| Power Rankings |
| Date | Ranking | Previous |
| 07/07/2009 | 18 | 19 |
| They went 17-11 in June. Ricky Nolasco is once again pitching like a person who lists "pitcher" on the employment line of his tax forms. These two statements are not unrelated ... They've become the default choice to make the playoffs, for no other reason than they won a World Series in both 1997 and 2003 (and thus 2009 should be next). If this happens -- and it won't -- it'll be because Cameron Maybin returns from the minors and establishes himself as the force we all expect him to be ... I'm also listing Andrew Miller high on my list of potential second-half breakouts. In recent starts, he has looked considerably more refined; he's shed that giraffe-with-slider awkwardness of his first 15 or so starts. |
| 06/30/2009 | 19 | 20 |
| Finally! More games against the Nationals! To recap: the Marlins are 7-0 against the Nats and 32-39 against everybody else, which substantially curbs my enthusiasm about their overall body of work ... The send-him-to-the-minors-and-see-if-he-enjoys-the-five-hour-road-trips-to-Tuscaloosa tactic seems to have worked quite well with Ricky Nolasco. Could any of the other young pitchers benefit from a similar attitudinal booster shot? I'm looking at you, Mr. Chris 15-Homers-Allowed-In-95-Innings Volstad. |
| 06/23/2009 | 20 | 19 |
| Josh Johnson has been the best pitcher in baseball over the last year. Nobody has noticed. Do the Marlins have a communications department? |
| 06/16/2009 | 19 | 21 |
| As Hanley Ramirez returns to Boston for the first time since the Sox dealt him away, it's worth asking: Has there ever been a trade that worked out so well for both parties? The Marlins received a young (and cost-controlled) superstar and the Red Sox received two veteran parts (Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell) who contributed in a major way to the 2007 title run. Everybody won ... It only took the Marlins two months to identify Emilio Bonifacio's quick start as a Nationals-induced fluke and demote him in the batting order. Better late than never, I guess. |
| 06/09/2009 | 21 | 23 |
| Note to Fredi Gonzalez: You can't make a closer controversy go away merely by proclaiming, "We do not have a closer controversy." Until Matt Lindstrom throws a clean inning, the question will linger in the air like a stale fart. ... The team and town announced they will break ground on a new stadium come mid-July. Given that negotiations on the new joint have spanned 14 years and six mayoral administrations, let's take this as a mere advisory until shovel hits dirt. |
| 06/02/2009 | 23 | 25 |
| They got solid pitching in New York but still lost two of three. A team that aspires to mediocrity can't waste outings like that. ... Matt Lindstrom throws clean innings as often as donkeys introduce legislation, but there's no harm leaving him in the closer role during what promises to be a throwaway season. |
| 05/26/2009 | 25 | 20 |
| Only 32 days until they play the Nationals again. Yay! ... Talk about tough love: Even on a team with minimal pitching depth, Ricky Nolasco apparently did or said something so unforgivable as to earn a demotion to the minors. There's no defending his recent performance, but that solution seems on the extreme side. |
| 05/19/2009 | 20 | 20 |
| Great work by the Florida team doc, or whoever it was who offered the assessment that Josh Johnson's arm "may or may not be healthy." That's the kind of specificity his roto owners were craving. ... I sure hope Joe Torre sent Scott Proctor a "no hard feelings!" card when the pitching elbow of the every-day righty finally, inevitably succumbed to years of abuse at his hands. |
| 05/12/2009 | 20 | 11 |
| Good against the Nationals, bad against everybody else ... Here's my strategy for neutralizing the offense: walk Hanley Ramirez and throw breaking crap outside the strike zone to everybody else. These hitters just can't help themselves ... The name "LandShark Stadium" is bad enough; the puns ("Marlins snatch victory from the 'Jaws' of defeat!") will be even worse. Brace yourself. |
| 05/05/2009 | 11 | 12 |
| The team's pitchers surrendered three grand slams in the last week, including blasts by feared offensive mercenaries Ryan "Pecs" Theriot and Omir "The Ominator" Santos ... Ricky Nolasco's sudden inability to pitch into the seventh inning suggests that his arm may be something less than okay. |
