Appreciating the Florida Marlins' Brett Carroll for What He Is

Teams market their stars as the face of the team in sports since they provide revenue and wins for the organization, but managers gain appreciation for players who make the most out of their limited ability by displaying a good work ethic.

The Marlins feature plenty of those players in their roster, and those guys set a good foundation for the young stars to use that attribute along with their talent to be great players. It's easy to see why the Marlins are successful.

No one demonstrates grit and hustle more than Brett Carroll.

When Carroll plays, the Marlins can count on him to contribute.

We saw his heroics this season when he stroked pinch-hit home runs to tie the game or give the Marlins a lead.

Carroll's home run helped the Marlins tie the game against the Diamondbacks after trailing 7-4 for seven innings in July, and just a few days ago, his walk-off hit off Brad Lidge gave the Marlins a victory.

Carroll played a role in the Marlins' 9-3 victory over the Mets last night. It will not show up in the box score, but his defense tonight kept the Mets from scoring first early in the game.

The Mets hit Sean West well for most of the night, and Carroll made a sliding catch to get an out. He attempted to do another one, but he fell short as the ball went foul instead.

Caroll also raced to the infield in getting another out.

That's how a team win ballgames. A team needs some hungry players that will go to great length in making plays so that it can make a manager remember when he talks in his press conference after a loss.

The Marlins bench player gives the Marlins a spark plug they need in getting them started when it comes to rallies or in the start of the game.

The Marlins wanted a boost after Friday night's tough loss on a blown save by Marlins closer Leo Nunez. Carroll gave them that with what he did on defense.

Think of Carroll as Eric Byrnes.

They are not talented enough to be superstars, but their value on the team does not go unnoticed by educated baseball fans and baseball people.

Both of them realize their stay in the majors will not last long, so they play with a sense of urgency by running quickly enough to get on base or having a canny ability to make smart plays, whether it's with the glove or moving around the bases.

They know they need to prove themselves everyday for them to get playing time. General managers seek upgrades over their current players, so it's important for guys like Carroll and Byrnes to make an impression.

Even if they are eventually gone, they know they can latch on to another team since guys like them will come in demand. We have seen many role players like them coming off the bench over the years for different teams.

We sure love our stars especially in baseball. There's nothing like a strikeout or a home run to captivate our interest.

Too many times, role players get laughed at or mocked by fans, and that's unfair.

Teams need those type of guys to be successful. In the National League, managers will substitute a pitcher when it's his turn to bat, so guys like Carroll become valuable.

Role players know what's it like to pinch hit by being prepared and paying attention to what goes on the game. They study the opposing pitchers, and they get an idea what to expect when they bat.

This is what Carroll does, and that's why manager Fredi Gonzalez loves what he brings to the team.