10 Reasons why the Cleveland Indians winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

It is time to continue my series of Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game. Before it is too late, I better do one for the Cleveland Indians.



It is very late August and the Indians, once the best story in baseball have fallen below .500. The Indians have had a very unlikely fun summer, but they are one modest losing streak and one modest Detroit winning streak from calling it a year.



The Tigers sweep of the Tribe was bad. The Indians losing 3 of 4 to the lowly Mariners was worse.



But by the same token, if the Tigers stumble and the Indians go on a winning streak, they could close in. Cleveland play the Royals 6 times and the A's 6 times before taking on Detroit again. They can pile up some wins.



Who knows? This season has been unexpected thus far. So let's get in this entry before they slip away!

10 Reasons why the

Cleveland Indians

winning the 2011 World Series

would be good for baseball

1. A World Series title is the final piece in Jim Thome's career



Jim Thome returned to Cleveland yesterday. All I thought was "Why couldn't have hit his 600th homer as an INDIAN?"



He's back where his wonderful career began. And this might very well be his last hurrah. He has smacked 600 homers scandal free and been as likable a player in baseball. Plus he was a veteran of the 1995 and 1997 World Series heartbreak.



What better way to put a bow on his potential Hall of Fame career than being the most recognizable name on the World Champion Cleveland Indians.

2. A World Series ring for Sandy Alomar, Jr.



Decades of futility started to turn in 1990 when Sandy Alomar Jr won the AL Rookie of the Year. He came over from San Diego with Carlos Baerga and the foundation of the Indians first pennant since 1954 was being put into place.



In many ways Alomar symbolized the changing times in Cleveland. And if the Tribe got those last outs in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, Alomar would have been the Series MVP.



He would get that ring if the Indians win it this year as Alomar is currently Cleveland's first base coach. Better late than never!







3. A championship would bring some credit to an underrated front office



The Indians fell apart after the 2001 season but by 2005 they were contenders again and Division Champs in 2007. They fell apart again but by 2011 they have contended.



Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti aren't mentioned as great brain trusts in baseball, but they don't let Indians fans wait long between good seasons. Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta, Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, Carlos Carrasco, Joe Smith, Michael Brantley, Jason Donald and Lou Marson were all brought into the organization as minor leaguers from trades. They could be creating a nice nucleus for the future while avoiding signing crippling long term contracts.





4. Baseball fans claim they want a low revenue, star free World Series winner NOT from the Northeast. Here you go!



People complain that the Red Sox and Yankees win the World Series every year (even though they don't.) And small budget teams can't compete. (Even though they do.) And simply signing superstars will buy a title. (Even though it doesn't.)



Well imagine the 5th lowest paid team, playing in the midwest with a payroll less than what Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez will make and whose biggest star is Asdrubal Cabrera winning it all.



What would people say? Well they probably would say "The Yankees win it every year."





5. A well deserved title for long time Indians Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner



Both Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner are on the Disabled List now and their seasons are probably over. But for the past 8 seasons they have been teammates on some terrific Indians teams and some lousy ones.



Both came up big in the 2007 Division Series victory over the Yankees. Hafner got the walk off hit in Game 2 (the Midges game) and Sizemore batted .375 with a 1.211 OPS for the series.



Both were stolen from other minor league systems and are "Real Indians" by any definition. Enough real Indians have ended their career ringless. Let's not have Sizemore and Hafner on that list too.









6. We DON'T need another Major League movie.



Seriously, when has a sequel decades after the original worked? ONCE! The Color of Money... and that had Paul Newman, Tom Cruise and Martin Scorsese directing it.



They couldn't even make The Godfather, Star Wars or Indiana Jones work! Now Major League is funny... but it is also available on BlueRay and Netflix. And the charm of the original was that it played off of Cleveland's futility. If a REAL Cleveland team patched together from other teams beats the odds and wins it all, why make a fake movie about it?



Besides, we have been enabling Charlie Sheen WAY too much.









7. Think of all the people a Cleveland championship would let off the hook!



Jim Poole letting up David Justice's homer. Jose Mesa blowing the save in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. Charles Nagy letting Edgar Renteria smack a 2 out hit to win the World Series. Joel Skinner not sending Kenny Lofton home with the tying run in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS.



And that's not even counting Craig Ehlo, Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble... They would all be relieved of their goat horns.



I've seen it happen. The goats of Red Sox past are absolved. Bill Buckner (who should NEVER have been a goat) received a standing ovation. Johnny Pesky (also an unjustified goat) got his number retired.



It will happen in Cleveland. YES, even for Jose Lima.







8. It could be the beginning of forgiveness and acceptance of LeBron James in Cleveland





I know a lot of Cleveland people will think I am crazy for even suggesting this, but hear me out.



If LeBron had won a title in Cleveland, the whole "Decision" would have been less of a fiasco. It was based upon the idea that LeBron was supposed to deliver that elusive title. The anger came in a not exactly subtle way from that hole in your collective lives. That "We have never seen a title of any kind" agony.



Remove that. Have the euphoria of seeing a championship in Cleveland. And before long you will be able to let go of the anger about LeBron. And eventually you will be able to say "Remember when we had the best player in the NBA? Remember how exciting it was? Remember how much fun we had WHILE he was in Cleveland?"



I know I sound crazy now. Call me 10 years after a Cleveland championship.







9. An Indians championship would mean the Cubs would stand alone



The Cubs used to have lots of company in the whole "Waiting forever for a championship" misery. Forever it was the Cubs, Red Sox and White Sox fans sharing misery.



