Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins: Series Preview Q&A
Jul 10, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder
Giancarlo Stanton(27) on the bench in the second inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
A Season of Promise… Derailed
3. Well, I suppose it needs to be asked. I had the Marlins finishing second in the division this season. Did that early home sweep by the Braves kill all momentum, or was that merely a foreshadowing of bad things to come? How bad did losing Henderson Alvarez hurt. or was that just a nail in the coffin?
Believe it or not, I picked the Mets to finish second behind the Nationals for the NL East, as I was never sold on the Marlins off-season as being enough to make them contenders. But the early Braves series was a foreshadowing for what was coming for the Marlins. The team had very little margin for error and needed a lot of things to break their way to make this team a contender. That didn’t happen and the season has just gotten messier as we move towards the finish line. I, for one, cannot wait to see this nightmarish season to be over.
4. The Braves have now lost the heart-and-soul of its lineup – Freddie Freeman – for a second time. But the Marlins have lost Giancarlo Stanton for a second year in a row. When do you think he gets back?
Losing Giancarlo Stanton was the final nail in the coffin for the Marlins disaster season. Their chances of making the playoffs with him were already low, but when he went out, the team became near unwatchable every 4 out of 5 games. He’s worth the price of admission, alone, for most Marlins games, so him being out kills the joy. His majestic power makes a 12-1 blowout a whole lot more bearable.
[Yahoo Fantasy report: “Giancarlo Stanton admitted Saturday that his recovery from hamate bone surgery is “definitely slower” than expected.” Sounds like perhaps around mid-August… if that soon. ]
5. How would you characterize the mood of the fan base after the initial euphoria to begin the year? Resigned? Numb? Ugly?
The teams fanbase is frustrated, resigned, pissed, annoyed, and probably growing impatient with the direction of the team. This is the same ole’ Marlins. The team had a likely valuable trade asset in Mat Latos, but instead of looking to inject young talent into the system, they instead packaged Michael Morse and threw in a draft pick (the one the Braves got) to free up money. Money is Loria’s favorite word and he never misses an opportunity to not spend it and save every penny he sees.
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