Bleacher Report - Articles by Colby Pash

A Guide to Handling Steroid Allegations

Colby Pash — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:03:19 -0400

Over the past few years, we've learned a few things about how to handle steroid allegations in baseball.

For the sake of this argument, I'll go with my gut and assume all mentioned steroid allegations are true.

What Not To Do

Deny. Don't do it.

Baseball fans are smart and our intuition can go a long way. As a professional baseball player, your entire career has been documented by statistics and photographs.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Barry Bonds appears pre-pubescent in comparison to the San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds.

Similarly, Brian Roberts' 2004 offensive production (4 HR, .273 BA) is dwarfed by his 2005 offensive production (18 HR, .314 BA). Side Bar: Do you recall the attention Roberts received early in the 2005 season? Maybe that should have been a red flag...

As observers, we cannot be certain that a player has used PEDs from either statistics or photographs. It's been documented that a hitter has his best chance to break out at 27-years-old. It's not uncommon for a ballplayer to abandon stolen bases and triples in lieu of dead-pull long balls.

But if suspicious photographs and statistics are paired with overwhelming evidence, such as an accusation in The Mitchell Report or a 50-game suspension by Major League Baseball, drug-use becomes undeniable to onlookers.

In addition, we've learned that people talk. Brian Roberts was found out by former teammate Jason Grimsley. Roger Clemens' use was confirmed by former teammate and close friend Andy Pettitte.

Recently, according to an MLB.com article, Clemens upheld his denial of steroid use. Please, alleged steroid users, don't insult our intelligence by continually denying and drawing out your allegations. Fess up. I promise, you'll sleep better at night.

What To Do

Accept and move on.

While most baseball fans are smart and intuitive, less is said about our short term memories. We tend to forgive easily and continue watching if an accused ballplayer addresses his allegations quickly and professionally.

Andy Pettitte did it. He quickly addressed his accusations by admitting and moving on. He's playing baseball today. His drug-use hasn't been forgotten and will most certainly surface again, but for the time being he has continued on with his career and with his life.

The baseball world has, in my opinion, surprisingly forgotten Brian Roberts' steroid accusation and subsequent admission. This reinforces my claim. Though he admitted to only a single steroid use, which is most likely false, baseball fans have almost completely disregarded his cheating.

Jason Giambi's acceptance is the most popular example. He didn't exactly confess to using steroids, but he did hold a press conference and confessed his shame in a plea for forgiveness. He, too, is playing baseball today and most certainly sleeping better than Barry Bonds–even with his .208 batting average.

The most important part of accepting and moving on is the sincerity of it. As an accused ballplayer, you must truly be sorry for cheating to achieve empathy from your fans. As I've said, baseball fans are intuitive.

Alex Rodriguez has been buried by the media and the fans, and I believe it's due to a lack of sincerity. A-Rod carries himself as if he's bigger than the game, and fans recognize that. And after his Details magazine photo shoot, his vanity is undeniable.

So there you have it.

There are two clear-cut endings for alleged steroid users. Choose wisely.

I'm certain there are examples that negate this theory. Please comment below.

The Oakland Athletics: The Worst Offense in the American League

Colby Pash — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:21:45 -0400

The Oakland Athletics are off to a dreadful start offensively, and their last place American League West record reflects it. Along with being last in their division, they also rank last in the American League in nearly every single offensive team statistic.

They rank last in the AL in on-base percentage, batting average, home runs, runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, hits, stolen bases, stolen base percentage, and total bases. Though, it's not for a lack of trying by the cost-efficient General Manager Billy Beane.

In the off season the Athletics acquired three-time All-Star left fielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for closer Huston Street and two others.

In an effort to live up tot he high hopes set forth by the A's faithful, Holliday sought hitting instruction from former Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals super-slugger Mark McGwire before his Athletics' debut, according to an interview by the New York Times with McGwire in March.

Still after the A's dismal season a year ago, Holliday doesn't appear to be the answer.

So far Big Mac's instruction hasn't paid off as Holliday is off to a sloth-like start hitting only .226 through 28 games, with nearly as many strikeouts (23) as hits (26), and an on-base percentage of only .282. He's also slugging a puny .383, more than 200 points lower than his .607 slugging percentage last season with Colorado.

Although Holliday leads the team in RBI with 20 (24 less than Evan Longoria, the AL leader), his dismal start seems to have set the pace for the rest of the team.