But when both Sox won, it meant that the Indians and Giants were the only original franchises to NOT win a World Series title since the expansion era. Take the Giants off the board and only the Cubs and Indians remain. The Cubs since 1908. The Indians since 1948.



Remove the Indians and the Cubs' closest partners in misery would be the Rangers and Astros (since 1961 and 1962.)



For fans of Schadenfreude, leaving the Cubs alone in misery would be enough to root for the Indians.







10. It would be the single greatest sports championship parade in American history.



Cubs fans have waited for more than a century, but they have had the Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks win.



Red Sox fans waited forever, but the Celtics won over several generations.



Giants fans agonized about their team but could be consoled by the 49ers.



Imagine the frustration compounded over the decades without ANY kind of release. Especially in a cold weather city where industry has dwindled away and sports means so much. San Diego has waited longer for a title, but when they lose they can go to the beach.



There are people in their 50s with no clear memories of a Cleveland title and anyone born after 1964 can honestly say "It hasn't happened in MY lifetime."



We may never see an outpouring of pure joy quite like a Cleveland title. And I am rooting for it to happen just so I can see it.



And just think of the incredible HBO Sports special they can make!





I really hope it happens for the Indians but it looks remote at best. I've enjoyed writing about Cleveland and making a video about their fans, but eventually the story must end. Maybe it won't be this year, but they are putting together a nice core. Maybe it will be soon. (Where have I heard THAT before?)







If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.



CHICAGO WHITE SOX

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

NEW YORK YANKEES

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

A Historic Fluke? My latest for The Hardball Times

In my latest article for The Hardball Times, I take a look at a historic oddity regarding Jim Leyland, Mike Scioscia and Ozzie Guillen.

Each of them managed a World Series winner without a clear Hall of Famer on their playoff roster. And the only other teams to have won the World Series without a future Hall of Famer (the '81 and '88 Dodgers and the '84 Tigers) had Hall of Fame managers.

So is this a fluke? Or are Leyland, Scioscia and Guillen putting together Cooperstown resumes?

You can read the article here.

Some Green from the Teal - Giving the Florida Marlins some credit

It is easy to trash the fish for their cheap ways. But right now they are looking to make the NL East very very interesting in 2012.

The Marlins are indeed the strangest franchise in all of American sports. On the surface they look like a classic Quadruple A team like the Royals and Pirates. They trade veterans for prospects, turn those prospects into big league players and when they ask for too much money, ship them off for more prospects.

Along with playing in a football stadium that isn't designed for baseball and having it be either too hot or too rainy, the inability for Marlins fans to get emotionally attached to any player is as big a reason to why they have had trouble drawing over the years.

And yet there is something so different about the Marlins as compared to Kansas City and Pittsburgh.

First of all they can have winning seasons. The Marlins played their first game in 1993. The Royals and Pirates have combined for two winning seasons in that stretch, both by Kansas City. The Marlins have had 6 winnings seasons in the same stretch.

And of course they remain the only MLB franchise to have never lost a post season series. They are 6-0 in October, winning it all in 1997 and 2003.

This little franchise that could has as many World Series titles as the Mets, the Cubs, the Indians and the Phillies. They are one World Series title behind the Orioles, who have a history of putting consistent winners on the field during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

One thing they do better than Pittsburgh and Kansas City is they actually get VALUE back when they make trades. When I wrote the Home Grown vs. Acquired post for the Marlins, their home grown talent was minimal. But the players they picked up from other clubs were the backbone for their winning teams.

And I'm not just talking about the Pudge Rodriguezes and Moises Alous and Kevin Browns of the world who came in, won a ring and split.

Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Derek Lee, Brad Penny, Anibal Sanchez, Carl Pavano, Dontrelle Willis and Ricky Nolasco were all picked up and blossomed in Miami.

But their spending habits have been laughable. In 2006 their opening day payroll was $16 million... or $4 million less than what the Yankees paid Jason Giambi. The fact that Joe Girardi almost led that team to a winning record was all he needed to win Manager of the Year that year.

In 2008 they spent $22 million on players and had a winning season.
Imagine if their payroll went from "Laughable pathetic" to merely "Small." They probably could have won the Wild Card.

With the Players Association trashing their payroll and forcing the Marlins to spend a little bit, a refreshing picture is starting to emerge in South Florida that has nothing to do with LeBron James.

The Marlins are moving into their new tax payer sinkhole in 2012. And for the first time in their history, the Marlins will have a ballpark to call their own instead of feel like they are crashing on the Dolphins couch.

Miami fans will be able to know they will have decent seats, they won't be rained on and it won't be stifling with humidity.

In other words there will be an incentive to actually GO to the game.

And unless the Marlins trade off a lot of salary between now and 2012, guess who will be under contract and wearing teal?

Hanley Ramirez.
Josh Johnson.
Ricky Nolasco.
Anibal Sanchez.
Mike Stanton.
Gaby Sanchez.
Logan Morrison.
Chris Coghlan.
Chris Volstad.

That's a decent core with an MVP candidate, a Cy Young candidate and some good young pitchers and hitters.

And with Ricky Nolasco signing an extension this year to go along with Hanley Ramirez's extension and Josh Johnson's pact, the Marlins will have three solid players entering their 7th year with the team when they go into the new ballpark.

That's enough time to attach some emotion to a player.

