Florida Marlins Dynasty (1998- )

[jetsfan287]

After the 1997 season, which ended with the wild-card Florida Marlins winning the World Series, becoming the fastest team to win the Series. In the following offseason, the Marlins lost most of the key players to the championship teams. 1B Jeff Conine, LF Moises Alou, CF Devon White, each of the 5 pitchers that racked up the most innings for the team, including Kevin Brown and Al Leiter, and also closer Robb Nen.

It was one of the most eventful offseasons ever, and most people consider it one of the worst, even though Florida cut most of the payroll and got valuable prospects in return.

That is were we enter this dynasty. Florida went for the best team in the league to possibly one of the worst in the NL. Now we take a look at the financial situation.

--Finacials------------------------------------------
------------------------Income-----------------------
| Tickets.....................$13.00 ($14.16) |
| Hot Dogs......................$2.75 (-15%) |
| Beer.............................$3.50 (-26%) |
| Ice Cream.....................$2.00 (-20%) |
| Broadcast..................Local Blackout |
----------------------Expenses----------------------
| Farm System.........$2,000,000 (10th) |
| Scouting................$2,000,000 (11th) |
| Medical Staff..........$1,000,000 (13th) |
| Player Salaries.....$13,339,728 (29th) |
---------------------Projections---------------------
| Revenue........................$19,114,623 |
| Expenses......................$18,339,858 |
| Cash at Year End............$3,124,765 |
---------------------------------------------------------

Now for the transactions:

--Transactions--------------------------------------------
NYY gets: 3B Bobby Bonilla (84/84), 1B Kevin Millar (77/85), P Nate Bump (62/77)
FLA gets: P Brandon Claussen (49/83), LF Marcus Thames (66/93)

Analysis: The main purpose of this trade was to get rid of Bonilla's large contract. At first we were reluctant to give up Millar but he probably would have ended up being blocked behind Derrek Lee anyway. Claussen can work his way into the rotation in 2 or 3 years, and Thames probably has the largest upside of any Marlins prospect.

ATL gets: LF Jim Eisenreich (74/74), P Chris Hammond (77/77), P Kirt Ojala (69/69), C Randy Knorr (71/71)
FLA gets: P Horacio Ramirez (64/92)

Analysis: Another payroll burner. Eisenreich and Hammond both had salaries over 1 million a year and both were on the decline. Ramirez has yet to throw a ball in the pro game but he will already be in the majors for opening day.

MIN gets: P Nate Teut (47/65), P Tommy Phelps (58/68), P Andy Larkin (66/69), P Rob Stanifer (69/69)
FLA gets: P La Troy Hawkins (71/71)

Analysis: After looking over the rotation, I saw we need serious help with the pitching staff. Hawkins will make his way into the middle of the rotation. The way our scouts see it, Hawkins is better now than any of the pitchers we gave up will be in their primes.

Up Next: Rosters

[jetsfan287]

Lineup:
1. 2B Luis Castillo (76/88)
2. SS Edgar Renteria (81/94)
3. LF Cliff Floyd (86/86)
4. RF Gary Sheffield (94/94)
5. C Charles Johnson (84/84)
6. 1B Derrek Lee (77/90)
7. CF Mark Kotsay (73/90)
8. 3B Josh Booty (60/72)
9. (pitcher)

Rotation:
1. Livan Hernandez (83/91)
2. Ryan Dempster (74/91)
3. La Troy Hawkins (71/71)
4. Horacio Ramirez (64/92)
5. Joe Fontenot (62/73)

CL-Matt Mantei (86/91)
SU-Jay Powell (81/82)
SH-Felix Heredia (80/86)
MI-Donn Pall (75/75)
LO-Antonio Alfonseca (75/78)
ALT-Vic Darensbourg (75/78)

Analysis:
The lineup looks fine, with plenty of young promising talent. The only real hole here is at the Hot Corner. Josh Booty could be good in the future, but he is simply not ready. Florida will avidly be looking for a replacement

The bottom of the rotation is pretty weak. La Troy Hawkins belongs as a #5 starter on any team (at least for now), he definately should not be a #3. The bottom of the rotation features 2 pitchers who have never seen major league action, which could be a disaster. The bullpen looks fine with some depth in the minors

Up Next: The 1998 season begins!