There are two bright spots in the lineup. The brightest being the performance of catcher Kurt Suzuki. His .318 batting average is leading the team and remains the only batting average on the team over the .300 benchmark. He sets the bar for the Athletics in batting average, slugging, total bases, and hits.

The other bright spot is potential saturated slugger Jack Cust. Besides having a classic baseball name, he holds down the RBI producing fifth spot in the batting order with a decent, not great, .284 batting average and team leading .402 on-base percentage, which is aided by his team leading 19 bases on balls.

That's it for good news. The rest is pretty ugly.

After 29 games, the A's offensive earns an F. It's the worst offense in the American League.

Individual player production and statistics were coupled with wins and losses to achieve this grade. The individual player grades can be found on the following page.

The individual report cards, based on offensive production after 29 games (25 minimum at-bats):

Ryan Sweeney C, quite a few hits, but as lead-off man an OBP of .313 won't cut it.
Orlando Cabrera C-, considered a decent off-season acquisition, but with an OBP of only .278 he's not cut out to remain in the two-hole. Do you see a trend here?
Jason Giambi C-, 15 percent (the league average) of all runners he sees in scoring position end up scoring, but getting runners on base for him has been a major issue. Still, his BA is only .208. Giambi is about where you'd think at 38 years old.
Matt Holliday C-, his 20 RBIs lead the team but remain way too low; BA is too low; too many Ks and only 7 BB.
Jack Cust B+, strikeouts are high but then again, it's Jack Cust. His 19 BBs make up for it.
Kurt Suzuki A, great season so far. See above for a more thorough report
Mark Ellis D+, very, very limited production in his 63 at-bats
Bobby Crosby C+, hitting .262, which looks great compared to the rest of the club. Okay production otherwise, but by no means good.
Rajai Davis D-, leads the team with 3 stolen bases. Ugly BA (.200).
Travis Buck D-, pretty bad in limited chances.
Nomar Garciaparra D, his current stint on the DL might rejuvenate his flat numbers.
Eric Chavez F, in 30 at-bats, he's the worst offensive player on the team at this point with zero runs and one RBI.
Landon Powell F, a touch better than Chavez, but still an F with limited chances.

While Kurt Suzuki is off to a career start and Jack Cust is performing where he's expected to, the rest of the team is still trying to get the pieces to fit. The offense is cold almost across the board.

Holliday has shown flashes of his capability over the past few weeks, but flashes aren't going to cut it. The Oakland Athletics need Holliday to live up to the hype in order for the team to overcome this early season hole they've found themselves in.

Even though he hasn't gotten much production from the top of his batting order, Manager Bob Geren hasn't ventured far from his opening day lineup card. He will in weeks to come. That is, if he wants to keep his job.

Dear Steroids: Thank You

Colby Pash — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:45:41 -0400

Dear Steroids,

Gee, I don't know where to begin. I suppose I could start by telling you this letter is 10 years overdue. For this, I'm sorry. But it's been tough. I've had an incredibly difficult time with this.

I guess it would be easiest to start in 1994 when I was 11 years old. I remember Ken Griffey Jr was hitting the cover off the ball. I also remember the Montreal Expos were enjoying their best season in franchise history. They had as many All-Stars as any other team! It was looking like they might even have a shot at going to the World Series.

But then, in August, the Major League Baseball Players Association went on strike due to a salary cap proposed by the MLB team owners. No World Series was played. The Expos were ruined. They were disassembled the following season and the team failed to exist another decade.

Sadly, the strike was the longest work stoppage in MLB history. Even more sadly, baseball fans, men and children alike, turned their back on baseball and all its greed.

That is, of course, until you swept us off our feet. I still remember that magical summer of 1998 when you unknowingly won me over. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were lighting up the sky with moonshot homers. Their consistency and power were incredible! Sosa even hit 20 home runs in June alone!

McGwire and Sosa were chasing Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61 and it came down to the wire.

But as you remember, McGwire did it first. He finished the 1998 season with 70 home runs! Sosa only hit 66. Ken Griffey Jr hit 56, Greg Vaughn hit 50, Albert Belle hit 49, Vinny Castilla & Jose Conseco each hit 46, and Manny Ramirez & Juan Gonzalez each hit 45.

Those numbers seem a little inflated now, but back in 1998 I didn't notice your presence. Maybe I was naive, after all, I was only 15 years old. And, Steroids, please don't take offense to this, but if I had known you were behind these numbers, I probably wouldn't have been so excited.

Actually, I probably would have gotten pretty mad. But it was so exciting! I was blinded. I believed superstars Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were doing it with their own abilities, after all, I was just a kid. And with that blind faith, I fell in love with baseball all over again. How couldn't I? What a show!