Add to that the new revenue and the fact that Miami, with its many transplanted Northeasterners to go along with the Latin population, should be a baseball haven. And with some money, big free agents should want to live in the low taxed, glamorous Miami lifestyle playing in a low pressure environment.

By 2012 the Phillies juggernaut may be slowing down.
Jimmy Rollins will be a free agent and the Cliff Lees and Roy Halladays and Ryan Howards would all be deeper into their 30s.

2012 could also be the time that Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are ready to shine in Washington. And the Braves are continuing to build on their strong core.

By then a young Marlins team with a burst of energy in the new ballpark and some more money to spend might just be ready to make their move.

And with their post season good fortune, they might indeed win another World Series title. (How would THAT sit with the Cubs and Indians fans of the world?)

So I give you credit, Marlins. You are operating in the Cleveland Indians mold from the mid 1990s. Put together a talented core and by the time you have a new ballpark and new fans filing in, give them a good product.

And before long, who knows? Maybe the Marlins will be one of those teams that people say "It isn't fair. They always out bid other teams on free agents!"

And he shall be Livan... And he shall be a good man

Livan Hernandez has a 1.04 ERA this year.
It's the same guy who pitched the Marlins to a World Series title when Bill Clinton was in office.

And today he shut down the Marlins (without the help of the late Eric Gregg's strikezone.)

This is allowing the Nationals to keep Stephen Strasburg in Syracuse. I hope the Nats give him a bonus for all the money they are saving.

This wasn't the biggest hit in Edgar Renteria's career

When someone hits a come from behind grand slam in late August that puts his team into a tie for a playoff spot... you'd think that would be the biggest hit in that guy's career.



Well Edgar Renteria got a bigger one than his blast today.



Remember he got a walk off single in the 11th inning to win Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for the Marlins.



And I bet you forgot he hit a walk off hit in Game 1 of the Division Series that year against the Giants.



But the Giants swept the Rockies and will go into September tied for a playoff spot... and they will have the best starting pitching of any of the Wild Card contenders.



That maybe be only the third biggest hit in Edgar Renteria's career... but Giants fans are more than happy with the Bronze!

17 years later... the Marlins break ground on a new park

The Marlins were supposed to play a few years in Joe Robbie Stadium before moving into a baseball park when they were formed in 1993.

And I guess they did only play a few seasons at Joe Robbie... from 1993 to 1996.

Then from 1997 to 2005 they played in Pro Player Stadium.

Then from 2006 to earlier this year they were in Dolphin Stadium.

And now they are in LandShark Stadium.

Of course they haven't MOVED! The park has been renamed over and over again.

But lo and behold either they are truly building a new ballpark or someone at the Marlins PR department hired a dude in a tractor for good press.

Hey a new ballpark could be great news for Marlins fans. They could add to their World Series totals which right now tie the output of the Indians, the Phillies and the Cubs (and they all had a 90 year headstart on World Series play.)

The best news for Marlins fans, of course, is they played the Nationals again.

Man they look like pennant contenders when they play Washington!

Cleveland fans... stop watching sports this year

I am actually dead serious.

This is the best advice you can get from your pal Sully.

Stop. 

Don't watch the NBA Finals. It will just make you mad.

Don't watch any Indians games. They are terrible.

Don't watch any Browns games. They won't win the Super Bowl.

Seriously... turn off ESPN. Don't log onto your favorite sports blogs.

Do yourself this favor and don't watch any more sports until the calendar flips over to the new decade.

Consider all of the time you spend on sports during a season and use it elsewhere.

If you are a spouse or a parent... spend time with your family. 

If your spouse rolls their eyes when you say "I've got to watch the game today" imagine their glee when you say "Let's do something this Sunday together."

Think about stuff you wanted to do around the house.

Think about some crack pot idea you are kicking around in your head.

Is there some relative or friend you've lost touch with? Call them. And say "Let's meet this Sunday." And when they say "Wait, aren't the Browns playing then?" reply "This is more important." They'll cry more than the end of Terms of Endearment!

Are there books you haven't read? Read them.

Is there a book idea you have? Write it.

Is there an instrument that fascinates you? Learn it.

Are there local points of interest you've driven past all of your life and never entered? Go check them out.

It doesn't even have to be something refined.

Learn some new dirty jokes.

Ever hear people talk about movies that you realize you never saw... go see them.

Catch up on TV shows.

Because it isn't just the time watching the game... there is the fretting about it, the Fantasy Teams you keep, the reading the scores and watching the highlights or listening to sports talk.

You've got to stop it for the rest of the year.

I know you think because I am a Red Sox fan that I am trying to rub something in your face on such a devastating night as the Cavaliers unlikely collapse to Orlando.

Nothing  could be further from the truth. I am a Red Sox fan and a Celtics fan, so yes in full disclosure I rooted against the Indians in 2007 and the Cavs in 2008.

And also in full disclosure my favorite National League team is the Giants and if there ever was a rematch of the 1954 World Series, I'd have to root for the Giants because they are my dad's team.

But when the Red Sox, Celtics or Giants are not involved... I ALWAYS root for the Cleveland team.

I have written about the insane drought in Cleveland and I've openly rooted for the Cavs in this post season.

Even when we Red Sox fans went through the 86 year drought, we had the Celtics winning titles.

But there was something very cruel about tonights game... in some ways more cruel than the Drive, the Fumble, the Shot or the 9th inning of Game 7 in 1997.

There was no dagger. It was just a loss. 

The Magic beat them, and it wasn't even as close as the score would indicate.

