May 3, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (13) is assisted off the field during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT

The Miami Marlins continue their west coast trip into Los Angeles to face a Dodgers team that has lost seven consecutive games. The two bottom teams in the National League will get a chance to beat up one another. The Marlins will be lucky in that they avoid Clayton Kershaw, but the Dodgers are not as lucky as they have to face Jose Fernandez in the opener.

To preview the series between the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers series I had an email chat with Scott Andes , the editor of Lasordas Lair, the Fansided Dodgers site. Scott and his staff do an excellent job of covering everything Dodgers related. Be sure to check out their great site for all Dodgers-related news and updates.

Scott and I chatted about everything from the early struggles for Matt Kemp and the Dodgers to Hanley Ramirez‘s injury woes.

Without any further ado, here is my chat with Scott:

Ehsan Kassim: The Dodgers come into the series with the Marlins as losers of seven straight and are currently only four games better than the lowly Marlins. What’s wrong with the team?

Scott Andes: What’s wrong with the Dodgers? In one word Everything. It’s not just one particular part of the game that has failed for the Dodgers but nearly every aspect. Of course the injuries have killed the team, especially the injuries to the pitching staff. The Dodgers currently have nine players on the disabled list. They have three starting pitchers on the DL, and not one, not two, but three of their regular position players are ailing. Besides the injuries, the Dodgers have three main problems, 1. and ineffective bullpen. The Dodger pitching staff as a whole is ranked 22nd in MLB with a 4.21 Staff ERA, but their bullpen has been one of the worst in Baseball. The Dodgers relievers rank 26th in MLB with a 4.71 ERA, and have walked the eighth most amount of batters.

And as for the offense, it’s nothing but a huge failure. Obviously the big headline grabber has been the cub’s inability to hit with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers are batting .213 with RISP (59 for 227). However the bigger problem with the Dodger offense has been their atrocious base running. The Dodgers are one of the worst and least aggressive base running teams in the majors and it has been killing them. When teams don’t take extra bases and don’t go from first to third on base hits, then they are not going to score a lot of runs. There is a stat that records this, it’s called hitting advancement opportunities with men on base. Or HAR for short. This stat measures how often a team goes from first to third, and second to home on hits. The Dodgers rank 28th in all of Baseball in taking those extra bases, They have an HAR rating of -2.17. That means they take negative bases. The league average is around 0.00. When you play station to station Baseball, you wont score many runs. So when the Dodgers get a rally going they only move up one base at a time on each hit. So they have to get three or four hits in an inning just to score one run, because the guys can’t go from first to third on hits.

The Dodgers are also one of the worst defensive teams in the game. The Dodgers were supposed to be a team centered around pitching and defense and it has been terrible. So the Dodgers are one of the worst defensive teams. Their base running is atrocious, and their bullpen blows any and all leads obtained. basically the Dodgers fail at almost every aspect of the game.

May 8, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Matt Kemp (27) follows through on a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. The Diamondbacks defeated the Dodgers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ehsan: Hanley Ramirez was hurt immediately upon his return from the Disabled List. Are the Dodgers cursed? What’s wrong with Matt Kemp? Will he be able to return to MVP form?

Scott: We have long wondered if the Dodgers are cursed, because they can’t seem to keep any of their players healthy. Hanley returned for three games and then pulled his hamstring, just running the bases. This whole season has been a joke.

We are hoping Kemp can return to his MVP form soon, but after having off-season shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, it may take him a while. Some players are never the same after returning from an injury of that severity. A shoulder injury like that can really affect your swing, and Kemp wasn’t even swinging a bat until late January this year. But Kemp has years of quality play to back himself up, and we hope he should be fine.

Ehsan: Clayon Kershaw has been amazing, like usual, when do the Dodgers get him signed to an extension?

Scott: Oh yes indeed. Kershaw’s complete and utter domination against all opponents is always a refreshing joy for Dodger fans. We expect for Kershaw to be locked up to one of the largest contracts in Baseball sometime this winter. Kershaw has told the Dodgers that he does not want to discuss contract extensions due the season. He can have whatever he wants in any way he wants it. You hand him a blank check and let him fill it out. We expect for Kershaw to garner a contract on the range of around 250 million dollars. What the Dodgers should do is just give him part ownership in the team. That is how special he is. That wonderful man is worth every cent.