[jetsfan287]

---------------------April---------------------
Record:..................... 9-15 (.375)
Pythagorean:............. 7-17 (.292)
Team Batting:..................... .283
Team ERA:........................ 6.19
Runs Scored:...................... 106
Runs Allowed:..................... 158
Cash:...................... $4,958,440

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:....... Ryan Dempster (5.53)
Wins:.............. Felix Heredia (3)
Saves:............... Matt Mantei (3)
Average:......... Josh Booty (.321)
Homers: ......Charles Johnson (5)
Steals:............ Gary Sheffield (7)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield ...............319/.410/.560.....5HR
Worst Hitter: Cliff Floyd....................205/.290/.337.....2HR
Best Prospect: Chris Aguilera (A).....341/.412/.560.....3HR

Best Pitcher: Felix Heredia ...................22.2 IP....3.97 ERA....12 K
Worst Pitcher: Vic Darensbourg ..........11.2 IP....12.34 ERA....15 K
Best Prospect: Manuel Barrios (AA).......17.1 IP....3.12 ERA....13 K

The beginning of the season was average at best. 9-15 was good enough to keep us out of last in the NL East, but thats not exactly a good thing to be proud of. We have a weak rotation and it shows with the 6.19 team ERA, but thankfully the .283 team average is keeping that in shape. Turns out we are probably going to make more money than we originally projected. Our lineup looks fine, especially Gary Sheffield, with his .970 OPS. Cliff Floyd is off to a slow start but its too early to think anything of it. Its hard to think of anything good to say about this pitching staff so I wont.

---------------------May---------------------
Record:................... 27-25 (.519)
Pythagorean:........... 22-30 (.423)
Team Batting:..................... .272
Team ERA:........................ 4.60
Runs Scored:...................... 224
Runs Allowed:..................... 261
Cash:....................... $7,863,842

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (5.53)
Wins:.................. Jay Powell (5)
Saves:............. Matt Mantei (10)
Average:..... Gary Sheffield (.319)
Homers: ....Charles Johnson (10)
Steals:......... Edgar Renteria (13)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield ...............319/.427/.529.....9HR
Worst Hitter: Josh Booty..................254/.306/.298.....1HR
Best Prospect: Chris Aguilera (A)......351/.431/.480.....4HR

Best Pitcher: Matt Mantei ......................32.1 IP....2.51 ERA....10 SV
Worst Pitcher: Vic Darensbourg ................16.0 IP....9.00 ERA....19 K
Best Prospect: Franklyn Gracesqui (A).......25.1 IP....3.55 ERA....10 K

My God, this team actually has a winning record. It might not last though, since our Pythagorean record shows that we have been pretty lucky. The team ERA took a nice plummet to 4.60 which is obviously the reason for our success. I guess I should fire some of idiots we have down in Accounting because we are making alot more money than expected. Gary Sheffield continues to tear it up, but meanwhile Thirdbaseman Josh Booty dropped from a team leading .321 average to .254 in one month. The trade pot could be brewing.

---------------------June---------------------
Record:................... 41-38 (.519)
Pythagorean:........... 38-41 (.481)
Team Batting:..................... .271
Team ERA:........................ 4.50
Runs Scored:...................... 374
Runs Allowed:..................... 388
Cash:..................... $12,460,278

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.86)
Wins:.......... La Troy Hawkins (8)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (15)
Average:..... Gary Sheffield (.309)
Homers: ........Gary Sheffield (17)
Steals:............. Luis Castillo (16)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield ...............309/.427/.542.....17HR
Worst Hitter: Josh Booty..................237/.306/.282.......1HR
Best Prospect: Ryan Jackson (R)......337/.404/.572.....10HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins ................121.1 IP....3.86 ERA....87 K
Worst Pitcher: Horacio Ramirez ................90.1 IP....5.98 ERA....63 K
Best Prospect: Franklyn Gracesqui (A).......33.2 IP....4.01 ERA....14 K

Turns out the trade for La Troy Hawkins is leaning in our favor. Hawkins has a 3.86 ERA and has an 8-3 record. We have maintained the winning record but it looks like we are still getting lucky. The team ERA continues to slowly drop, partly due to the contribution of the bullpen, with Matt Mantei, Jay Powell, and Felix Heredia, all with ERAs under 3.00 and a combined 15-5 record between the 3. Unfortunately, another starter acquired from a trade, Horacio Ramirez, is not having the same success as Hawkins. With a 5.98 ERA and opponents batting .321, Horacio could soon find his way in the bullpen or even AAA.

Trade
NYY gets:
3B Josh Booty (60/72)
RF John Wehner (70/70)
C Matt Treanor (59/75)
$1 Million Cash

FLA gets:
3B Mike Lowell (71/82)

Up Next: All-Star Break and Rest of Season

[jetsfan287]

At the All-Star Break


Name P Avg OBP SLG HR SB
Luis Castillo 2B .289 .381 .336 0 20
Edgar Renteria SS .283 .329 .389 9 17
Cliff Floyd LF .281 .365 .482 16 3
Gary Sheffield RF .309 .435 .528 17 15
Charles Johnson C .270 .350 .473 16 0
Derrek Lee 1B .268 .352 .425 9 5
Mark Kotsay CF .266 .324 .350 3 10
Mike Lowell 3B .211 .262 .225 0 0