I wondered if LeBron James had answered Jordan's shot over Ehlo? It turns out it was just the same as John Starks' dunk in 1993. It looked great, but his team lost in 6.

Seriously... think about it. 

This has nothing to do with loyalty. No fans in all of sport are more loyal than Cleveland fans. 

Keeping in mind that you don't really start following the ins and outs of a sports team until you reach 7 or 8 years of age, there are 52 year olds with no memory of a Cleveland title.

There has been no Championship parade in Cleveland in the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and now the 2000s.

You are loyal.

But you deserve a break.

I expect to see the attendance at Indians and Browns games to be ZERO!

A's... Marlins... where do you think you are going?

It's looking more and more like the A's and the Marlins won't be getting their new stadium deals.
And it's hard to argue for building a park these days.

I mean schools are falling apart, the infrastructure of the country stinks and we need to find something to manufacture in America so we don't have to get government stimulus every 2 years.

Building a park I am guessing isn't the smartest use of tax payer money these days.

And at the same time, you can't blame the A's and the Marlins for wanting out.

Granted the two franchises have combined for six World Series titles in their lousy stadium... or as many as the Phillies, Cubs and Indians have won since 1903 combined.

They put competitive teams on the field, yet the stadiums are more than half empty because they are FOOTBALL STADIUMS!!!

And the new park for the A's looked bitchin' in the artist renderings...








And maybe a cool (literally) retractable roof park in Miami would make the Marlins a draw.







But when the owners start to talk tough about leaving town, there's a simple question:

Where are you going?

Seriously.

Is there a Major League Stadium sitting empty that I am unaware of?

It's not like moving a football, basketball or hockey team. There are plenty of huge college football stadiums that could share an NFL tenant while a new park is built.

Heck, an NFL franchise could move to Boise tomorrow if they don't mind playing on blue turf.

You could move a hockey team to Lubbock Texas tomorrow if they put ice down in the 15,000 seat United Spirit Arena.

But college baseball isn't as big as college football or basketball and there physically wouldn't be a place to play!

Seriously... where's a baseball team supposed to move to?

Let's take a look at the biggest American TV markets without a team.



Orlando?

There is a 9,500 seat minor league park in the Walt Disney Complex... and it basically is unused most of the year. It's too far from the city of Orlando to get regular fans, you have the Disney World traffic and the Rays are too close and would sue the Marlins or A's to the ground before you can say "Jiminy Cricket."


Sacramento?

Raley Field seats 15,000. Put some temporary seats in the outfield and boost capacity to 30,000 and it could work.

Then again, California is handing out promissory notes for unemployment benefits and they are having trouble keeping fire departments afloat.

And Sacramento isn't as affluent as the Bay Area, who looks like they are rejecting potential A's stadiums in Oakland, San Jose and Fremont.


Portland?

PGE Park in Portland seats nearly 20,000 and it probably can be reconfigured to seat 10,000 more.

But it rains every day during the spring and early summer and they'd have to build a retractable roof park. And Oregon isn't exactly swimming in dough these days (who is?)

Normally Portland would be a big player, but not today.


Charlotte?

The current Knights Stadium can seat 14,000 people, but they are trying to build a new one. The minor league park has become a hot potato issue politically. I can't imagine a big league park getting approved any time soon.

Plus North Carolina isn't exactly baseball country. I could be proven wrong... but probably won't be any time soon.


Indianapolis?

Indy seems like a great sports city and everyone has gone gaga over Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians.

But the Pacers and the Colts have new digs and I am pretty sure building a THIRD sports venue won't be a high priority in these times.


Durham NC

Sure the new Bulls park is nice, but as we really ready to turn Durham into a MAJOR LEAGUE city?

Would Annie Savoy even be able to get a decent seat?


Nashville?

Forget a Major League park. Greer Stadium in Nashville barely fits the standards of a minor league stadium. Cramped and falling apart, it won't do for a big league franchise.

On the positive side, it has that bad ass guitar scoreboard!


Hartford?

The closest team to Hartford is the New Britain team. They have a relatively new park (I had seen a game in the old rickety Beehive Park in 1994.)

But they'd have to add 24,000 seats just to get it to 30,000.
And oh yeah... it would be in New England. I wonder if the Red Sox would object.

On the other hand, it would be cool to have a big league club so close to ESPN.



Columbus?

They haven't played a game yet in new Huntington Park and you want to remodel it?

Also, I am under the impression that there are already two baseball teams in Ohio.


Salt Lake City?

They already have a double tiered stadium in Franklin Covey Field and it wouldn't take much to make it a 30,000 seat park.

One slight problem... playing games in April!
It's bad enough that Denver is sitting in the snow and high altitude. Are we REALLY going to call Salt Lake City a major league city over MIAMI??



Albuquerque?

I keep hearing how Albuquerque (which is a nice city, by the way) is growing in leaps and bounds. And getting a big league team would show they are a big league city.

And the Isotopes Park, with its upper deck and good views, is as good a minor league park as there is.

But could the big leagues work in the desert in an open air stadium. Plus the desert cities are transplant cities and not prime for new fan bases. As I wrote before, the Diamondbacks haven't really caught on yet!


San Antonio?

The San Antonio Missions currently play at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium. It seats 9,000 and there is room for 90,000 more. Do you know why?

IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!!!

It's next to an Air Force Base. They don't usually put Air Force Bases next to urban sprawl.

When I found out where it was located, I kept hearing in my head one of the most underrated lines from This is Spinal Tap:
Why are we going to an Air Force base?


