Dan Uggla the veteran

While Danny awaits for the arbitrators to actually compare his stats to other second baseman, he mentions being thrust into the role of a veteran.

As soon as today, second baseman Dan Uggla will know whether he'll become rich or richer.

Uggla's 2009 salary is in the hands of arbitrators after his representatives and the Marlinspresented their cases Wednesday in Phoenix. If the three-person panel sides with Uggla, he will earn $5.35 million. A ruling for the Marlins results in a $4.4 million salary.

If the arbitrators aren't blind, or even if they are, if they can read Braille, Danny should win his case.  But that has been mentioned already.

Now to the veteran part.

His service time doesn't scream veteran, but Uggla's age, salary and tenure with the club give him an elevated standing.

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No one need remind Uggla he'll be a valuable resource for a coming wave of young position players that includes projected starters Cameron Maybin and Gaby Sanchez.

"I'm not a veteran in any way, shape or form, but on this team you have to mature a little faster and realize what's going on around you just because there are so many young kids coming through," Uggla said. "Just like Dontrelle [Willis] and Miggy [Cabrera] did for us. They only had three or four years in, but we looked up to them like they had 10 years. You just have to mature a little faster and help them out in any way you can."

No, Danny, no.   Please don't use Dontrelle's and Miggy's time with the Marlins as veteran role models as an example.  That was like turning the candy store over to a couple of kids.  They weren't good at it.  It doesn't mean the pair won't be good veteran role models down the line, but they were too somewhat immature in 2007 for the responsibility.

Danny if you need someone with little big league experience as a veteran role model who also had some age under his belt, go with the Treanor example.  He was infinitely better at the role model game than the other two.

For some reason, I think Danny will be just fine in the role.