Name ERA IP K BB W L S
Livan Hernandez 4.75 96.2 68 26 4 8 0
Ryan Dempster 5.03 111.0 87 47 7 8 0
La Troy Hawkins 3.54 137.1 95 30 9 4 0
Horacio Ramirez 5.47 105.1 80 41 3 8 0
Joe Fontenot 5.26 75.1 52 20 4 6 0
Matt Mantei 2.45 47.2 60 28 4 1 17
Jay Powell 2.79 61.1 44 33 8 1 0
Felix Heredia 3.17 59.2 43 22 5 3 0
Donn Pall 4.79 35.2 23 8 1 1 1
Antonio Alfonseca 5.57 42.0 34 14 0 1 0
Vic Darensbourg 7.42 30.1 30 15 0 3 0

Leaders

Avg..........Manny Ramirez (.375)
OBP........Barry Bonds (.507)
SLG.........Manny Ramirez (.729)
OPS........Manny Ramirez (1.204)
HR...........Rafael Palmeiro (35)
RBI..........Tino Martinez (98)
SB..........Delino DeShields (30)

ERA........Andy Ashby (1.89)
IP...........La Troy Hawkins (137.1)
SV..........Mariano Rivera (28)
CG..........Andy Ashby (5)
SO..........Kevin Brown (4)
K............David Cone (132)
W...........David Cone (12)

[jetsfan287]

1998 Home Run Showdown

FIRST ROUND (10 outs)

PLAYER HOMERS
Sammy Sosa (CHC) 11
Mark McGwire (STL) 11
Barry Bonds (SFG) 8
Jim Edmonds (ANA) 8
Ken Griffey Jr. (SEA) 7
Mike Piazza (LAD) 7
Gary Sheffield (FLA) 6
Albert Belle (CHW) 5
Rafael Palmeiro (BAL) 5
Carlos Delgado (TOR) 4

SECOND ROUND (5 outs)

PLAYER HOMERS
Mark McGwire (STL) 6
Sammy Sosa (CHC) 5
Barry Bonds (SFG) 4
Jim Edmonds (ANA) 2

FINAL ROUND (5 outs)

PLAYER HOMERS
MARK MCGWIRE (STL) 6
Sammy Sosa (CHC) 3

WINNER: Mark McGwire






American League All Stars at National League All Stars
July 13, 1998

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
All Stars (AL) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 13 0
All Stars (NL) 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 0 x 8 14 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
D. Jeter (SS) 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .323
A. Belle (CF) 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .359
M. Ramirez (LF) 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .375
J. Gonzalez (RF) 5 4 0 2 1 3 1 0 .367
R. Palmeiro (1B) 4 1 1 1 1 2 3 0 .321
J. Kent (2B) 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 .298
I. Rodriguez (C) 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .366
J. Randa (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .368
P. Sorrento (PH) 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .301
P. Assenmacher (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
J. Conine (PH) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .364
T. Walker (PH) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .287
K. Mitchell (PH) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .349
K. Griffey Jr. (PH) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .311
A. Ashby (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182
M. Rivera (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
A. Benitez (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
M. Jackson (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
J. Orosco (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
D. Eckersley (P) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
TOTALS 40 13 5 5 2 5 8 0

2B: A. Belle
HR: R. Palmeiro, J. Gonzalez

ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
P. Assenmacher 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 2.44
M. Rivera 2.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 33 1.13
A. Benitez 1.0 1 2 0 1 1 3 31 1.43
A. Ashby 2.0 4 2 0 2 2 1 46 1.89
M. Jackson 0.2 3 0 2 3 3 1 23 4.24
J. Orosco 0.1 3 0 0 2 2 0 15 1.72
D. Eckersley 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 19 5.09
TOTALS 8.0 14 5 2 8 8 6 184

NATIONAL LEAGUE ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
J. Bagwell (1B) 5 2 0 0 0 3 2 0 .284
A. Jones (LF) 3 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 .341
M. Piazza (C) 5 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 .350
B. Bonds (RF) 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .305
C. Jones (3B) 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 .346
R. Klesko (CF) 4 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 .323
T. Batista (SS) 4 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 .279
B. Boone (2B) 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .331
J. Franco (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
E. Burks (PH) 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .290
G. Sheffield (PH) 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 .309
J. Burnitz (PH) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281
S. Rolen (PH) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285
J. Schmidt (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .128
G. Maddux (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .270
J. Wetteland (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
T. Stottlemyre (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .094
M. Mantei (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
T. Borland (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
TOTALS 36 14 5 8 2 8 6 0

2B: J. Bagwell
HR: M. Piazza, T. Batista

ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
J. Franco 1.0 3 1 1 3 3 2 31 1.70
J. Wetteland 2.0 1 1 0 0 0 2 38 2.06
J. Schmidt 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 20 2.76
G. Maddux 2.0 3 0 0 0 0 1 33 2.17
M. Mantei 1.0 2 1 0 0 0 2 26 2.45
T. Borland 1.0 2 1 1 2 2 0 24 1.82
T. Stottlemyre 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 1 23 3.48
TOTALS 9.0 13 5 2 5 5 8 195

WP: M. Mantei
LP: M. Jackson
SV: T. Stottlemyre

Attendance: 50,200
Time: 3:44


Matt Mantei and Gary Sheffield were the All-Stars from my Marlins. Mantei represented his team well, picking up the win and Sheffield had a walk in his only plate appearance.