Birmingham?

Could Alabama really support a Big League Club?
Is it really wise to abandon South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area for Alabama?

Look, I LIKE Alabama. I've had nice experiences there and the people are nice. But is it a big league city?

Then again Regions Park was once the home field for Michael Jordan when he played baseball in 1994.
It was major enough for His Airness!


Las Vegas?

Cashman field is small, but that doesn't matter. Things get built so quickly in Las Vegas that I am convinced that there have been two hotels constructed since I started typing this sentence.

But, with baseball so sensitive to gambling, would they REALLY want a team in Vegas?

Maybe Pete Rose can throw out the first pitch!



So there is no slam dunk city to move to.
Baseball already expanded into the only viable cities and the Expos moved into the last available big league park when they became the Nationals.

So here is my prediction:

The Oakland A's will remain in Oakland.

The Florida Marlins will remain in the Miami area.

And the frame work for success will come the same way it came for the Giants and the Mariners.
Remember both of those teams wanted out of their crummy stadiums and threatened to move.

The Giants were practically printing tickets for Tampa Bay.

But both teams stayed... both teams turned their fortunes around with a great run (the Giants in 1993, the Mariners in 1995).
They energized the fan bases and got plumb stadium deals.

Then again, the economy was better in 1995 than it is now.
So come on, President Obama! Get this economy kick started.

The future of the A's and Marlins depends on it!

FLORIDA MARLINS - ALL TIME HOME GROWN TEAM vs. ALL TIME ACQUIRED TEAM

The Quest to list the best home grown and the best acquired team for every franchise continues with THE FLORIDA MARLINS.

Click here to review the rules.

When I set out on this journey to break down the best all time home grown versus all time acquired teams, I knew some teams would be harder to compile than others
The Marlins are such a team. They’ve only been around since 1993 and have had some lean years.

But then again they won 2 World Series! That’s as many as the Cubs have won. That’s as many as the Phillies have won. So they must have had SOME good players.

Well going through their rosters has brought about an interesting revelation:

The Marlins have had a horrific scouting department in terms of drafting players.
They’ve had many early picks and way too many Josh Bootys and way too few Josh Becketts. Putting together a 25 man roster became futile. The requirements ceased to be “who was good” and turned into “who made the big league roster?”

And another interesting fact:
They are TERRIFIC at spotting talent on other people’s teams. They have had at least three fire sales of major league talent for other teams farm hands. And the result has been MVP and Cy Young candidates. In other words, as the Marlins have sent Kevin Gregg and Josh Willingham away… you can be sure the players they got for them will be fitted for rings faster than you can say Dontrelle Willis and Craig Counsell.

OK, enough yapping. Let’s see the Rosters.

THE ALL TIME HOME GROWN MARLINS TEAM

STARTING CATCHER
CHARLES JOHNSON

If anyone seemed destined to star for a Miami baseball team, it was Charles Johnson. He graduated from Fort Pierce High School, a mere 2 hours north of Miami. He starred for the Miami Hurricanes and then was drafted by the Marlins. C. J. was the first homegrown star, he was a 2 time All Star and 4 time Gold Glove winner. Plus he hit a key homer in game 1 of the 1997 World Series (which he finished with a .357 Average.)

All due respect to Jeff Conine, but C. J. is Mr. Marlin!



STARTING FIRST BASEMAN
KEVIN MILLAR

Millar spent 4 seasons in Miami and only 3 in Boston. Bet you didn’t know that! Theo Epstein saw there was something special with Millar and it wasn’t just his .306 average, 20 homers and low strikeout totals. He was a clubhouse favorite in Miami and now a folk hero in Boston.





STARTING SECOND BASEMAN
LUIS CASTILLO

Played most of the 1997 World Championship season in Miami but was hurt for the post season. Unlike almost everyone else on the ’97 squad, he stuck around until the 2003 World Series, where he was a starter. He also became a Gold Glove winner, a two time All Star and hit that foul ball that Steve Bartman really realy wanted.




STARTING SHORTSTOP
EDGAR RENTERIA

In game 1 of the 1997 Division Series, Renteria singled to right field for a walk off hit against the Giants Roberto Hernandez. Usually that would be enough for one post season. But then all he did was hit the World Series ending single with 2 outs in the 11th inning, giving the Marlins and their fans a highlight that Cleveland, San Francisco and Chicago Cubs fans can only dream of.



STARTING THIRD BASEMAN
MIGUEL CABRERA

Without a doubt the best hitter the Marlins system has ever produced. He exploded in the 2003 playoffs, became the Marlins perennial MVP candidate and biggest star before being shipped off to Detroit where he gained weight faster than Yaphet Kotto at the end of Live and Let Die. He’s only 26!



STARTING LEFT FIELDER
JOSH WILLINGHAM

He’s put up 3 solid seasons with the Marlins where he had some decent power numbers. He’s eligible for arbitration, so WELCOME TO WASHINGTON Mr. Willingham!








STARTING CENTER FIELDER
MARK KOTSAY

One of the few first round picks by the Marlins that actually worked out, Kotsay had a few decent seasons in Miami. He never broke .300, never hit 20 homers, never drove in more than 68 runs in Miami, never stole more than 19 bases… but is by far the best center fielder the Marlins have ever developed. Not exactly picking between DiMaggio and Mantle, is it?





