep his weight in check? Yes, he certainly could. But does he know that he should? Does he have the proper persepctive on his life and creating longevity to play this game for another 10 years at least. Heck, does he have the desire?

The thing is when you are that good, you tend to have a total misrepresentation of yourself and reality. Miguel is so good and things come so easy for him that he doesn't have to think about preparing himself the right way for the game today, much less in 10 years. 24 year olds don't tend to think long term - they tend to think right now. Things are very microscopic and short termed, in the now - which is a good thing, with balance.

Miguel, in other words, does not know any better. The Marlins are to blame because they are not giving him the opportunity to learn.

And how could they? The Marlins are cash-strapped because their owner does not have enough resources to pull the Marlins out of the mire they are in financially. They need to overhaul their revenue streams and Loria seems content to live with what they got. If the Marlins really wanted to reach Miguel, they would have signed someone that could lead by example and get everyone to understand what it takes to be a professional baseball player.

Unfortunately, that is something Joe Girardi had going for him - but he stepped on too many toes. Fredi Gonzalez is a nice guy, but doesn't command respect the way Girardi did and is starting to show signs that he was not the right guy for the job.

And Miggy continues to run wild. Well, sort of. He can't do that much running due to his size, but within those limited concentric circles, he does what he wants because he can. No one checks him. No one in the clubhouse, no one in the front office. No one.

This isn't to say Miguel is having a bad season - not at all. That is part of the problem - he could be better. Because he is having success it is hard to upset the applecart, hard to fix what doesn't seem broken. But when you are talking about being a professional and what it takes to be a professional, the sight has to be as equally fixed on today as it is on tomorrow and the day after that. You have to be concerned with creating longevity and at this rate, it is right to be concerned about Miguel's longevity.

He might eat himself out of position.

Then again, it worked for Babe Ruth.

So the question really shouldn't be about Miguel's weight or size or overall aesthetic appeal because if anything, one can observe you don't have to be the greatest athlete in the world to be the best in a given sport.

Just as Tim Duncan. Or Joe Montana. Or Babe Ruth.

What we should all be concerned with is how the Marlins are challenging Miguel to be that franchise player. Are they concerned about his longterm career? Or only about the years they have him signed to their team?

If we are going to hold Miguel accountable for his weight, we also need to hold the Marlins accountable for making him accountable to them. They have to provided the tools that will allow Miguel to become the best player he can possibly be. If the Marlins do that for Miguel and for EVERY player, they will not have to worry about keeping talent in-house. It will be intrinsic and it will develop itself.

Miguel is the illustration of what is both right with this franchise and what is very wrong about it.

MLB Draft 2007 - Marlins begin draft at #12

Today is the day the Marlins and the rest of MLB build their future rosters. ESPN2 is televising the draft live, for the first time.

But don't expect as much draft hype as in other drafts; MLB's draft tends to be more of a crap shoot than any of the other major sports as they can pull from high school talents on up.

The Marlins will have the 12th, 76th, 106th, 136th and 166th picks through the first five rounds. In years past the Marlins have been heavy on drafting pitching talent, so we will see if that trend continues.

Post your reactions HERE.

Shallow Water: Why is Hanley Ramirez batting third?

There must be something in the water

It's a simple question - why is Hanley Ramirez batting third? Yet, there doesn't seem to be a simple answer, or even a well-thought-out answer at that.

Hanley Ramirez, last year's rookie of the year and (as first posted here) a possible MVP candidate has been shifted from the top of the order to the 3 spot. He has never hit at that position in the majors, and has been a leadoff hitter for practically all of his young professional career.

He is batting .272 with 4 homers and 10 RBI since May 15th in the third slot while he was batting .343 with 4 homers and 7 RBI leading off. His on-base percentage was the best in MLB at .426 but it has now dipped to .382.

Is it any wonder that the Marlins run production has seemed to be dipping?

This has to be one of the most boneheaded moves by Fredi "Captain Obvious" Gonzalez. What is scary to ponder is that it probably wasn't Right Said Fredi who made the call on this move. It is mind boggling.

Why do the Marlins decide that now they want to experiment with a talent like Hanley Ramirez? His highest value is in the leadoff spot, where he is comfortable and where he can excel. To force him to adjust in midseason to an unfamiliar role is just plain ridiculous and stupid. Why not ask Barry Bonds to leadoff - so he can get more at bats? Dumb.

What makes this move even more mind boggling is the fact that the Marlins have options that can hit third - Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham, even Aaron Boone. Why push Ramirez into the role when the Marlins are getting pretty good production at that spot already(Willingham is 9th in the NL with 39 RBIs and is batting .377 with runners in scoring position). Why try and take a leadoff hitter and make him a run producer when you have a one-two punch in Willingham and Cabrera? Or why not try and put a guy like Hermida - who is being developed as a run-producing hitter - at the third spot?

None of it makes sense.

The Marlins are sacrificing the short term and the long term by putting Hanley Ramirez into the third spot in the order. Short term because they are forcing him to adjust to an entirely new position in the order, and long term because they are actually undermining his value.

The Marlins have some very good #3 options. This isn't to say that Ramirez can't be successful, just to say that there is no reason to try this experiment. The Marlins are not banged up enough to warrant this jump.

It's just stupid, no matter how you characterize it.