I haven't missed a headline since. I saw Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001 and I saw him break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record a few years later in 2006. Incredible! And without you, Steroids, this never would have happened.

I know, I know, you're probably not responsible for all of the power displayed over the past decade and I'm sure 1998 wasn't your first appearance in Major League Baseball. But the summer of 1998 will forever be the summer that I reciprocated my love for the game. And don't get big-headed or anything, Steroids, but it's all because of you.

For that, Steroids, I would like to thank you.

Best,

Colby Pash

Cubs and Orioles Sittin In a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Colby Pash — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:46:06 -0400

Wow. You can bet Jim Hendry has Andy MacPhail on speed dial.

Baseball executives Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail of the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles, respectively, sure love swapping players. Over the last four seasons it's been a free for all.

Dating back to the trade of Sammy Sosa to the Orioles about four years ago, the Cubs and Orioles have made seven moves involving 19 players. At the rate these teams are trading players they might as well merge their two farm systems into one.

All of this trade activity can be accredited to the relationship Cubs' General Manager Jim Hendry and Orioles' President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail developed working together in the front office of the Chicago Cubs from 1995 until 2006. It's not only what you know, but who you know.

Most recently, the Cubs have moved speedster Joey Gathright to the Orioles for super-utility player Ryan Freel. The move was in the works early on Friday, May 8th and may have been expedited by Chicago upon the dislocated shoulder of slugging third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

Additionally, for the past year or more the Cubs have been rumored to be seeking a trade for Orioles switch-hitting second baseman Brian Roberts. However, Roberts and the Orioles agreed to a four-year, $44 million deal with a limited trade clause in February.

However, if the Cubs need to make a move down the stretch and the Orioles are sitting in the cellar, don't expect another transaction between these two teams. The Orioles appear to be tapped out of dispensable talent that could help Chicago down the stretch.

Below is a trade log dating back to the Sosa deal in 2005. You will notice quite a few recognizable names, and considering the number of obscure moves made in baseball, many of these trades can be considered crucial.

5/8/2009 Cubs trade OF Joey Gathright to Orioles for INF/OF Ryan Freel
2/2/2009 Cubs trade SP Rich Hill to Orioles for a player to be named later
1/18/2009 Cubs trade OF Felix Pie to Orioles for LHP Garrett Olson and RHP Henry Williamson
8/31/2007 Cubs trade RHP Rocky Cherry and INF Scott Moore to Orioles for Steve Trachsel
12/6/2006 Cubs trade INF/OF Freddie Bynum to Orioles for RHP Kevin Hart
1/9/2006 Cubs trade OF Corey Patterson to Orioles for SS Nate Spears and LHP Carlos Perez
2/2/2005 Cubs trade Sammy Sosa and cash considerations to Orioles for INF/OF Jerry Hairston, INF Mike Fontenot, and RHP Dave Crouthers

Neither team can really be considered the beneficiary of these dealings, but it might be argued that the Cubs have a slight edge. What do you think?

The All-Hustle Team

Colby Pash — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:48:18 -0400

You gotta love hustle. In spring ball when the kid wearing jersey #62 sprints to first base after drawing a walk. The fielder who, with no regard for his own safety, goes headstrong into the camera well for a foul ball. The ballplayer who forgoes the home run trot, just in case he didn't get all of it, and turns a double off the wall into a triple. I've gone through current MLB rosters to put together a team of those hard-nosed hustlers that you can't help but respect. The lineup contains many utility players, so many positions are interchangeable. I got this idea while reading Bleacher Report's own Paul Swaney's piece titled A Baseball Team Everyone Can Root For. When I got to thinking of the ballplayers I root for most, I came up with a collection of blue-collar types that bust their humps day in and day out, not to make the highlight reel, but to get the W.

Begin Slideshow

Bits & Pieces on Performance Enhancing Drugs in Baseball

Colby Pash — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:05:47 -0400

Baseball is a game. And in games, people cheat. They always have. It happened when you were a kid and, even though they are adults, it happens today in sports. With 750 active players in baseball, there will always be someone cheating. People want to win and some will go to extremes to do so.

This isn’t the first instance of cheating in baseball. Pitchers, most recently Francisco Rodriguez, have doctored baseballs. Sammy Sosa, Albert Belle, and others have corked baseball bats. Teams and players, allegedly including Ty Cobb, have fixed baseball games.

Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) create wins. With the number of close games in baseball, it can be assumed that over the course of a 162-game season PEDs will create wins for a club and potentially put an average team in a division race, improving sales across the board. Of course the Texas Rangers, one of the most notoriously injected ball clubs, have been bad for years despite this. That can be chalked up to horrendous pitching.

Big names get smaller: Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, and most recently, Manny Ramirez. And he won’t be the last. We have to be honest about this. We, baseball fans, are surprised time and time again when a superstar falls from grace. It will never end, ever.

Players will always seek an edge on their competitors. I won’t say players are the victims, but they definitely are not the root of this epidemic. It's larger than the players. The question that jumps to mind is, will science stay ahead of the MLB drug testing policy? The way things are going now, I believe it will. MLB tends to let capitol hill take the bulk responsibility in prosecuting players. For a player, a 50-game suspension is a risk worth taking when millions of dollars are at stake.

I grew up watching injected men play a game. That is fact. The worst part of it all is that an entire era, the entire span of my baseball fandom, is littered with uncertainty. I’d love to live the rest of my life knowing that Ken Griffey Jr’s incredible talent was the result of inherit skill, achieved knowledge, and the perfect swing. But I can’t. I can’t justify thinking he, or anyone else, played a clean career. It’s utterly absurd to take away the accomplishments of anyone playing the game of baseball today, but in this case a few bad apples have spoiled the bunch.

History won’t be kind to this era of baseball. But is this the end of an era, or just the beginning? There will always be peddlers like Greg Anderson and Brian McNamee looking to capitalize on others’ vulnerabilities. Do PEDs have a permanent home in baseball, and if so, how does MLB adjust? The numbers are skewed to oblivion and an asterisk can’t be applied to every record post-dating 1998, right? So what can the baseball society do? Perhaps this is only the beginning of a complete overhaul of the sport, shifting from the sacred historical numbers to the now numbers, the fantasy numbers, and the immediate productivity of a player.

There will always be question. Always. It’s impossible for any of us to know if our childhood heroes were playing with clean blood. Before this tainted era of baseball, superstars weren’t so common. Now we can find superstars in every division.

The contracts in baseball grew exponentially. Owners expected results. Players needed to produce. It’s a slippery slope. And even in this economy it’s certain to continue. Free agency won’t be going away and top talent will continually go to the highest bidder, and subsequently be pressured to perform at an incredible level.

PEDs won’t make Todd from Jiffy Lube into Josh Hamilton. But they will make an average player better and a good player great. They won’t add 40 feet to a long ball, but they’ll improve production, consistency, and extend a career.

I’ve got my rally hat on. Regardless of how this plays out, I’m in it for the long haul. It’s not too late to restore the integrity of baseball but it’s not going to come easily. Perhaps at the conclusion of the 2012 season, when Bud Selig retires, baseball will experience a reformation. Perhaps the new commissioner, whoever they may be, will evaluate the game and make the appropriate changes. Undoubtedly, baseball will adapt and evolve, for better or worse, as it has with all of its obstacles throughout it’s history.

Poll: Len & Bob or Chip & Steve?

Colby Pash — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:37:37 -0400

Alright, Cubs fans. Len Kasper and Bob Brenly have been with WGN-TV and Comcast SportsNet since 2005. After three years you know them as well as you ever will, so are they better than Chip Caray and Steve Stone?

I can't decide for myself, but here is a summary of what I think.

I could hardly tolerate Brenly when he and Kasper originally manned the booth. He mentioned his World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks entirely too much. I mean, come on Brenly, aren't you aware of the lengthy World Series drought of Chicago's beloved Cubs?

These days, I absolutely love the on-field baseball knowledge Brenly brings to the booth. On the same note, I always enjoyed Stone's breakdowns and analysis. It was more in the baseball operations vein, and I remember speaking to Cubs fans that convinced me there was an underground movement brewing to elect Steve Stone the team's General Manager.

Kasper brings some youth to the booth and he's shockingly hip. For some reason, I'm always surprised when he drops baseball knowledge. I guess he just doesn't look like the part. To be honest, Caray, though a legacy and a fine broadcaster, never quite did it for me. I didn't mind seeing him go.

I realize there could be pages and pages written on the sticky departure of Caray and Stone, but I'll leave that to someone else. I also understand there are many more tandems to man the mic other than these two, including Ron Santo and, the amazingly tolerant, Pat Hughes.

I'll leave these topics to the comments.

I'm just curious, which pair do Cubs fans prefer?