Ehsan: Can you give us a quick scouting report on the pitchers the Marlins will face this series

Scott: The first game will feaute rookie Matt Magill, who the Dodgers had to call-up to replace the old and rusty Ted Lilly. Magill is 22 years old and very wet behind the ears. But he has potential. He’s a fastball, slider changeup, curveball guy. who’s best secondary pitch is his power slider. he’s still working on his command and learning how to pitch, but has a lot of potential. He can get up into the mid 90′s occassionally but usually 92-94 is what can be expected form him.

May 6, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; American-born Korean singer Tiffany Hwang, member of the South Korean girl group, Girls

The second game the Fish will have to face South Korean star Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has been very good for the Dodgers. His strikeout to walk ratio is amazing, as it was when he pitched in the KBO. Ryu is a power pitcher, so primarily, fastball, slider, changeup. He throws hard!

The third game the Fish will face lefty veteran Chris Capuano. Cappy has barely pitched this year. The Dodgers were going to keep him in the pen as a long man spot starter, back when they had all of their “pitching surplus” Once that was obliterated, and they lost Zach Greinke, the Dodgers had to put Cappy back in the rotation. Then he got hurt runnig from the bullpen during the Greinke brawl, and pulled his calf muscle  He made one lousy start before going on the DL. He has hardly pitched at all this season and his last start was a disaster. I hope he can somehow get it back together, because when he is healthy, he can be very effective.

Ehsan: Make a bold prediction for this series. Which Dodger player will step up and have a huge series? Can the Dodgers end their 7 game losing streak?

Scott:  Well, I am hoping the Dodgers can gain some confidence back during this series and win two of three. But with the way they are playing, I don’t know if they can beat anybody right now. That;s how much they suck. This season has been a train wreck  and I think they are so bad, they could possibly lose 100 games. I guess we’ll see which team sucks more in the battle of the cellar dwellers  I am hoping and praying the Dodgers can turn it around, but they suck balls so much this year, that I have little to no confidence.

A big thank you to Scott for taking his timeout to talk to us. We at Marlin Maniac wish all Dodgers fans the best of luck in the upcoming series. If you get a chance, please check out Lasordas Lair for some of the best Dodgers content on the internet.

April 14, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria before a game against the Houston Astros at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of chatter that with the slow start for the Miami Marlins that the team might be in contention for being one of the worst teams in Major League history. A lot of the chatter started before the season, despite Baseball Prospectus’ projections projecting the Marlins to avoid an embarrassing 100-loss season.

The chatter lately has been due to the Marlins slow 5-16 start in their first 21 games. The San Diego Padres are only one behind the Marlins in the loss column and the Houston Astros 25-man roster is actually worse than the Marlins. Most of the angst that hangs around the Marlins is more directed at owner Jeffery Loria, not as much as the on-field product.

The Marlins are more talented than a 5-16 team and they will start to play better as their star, Giancarlo Stanton, starts to heat up. Yes, the Marlins will be bad in 2013, but they are still far away from being historically bad in my honest opinion.

Answer the poll on the bottom of the post and let me know what you guys think about this Marlins’ teams chances of being historically bad.

Miguel Cabrera, Fish Stripes reflect on potential Marlins – Angels trade in 2007 | Fishstripes

Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers spent the past weekend battling the Los Angeles Angels in a repeat matchup between last year’s MVP candidates. Cabrera and Mike Trout were on opposite sides of the MVP race, but when questioned, Cabrera wondered what it would be like to play for the Angels, given that he was so close to doing so back in 2008.

Miami Marlins continue to look good for acquiring Justin Ruggiano | Fishstripes

It wasn’t a fire sale trade, and it most likely won’t be remembered as one of the best baseball deals in Miami Marlins history. Trading for outfielder Justin Ruggiano last May, when the Marlins were in need of an outfielder and some offense, is a move that continues to make the Marlins’ scouts and baseball executives look like they actually have an idea of how to put a winning baseball team together.

Miami Marlins’ Greg Dobbs keeps upbeat view | Miami Herald

The Marlins are playing bad baseball and languishing in last place. But after dropping the first game of Monday’s day-night doubleheader to fall to 4-16 — the worst record at the 20-game mark in franchise history — Greg Dobbs vowed the losing won’t continue.

Stanton turning into ground ball machine | Sun-Sentinel

Not only is Stanton not hitting home runs, he’s become a ground ball machine. Though Stanton’s fly ball rate according to Fangraphs actually has jumped from 41.7 percent in 2012 to 46.4 percent (through Monday), his ground ball rate also has spiked.