STARTING RIGHT FIELDER
JEREMY HERMIDA

Another first rounder that wasn’t a bust, Hermida has shown left handed pop which he wasted no time showing. His first ever at bat was a pinch hit grand slam. He is eligible for arbitration at the end of next year. I wonder what team he’ll be playing for in 2010. We know it won’t be Florida.





TOP PINCH HITTER OFF OF THE BENCH
TODD DUNWOODY

On the dreadful post World Series 1998 squad, Dunwoody was a starter and finished the season in the top 10 for triples.

Quick, get Cooperstown on speed dail!






THE STARTING ROTATION


JOSH BECKETT

By far the biggest star the Marlins have put on the mound, Beckett was the stud of the 2003 World Series. A quick glance of his stats are hardly impressive. He only won in double digits once with the Marlins (15-8 with the 2005 Marlins) and never threw 200 innings in teal. But the image of Beckett tagging out Jorge Posada for the 2003 World Series title is enough for this spot.





LIVAN HERNANDEZ

Livan has a reputation as a big game pitcher with his MVP awards for both the 1997 NLCS and World Series. But his reputation is inflated. His complete game domination of the Braves in the NLCS was as much the result of an insane strikezone from the late Eric Gregg. And his World Series ERA soared above 5… not exactly MVP like. But good enough to get on this not exactly exclusive list.

TONY SAUNDERS

Saunders had a 4-6 record for the 1997 Marlins. 3 of those 4 wins came against the mighty Atlanta Braves. He started game 3 of the NLCS against the Braves. He didn’t get the win but the Marlins did. Later had a horrific injury that broke his arm and ended his career. Jose Canseco said it was because of steroid use… which means it was.




SCOTT OLSEN

Had a surprising 12-10 season for the 2006 Marlins that helped Joe Girardi win the NL Manager of the Year. He has been floating somewhere between mediocre and terrible the next two years. With arbitration looming, Olsen has been shipped off to the Nationals. He's had trouble off the field, including fights with teammates and a DUI. Should help his trade value.







CHRIS VOLSTAD

I was in Dodger Stadium this July where I saw Volstad throw his first ever major league start. He lasted 8 2/3 innings and dominated the Dodgers. He finished 6-4 with a solid 2.88 ERA, giving the bargain basement Marlins hope for 2009.





THE BULLPEN


LOGAN KENSING

Yeah, Logan Kensing. Folks, if my point isn’t clear enough for you, maybe I should drive it home even harder. The Marlins don’t develop a lot of good players. Kensing is an OK reliever. He won’t kill you. His sub 4.00 ERA was torpedoed by a lousy 4 runs in 0 innings performance against the Braves… but he’s not bad. He has one career save. That’s only one more than me. And yet he’s on this list.




VIC DARENSBOURG

Darensbourg, a classic journeyman, is currently pitching with the Long Island Ducks. He has Don Mattingly’s luck in terms of World Series appearances as he played for the Marlins from 1998 to 2002, missing both the 1997 and 2003 title teams. He has 2 career saves.






JOSH JOHNSON

OK, I’m reaching here. Johnson was primarily a starter (one of the ones Girardi drove into the ground) but he came out of the bullpen 10 times in the past 4 years and has only 1 fewer save than Logan Kensing.







NATE ROBERTSON

Alright, fine. I am REALLY stretching here. But I had to acknowledge Robertson who put together a few good seasons for the Detroit. When the Marlins have one of the products of their farm system doing well in the show, I can’t afford to let it slide. Before being sent to Detroit for Mark Redman, Robertson made 5 relief appearances for the 2002 Marlins (including letting up 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning in a September 19 game against the Expos.)




TAYLOR TANKERSLEY

Another surprising homegrown pitcher from 2006, his first two seasons he was a solid middle reliever. Tankersley went 6-1 out of the pen in 2007, averaging more than a strikeout an inning. Had a miserable 2008 but young enough to provide some hope for 2009.





THE BENCH


RESERVE INFIELDER
ALEX GONZALEZ

A solid defensive infielder who hit a series tying walk off home run to end Game 4 of the 2003 World Series. Yankee fans still grumble asking why Jeff Weaver was pitching in the game. He also hit a game tying double in game 5 and made a clutch slide around Jorge Posada’s tag in game 6. An All Star in 1999 and made all the plays in the 2003 NLCS, unlike his Cubs counterpart (also named Alex Gonzalez.)





RESERVE INFIELDER
ROBERT ANDINO

Andino hit a walk off homer against the Mets last April 1. (Think the Mets wanted THAT game back at the end of the year.) The same night he hit a walk off homer in a major league game, his house was robbed. So I guess in the end it was a mediocre day for him.




RESERVE OUTFIELDER
CHRIS AGUILA

A classic Quadruple A player... he would light up AAA Albuquerque but then struggle in the bigs. But although manager Jack McKeon was impressed enough by Aguila to put him on the opening day roster he never gave him much playing time. His teammate came to Aguila's defense saying McKeon should be playing him more instead of the old guys. He wound up on the Mets... another team that notoriously overlooks young kids for veterans.

By the way, I added Aguila when I had to eliminate John Baker due to Wesley Hoffman's good eyes. More on that later.




RESERVE OUTFIELDER
RANDY WINN

Wait, WHAT? You might be asking. A quick look at the back of his baseball card shows he never played a game with the Marlins. And you’d be right. The solid if not spectacular Winn was drafted away from the Marlins farm system by the Devil Rays in the expansion draft and received a Mike Sharperson-esque All Star Selection.