Mike Fontenot: Power Hitter (Against Righties)

Colby Pash — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:04:06 -0400

"Mighty" Mike Fontenot is listed at 5'8", 170 lbs., but he plays much larger...against right-handed pitchers. The slugger is second on the team with five home runs, trailing only Alfonso Soriano's seven. All of Fontenot's homers have come off right-handed pitching.

In fact, all of Fontenot's hits this season, save one, have come off right-handed pitching. Similarly, all of Fontenot's 17 career home runs, save one, have come off right-handed pitching. Do you see a theme here?

Fontenot cannot hit left-handed pitching.

He's currently batting .295 against righties and a minuscule .071 against lefties. It's not uncommon for a left-handed batter to struggle against left-handed pitching, but considering Aaron Miles is a backup with a .300 average against lefties, this is absurd. Why doesn't Miles get more looks against left-handed pitching?

Aside from Mike Fontenot's great offensive start, he's been error-free in 2009 at second base and while filling in for the injured Aramis Ramirez at third. Currently, Fontenot's offensive numbers among second basemen are where no one would have guessed:

Top five in the NL: home runs (third), RBI (fouth), and walks (fifth)

Top 10 in the NL: total bases (sixth), runs (seventh), slugging (eighth), hits (ninth), and on-base percentage (ninth)

Not bad, considering he only hits right-handed pitchers and his National League competition includes Chase Utley, Brandon Phillips, Dan Uggla, and Orlando Hudson.

Zambrano Leaves Game Early With Leg Injury

Colby Pash — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:01:50 -0400

Carlos Zambrano left Sunday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a left leg injury after beating out a bunt.

The pitcher left the game in a 2-2 tie against the Florida Marlins. Initially, the pitcher discussed the leg injury with first base coach Matt Sinatro and stayed in the game. A pitch later, manager Lou Piniella further investigated the injury, and Zambrano left the game for pinch runner, and starting pitcher, Rich Harden due to a short bench. Angel Guzman took over the following inning.

The pitcher left the game in a tie, but after a grand slam by first baseman Derrek Lee, he remained elibilble for the win.

It is unclear the severity of the injury, although Zambrano appeared to be in little pain.

Haren Consistently Outstanding, No Surprise

Colby Pash — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:09:34 -0400

On Saturday, May 2nd Dan Haren could have struck out a tee-ball hitter, looking. He was on. Locked in. In fact, Haren has been on and locked in for every single start this season, though his 3-3 record leads you to believe differently.

In Haren's three losses, he's allowed only four runs on 12 hits while striking out 17 batters in 19 innings. His shortest start this season has been 6 innings, he's thrown a complete game and averages more than seven innings per start.

On the young season Haren leads the National League in strikeouts, innings pitched, and complete games, while trailing only Johan Santana for the NL's best ERA with 1.47. He averages under 14 pitches per inning and under four pitches per batter faced. Incredible.

The season is young, but I'm beginning to believe Dan Haren is the best pitcher in baseball. Since 2005 as a starter, Haren has averaged 14.75 wins and 33.75 game starts per season, while pitching over 200 innings each year. In each of these last four complete seasons his strikeout totals have increased, with a career high 206 Ks a year ago.

He's one of the most consistent pitchers in the game and he's not even the No. 1 starter on his own team. It's only a matter of time (and health) before Dan Haren adds his own Cy Young Award to the Diamondbacks' ridiculous collection, accumulating five over the last 10 seasons.

Expect Big Offensive Numbers From Zambrano Today

Colby Pash — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:03:07 -0400

I won't make a habit of predicting performances or game outcomes in sports, especially when it comes to pitchers at the plate. But this seems too obvious. Carlos Zambrano is set to go off.

This week he's likely gotten more at-bats than he's had in a single week throughout his career. In his last start, he was an offensive highlight as he flirted with becoming the first pitcher to ever hit for the cycle. Since then, he's hit .333 with a pinch hit chance in three consecutive games due to a shortened Cubs bench. Cubs' Nation knows he's raring to go.

I'm not saying he's worthy of batting cleanup, but Zambrano might be as comfortable at the bat as he's been in his entire career. And with Ricky Nolasco underperforming this season, look for Zambrano to come up big at the plate today.

Mohawk Means More At-Bats for Carlos Zambrano

Colby Pash — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:43:51 -0400

Every Cubs fan knows it's a spectacle to see Carlos Zambrano take his hacks at the plate. And it's not uncommon for manager Lou Piniella to leave Zambrano in the game to bat before pulling him for a relief pitcher in the following inning.

