by ArrylT » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:41 pm
[b:975dc768f2]AT Press: [u:975dc768f2]Opening Night![/u:975dc768f2][/b:975dc768f2]
Marlins Fans everywhere have been waiting for this moment for months. The start of a new season. Can the Montreal Marlins finally return to the playoffs after a 4 year drought? They came ever so close last season, and only a last minute collapse kept the Marlins from snaring the Wild Card.
The Marlins have reason to be optimistic - most of the core of the team remains intact, and the pitching has been upgraded. Gone is Vuckovich, who while he ate 200+ Innings, had numbers uglier than Prince Charles girlfriend. In his place comes Bill Dinneen, and fans are curious to see if it will be Lemon, Zachary or Dinneen that will be the ace of the rotation.
The Bullpen has also been upgraded, and Lefferts is no longer the sole reliever being paying over 1m. Lyle, Klinger & Riddle are quality arms that should allow Lefferts to focus more on closing games than being the anchor of the bullpen. The sole hold over, besides Lefferts, is John D'Acquisto, an inexpensive if reliable specialist.
Unfortunately the upgrades in pitching did come at some cost. The Marlins could no longer afford to hold onto Lou Gehrig and his hefty salary. Hank Greenbergs bat will also be missed, but his defensive lapses could not be tolerated in a season where there is no DH. Enos Slaughter will not be missed, and his replacement is fan favourite Jack Clark, whose bat will definitely help ease the loss of Gehrig. Orlando Cepeda, lured by the close fences, and the promise of plentiful visits to other hitter parks, adds a powerful RH bat that should also diminish the release of Greenberg.
If newcomer Bailey can have a season similar to Lance Parrishs 36 HR 94 RBI performance, and if Killebrew can demolish lefties as is his normal want, then the Marlins losses on offense will be slight indeed, and the strengthened pitching should provide dividends in close-scoring matches, especially down the stretch.
The season starts tonight - and the Marlins are ready to contend for the West Division crown!