Two Wishes

Jul 28, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners former starting pitcher Randy Johnson waves to the fans prior to being inducted in the Seattle Mariners hall of fame before the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Kansas City Royals at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

July 21, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; A new Ted Williams stamp is revealed prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

If I found a magic lamp and rubbed on it to release a tightwad genie that would only give me two wishes, as a loyal Marlins fan, I’d have to go with: “fix the bullpen” and “give us a base hits and doubles offense.”

For so many games this season, we’ve watched our above-average rotation get hammered by a shocking lack of run support. Time after time,  we stranded runners in scoring position. Imagine how the win-loss record might look if the Marlins finished in the top half of the league in the RISP stat, instead of spending the entire season at the bottom.

On the same thread, when our hitters were swatting the ball well and we carried a lead into the late third of a game, our bullpen seemed jealous of the games blown from a lack of run support, and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

I was always taught that if you want something, you have to work to get it, which means I rarely spend time looking for magic lamps.  However, if we make a couple of judicious acquisitions in the off-season and sign some guys that hit for low-power/high average, and if we can settle someone into the closer role, we might see an entirely different season next year.

Maybe that magic lamp will bring the next Randy Johnson and Ted Williams to the Marlins.