Despite Bad Start, Mike Redmond is Right Man for Miami Marlins | Rant Sports

Managing a Major League Baseball team is probably kind of like driving a car. It is easy to drive the perfect car down a smooth road on fresh tires and a full tank of gas and look like a great driver. That isn’t to say the person driving isn’t great, they may very well be. How much more of a great driver does it take however to drive a clunker with bald tires down a windy and messed up road? Sure the guy in the second car might look like a bad driver but he isn’t necessarily. Such is the case of Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond.

Here at Marlin Maniac:

Miami Marlins @ Minnesota Twins Series Preview: Marlins First Interleague Series

The Miami Marlins continue to struggle early on in the season, their record currently sits at an embarrassing 4-15. The team is currently the worst in the majors, but the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and San Diego Padres are not too far behind. Giancarlo Stanton finally collected his first RBI of the season yesterday and had two hits on the day in a 10-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The team hopes he can continue to build off of that.

Miami Marlins-Minnesota Twins Game Postponed; Double Header Tomorrow

Due to the threat of a snowstorm moving in, the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball have decided to postpone their game with the Miami Marlins tonight.

Thoughts On The Direction Of The Miami Marlins

When the Marlins decided to trade away Hanley Ramirez, Omar Infante, Gaby Sanchez, and Anibal Sanchez at the trade deadline last season, the reality of yet another re-building process was beginning to set into a lot of peoples mind’s here in South Florida. With these trades being approved, the Marlins had all but given up on the season. Finishing last in the division, many people thought that it couldn’t get any worse and then it happened. On November 19th, 2012, the Miami Marlins shot their fans and players right in the heart after they traded Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio, Mark Buehrle, and John Buck to the Toronto Blue Jays for Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis and prospects.

Miami Marlins Try To Bring Sunshine To Target Field 

Although the schedule called for two games to be played in Minnesota, the late season snow forced the third reschedule of the season for the Twins. Instead, we have a split doubleheader today, with games at 2:10 and 8:10 (ET).

Miami Marlins @ Minnesota Twins Game Preview: Tuesday, April 23th 2 PM EST (Game 20)

The Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins will play a split double header today to make up for the game that was postponed due to the snowstorm that moved through the area yesterday. This is the Marlins only trip to Minnesota to see the beautiful Target Field.

Miami Marlins @ Minnesota Twins Game Preview: Tuesday, April 23th 8 PM EST (Game 21)

The Miami Marlins dropped the first game of the double header to the Minnesota Twins by the final score of 4-3. Jose Fernandez labored through his fourth career start. Alex will have the game recap for the first game up in a little while.

Miami Marlins Drop Game One Of DH To Minnesota Twins 3-4

In game one of the interleague doubleheader between the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins, the Marlins fell by a score of 3-4. The Marlins offense managed one walk and eight strikeouts against the Twins today.

Rob Brantly, Giancarlo Stanton Lead Miami Marlins To Victory Over Minnesota Twins, 8-5

After dropping the first game of their double header with the Minnesota Twins, the Miami Marlins were able to bounce back in a huge way. The Marlins offense tied a season high scoring eight runs and picked up a season high 16 hits on the night.

Here is a quick recap of the top 20 prospects we have taken a look at so far:

• #20-Mason Hope, RHP
• #19- Zack Cox, 3B
• #18- Tom Koehler, RHP
• #17- Kolby Copeland, OF
• #16- Austin Barnes, INF-C
• #15- Alfredo Silverio, OF
• #14- Avery Romero, INF
• #13- Derek Dietrich, INF
• #12- Mason Hope, SP
• #11- Adam Conley, SP
• #10- Jake Realmuto, C
• #9- Jose Urena, SP
• #8- Rob Brantly, C

The next prospect we will examine will be the Marlins every day short stop in 2013. He was one of the players the Marlins acquired in their blockbuster trade with the Toronto Blue Jays back in November.

Mar 17, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (3) fields the ball in the fourth inning during a spring training game against St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

7. Adeiny Hechavarria

Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent in 2010

Birthdate: 4/15/1989 (23)  Height: 6’0″ Weight: 185 lbs.

The Toronto Blue Jays were able to steal Hechavarria away from the New York Yankees in March of 2010, when they signed him to a four-year, $10 Million contract. He was seen as one of the better international prospects and chose to sign with the Blue Jays over the Yankees because he did not want to be blocked by Derek Jeter.

