The ViewPoint - Marlins & Orioles
April 24, 2004
Written by MadAlan

(Read archived articles here)

A look at the Florida Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles.

Florida Marlins
This is a team that is a sum of all its parts; they play baseball like they have played together for 10 years. The numbers for each player has nothing to do with the wins. Somebody comes thru and someone takes a walk, someone uses the hit-and-run to perfection. It goes on like that each day. It is a good reason why a Dontrelle Willis can happen or a Miguel Cabrera. This is a winning team with a high school attitude.

Florida Marlins Pitching
J. Beckett keeps a low Ratio/WHIP because he has never given up more hits than innings pitched. An important point to keep in mind, this season and every season all my pitchers fit that profile. He is the staff’s number-one on a team rich with young pitchers.

B. Penny won fourteen games last year and it was his first season with figures as such. This year expect twenty wins as he fulfills the Marlin confidence.

D. Willis is coming into his sophomore year. Will he or won’t he? I say 20 games and the MVP title.

C. Pavano could be an “Ace” on most any other team. Last season he hit the 200 innings mark. Having Beckett, Penny and Pavano all hit 20 wins this season is a good bet.

D. Oliver All of the pitchers mentioned above will cover Oliver’s season. It seems as if Oliver has been around forever and most every season he is bad.

M. Perisho is a left-handed pitcher, a fine example of a bad pitcher making a different roster often, all because he throws from the left side.

J. Wayne has done nothing so far to prove he belongs in the majors. The starters better plan on going deep in every game.

C. Fox has struck out 233 batters in 206 innings, giving up 176 hits with an E.R.A. of 3.28 and those are his career numbers. He breaks-down each year either often or for long stretches at a time. When healthy he is pretty good.

A. Benitez has everything needed to be quality for Florida. Benitez is a quality closer. Finishing the season with 21 saves, 73 innings, an E.R.A. of 2.86 and he gave up only 6 home runs.

Florida Marlins Hitting
J. Pierre may be the best leadoff hitter in all baseball. Expect 50-70 stolen bases and 10 homers.

J. Conine always starts slow and heats like the weather. When it is time for a hot bat after the All-Star game, here he is.

M. Cabrera has 6 home runs in his first 14 at bats this year. Enough said.

H.S. Choi keeps an all or nothing approach and it got him to the majors. Look up the words pull-hitter and see a photo of Choi. Now he is learning about the rest of the ballpark to hit in. Awesome power.

L. Castilla will need to hit a ton if he is planning on reducing his stolen bases. He has never been known as a good glove but, could be a good number two hitter, he will get contact.

A. Gonzalez hits his best before the All-Star break, then it drops some, but he will hit in the clutch all year. His defense would keep him in the line-up regardless. He has lost a step in the field.

M. Lowell has become the team’s leader and his consistency means solid numbers for us Fantasy players.

R. Castro is known for his defense but he has good power and will hit in double-digits this year in homeruns.

Baltimore Orioles
There is no question this team will hit and score runs. The pitching is Ponson and the two kids. When Ainsworth finds out you can throw it – they will hit it. You can pitch with it – they become outs; he will help plenty. Palmeiro showed last year he is a major power source still, believe it. So, we have good hitting, not too good pitching and way below average fielding for delivery to the fans of Baltimore.

Baltimore Orioles Pitching
K. Ainsworth will get hit often until he begins to pitch. With his stuff and his locationing it could happen sooner than later. Ainsworth requires a good game-calling catcher, which is not on this team; he will toil until then.

E. DoBose showed last year he has more talent then even Baltimore expected. From day one he has been a solid performer giving-up less hits than innings pitched and a low ratio, don’t expect many strikeouts.

M. Riley was once the “prime beef” of the Baltimore future. Then he had serious surgery on his shoulder. He seems to be back. The lack of control is not balanced by the hitter’s inability to hit him and until then his ratio will be high.

S. Ponson is the staff “Ace” because of last season or by time-of-service, either way he will win games by scores of 10-6 or 8-7, etc. and he should collect 18 of them.

R. Lopez is a good young starting pitcher currently being ruined by the Orioles. For a team weak in starting pitchers he is doomed – punished – by being placed in the bullpen.

R. Bauer is a better-than-average reliever, used in long relief.

B.J. Ryan is the in-house strikeout pitcher. Brought in to face a key hitter in a key situation where a strikeout is needed.

J. Julio is the closer. Last year he gathered 36 saves while he maintained a high E.R.A. and a large ratio. He requires a manager that smokes and has patience.

Baltimore Orioles Hitting
J. Lopez is not expected to hit 43 homers again but 30-35 is reachable. He will need some adjustment time to discover the difference between the pitching in the AL from the NL.

J. Gibbons arguably now, because of the acquisition of Tejada, is the best player on the team and the locker room leader. He bats fourth.

M. Tejada wants to be playing every game, every moment in the field and every at-bat. Tejada was a great hitter in a larger park then the one he is now playing in and he has protection in the batting order, which he has not had since Giambi left the A’s. Look for a big season.

M. Mora will play third this year and hit 20 homers. Will he match the .317 batting average of last year is doubtful, but the runs should be larger.

L. Bigbie is the big left-handed bat entering the regular line-up; he hit .303 last year.

B. Roberts is just 27 years old, bet he grows into a 12-15-homer guy and steals 40 bases.

R. Palmeiro will once more hit 35+ homeruns and move 125 of his teammates across home plate. I doubt he will hit .290 again so a BA of .270 is do-able.

L. Matos is not likely to hit .300 this year, he will hit 20 homeruns and make the same number of fielding errors.

D. Segui may be in the top ten best “natural” hitters in the game. Segui is in the top five in “missed games because of injuries” in all baseball.

J. Hairston, Jr. is injured at present. As soon as his bat became dangerous he became brittle. Where he plays upon his return is a question. Will he or Roberts be traded?

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