[jetsfan287]

---------------------July---------------------
Record:.................... 50-56 (.472)
Pythagorean:............ 49-57 (.462)
Team Batting:...................... .265
Team ERA:......................... 4.45
Runs Scored:....................... 481
Runs Allowed:...................... 519
Cash:...................... $15,107,709

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.47)
Wins:.........La Troy Hawkins (10)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (20)
Average:...... Gary Sheffield (.297)
Homers: .........Gary Sheffield (22)
Steals:............. Luis Castillo (23)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield ...............297/.425/.524.....22HR
Worst Hitter: Mike Lowell.................250/.326/.256.......0HR
Best Prospect: Ryan Jackson (R).....348/.416/.593.....15HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins ..........158.0 IP....3.47 ERA....112 K
Worst Pitcher: Horacio Ramirez ........117.1 IP....6.21 ERA......92 K
Best Prospect: Justin Wayne (R).........61.2 IP....3.65 ERA......31 K

Finally we drop back below the .500 line, and its no suprise after we lost the last 9 games in the month. La Troy Hawkins and Matt Mantei continue to carry this pitching staff, which indeed has improved, despite the efforts of pitchers like Horacio Ramirez, with his 6.21 ERA. Sheffield is still the clear offensive leader with a .949 OPS. Mike Lowell has not looked impressive, even though he only has 81 at-bats.

--------------------August---------------------
Record:.................... 62-71 (.466)
Pythagorean:............ 59-74 (.444)
Team Batting:...................... .262
Team ERA:......................... 4.54
Runs Scored:....................... 603
Runs Allowed:...................... 673
Cash:...................... $18,252,605

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.39)
Wins:.........La Troy Hawkins (12)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (24)
Average:...... Gary Sheffield (.300)
Homers: .........Gary Sheffield (30)
Steals:............. Luis Castillo (26)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield ...............300/.425/.541.....30HR
Worst Hitter: Mark Kotsay................266/.311/.355.......6HR
Best Prospect: Ryan Jackson (R).....345/.411/.583.....20HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins ..............196.2 IP....3.39 ERA....134 K
Worst Pitcher: Donn Pall ........................60.0 IP....7.20 ERA......40 K
Best Prospect: Oscar Henriquez (AA).....107.0 IP....3.87 ERA......83 K

Well everything is finally falling apart. We are still in fourth in the NL East but we are now 21 games back with 29 games to play. La Troy Hawkins is clearly the best pitcher on this team, and his 3.39 ERA is good for 8th in the NL, and his 196.2 innings are leading the league. On the offensive side of this team Gary Sheffield still is dominating the pitching of the NL, with a .978 OPS and 30 Home runs. Along with his power, Sheff has 18 steals and he could possibly get a 30-30 season or even a 40-30 season if he tries to.

---------------September----------------
Record:.................... 77-85 (.475)
Pythagorean:............ 70-92 (.432)
Team Batting:...................... .258
Team ERA:......................... 4.56
Runs Scored:....................... 713
Runs Allowed:...................... 812
Cash:...................... $21,699,942

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.25)
Wins:.........La Troy Hawkins (17)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (33)
Average:...... Gary Sheffield (.297)
Homers: .........Gary Sheffield (31)
Steals:............. Luis Castillo (34)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield ...............297/.433/.534.....31HR
Worst Hitter: Mark Kotsay................267/.314/.357.......8HR
Best Prospect: Ryan Jackson (R).....345/.411/.583.....20HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins ..............240.2 IP....3.25 ERA....165 K
Worst Pitcher: Donn Pall ........................69.2 IP....6.98 ERA......44 K
Best Prospect: Oscar Henriquez (AA).....107.0 IP....3.87 ERA......83 K

I think we can all consider this season a success. Yes I know we went from World Series Champs to a losing record, but I think we greatly outperformed what we were expected to do. At the beginning of the season, most people probably predicted this team to win around 70 games, and we ended up very close to a .500 record. This team will be very good in the near future.

[jetsfan287]

Batting

Name P Avg OBP SLG HR SB
Luis Castillo 2B .284 .376 .348 1 34
Edgar Renteria SS .275 .320 .389 11 27
Cliff Floyd LF .275 .362 .477 21 6
Gary Sheffield RF .297 .433 .534 31 18
Charles Johnson C .246 .325 .433 27 0
Derrek Lee 1B .259 .355 .424 20 13
Mark Kotsay CF .267 .314 .360 8 17
Mike Lowell 3B .245 .316 .388 10 0