Hechavarria provides excellent athleticism from the short stop position, which provides him with great range at the position. His soft hands and range make him an excellent defender. He has made some impressive plays for the Marlins defensively this spring, already. Hech’s defense at short will be a sight for sore eyes, as the Marlins have not had a slick fielding short stop since Alex Gonzalez.

Although his defense is strong enough to merit him a starting job for many years to come, his offensive game severely lags behind his defensive skills. Hechavarria does provide above-average speed and strong base running skills. He projects as a 15-stolen base guy, but that number would be higher, if he reached base at a better clip.

This is what prospect guru John Sickels had to say about Hechavarria:

7) Adeiny Hechavarria, SS, Grade B-: Glove will keep him employed for a long time. Don’t expect much hitting in the short run, but he’s not helpless and he could hit better than we currently expect as he gets into his late 20s.

In 102 games, Hechavarria posted a .312/.363/.424 line with six home runs and eight stolen bases in 490 plate appearances in Triple-A Las Vegas last season. The numbers look great, until you consider that Vegas is seen as an extreme hitters environment, which helped inflate Adeiny’s numbers.

His strong line earned him a promotion to the Blue Jays big league roster in August, but Hech was disappointing with a .254/.280/.365. line in 137 plate appearances. His defense on the other hand was extremely impressive.

Hechavarria struggled with strikeouts in his time in the majors, as he struck out an alarming rate, posting a K% of 23.4 percent. The league average last season was 19.8%. That is extremely high for someone that does not provide much pop with his bat. To make matters worse, Hechavarria’s walk rate was an abysmal 2.9%. He clearly needs to improve on his plate discipline.

I would say Hechavarria’s ceiling will be as a .240 to .260 hitter that does not get on base at a high rate, but could provide 10-12 home runs down the line. If he can provide that kind of offense, combined with his already strong defense, the Marlins will have a strong short stop for the next several seasons.

Adeiny Hechavarria is the Marlins best middle infield prospect since Hanley Ramirez. Marlins owner Jeffery Loria claims that Hanley told him that Hechavarria is a better player than he is.

“Hanley Ramirez called us and told us what an incredible shortstop he is,” Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said. “When Hanley tells you ‘He is better than I am, you’ve got a great guy with great hands,’ it’s amusing to listen to.”

Hech is a better fielding prospect than Hanley, but without much offensive upside, it is hard to see the entire package being better than Hanley’s.

Mar 14, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; United States relief pitcher Steve Cishek (40) throws in the seventh inning against the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic at Marlins Park. The Dominican Republic won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After trading Heath Bell this off-season, the Marlins are heading into 2013 with Cishek set to take over the closer role. Drafted by the Marlins in the 5th round of the 2007 draft, Cishek was never looked at to be a major contributor. If everyone is honest, not too many Marlin fans actually knew who the kid was 3 years ago.

However the silence only propelled Cishek even more. Minus a couple down seasons, Cishek had been very good and very consistent in the minors. The sinkerballer catches many eyes due to his weird and funky side arm delivery. He also carries with him an above average slider, a healthy fastball, and a developing change up. The 26 year old Cishek used his delivery and talents to earn a consistent spot in the Marlins bullpen the past 2 years and has thrived. In 2012, Cishek pitched his way to a 2.69 ERA while added 15 saves. He also recorded 68 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. While he has room to improve (need’s to drop his BB’s and tendency to be wild), he is starting to catch the eyes of some baseball greats.

Perhaps his best accomplishment in his career to date, Cishek was given a spot to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and did nothing but impress. An example was the game against the loaded Dominican Republic. Steve entered the game during the 7th inning with the go ahead run at second. Facing Miguel Tejada, Cishek forced a comebacker to the mound on an 0-1 count. Using his momentum, Cishek came back out for the 8th to strike out two of the best infielders in baseball in Robinson Cano and Hanley Ramirez on three pitches each. He also got a ground out from power hitting Edwin Encarnacion. Impressive indeed! In fact, Cishek has impressed so much he has caught the eye of Greg Maddux and Joe Torre.

“I didn’t know a whole lot about him,” Torre said. “The people that have seen him basically talked him up because of his ability. He’s special, there’s no question. I mean, his ceiling is pretty high for me. I was very impressed with him.”