While Zambrano is exciting to watch at the plate with his big home runs and bigger emotions (breaking the bat over his knee after a strikeout, while Larry Rothschild certainly cringes), he has been downright awful in pinch hit situations. That is, until the mohawk.

A week ago, Zambrano was a triple shy of the cycle. Granted, the triple is the most difficult spoke of the cycle to achieve, but Zambrano has run 270 feet before. And if I remember correctly, he slid into the third base with the grace of a lumberjack, again to Larry Rothschild's chagrin.

Not long after his cycle-try, he broke his career pinch hitting slump (1-14) by singling with two outs in the eighth inning against the Marlins on Thursday. This hit, which I attribute to his mohawk, likely extended his pinch hitting career, as he was used in a RBI situation the following day when he flied out to left-center field.

Carlos Marmol Settles Into Set-Up Man Role, Again.

Colby Pash — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:11:57 -0400

Cubs' Nation has high hopes that reliever and All-Star Carlos Marmol has gotten his 'stuff' back. Marmol's documented early-season struggles on the mound can easily be blamed on the World Baseball Classic.

He might has well be the poster boy for WBC-related slow starts. It can be said that his mechanics have lost their polish by missing coveted spring game experiences and opportunities to workout any bugs in his delivery. His arm slot has dropped a few inches from since last season.

But... what if he's just off to a slow start? His strikeout numbers are down (10 K in 10 IP), his walk numbers are up (11 BB in 10 IP), and he's already hit 3 batsman. But it hasn't been uncommon for Carlos Marmol to be a touch wild before settling into a dominant role in the mid-season.

And let's be honest with ourselves, Cubs Nation, Carlos Marmol is not a big issue with the team right now. Geovany Soto is off to a horrible start, but hopefully starting to emerge and Milton Bradley is having similar issues.

So far Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, the Cajun Connection (Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot) and Carlos Zambrano's mo-hawk have been enough to carry the team's early struggles and save them from destitution.

There is still plenty of time for Carlos Marmol. Kevin Gregg hasn't been too impressive, but he's filling the insurance role he was brought in to fill. Let's face it, he got the save spot by default.

If Marmol gets locked in and Gregg begins to struggle, Lou won't hesitate (too long, anyway) to re-assign the closer role.

Florida Marlins to Pursue Identity in 2012

Colby Pash — Sat, 02 May 2009 11:31:03 -0400

In 2012, the Florida Marlins are scheduled to begin play in a new half-billion dollar ballpark, tentatively called Marlins Ballpark. Along with the new ballpark, the Florida Marlins will introduce a new team name: The Miami Marlins. This is good, and I’ll tell you why.

Miami somehow struggles to support a baseball team, even with two World Series Championships in a 15-year existence. Wrigley Field routinely, I’m certain, draws larger crowds for pregame BP sessions.

Right now the Marlins play in a football stadium, but that can’t be used as the reason for the poor attendance. The World Baseball Classic (or my preferred, more accurate title World Baseball Championships) revealed the Miami fan's potential to support baseball.

The attendance for the Puerto Rico vs. Venezuela quarter-finale was intense. This is a larger stage worldwide, but not in the United States. The USA had stunted support while playing in Miami compared to the Latin teams.

The problem with getting fans to the ballpark isn’t the ballpark (football stadium) itself. The problem is the team name “Florida Marlins.” It gives no credit the dense Latin culture in Miami. The team does not belong to the state of Florida, it belongs to the city of Miami and there is no sense of this.

The culture in Miami is different from the culture anywhere else in the United States. The Marlins as a fan-base do not have an identity, which is a shame because Miami most certainly does. The new team name, Miami Marlins, will do incredible things for the closeted baseball fans in Miami.

The fans can wear ‘Miami’ across their chests with pride. We can only hope that as a society full of nincompoop jersey-wearing adults, the Marlins fans will limit jersey-wearing to the new Marlins Ballpark, but I doubt we'll be so lucky.

While the main problem isn’t the stadium, it can’t go unsaid how much the retractable roof will help attendance by combatting the hot Miami sun and tropical rains. This retractable roof will make baseball games more enjoyable to watch, unlike the games played in Tampa Bay, where the Rays absurdly play in a Floridian dome.

Perhaps the Marlins can finally embrace the culture of Miami instead of having such ballpark promotions as Lawyer Appreciation Night. Yup, it’s a real thing.

And 2009 marks the fifth consecutive year of it. I think maybe Lawyer Appreciation Night should be discontinued upon cutting the ribbon to the new Marlins Ballpark. But that’s just one man’s opinion.