But hey, if you can find a better home grown Marlins outfielder than Winn that I haven’t included, please e mail me at info@sullybaseball.com



RESERVE CATCHER
MIKE REDMAN

Never a spectacular player... hell never a starter. But provided the Marlins with a steady backup and got to play a few games in the playoffs and World Series in 2003, scoring a run in Wrigley Field. Batted over .300 three times with the Marlins and now is Joe Mauer's back up in Minnesota where he hit .341 in 2006.

Originally I had John Baker as the reserve catcher.
But Wesley Hoffman, a SF area comic corrected me. Baker was a product of the Oakland A's system.

The pickings were slim, so Redman's steady play and surprisingly high average were good enough for me.






25th MAN
ADRIAN GONZALEZ

With all the lousy first round picks in Marlin’s history (Chip Ambres? Sean West? Jeffrey Allison?) the staff at Sully Baseball felt that one of the few star players drafted by the Marlins should be saluted. Granted Gonzalez became a star with the Padres and never played a game in a Marlins uniform, but we can’t be picky!






Well there’s an expansion team’s All Time Team that, well, reads like an expansion team!

Let’s see if they did a better job trading for a team!


THE ALL TIME ACQUIRED MARLINS TEAM

STARTING CATCHER
IVAN RODRIGUEZ

He was a Marlin for one season, but WHAT a season! He hit for power, he hit for average! He almost single handedly defeated the Giants and Cubs in the playoffs and then won his lone World Series ring. Funny how his career took a nosedive when the Mitchell Report came out.





STARTING FIRST BASEMAN
CARLOS DELGADO

In 2005, his only season in Miami, Delgado had one of his best seasons. Batting .301 with 33 HR, 115 RBI and a .981 OPS, he helped the Marlins stay in contention until September. One of the good guys in the game… probably not a Hall of Famer, but a tough hitter nonetheless.




STARTING SECOND BASEMAN
DAN UGGLA

How much crap do you think he’s had to endure with that last name? Now he is a 30 homer, 90 RBI guy at second base. The Diamondbaks left him unprotected before the 2006 season. The Marlins plucked him and he’s already made 2 All Star teams. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks need some pop in their lineup. Whoops!






STARTING SHORTSTOP
HANLEY RAMIREZ

A classic example of how the Marlins stay competitive via trades. They deal off Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, both heroes from the 2003 World Series team. They become heroes for the 2007 World Champion Red Sox… but in return they get a legit MVP candidate in Hanley Ramirez. He WILL win an MVP… and then get traded… for another MVP. It’s the circle of life.





STARTING THIRD BASEMAN
MIKE LOWELL

The Marlins stole Lowell from the Yankees farm system for the equivalent of a can of Sprite. In exchange the Marlins got a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger three time All Star who hit the 11th inning game winning homer in game 1 of the 2003 NLCS. If the Yankees wanted to take his salary back, then Josh Beckett would have been in the Bronx. Instead he was shipped off to Boston. Hooray!



STARTING LEFT FIELDER
MOISES ALOU

I know Livan Hernandez won the MVP of the 1997 World Series. Anyone who watched that series knew Alou was the MVP. His 3 run shot off of Orel Hershiser gave the Marlins the lead for good in game 1 of the Series. He hit another 3 run shot off of Hershiser to give the Fish the lead in their game 5 win. And with the Marlins 3 outs from losing the World Series, Alou hit the leadoff single and scored the tying run. And later as a Cub tried to catch Luis Castillo's foul pop, but Steve Bartman had other ideas.


STARTING CENTER FIELDER
DEVON WHITE

Gave the Marlins some post season experience from his days in Toronto. And then he hit a go ahead grand slam that sunk the Giants in the 1997 Division Series.







STARTING RIGHT FIELDER
GARY SHEFFIELD

If Gary Sheffield makes the Hall of Fame (and his numbers and 6 top 10 MVP finishes makes his candidacy an interesting one) then guess what team he spent the most years with? He has a cluttered back of a baseball card… and seems to wear out his welcome no matter where he goes… but he could be the first person with the Marlins cap on his plaque. It cost the Marlins Trevor Hoffman… but if they have Hoffman, no doubt he would have blown either the 1997 or 2003 World Series… so it was a good deal.





TOP PINCH HITTER OFF OF BENCH
JEFF CONINE

Mr. Marlin! His pinch hit homer earned him the 1995 All Star Game MVP. And he is the only Marlin to play in both the 1997 and 2003 World Series. Plus he opened the Conine Clubhouse Grill in Hollywood, Florida. Go there and tell them Sully sent you!!!





THE STARTING ROTATION

KEVIN BROWN

Yankee fans grind their teeth when his name is mentioned. Red Sox fans chuckle. And Sportswriters use him as a cautionary tale for $100 million deals for pitchers. But he put up a Cy Young caliber 1996 with the Fish (17 wins and a 1.89 ERA over 233 innings.) The next year he was terrific as well, throwing a complete game victory to clinch the pennant in Atlanta. Yup, there was a time he was putting together a potential Cooperstown resume. Oh well… he has a ring and $100 million +. Tough to feel bad for him.



AL LEITER

Chucked the first no hitter in Marlins history and made a formidable 1-2 punch with Kevin Brown in 1996 that inspired the front office to go all in for 1997. Blue Jays fans still hate him for bolting for Florida.

Will be on TV for the next 50 years. Get used to him.





