Imagine an owner passionate about winning above all else.
Imagine a payroll limited only by the ebb and flow of the free agent market in any given year.
Imagine a front office filled with smart baseball people ready and willing to use the latest statistics to give the Marlins a competitive edge.
Imagine a minor league system stacked to the brim with promising young talent.
Imagine an international scouting department that is a leader in bringing in talent from around the world.
Imagine coaches capable of creating an atmosphere both conducive to learning AND fun; coaches capable of bringing out the best in a player, of properly identifying their strengths and weaknesses and utilizing them on a game to game basis.
Imagine a clubhouse that players from other teams would kill to be a part of.
Imagine Miami as the destination spot it deserves to be, a place where players want to play, and stay.
Imagine Hall of Fame players going into Cooperstown with a Miami cap on; first one, then many.
Imagine Miami as a baseball-first town (yes, given time, it could happen).
Imagine flipping on the TV, landing on SportsCenter, and seeing the Marlins on a regular basis. Not as the butt of jokes, but as a model franchise, a consistent winner.
Imagine a balanced roster capable of driving deep into the playoffs for years on end.
Imagine a stadium packed to the gills with a revitalized, passionate fan base.
Imagine being the envy of the baseball world.
Maybe this doesn’t happen. Maybe Loria has given us all the classic head-fake.
Or maybe it’s only a matter of time.
Imagine.