Apr 12, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (47) throws the ball in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

1)   Norv  Turner

2)   Marty Schottenheimer

3)   Steve Spurrier

4)   Joe Gibbs

5)   Jim Zorn

6)   Jeff Torborg

7)   Jack McKeon

8)   Joe Girardi

9)   Fredi Gonzalez

10)                  Edwin Rodriguez

11)                  Brandon Hyde

12)                   Ozzie Guillen

And now we can add Mike Redmond to that list .

It is a list of those head coaches/managers that have labored under an owner with the unfortunate idea that player decisions fall under the imperial fiat of the owner’s suite. The first five worked for Redskins owner Dan Snyder.  Marlins fans will recognize the occupants of slots 6-13.

Conspicuously absent from that list is current Redskins coach Mike Shanahan.  There must have been a serious come-to-Jesus meeting in Herndon, VA prior to Shanny’s first season, because from game one of his tenure, it has been crystal clear that all player decisions come from the GM and the Head Coach, not the owner’s suite.

Lots of Redskins fans attribute the sea change to three things:  Snyder maturing as an owner and taking cues from other owners; Snyder waking up and realizing the devastating effect his meddling has had on team morale and performance; and Mike Shanahan being the first head coach with enough juice to deliver an effective ultimatum to Snyder.

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has had none of those three things enter his sphere of influence.  Last Wednesday’s rotation change between Ricky Nolasco and Jose Fernandez is now rumored to have originated from the owner’s box.

Utter folly.

By reaching down from the ivory tower, Loria risks alienating Nolasco, his agent, and any other players left over from last year. As a witness to the first years of Snyder’s involvement with the ‘Skins, I can say unequivocally that the damage wrought through the systematic destruction of the chain of command can take years to undo.

By continuing to behave in his childish, myopic pattern, Jeffrey Loria demonstrates that he still hasn’t had the moment of clarity in which he realizes that if he wants to be the owner of a winning ball club, he will need to stop acting like a spoiled six-year-old who wants to hog the ball and tell everyone what to do.

Be patient, Fish fans.  Usually, it doesn’t take long for whiny six-year-olds to get distracted and move on to another game.

Aug. 21, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Steve Cishek (31) is congratulated by catcher Rob Brantly (19) after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Marlins defeated the Diamondbacks 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

March 15, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Juan Pierre (9) works out prior to the game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ehsan, our fearless leader (and source of all wisdom here at the Maniac) and I got into a brief text-message skirmish yesterday over the fate of Steve Cishek.  His argument is that while the buzz on him is high, the front office should trade him to a contending team that is in desperate need of a solid closer. In return, the Marlins could pick up a couple of high-level infield prospects that have the potential to shore up weaknesses at first and third. My counter-argument was that we need the services of the deceptive submariner to backstop any leads we eke out until guys like Christian Yelich and Jose Fernandez are ready to move up, and that we need guys like Juan Pierre in the clubhouse once they do come up.

The discussion served to illuminate two schools of thought on this year’s Marlins club.  The first is that of our Editor: execute a complete roster teardown, Houston style, and develop our high-speed farm system to take the NL East by storm in 2016. In the other dugout, my thinking is that there is some baseball sense in the trade.  While guys like Placido olanco, Juan Pierre, Chone Figgins and Kevin Kouzmanoff are placeholders, they are guys with years of big-league experience and plenty to teach the young roster of future all-stars.  Those of us who have been following this spring closely have seen the early effects of veteran influence;  Rob Brantly’s defensive skills are improving rapidly under the tutelage of the new skipper.

Retreading Juan Pierre was probably the best off-season move by the club. His work ethic and stability will do wonders for the clubhouse morale. Hiring Mike Redmond will remain an unknown until the results start coming in, but the initial indications are positive. Furthermore, in a short period of time, Brantly, Cishek, and a few others have earned the respect of the fans, and have given the fans some hope for this year. It may not be enough to put butts in seats at Marlins Park, but it will be enough to keep the cable bills paid and the newsstands in operation while the front office tries to salvage one of the worst PR disasters since the memorable ad campaign run by the White Star Line in 1912.

Most sources are in agreement that 2013 will be another bottom-of-the-heap season for the Marlins.  I concur, given the makeup of the NL East.  Hopefully, however, we’ll be able to bring up our young guys quickly and give the Mets something to fret about at night. For sure, I see the season ending with a better win-loss record than the smackdown that was the 2012 season. I also think it’s critical to have a veteran core in the clubhouse to help bring our talented young players up to the major league level in a sane, productive way.