“He’s done it every time,” Maddux said. “He’s kind of saved us when guys have been on base. He kept the game right there, kept us in the game, gave us a chance to win. It just didn’t work out for us. I like watching him pitch.”

As Torre pointed out, both he and Maddux were not too familiar with Cishek coming into the competition. I think it’s safe to say they, along with a lot of other avid baseball fan’s now know who this Cishek guy is.

“I wasn’t lucky enough to see him (the last couple of years),” Maddux said. “Very impressive. He’s got a very good delivery. He repeats it. He throws strikes. He throws hard. He throws from a weird angle. He can change speeds, He can control his emotions. He does everything you want a good closer to do.”

Cishek, one of my personal favorite players, not only has his baseball game down, but also his passion for the game. Known as a great team player and leader, you can also catch Cishek talking up his team and personal game on his twitter account. You can also see his fire and determination as he performs on the mound. He is always locked in and is that type of player that you know will give you his best effort every outing he makes. As a coach and GM, that is all you can ask for.

“I think we’ve seen a pretty good example of his passion,” Torre said. “He’s been pumped up after he’s done the job.”

I think the World Baseball Classic was just a sneak peak for what the future hold’s in Cishek. This kid has potential out the roof, and has the drive and persona to make his adjustments pay off. While there may not be to many leads for the Marlins going into the 9th on the season, when they do have one, Cishek will do his job.

Even with the excitement of the upcoming season, not everything is rosy in the baseball world. The Marlins are still struggling with the ramifications of the major fire sale the team held during the winter. Fans are still none to pleased to have meddling owner Jeffery Loria and David Samson treat them like they are not worth anything.

-Jeffery Loria claims that the 2013 Marlins are not a Triple-A team, yet he still does not seem to know the names of his own players:

It’s not a Triple-A ball club. It’s a ball club with some pretty impressive players. I wouldn’t call (Placido) Polanco a Triple-A player. I wouldn’t call the new shortstop a Triple-A player. I wouldn’t call our second baseman a Triple-A player. I certainly wouldn’t call Rob Brantly that.

Loria, your second baseman’s name is Donovan Solano and your shortstop’s name is  Adeiny Hechavarria. Sure they are not household names, but they are players that the teams’ owner should know.

Owner Jeffery Loria claims Hanley called to tell him how Hechavarria is a better shortstop than he is. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

-Apparently, Hanley Ramirez called Jeffery Loria to tell him that the shortstop he acquired in the trade was better than him:

“Hanley Ramirez called us and told us what an incredible shortstop he is,” Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said. “When Hanley tells you ‘He is better than I am, you’ve got a great guy with great hands,’ it’s amusing to listen to.”

This very well could have happened, as Loria has no reason to lie about it, but I do not see it in Hanley Ramirez to tell anyone that someone is better than him. That does not make any sense to me.

And of course, the shortstop that Hanley says is better than him, you forget his name? Cool story!

-Speaking of shortstops, Jose Reyes says that Jeffery Loria was lying when he denied accusations that he told Reyes to buy a house in Miami:

“You can ask Peter if I’m a liar. Two people are better than one. I don’t have to lie about that. He traded me, that’s fine with me. Just be real with me. Be honest. Don’t tell me to buy a house and get a nice place for my family and stuff when you (know) you’re going to trade me. Why (did) you do that?”

-The Miami Marlins were the subject of ESPN’s Outside The Lines Wednesday, which specifically was aimed towards Jeffery Loria and his PR nightmare with the Marlins. The panel for the show included Team President David Samson, Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote, ESPN prospects guru Keith Law and ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell.

You can check out the podcast here, but I will mention that Samson, like Loria, was unsure about the names of his own players.

Bravo, stand-up work Marlins!

-Strip Club with Stanton proclaims that the transformation from Jeffery Loria to Jeff Irleand is complete. If you are a Marlins and Dolphins fan, it will help a lot to read this article and just laugh at the incompetence of both Miami franchises. At least we have Lebron James and Dwyane Wade.

-With the recent passing away of the Los Angeles Lakers owner, Jerry Buss, there has been a lot of talk about whose been the best owner in professional sports. The Huffington Post takes a bit further and questions if Jeffery Loria is the worst owner in sports history?

My answer: Hell yeah, the evidence certainly points that way.

What do you guys think, it Jeffery Loria the worst owner in sports history? Vote on the poll below and comment your thoughts on Loria.