BRAD PENNY

Swiped from the Diamondbacks for Matt Mantei, Penny was a solid arm for the 2003. Has the strange distinction of winning Game 7 of the NLCS and then winning game 1 of the World Series. Think about how hard that is to do! He also won game 5 of the World Series. Safe to say he earned his ring.





DONTRELLE WILLIS

I was in Florida when Dontrelle was taking Miami by storm in his magical Rookie of the Year campaign. It wasn’t just that he won… it wasn’t just that seemed like a good guy who loved the game… it was that insane wind up and intensity he brought to each pitch that made it a joy to watch him throw. When he nearly won the Cy Young in 2005, he looked like a star in the making.

I’m not convinced he is washed up.


CARL PAVANO

Another pitcher whose very name induces diarrhea from Yankee fans. But like Kevin Brown, came up big for a World Series winning team. He went 2-0 in the 4 game Division Series win against the Giants and then pitched an 8 inning, 1 run gem in the Marlins Game 4 win in the World Series. Went 18-8 in 2004, a remarkable fluke season, in time for his walk year.

The Yankees bit and man oh man was that a waste of money!




THE BULLPEN

ROBB NEN

Acquired from the Rangers as a farm hand, Nen was the closer for the 1997 World Champs. He saved 35 games that year and won 9 more for good measure. Got some of the ugliest saves in the World Series that you will ever see. He could have used one more ugly save for the Giants in 2002.

Speaking of former Giants closers…



ARMANDO BENITEZ

That first sound was any Orioles fan screaming “WHAT????” Then you may have heard a few Mets fans throwing up on their keyboards. Oh wait! Did you hear that? Those were Giants fans laughing like hell and then declaring they will never read this blog again.

Sure, he took the hopes, wishes and dreams of those teams fan bases for all time.

But he put up All Star numbers in 2004 for the Marlins. And thus convinced the Giants he was worth $21 million over 3 years. WHOOPS!




TODD JONES

His career seemed dead when the Marlins took a flier on him. He responded with a 40 save, 2.10 ERA season. That netted him an additional $18 million and a trip to the World Series with the Tigers.

A pretty good flier, I would say.






BRYAN HARVEY

A pickup in the expansion draft, he saved 45 games for the first Marlin team with a 1.70 ERA. He struck out 73 and walked only 13 in 69 inings. Imagine how he would have done for a team that was better than 64-98. The Marlins almost convinced the Yankees to trade a young shortstop named Jeter for him.






UGETH URBINA

It cost the Marlins Adrian Gonzalez but Urbina clinched the Division Series and the NLCS. Oh yeah, later he was arrested for attempted murder when he chased a bunch of farmers with a machete… but he did that AFTER his time with the Marlins.






THE BENCH


RESERVE INFIELDER
DEREK LEE

Here’s another example of how the Marlins win. They sign Kevin Brown who helps them win the 97 series. They then trade Brown to the Padres for Derek Lee, who helps them win the 03 series.

The players they got for Lee didn’t win them a World Series… but the players they got for the players they got for Derek Lee might.

You following?






RESERVE INFIELDER
CRAIG COUNSELL

What must it be like to be Craig Counsell? He’s had a nice but hardly spectacular career. But he was a central figure in two game 7 winning, World Series ending rallies. He scored the World Series winning run in the 11th inning for the Marlins in 1997 and kept the rally going against Mariano Rivera in the 2001 World Series.

What I am saying is it must be kind of cool to be Craig Counsell.





RESERVE OUTFIELDER
JUAN PIERRE

He was such a pain in the @ss for the Yankees in the 2003 World Series that he prompted Steinbrenner to impulsively sign Kenny Lofton. Pierre was a terrific contributor for the World Champs but he also performed a jaw droppingly awful rap during the World Championship celebration.




RESERVE OUTFIELDER
CLIFF FLOYD

With the Marlins he was a consistent .300 hitter with a lot of power (31 homers in 2001.) When he was with the Expos he was a 4 or 5 homers a year hitter. Then he had a gruesome injury. He came back and his power skyrocketed. Then after the 2005 season, when testing began, his home run totals dropped. He’s still a solid hitter… I’m just saying.




RESERVE CATCHER
MIKE PIAZZA

With all due respect to Benito Santiago, Paul LoDuca and Greg Zaun… but Mike Piazza is a Hall of Fame catcher. Granted he was only a Marlin for 5 games and he went from being the face of the Dodgers to the face of the Mets, but he’s MIKE PIAZZA!








25th MAN
ALEX FERNANDEZ

The Miami native won 17 games and logged 220 2/3 innings for the 1997 World Champs. He was injured for the World Series but became the “Win it for him!” emotional focus of the team. Hey, it worked!


SO WHO WOULD WIN IN A HEAD TO HEAD SERIES

Why would Miguel Cabrera see a strike? The home grown team needs players who never even made it to the majors while the acquired team has a middle of the lineup with Delgado, Hanley, Alou, Sheffield and Pudge. The only hope the homegrown team would have is if Armando Benitez forgets he is pitching for the Marlins and gains his Orioles – Mets – Giants form.


VERDICT: MY GOD, THE ACQUIRED TEAM WOULD SWEEP THEM… AND THEN BE TRADED FOR MORE PLAYERS WHO WOULD SWEEP THEM AGAIN!

It’s tougher with expansion teams

CLICK HERE TO GET BACK TO HOME PAGE

That’s the Marlins
And the Yankees
And the Red Sox

27 to go

Next All Time Home Grown vs. Acquired Team: THE RANGERS