Many of the prospects are currently being given the opportunity to participate in the Spring Training games with the big league club and several have been quite successful thus far.  The club’s top two prospects, Christian Yelich and Jose Fernandez, are among those enjoying success in Spring Training games and the question naturally turns to when will they be called up to join the Marlins during the regular season.  Yelich in particular has been one of the team’s best players with a .379 average and 2 home runs. Paul Hagen of MLB.com caught up with manager Mike Redmond and hitting coach Tino Martinez recently to discuss the question of when Yelich will be ready.

Mar 9, 2013; Melbourne, FL, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich (76) hits a one run single against the Washington Nationals during the top of the third inning of a spring training game at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

In other news from the Marlins blogosphere:

• Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald was able to catch up with MLB commissioner Bug Selig at the World Baseball Calssic.  Apparently, the commish entertained the crowd of reporters by doing his best Sammy Davis Jr. tap dancing imitation when Spencer pressed him on the Marlins situation.
• Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post has the latest information on the injury to Placido Polanco and the race for the fifth starter spot in the rotation.

So when do you think the Marlins should call up top prospect Christian Yelich and insert him into the starting lineup?

The results of the x-ray revealed some bad news for the Miami Marlins. Miami’s 21-year-old outfield prospect has a fracture, and he will be out about a month.

Marisnick was injured against the Cardinals on March 6 when he was plunked by a Trevor Rosenthal fastball on the left hand. He had an x-ray taken on the same day, but the results came out negative.

Feb 22, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins player Jake Marisnick (77) poses for a picture during photo day at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond could not hide his disappointment in the news when he found out:

“We did find out that Marisnick broke his hand,” manager Mike Redmond said. “He has a break in his hand. So he’s going to be out for a while. Disappointing.”

Marisnick has not played since the injury occurred, and will likely miss the next month. It is doubtful that he will be ready for Opening Day for the Jacksonville Suns.

Marisnick is one of the seven players the Marlins acquired in the fire sale blockbuster trade with the Toronto Blue Jays back in November. Marisnick is seen by many experts to be the key piece the Marlins got in return.

After a breakout season in High-A with the Blue Jays, he was promoted to Double-A. While he did not set the league on fire, Marisnick did hold his own in the league, considering he was just 21-years old at the time.

Marisnick got off to a good start with his new franchise this spring, hitting with a .455/.500/.727 line in 11 at bats. He only struck out twice, but did not draw a single walk. He also showed off his speed with one stolen base and drew rave reviews from his manager about his defense in center.

Redmond went as far as saying that Marinick’s defense was ready to play in the majors right away.

While Marisnick was not expected to see any major league action before September call-ups this season, this injury could set him back enough to not make him an option in September either.

The news is hardly surprising, as many had deemed this as a forgone conclusion. After the Marlins-Blue Jays blockbuster trade in November which sent Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle  to Toronto, that left Nolasco as the lone veteran in the starting rotation.

Feb 26, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (left) and catcher Rob Brantly (right) both head towards the dugout before a spring training game against thenNew York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

April 1st will be Nolasco’s second career opening-day start. Nolasco also got the nod for the 2009 opener, against the Washington Nationals. In that game, Nolasco and the Marlins picked up the win, but Nolasco allowed five runs in six innings, allowing seven hits while striking out six hitter and walking zero.

Ricky Nolasco is the current Marlins franchise leader in wins (76), innings pitched (1,113 1/3) and strikeouts (911). He will have a chance to add onto those numbers in the 2013 season, even if it is for just half-a-season, like most outsiders predict. Nolasco is seen as the Marlins lone trade chip, outside of Giancarlo Stanton.

Nolasco had an efficient start on Thursday, striking out six hitters, without allowing a walk. He threw 40 of his 59 pitches for strikes. Nolasco was the losing pitcher in the game, as he allowed a run in his 3 2/3 innings. The Marlins offense could not muster up any offense.

Justen will have more on the game in the morning in his game recap.

Last season, Nolasco went 12-13 with a 4.48 ERA in 31 starts and logged 191 innings. Nolasco has thrown 200 innings twice in his career, but owns a frustrating career ERA of 4.49, even though his career FIP sits at 3.83.

For both Nolasco’s sake and the Marlins, the hope is that Nolasco pitches closer to his periphials in 2013, as the Marlins can then maximize his value on the trade market. Nolasco, whose in the last season of his contract, is also playing for his MLB pitching future.

A strong season from Nolasco will result in a decent contract, possibly a long-term contract next winter. A poor season and Nolasco maybe looking for a minor league contract next season and be competing for a spot in a rotation for a bottom-feeding team, like the Marlins in 2014.