Miller: 5 things to know | 
Miller's report
JUPITER, Fla. -- He is a walking, talking trivia question, straight out of Jeopardy! or something, lodged smack in the middle of the Florida Marlins clubhouse.
Who was the Beatles' drummer before Ringo Starr? (Pete Best.)
Who was the only man to serve as vice president and president of the U.S. who was never elected to either office? (Gerald Ford.)
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| It's been a rocky road back for current Marlin Alex Sanchez. (Getty Images) |
It is 8:30 in the morning on a steamy South Florida day, and Sanchez is already dressed, in the batting cage and sweating. He's here early every day. This time, he's working on his bunting.
From where he was sitting last August -- home in Miami after opting out of his Cincinnati contract midseason when the Reds didn't call him up to the big leagues -- this is pretty good.
Better than pretty good.
"This is beautiful," Sanchez says, beaming. "Beautiful."
He is here as a non-roster player. No guarantees. He has not played a game in the majors since 2005, shortly after the positive test threatened to blow up his career. For Sanchez, this is far from a trivial pursuit.
He has seen the end of his career, and it looks a whole lot like the second half of last season, which he spent at home, working out with his agent.
Few stories are more touching and heartwarming than those involving fresh starts and big dreams. But the problem with new starts is that the line first traces backward, not forward, and backward isn't a place where Sanchez really wants to go.
He is a warm man with a warmer smile. But the subject of his steroid suspension quickly brings in the clouds.
"You know, right now, I forgot all kinds of things about that," Sanchez says. "I don't want to talk nothing about it.
