25 for 25: Marlins

by Solanus on Jul 27, 2010 10:44 PM EDT Comment 11 comments

I am actually a St. Louis Cardinals fan, but over the past few months I've been working on a roster for each franchise in the National League, composed of players over the last 25 years*. The way this works is that I pick one player from each season and I have to fill out an entire roster (2 catchers, 2 infielders at each position, 6 total outfielders, 5 starting pitchers, 4 relievers). I can't take more than one player for each year, I have to take one player each season even in the bad years, and I can't use the same player for multiple positions. If a player played the majority of his games at one position, I can't use that season for another position even if he's played it before. And I used basically minimums of 60 innings or 250 PA's (prorated for strike seasons).

*Because the Marlins have only been in existance since 1993, I picked two players each from eight different seasons, otherwise the rules are the same.

The interesting part with this are the decisions that have to be made, whether it is, "Dang there are some really nice outfielder seasons to choose from, who gets left out?", or, "Does this team even have two decent catchers in a 25-year span?", or, "This guy had so many great years - which one do I choose?" Sometimes a great year gets left out, sometimes a fluke, partial season gets tabbed for the team.

I actually posted the entire National League East on the SB Nation site Viva El Birdos (I will post the other divisions later), as well as an extended version for the Cardinals from 1910 to 1934 and (eventually) a post just like this at all of the other NL sites. You're welcome to pick apart my choices and make suggestions of your own. I'm looking forward to hearing from everybody.

C – Charles Johnson (1995), Ivan Rodriguez (2003)

1B – Derrek Lee (2003), Carlos Delgado (2005)

2B – Luis Castillo (2000), Dan Uggla (2008)

3B – Mike Lowell (2002), Miguel Cabrera (2006)

SS – Edgar Renteria (1997), Hanley Ramirez (2008)

OF – Jeff Conine (1994), Garry Sheffield (1996), Moises Alou (1997), Cliff Floyd (2001), Preston Wilson (2001), Josh Willingham (2006)

SP – Kevin Brown (1996), Alex Fernandez (1999), Carl Pavano (2004), Dontrelle Willis (2005), Josh Johnson (2009)

RP – Bryan Harvey (1993), Matt Mantei (1998), Armando Benitez (2004), Lee Gardner (2007)

Notable excpetions: Al Leiter (1996), Josh Beckett (2005), Ricky Nolasco (2008), Robb Nen (1996), Todd Jones (2005)

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This is pretty sick

Good job on picking these guys. Most of them I agree with, the only one I would definitely change is Josh Beckett for Carl Pavano in ´04. Other than that, good stuff!

"Don’t do drugs, don’t have unprotected sex, don’t be violent. Leave that to me." - Eminem

by auh11 on Jul 28, 2010 1:01 AM EDT reply actions

Actually nevermind,

I just looked up the stats for Pavano and he had a beast season in 04, I just feel that Beckett has been a much better player throughout his career.

"Don’t do drugs, don’t have unprotected sex, don’t be violent. Leave that to me." - Eminem

by auh11 on Jul 28, 2010 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions

sorry

beckett was the reason the fish won the title in ’03; not sure how he could be off the list

by byoung on Jul 28, 2010 2:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Going by the numbers

It was hard to justify putting Beckett on there ahead of Rodriguez and Lee. He had the 6th-best WARP1 in ‘03 (granted, iin 70% of a season). Plus none of the starters on the list had seasons worth sneezing at (Fernandez was pretty close, but he was the best of a fairly bad lot in ’99).
That’s the problem with doing this sort of thing. You don’t get to just grab the best seasons for each position & you don’t necessarily get to put all of your favorite players on the team. Sometimes you get stuck with somebody and have to leave off a pretty deserving player.

I was reading about how countless species are being pushed toward extinction by man's destruction of forests. Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us. - Calvin, Scientific Progress Goes "Boink", Watterson

by Solanus on Jul 28, 2010 7:41 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree byoung...

I agree Beckett was a crucial part of our 2003 team thats why when I first saw it I felt Beckett deserved it, look at my first respoonse.

But then I saw the stats for Pavano in 04 and hes was good, really good.

So now I see why Solanus picked it

"Don’t do drugs, don’t have unprotected sex, don’t be violent. Leave that to me." - Eminem

by auh11 on Jul 28, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions

what.. no todd dunwoddy?!?!

lol jk.. but i like the list and mantei for 1998.. that was one LOOOONNGG season for us!!

but renteria did well that year too i think and you wouldve had a bunch to pick from for 97 if you moved renteria to 98

by flmarlins7 on Jul 28, 2010 6:55 PM EDT reply actions

robb nen in 97 or maybe even livan

livan was lights out in the playoffs

by flmarlins7 on Jul 28, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I would of taken

Miguel Cabrera 2007
Dan Uggla 2006
Joe Nelson 2008

Chris Volstad Nuff Said

by Volstud on Jul 28, 2010 7:52 PM EDT reply actions

Cabrera is the key there

His ’07 posted a 5.2 WARP1; his ’06 was a 7.2 WARP1, with a higher OPS+ and Win Share total.

The 2006 ROY voting notwithstanding, Uggla had a higher equivalent average & Win Shares in ‘08, and the only real reasons why his WARP1 was higher in ’06 was better defense and more PA’s.

I used a 60 inning minimum, which Nelson did not meet, so I didn’t even consider him, but he’s outdone by Gardner in OPS+, WS, & WARP1.

by Solanus on Jul 28, 2010 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Respectable then

You for sure did your research on this. I guess I just felt like there had to be a more deserving reliever than Lee Gardner, though he was a great story when he got called up.

Chris Volstad Nuff Said

by Volstud on Jul 29, 2010 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions