Top 5 Mighty Duck Threats
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So I figured out how I am going to handle this shit. Basically, it's all going to be about random polls and articles from various sources about anything I see fit! Enjoy~
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6-3-03
Pitching, defense and speed may be the blueprint the Marlins used to build this year's team, but the organization's draft strategy is more general. With the 16th overall pick, the Marlins are leaning toward taking the best available player. If he happens to pitch, catch or play middle infield, even better.
"Pitching and catching are always needs," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins vice president of player development and scouting. "Whether or not you get them, we'll see."
In his second season spearheading the Marlins draft, Fleming says the team is zeroing in on certain positions. Ideally, they would like some more left-handed pitching, and a power hitter is a premium, if one is out there. Signability also is a factor. Whoever they pick, they want to sign. Last season, their first round pick, left-handed hitting outfielder Jeremy Hermida, signed and he is now in low Class-A Greensboro.
"One of our goals is to get some bats," Fleming said. "You always can use guys with a high ceiling." Like every team, the Marlins are dealing with drafting high school or college ready players. Fleming is open to both.
"College guys, generally thinking, are considered faster to the big leagues," Fleming said. "High school guys are more projectable and have higher ceilings."
In theory, college players should advance quicker. But that's not always the case. Cubs pitching sensation Mark Prior is an exception for achieving swift success out of college.
By comparison, Marlins minor leaguer Justin Wayne was signed as a fifth round pick by the Expos in 2000. While Wayne pitched for the Marlins last September, and made two starts this season, he is back in Triple-A Albuquerque for more seasoning.
With so much risk involved in the draft, Fleming follows a basic philosophy: "You can never have enough pitching. And you keep drafting it."
Organizational needs: Adding left-handed pitching and hitting is a priority. Like at the Major League level, the Marlins minor league affiliates are scare of lefties. As well as pitching and catching, a middle infielder -- preferably one who can hit -- is high on the wish list.
Finding more power is also important. But if one is not around, landing a complete hitter is the next alternative.
Top choice: With a middle-round pick, the Marlins are narrowing down their list by scratching off five or six players that won't be around, and a half dozen who may be. Ian Stewart, a third baseman from La Quinta High School in California is a possibility. Left-handed pitcher Andrew Miller of Buchholz High School in Florida may be around. Third baseman Eric Duncan from Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey is a rising prospect with power. Right-handed pitcher Craig Whitaker from Lufkin High School in Texas is throwing 98 mph.
Class of 2002: The Marlins feel they drafted a gem when Hermida was there with the 11th pick. The left-handed hitting outfielder from Marietta, Ga., is in the low Class-A Greensboro, where he is struggling a bit but the team expected that because he is taking a big step up. Second round pick Robert Andino, a shortstop from Miami, also is in Greensboro. While his batting average is down, his fielding has been impressive. Third-rounder Trevor Hutchinson is performing nicely at Class-A Jupiter, winning six of his first seven decisions with a 2.79 ERA. A mild disappointment is eighth-rounder, right-handed pitcher Ryan Warpinski, who has shoulder tendinitis. Warpinski is in Greensboro.
Best of the best: The best draft pick the Marlins ever made remains their first choice in franchise history. In 1992, catcher Charles Johnson was taken in the first round out of the University of Miami. Johnson was a four-time Gold Glove winner with the Marlins and he was a key player on the 1997 World Series championship team. Mark Kotsay, the team's first round selection in 1996, gave the Marlins a few good seasons before being traded to the Padres. The Marlins are hopeful that right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett, picked first in 1999, will develop into an All-Star. Beckett's Major League career has been beset by injuries.
The Year to Remember: It may be too early to tell, but the 2000 draft may go down as the Marlins best ever. The first two picks were first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Jason Stokes. Gonzalez is in Triple-A Albuquerque, where the left-handed hitter is regarded as a strong prospect at the plate. Stokes, meanwhile, has outstanding power and is a rising star in Class-A Jupiter. The third round choice was left-handed pitcher Robert Henkel. Outfielders James Kovourias and Will Smith, infielder Patrick Magness and catcher Josh Willingham are producing in the minors. Willingham was a 17th round choice and converted infielder.
Prospect shipped off: In order to get a quality player, organizations often have to give. Henkel, a third rounder in 2000, was traded in the offseason to the Tigers for left-hander Mark Redman. Henkel has a huge upside, but the Marlins got back a starter who threw more than 200 innings in Detroit last year.
First rounder chart:
Jeremy Hermida, OF (2002): Fresh out of high school, Hermida is at low Class-A Greensboro, where he was hitting .256 with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 17 RBIs in his first 45 games.
Garrett Berger, RHP (2001): Berger is working in extended Spring Training in Jupiter as he continues his comeback from right elbow surgery.
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B (2000): The first overall pick, Gonzalez hit 17 homers and drove in 96 runs last season in Double-A Portland. Recovering from a right wrist injury, Gonzalez is now at Triple-A Albuquerque where he had 17 RBIs in his first 35 games.
Josh Beckett, RHP (1999): Selected second overall, Beckett made a swift rise to the big leagues. But his first two seasons have been marred by injuries. Last year he spent three stints on the disabled list with blister problems. Beckett sprained his right elbow in May and was placed on the disabled list.
Chip Ambres, OF (1998): The Marlins top choice in 1998 is playing for Double-A Carolina where he was off to a tough start at the plate, hitting .221 through 42 games. He added six home runs and 21 RBIs.
5-31-03
"Until recently, I didn't think anyone liked Bush. All of this changed a few months ago when I spoke to someone who not only didn't think Bush was a moron, but that he was doing a good job. I did the usual probes for sarcasm and eventually came away empty-handed. It looked like this was the genuine article: I was talking to an authentic Bush-lover. For the first time in the 2+ years he was appointed to office, I finally found one of these elusive, almost mythic people.
I was excited, so naturally I had to ask the obvious question: "why did you vote for Bush?" The response: "because I'm a republican."
I suddenly felt a sharp stabbing pain in my frontal lobe; it was the unmistakable feeling you get when you walk away from a 30 minute conversation with a yammering co-worker--the feeling you get when you know that you just got dumber. Because "I'm a republican." What the hell does that mean? So just because you're a republican you're supposed to vote for whichever asshole your party selects as your candidate? Why can't people disassociate themselves from their party? There was a unanimous outcry from everyone when dumb shit Trent Lott gave the thumbs up to Thurmond, why weren't republicans supporting him? If you're going to justify your voting of a moron into office with a blanket statement like "I'm a republican," why not be consistent and stand behind your party all the time?
I'm tired of people defending Bush. He's a moron. Period. What difference does it make if he graduated from Harvard, Yale or MIT for that matter? Just because you graduate from an accredited university doesn't mean that you're suddenly void of giving a bad speech. It doesn't make you impervious to mistakes. I'm tired of people saying "just because he talks slow doesn't mean he's stupid." Bullshit. There's talking slow, then there's just plain ineptitude. It's almost impossible to do a critical analysis of his speech because the man practically satirizes himself. Bush proponents have adopted a kinder word for inept: "Bushism." That's stupid. Why is it a screw up if anyone other than Bush makes a mistake, but a "Bushism" if he does it? When Clinton screwed up, nobody called it a "Clintonism." They called him a dumbass (and if they weren't, I sure as hell was). I mean, talking slow is one thing but to not know the difference between "hostile" and "hostage," or "prosecute" and "persecute" is not a "Bushism," it's extra-strength dumb. Before you email me "BUT MADOX HE DOESN'T WRITE HIS OWN SPEECHES LOL," consider the following quote:
"People make suggestions on what to say all the time. I'll give you an example; I don't read what's handed to me. People say, 'Here, here's your speech, or here's an idea for a speech.' They're changed. Trust me." -George W. Bush in an interview with the New York Times, March 15, 2000. For some reason I trust him. Okay, so maybe I'm being too hard on the guy. After all, he was appointed as the leader of this country. So here are all the things that Bush has done to impress the hell out of me:
-He hasn't started World War III yet.
-He manages to mutilate the English language only every other speech.
-He cut taxes on dividends, because I'll be damned if those weren't putting me in the poor house.
-He made our civil liberties less cumbersome by taking away all that long-winded drivel about having the right to report on immigration hearings conducted by the Justice Department, the right to protection against unreasonable search and seizure with McCarthy's, er, Ashcroft's PATRIOT act, and the right to due process for US citizens suspected of being terrorists.
-He withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty. Good I say, global stability was getting to be a pain in the ass.
All sarcasm aside, you could probably infer that I'm not a republican by reading this article. I'm not a democrat either. Don't email me your stupid republican/democrat jokes, I don't care. The next person who says "HEY DUDE DO YOU KNOW WHAT GOP STANDS FOR? GRINCHES ON PARADE LOL" gets punched in the face.
No, I'm not a democrat or a republican. I'm just a guy who's tired of the bullshit. Am I the only one who has a problem with the fact that Bush has gone on record saying: "There ought to be limits to freedom"? He publicly said that in reference to a website that criticized him (listen to the clip yourself). What business does this man have serving as president of the United States? I know that there should be limits to freedom like when someone yells "fire" in a crowded theater, but never against political criticism--quit emailing me. Bush is by far the worst president ever appointed by the Supreme Court. It's almost as if the presidents try to outdo each other by being shittier every year. You're being duped. "
