Marlins Open 2008 With a Loss

Ok, one major criticism for my Marlins: Loria, lose the douche patrol cheerleaders.

Maybe it isn't new this year, not sure, but today I noticed some guys that looked like Met fans posing as Marlin fans. A bunch of transplants - you know the type, hats turned to the side, random armbands and wristbands, bad goatees that look more like chin straps, big sun glasses for no reason - running around trying to get people to cheer for the Marlins.

I know we got tons of Met fans down here, of course today was no exception, but do we really need people running around enforcing us to cheer? And the fact that they look like hoodlums lingering around looking to take your seat makes it annoying.

I would rather we paid to keep Miguel Cabrera instead. Or at least Miguel Cabrera's personal bat boy (who, despite rumors, is not Alfredo Amezaga).

And I also want to note that whatever you do, do NOT sit in section 443 row 12 seats 23 and 24. The aisle is on your left, which means there will constantly be people walking up and down the aisle throughout the game blocking your view. What is worse is that these same people are not only illiterate, but also can't read numbers. And then there is the railing that is used to keep these mouth-breathers from falling into the little tunnel that leads into the section that blocks your view of homeplate.

Despite all of that, and dealing with the sea of obnoxious Mets fans, it was good to take in a ball game on a beautiful afternoon. It felt good seeing the guys out there with a renewed sense of hope for the future. Now, let's get a win against these Mutts tomorrow and send their fans home in disappointment - if only it is a brief drive back down into the sewers for the visiting Mets fans.

Opening Day 2008: A New Hope

Yes, it is the title from the first Star Wars film (the real first film...). It is appropriately used here.

Wedged between the start of the season, which is today, and the end of the last one is a shining affirmation of not just hope, but of expectation. For the first time, fans of this franchise can start to expect and can begin looking up. Well, the first time since that fateful first day back in '93.

The Marlins have a stadium on the docket. Sure, it won't materialize until 2011, but the road there begins here: with a young roster with loads of talent and upside. Just don't expect all of it will be retained when we do this again in 2011 in a new stadium.

Think about that for a second: for the first time in years, Marlin fans can look at today and expect a continuation next season. Gone are the talks of contraction, the threats of relocation and that is as refreshing as the sunny weather we take for granted down here.

Let baseball be as our weather, let us take it for granted that it will return to us each and every year. Let us rejoice in this national ritual that is baseball, when everyone emerges from their homes to see the sun shining and feel hope for a brighter future.

So it is with this team. They have been able to walk the path and avert disaster. This team has emerged, today, in front of a home crowd with renewed expectation for this season and the future. It will not be without its growing pains, however.

Expect that talents like Chris Volstad and Cameron Maybin might not be called up immediately despite being ready to play on this team. They only lack experience and seasoning, which they can get here with the big club. The only reason they won't is because the Marlins will want to keep them on the roster come 2011 - they can control their contracts to that point via arbitration. It will be limited based on their years of service and arbitration.

The Marlins also will be looking to build on the momentum they closed last season with taking 2 of 3 from the Mets. In the midst of their playoff chase, the Mets came to Miami expecting to regroup against a 69-90 Marlins team. Yet this young team, never backing down, fought and took 2 crucial wins from the desperate Mets who had choked away their 7 game lead to fall short of the playoffs.

It starts today with Mark Hendrickson and Johan Santana squaring off. It starts today with a man throwing out the first pitch who was there to see the first pitch ever for this franchise at the start of his career: Jeff Conine. It was the start of his career and of this franchise. Conine has retired, officially as a Marlin as of Friday, but the franchise is still here.

Let hope be renewed. And let's play ball!

Starting Rotation Will Challenge Marlins

The success of this team is not going to be based on its offense, its defense or even, for a change, its bullpen. It will be based on how consistent their starting pitching can be.

This season, like last season, the Marlins are starting out short-handed as most of their rotation is out with injuries. Sergio Mitre is out with a strained forearm, Anibal Sanchez has undergone shoulder surgery while Josh Johnson, arguably the staff ace, had Tommy John surgery.

The new rotation for this season is going to be free agent Mark Hendrickson, followed by Rick Vandenhurk, Andrew Miller, Scott Olsen and Ricky Nolasco.

Last season, the Marlins were hard pressed to get into the 7th inning with any starter not named Dontrelle Willis: and even the now-departed D-Train had his struggles.

The starting five is not going to turn heads with name dropping. Unless you're a die hard baseball fan and you probably won't recognize the names of Mark Hendrickson or Andrew Miller. Rick Vandenhurk might only be recognized by his native Netherlands and the few dedicated Marlin fans here at MarlinsNation.

One of the more established members of this staff is now Scott Olsen. Olsen has had success and is no longer considered a prospect. He was 12-10 in 2006 with 166 Ks in 180.2 IP with a 4.04 ERA. Yet last season, he regressed a bit. His walks went up (85BBs) while his Ks and his IP went down (133Ks in 176.2 IP). His ERA also shot up to 5.81.

Olsen also had some off the field problems that only contributed to his rough season last year. Hope is renewed and the Marlins are expecting him to take another step forward this season and get back on track to being the promising lefty he was shaping up to be after the 2006 season. Another benefit for Olsen could be the return of Mark Wiley, the Marlins pitching guru that was dismissed a few seasons ago in favor of Rick Kranitz when Joe Girardi was hired as the Marlins manager. Wiley helped Dontrelle Willis get back on track a few seasons back and is being expected to do the same with this young staff.

Andrew Miller has a lot to prove as a highly-touted pitching prospect coming out of the Tigers' system. The stakes are raised a bit more as he is one of the two main assets the Marlins received in exchange for Willis and Miguel Cabrera. He seems to have control problems and the Marlins main focus this season, with the return of Wiley, is to throw strikes.

If Miller falters, there is always Gaby Hernandez and Chris Volstad waiting to step in and give it a go.

Yet the challenge will be getting consistency out of the starters this season. The bullpen was very much improved but also a bit overworked last season. With consistency, the Marlins pitching can remain in their usual roles which could lead to more wins. But will it be enough to improve on a 71-91 season of a year ago?