Pitching

Name ERA IP K BB W L S
Livan Hernandez 5.15 181.2 127 56 9 16 0
Ryan Dempster 5.29 204.0 172 97 9 16 0
La Troy Hawkins 3.25 240.2 165 60 17 6 0
Horacio Ramirez 5.53 187.0 137 66 5 16 0
Joe Fontenot 5.14 131.1 99 47 7 11 0
Matt Mantei 2.61 93.0 105 46 7 4 33
Jay Powell 2.84 114.0 76 51 12 3 1
Felix Heredia 3.07 102.2 80 37 7 5 0
Donn Pall 6.98 69.2 44 23 2 2 1
Antonio Alfonseca 5.82 65.0 59 22 1 2 0
Vic Darensbourg 5.78 67.0 69 33 1 4 0

Playoffs

Divisional Round
Yankees over White Sox...........3-0
Indians over Angels...................3-1
Dodgers over Braves.................3-0
Cardinals over Phillies...............3-0

Championshiop Round
Yankees over Indians................4-3
Dodgers over Cardinals..............4-2

World Series
Yankees over Dodgers..............4-0

1998 World Champs: New York Yankees

Leaders
AL
HR.........Ken Griffey Jr. (62)
Avg........Manny Ramirez (.369)
RBI........Tino Martinez (189)
SB.........Tom Goodwin (66)
ERA.......Pedro Martinez (2.51)
K...........Pedro Martinez (228)
W..........Kevin Appier (18), David Cone (18)
S...........Jeff Montgomery (42), Mariano Rivera (42)

NL
HR.........Mark McGwire (62)
Avg........Mark Grace (.331)
RBI........Scott Rolen (170)
SB.........Delino DeSheilds (56)
ERA.......Greg Maddux (2.42)
K...........Hideo Nomo (218)
W..........Tom Glavine (18)
S...........Randy Myers (40)

Yes, it finally happened. After 37 Years of holding the title, Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in 1961 has finally been broken. Both Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire broke the record with 62 home runs each.

[jetsfan287]

Offseason
Charles Johnson (81/81) Asking: $3.7M.............Released
Gregg Zaun (77/77) Asking: $800K....................Wins arbitration for $800K
Edgar Renteria (87/94) Asking: $3.3M................Loses arbitration for $3M
Cliff Floyd (81/81) Asking: $3.95M.....................Loses arbitration for $3.4M
La Troy Hawkins (75/75) Asking: $5.6M.............Loses arbitration for $5M
Matt Mantei (89/93) Asking: $5.55M..................Loses arbitration for $5M
Jay Powell (79/79) Asking: $4.1M......................Released
Felix Heredia (79/85) Asking: $1.55M.................Released

Payroll.............$24,760,000
Budget.............$36,440,627
Cash................$21,699,942

Good news. Not only do we have over $20M in our hands, but we also have about $12M to spend on free agents and such. That should be enough for a big name player and two or three other good players.

Needs
Catcher
Third Baseman (Not really, since we have Lowell, but it would be nice to have someone for 1 year or so, so that Lowell can develop a bit more)
Starting pitching (We need at least 2 more pitchers, as our #4 and #5 starters combined for a 5.37 and a 1.56 WHIP)
Relief pitching (The only good reliever we have back from last year is Mantei, since I released Powell and Heredia)

Notable Free Agent Hitters
Alex Rodriguez......SS....23.....(97/100).....309/.413/.580 27HR......Asking $7.3M for 6yr
Manny Ramirez.....RF....26......(94/94)......369/.464/.727 60HR......Asking $14.6M for 6yr
Jim Thome............1B....28......(94/94)......309/.435/.588 41HR......Asking $8.4M for 6yr
Jeff Bagwell...........1B....30......(94/94)......281/.393/.554 43HR......Asking $8.1M for 6yr
Jim Edmonds........CF....28......(94/94)......338/.424/.571 35HR......Asking $9.0M for 6yr

Also: Derek Jeter (Just when you thought he would never leave NY), Brian Giles, Jason Giambi (And his 50 HR)

How could one not love to see people like Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez up for grabs. Rodriguez is clearly a freak of nature, 23 years old and and a .993 OPS. I wouldn't be suprised if he was asking for 25 Million a year (cough). Ramirez came off of one of the best seasons ever, with 60 homers and a .369 average. I mean thats eerily Ruth-like.

Notable Free Agent Pitchers
Pedro Martinez...27...(97/97)...190 IP...2.51 ERA.....Asking $9.9M for 6yr
Hideo Nomo.......30...(93/93)...199 IP...3.71 ERA.....Asking $6.4M for 4yr
Ismael Valdes....25...(90/90)...184 IP...4.46 ERA.....Asking $4.9M for 5yr
Shawn Estes.....26...(88/88)...207 IP...3.78 ERA.....Asking $4.9M for 4yr
Chan Ho Park....25...(88/88)...182 IP...4.10 ERA.....Asking $4.8M for 4yr

Also: Brad Radke, Curt Leskanic (2.33 ERA in Coors is tempting), Paul Shuey

A pretty weak crop, except for Pedro. The good news is most of the good ones are only asking around $4.5 million. Los Angeles looks pretty much screwed as Nomo, Valdes, and Park are all gone. Rumor has it they're going back after Valdes and Park though.

Trade
BOS gets: C Gregg Zaun (78/78) and IF Craig Counsell (75/75)
FLA gets: C Jason Varitek (80/80)

I like this trade. We get a good yound starting catcher, and we get rid of two players who would just be riding the pine anyway.

Signings
Pedro Martinez.....6 Years (through 2004) at $8.75M per year...1 Year (2005) Player Option at $8.8M...No-Trade Clause
Felix Heredia.......3 Years (through 2001) at $1.75M per year....No-Trade Clause

With the Varitek trade, there was no real need to sign any hitters. In Pedro we get a pitcher is almost guaranteed to get under a 3.50 ERA, so I believe he worth every bit of the $8.75 million dollars. Yes I resigned Heredia, mainly becuase I realized we really needed some bullpen players. Yes, we probably still need another starter, but we can fill that through trade, or just give Horacio Ramirez another chance in there.

Draft
I have the #12 Pick

12. SP Mark Prior...18yr...6'5" 225 lbs....77/94
Endurance........89
Control.............81
Power..............94
Movement........59
This pick came down to three people. Prior, Josh Beckett, or Gareth Kelley. Kelley had the most upside (75/100) but he very small (5'6" 135lbs) and out of the three he had the worst high school stats. Beckett (78/93) and Prior were very similar and for some reason I can picture Beckett wearing a Marlins uniform, but Prior had more upside and better stats, so he was my choice.

42. 3B Sean Burroughs...18yr...6'2" 200 lbs....49/86
Contact...........65
Power.............58
Speed.............58
Eye................71
No, I didn't make this selection because I dont trust Mike Lowell, its just that I believed Sean was the best player available at our pick. Besides, with a 49 overall, by the time he is ready for the majors, Lowell might already be gone. Another player I could have picked here was Dallas McPherson, who I originally intended on drafting but I saw Burroughs' contact was higher and his 71 Eye is great.

72. SP Jesse Foppert...18yr...6'6" 210 lbs...50/82
Endurance........76
Control.............65
Power..............77
Movement........66
Very nice high school stats but his health is a question. Jesse could find himself in the rotation after a few years of development.

102. SP Noah Lowry...18yr...6'2" 190 lbs...50/82
Endurance........75
Control.............70
Power..............75
Movement........64
Basically the same story as Foppert, except with slightly worse high school stats and slightly worse health, which is obviously why he fell to the fourth round, becuase other than that, our scouts see him in the same light as Foppert.

132. DH Jonny Gomes...18yr...6'1" 205 lbs...50/86
Contact...........58
Power.............61
Speed.............64
Eye................67
Jonny was actually one of the top players available in the third round, but I avoided him for two rounds, mostly because our scouts have his position listed as 'DH', and I'm sure this is why every other team didn't pick him earlier. His 86 peak rating was the highest by far of players available. From what I see, Gomes played DH all through high school, which means he hasn't played defense since grade school. We'll see if we can make him a first baseman or something while he plays in the minors.

162. SP Danny Haren...18yr...6'5" 220 lbs...48/76
Endurance........74
Control.............70
Power..............73
Movement........64
Simply drafted the best player available. Gives up his fair share of hits but strikes them out just as often. I really like his 8.36 K/9 his Senior year

Up Next: Opening Day Roster

[jetsfan287]

Trade
CLE gets: P Donn Pall (71/71), P Nate Robertson (61/82), P Franklyn Gracesqui (63/81), P Hansel Izquierdo (59/74), $1M

FLA gets: P Josh Beckett (78/93)

Remember, I couldn't decide if i should draft Prior or Beckett? Well turns out I got both anyway. Pall was past his prime, and it didn't look like the prospects would have had very good primes anyway. I threw in the cash to seal the deal, but we have plenty of money so it doesn't matter that much.

Lineup
1. 2B Luis Castillo (82/88)
2. SS Edgar Renteria (88/93)
3. RF Gary Sheffield (94/94)
4. LF Cliff Floyd (82/82)
5. 1B Derrek Lee (79/92)
6. CF Mark Kotsay (82/92)
7. 3B Mike Lowell (80/80)
8. C Jason Varitek (78/78)
9. (pitcher)

Rotation
1. Pedro Martinez (97/97)
2. La Troy Hawkins (74/74)
3. Livan Hernandez (88/91)
4. Ryan Dempster (77/89)
5. Horacio Ramirez (69/92)

Bullpen
CL- Matt Mantei (85/85)
SU- Felix Heredia (78/85)
SH- Antonio Alfonseca (76/76)
MI- Vic Darensbourg (76/76)
LO- Oscar Henriquez (76/76)
ALT- Joe Fontenot (60/75)

------------------------Income--------------------
Tickets.....................$21.50 ($26.17)
Hot Dogs......................$2.75 (-15%)
Beer.............................$3.50 (-26%)
Ice Cream.....................$2.00 (-20%)
Broadcast..................Local Blackout
----------------------Expenses------------------
Farm System.........$6,000,000 (10th)
Scouting..................$7,000,000 (7th)
Medical Staff..........$3,000,000 (13th)
Player Salaries.....$33,699,888 (29th)
---------------------Projections-----------------
Revenue........................$47,927,723
Expenses......................$49,700,305
Cash at Year End...........$18,927,361

