Marlin Maniac » Mike Stanton

Weekly Recap (2/27/12-3/4/12)

Ehsan Kassim — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:48:56 +0000

Time for another weekly recap. Last week on Marlin Maniac we had quite a busy week. Expect the next week to be just as busy. We hope to be premiering three new writers over the course of the week. The Miami Marlins will kick off their Spring Training schedule against the St. Louis Cardinals later today. Will Stanifer: Everyone [...]

Weekly Recap (2/27/12-3/4/12) - Marlin Maniac - Marlin Maniac - A Miami Marlins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Miami Marlins 2012 Season Preview: Meet Giancarlo Stanton

Ehsan Kassim — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Guess what Marlins fan? We have another player playing under a name that he was not given at birth.

Luckily, this guy was born in the United States and did not lie about his name and age. Who is this player?

It is no other then Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton.

Feb 27 2012, Jupiter, FL, USA: Miami Marlins right fielder Mike Stanton (27) during photo day at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE.

That is the Marlins slugging right fielder. Giancarlo is the name Stanton went by until the 5th grade. But by the fifth grade, he decided to go by “Mike’’ because teachers and students kept mispronouncing his birth name.

It got really annoying having seven classes having to correct seven different people every single day. I figure if I have a unique name like that, I should not hide it.

Marlins players still have 25 other names that Stanton responds to, so he will not mind if you still want to call him Mike.

How much do the off-season misses hurt the Miami Marlins?

Ehsan Kassim — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:22:58 +0000

Here are some staggering numbers to think about, the Miami Marlins spent $191 million dollars on free agents this off-season. If you have followed the Marlins franchise in it’s history, that comes as a major shock. The Marlins at the beginning of the off-season promised to spend big money to improve the team, and they came through on that promise.

February 3, 2012; Secaucus, NJ USA; Miami Marlins player Jose Reyes cuts his hair to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida on February 3, 2012 at the MLB Network in Secaucus. Mandatory Credit: George Napolitano/Pool Photo via US PRESSWIRE

There is however an even bigger number that involves the Marlins and their free agent spending this off-season. That number is $337 million. What is the significance of that number? Well, that is the amount of money that the Marlins have put on the table, only to be spurned this off-season.

The Marlins reportedly offered Albert Pujols a 10-year $201 million deal. C.J. Wilson was offered a 6-year deal in the excess of $100 million. Most recently, the Marlins offered Yoenis Cepsedes a 6-year $36 million. Pujols and Wilson signed deals with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Yoenis Cespedes chose to sign with the Oakland Athletics. Now that I think about it, damn you AL West!

December 10, 2011; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles owner Arte Moreno (center) poses for a photograph with first baseman Albert Pujols (left) and pitcher C.J. Wilson after a press conference at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Larry Beinfest is not going to be someone who dwells on the lost opportunities. “I don’t know about the word ‘disappointment.” We wanted to add another quality player. We tried on Pujols. We tried on C.J. Wilson. We tried on Cespedes.” Beinfest still feels the Marlins have added enough this off-season to be legitimate contenders.

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Buster Olney’s Eye-Opening Statement on the Miami Marlins

Will Stanifer — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:41:09 +0000

Buster Olney, a regular analyst for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight and well respected baseball figure has had a lot to say about the Miami Marlins this off-season. While many of his comments have been positive toward the organization, his latest might have been the most powerful yet. In response to a fan’s tweet about the Reality Show “The Franchise” coming to Miami, Olney made this statement: “The Marlins are either going to be a brilliant, visionary success, or a near-total disaster. Like going all-in on a poker hand.” This statement clearly speaks for itself, and while I want to disagree with him, I agree. Actually, I think Olney hit the nail on the head perfect. The Marlins have most likely ended their most active off-season yet acquiring all-star shortstop Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, and of course the unpredictable Carlos Zambrano. Anytime an abundant amount of talent agrees to play for your team you should celebrate. Am I right or wrong? Only if the talent meshes with your teams chemistry, game-plan, and way of doing business. Lets break down this comment by the pros and cons:

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John Buck: What to Expect?

Will Stanifer — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:35:05 +0000

John Buck is entering his second season in Miami as the Miami Marlins starting catcher. Signed to a 3 year, 18 million dollar contract, reactions of the deal varied between fish fans when the catcher was signed. Certainly he deserved a raise in pay coming off a stellar year in Toronto where he hit .281 while knocking 20 HRs and 66 RBI’s. Buck was also named an AL All Star the same year and made national headlines by hitting 3 home runs in one single game. At the time, our only catching options were Ronny Paulino and John Baker. Paulino was serving a suspension for PED’s while John Baker was undergoing serious surgery. Number 1 draft pick and former Top 5 team prospect Kyle Skipworth continued to struggle, therefore opening the discussion for a catching upgrade. So maybe you could say Buck got a little more money than what his career line deserves, but at the time the Marlins were close to desperate. Still, the front office was happy because Buck is an above-average option behind the plate with good power.

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