Up Next: 1999 Season

[jetsfan287]

---------------------April---------------------
Record:..................... 16-8 (.667) (3.0 GB, 2nd)
Pythagorean:........... 14-10 (.583)
Team Batting:..................... .234
Team ERA:........................ 3.46
Runs Scored:...................... 101
Runs Allowed:....................... 88
Cash:..................... $22,207,015

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.00)
Wins:............... Felix Heredia (5)
Saves:............... Matt Mantei (6)
Average:........... Cliff Floyd (.282)
Homers: .............Mike Lowell (4)
Steals:.............. Luis Castillo (7)

Best Hitter: Mark Kotsay ................442/.457/.530.....1HR
Worst Hitter: Luis Castillo................208/.250/.223.....0HR
Best Prospect: Chris Aguilera (R).....391/.442/.552.....2HR

Best Pitcher: Matt Mantei ....................12.1 IP....1.46 ERA....20 K
Worst Pitcher: Ryan Dempster .............24.0 IP....5.63 ERA....23 K
Best Prospect: Josh Beckett (AAA).......27.2 IP....2.93 ERA....25 K

We went from 9-15 last year to 16-8 this year. Now thats what I call improvement...or luck. No one is performing too well on offense except for Mark Kotsay, but he only has 66 at-bats. La Troy Hawkins is right on the same page as last season it looks like. Our big signing, Pedro Martinez, is off to an average start, with a 4.38 ERA, but the good news is 36 strikeouts and 7 walks. Thats 13 K/9 and a 5.14 K/BB ratio. But even that is bad compared to Matt Mantei's 20 K's and 2 BB's. (14.6 K/9, 10.0 K/BB)

---------------------May---------------------
Record:................... 33-19 (.635) (5.5 GB, 2nd)
Pythagorean:........... 29-23 (.558)
Team Batting:..................... .277
Team ERA:........................ 4.75
Runs Scored:...................... 284
Runs Allowed:..................... 251
Cash:..................... $22,487,598

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.41)
Wins:............... Felix Heredia (6)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (12)
Average:....... Mark Kotsay (.389)
Homers: .............Derrek Lee (11)
Steals:......... Edgar Renteria (13)

Best Hitter: Mark Kotsay ........................389/.433/.516.....4HR
Worst Hitter: Luis Castillo........................257/.317/.297.....0HR
Best Prospect: Marcus Thames (AAA)......364/.413/.482.....2HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins ..................66.0 IP....3.41 ERA....41 K
Worst Pitcher: Joe Fontenot .....................30.0 IP....8.40 ERA....27 K
Best Prospect: Josh Beckett (AAA)...........41.0 IP....3.51 ERA....39 K

Well I guess we really have improved that much and its not luck. We're still in second and we are now half a game back of being the wild card leader. For some reason, I didn't think much of Mark Kotsay's line last month, but now after 2 months, hes keeping it up. Bad News: Livan Hernandez is out for 4 Months with severe elbow tendonitis. Livo had a 2.98 ERA in 42.1 IP. Im still unsure about who will take his spot, considering there is literally no one in free agency.

Trade

BOS gets: P Vic Darensbourg (76/76), P Joe Fontenot (61/75), P Gabe Gonzalez (68/75)

FLA gets: P Bradley Horn (93/98)

Bug? It seems Boston has about 10 pitchers (all fictional) with over 90 overall and 95 peak. Its odd because they are all fictional and none has seen major league action before. Its like Mogul decided that they would give Boston a pitching staff of All-Stars. This is most definately a bug. Anyway I figured I would nab one of the younger pitchers they had to fill in for Hernandez.

---------------------June---------------------
Record:................... 46-32 (.590) (14 GB, 2nd)
Pythagorean:........... 40-38 (.513)
Team Batting:..................... .268
Team ERA:........................ 4.52
Runs Scored:...................... 374
Runs Allowed:..................... 366
Cash:..................... $25,163,238

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.56)
Wins:.......... La Troy Hawkins (7)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (17)
Average:....... Mark Kotsay (.338)
Homers: ............Mike Lowell (15)
Steals:.......... Edgar Renteria (20)

Best Hitter: Mark Kotsay ........................338/.387/.473.....7HR
Worst Hitter: Jason Varitek......................236/.294/.392.....9HR
Best Prospect: Marcus Thames (AAA)......337/.404/.572.....9HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins ................108.2 IP....3.56 ERA....74 K
Worst Pitcher: Horacio Ramirez ................78.0 IP....6.69 ERA....59 K
Best Prospect: Mark Prior (AAA)................58.0 IP....4.03 ERA....70 K

Well it looks like we are going to lose the division, since the Mets have a 60-18 record (Same bug as I mentioned before about the Red Sox), but we are only 2.5 games back of the wild card lead. La Troy Hawkins is still tearing up the mound in fashion, and doing it better than last year. At the end of June one year ago, Hawkins had an ERA exactly 0.3 higher.

[jetsfan287]

At the All Star Break

Batting

Name P Avg OBP SLG HR SB
Luis Castillo 2B .265 .322 .304 0 18
Edgar Renteria SS .290 .340 .415 8 20
Gary Sheffield RF .269 .385 .495 15 4
Cliff Floyd LF .256 .319 .426 12 11
Derrek Lee 1B .261 .345 .458 14 1
Mark Kotsay CF .326 .377 .470 9 3
Mike Lowell 3B .289 .356 .497 15 0
Jason Varitek C .243 .301 .422 12 2

Pitching

Name ERA IP K BB W L S
Pedro Martinez 4.05 104.1 130 39 6 8 0
La Troy Hawkins 3.38 125.1 87 32 8 5 0
Livan Hernandez 2.98 42.1 31 12 3 0 0
Ryan Dempster 5.59 104.2 98 55 7 6 0
Horacio Ramirez 6.45 90.2 71 43 2 9 0
Matt Mantei 4.28 40.0 50 12 2 2 18
Felix Heredia 3.00 48.0 36 19 7 1 0
Antonio Alfonseca 3.32 57.0 47 17 4 1 0
Oscar Henriquez 4.69 48.0 39 19 6 1 0
Manuel Barrios 4.20 15.0 10 6 0 0 1
Rafael Medina 6.86 19.2 9 21 1 1 0


Home Run Derby Winner: Chipper Jones
All Star Game: NL Wins 5-3
FLA All Stars: SS Edgar Renteria
All Star MVP: Larry Walker (NL) 2-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI

[jetsfan287]

---------------------July---------------------
Record:................... 58-47 (.552) (20.5 GB, 3rd)
Pythagorean:........... 54-51 (.514)
Team Batting:..................... .268
Team ERA:........................ 4.50
Runs Scored:...................... 506
Runs Allowed:..................... 495
Cash:..................... $25,194,843

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (3.24)
Wins:............ Pedro Martinez (8)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (21)
Average:....... Mark Kotsay (.341)
Homers: ........Gary Sheffield (23)
Steals:......... Edgar Renteria (22)

Best Hitter: Mark Kotsay ........................341/.394/.503....12HR
Worst Hitter: Jason Varitek......................235/.307/.404....14HR
Best Prospect: Marcus Thames (AAA).....326/.388/.505....12HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins .....................147.0 IP....3.24 ERA....102 K
Worst Pitcher: Horacio Ramirez ...................103.1 IP....6.79 ERA....81 K
Best Prospect: Brandon Claussen (AAA).......129.2 IP....4.16 ERA....95 K



-------------------August-------------------
Record:................... 76-57 (.571) (26.0 GB, t2nd)
Pythagorean:........... 71-62 (.534)
Team Batting:..................... .268
Team ERA:........................ 4.28
Runs Scored:...................... 640
Runs Allowed:..................... 599
Cash:..................... $29,836,194

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (2.96)
Wins:.......... Pedro Martinez (12)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (26)
Average:....... Mark Kotsay (.321)
Homers: ........Gary Sheffield (30)
Steals:............. Luis Castillo (29)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield .......................313/.414/.561.....30HR
Worst Hitter: Jason Varitek.......................221/.297/.377.....16HR
Best Prospect: Marcus Thames (AAA)......319/.387/.525.....19HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins .....................185.2 IP....2.96 ERA....135 K
Worst Pitcher: Horacio Ramirez ...................141.2 IP....6.10 ERA....108 K
Best Prospect: Brandon Claussen (AAA).......175.1 IP....4.06 ERA....121 K



-----------------Sept/Oct-----------------
Record:................... 93-69 (.574) (32.0 GB, 2nd)
Pythagorean:........... 90-72 (.556)
Team Batting:..................... .272
Team ERA:........................ 4.11
Runs Scored:...................... 785
Runs Allowed:..................... 698
Cash:..................... $29,622,610

--------------Team Leaders-------------
ERA:...... La Troy Hawkins (2.94)
Wins:........ La Troy Hawkins (14)
Saves:.............. Matt Mantei (29)
Average:....... Mark Kotsay (.332)
Homers: .........Gary Sheffield (36)
Steals:.......... Edgar Renteria (37)

Best Hitter: Gary Sheffield.......................301/.414/.549.....36HR
Worst Hitter: Jason Varitek......................221/.297/.377.....16HR
Best Prospect: Marcus Thames (AAA)......319/.387/.525.....19HR

Best Pitcher: La Troy Hawkins .....................232.2 IP....2.94 ERA....170 K
Worst Pitcher: Horacio Ramirez ...................161.0 IP....5.81 ERA....123 K
Best Prospect: Brandon Claussen (AAA).......175.1 IP....4.06 ERA....121 K

[alvarez16]

i would follow it if it was 2005 marlins not 98 mmalrins