I thought that some of yesterday's matchups would be closer, but they weren't. I was particularly surprised that teh Derrek Lee/Miguel Cabrera pairing wasn't closer, but Cabrera won in a land-slide.
We're now halfway through the first round. Here's a current bracket.
If you're just joining us, check out the entry from Day One, which gives something of an overview for the whole process.
Yesterday's Results
Teal (93-96) Bracket: Destrade advances
97 World Champs Bracket: Nen advances
Ugly Years (98-02) Bracket: Millar advances
03 World Champs Bracket: Cabrera advances
Today's Matchups
Teal Bracket
#6 - Chuck Carr - An original Marlin who was known as mainly for his speed and flashy defense. He wasn't great at hitting for average or for power, but he was still fun to watch. Well, some people felt that way. Others would side with Sports Illustrated which once ranked Chuck as one of the top ten jerks in baseball. In his three years with the Marlins he stole 115 bases.
#11 Andre Dawson - Andre finished out his illustrious career in teal. The Hawk we saw as a Marlin wasn't the superstar who won the MVP with the Cubs or the Rookie of the Year with the Expos. But there certainly were flashes of that greatness, and that added a spark to the then brand new franchise.
1997 World Champions
#4 Charles Johnson - A lot of us have probably think of the CJ that we've seen in recent years. He hasn't been the same player that he was in his younger days. He starred at the University of Miami and on the US national team. The CJ we saw in 1997 was still that young star. His defense was impeccable. He won his third Gold Glove in a row, finished 11th in the MVP voting, and was an All-Star. Most impressive of all was that he commited no errors and allowed only one passed ball (in 123 games behind the plate).
#13 Luis Castillo - Luis wasn't the player in 1997 that we all think of him as today. He played in only 75 games and hit .240/.310/.270. Though Luis did contribute significantly during the regular season, he did not appear in the playoffs.
Ugly Years
#8 Alex Gonzalez - Alex's development in the minors hastened the departure of Edgar Renteria (via trade) as the Marlins felt they had a future All-Star waiting in the minors. They were right. At 22, Alex made the NL All-Star team, in his first year as a regular. Sure, that was more by default than anything (as that pathetic club needed a representative and Alex was the best bet), but he still made it. That 1999 season was also Alex's best (at least until 2003 - which only counts in another bracket).
#9 Antonio Alfonseca - Six-fingered Alfonseca got a lot of work during some very lean years for the Marlins. His best season, saves wise, came in 2000, when he racked up 45 saves (and finished 62 games). Antonio could always be counted on to make the game exciting; his ability to allow runners to get into scoring position was ultimately what led to his departure (from his first stint) from the Fish.
2003 World Champions
#1 Josh Beckett - You can look at the stats all you want, but unless you go back to his high school or minor league days, they're not really going to overwhelm you. Beckett has always been a joy to watch pitch - the only issue has been how often he's healthy. Beckett was healthy for the playoffs - and he dominated. Though he only went 2-2 in the post-season, his ERA of 2.11 was outstanding. His 47 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings were also pretty impressive. More than that, he also came out of the bullpen in the LCS against the Cubs - without that, there likely wouldn't be a 2003 Champions bracket. Oh yeah, and he dated Leann Tweeden afterwards.
#16 Todd Hollandsworth - Todd saw limited action for the Marlins in 2003 playing in only 93 regular season games. His greatest contributions came as a pinch hitter. He attained the third highest average for pinch hitters in the major leagues, .350, and the highest on-base percentage, .500. Todd's postseason appearances were all as a pinch hitter where he went 4 for 8. In the NLCS he went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI against the Cubs. Even though his play was limited he played an important role in getting the Marlins to the World Series.
Voting
Use the links below to vote for your favorites in today's matchups. Even if you weren't a fan of the team in 1993 or 1997, you can still vote for someone in each pairing. Also, please feel free to spread the word and to encourage others to vote.
Who is your favorite Marlin?
Teal (93 - 96) Bracket: Carr vs. Dawson
1997 World Champs Bracket: Johnson vs. Castillo (featured matchup - main poll)
Ugly Years (98 - 02) Bracket: Gonzalez vs. Alfonseca
2003 World Champs Bracket: Beckett vs. Hollandsworth
Special Note
If you'd like to write the brief description for a particular player (or players), send me an email or create a diary with your text. I'll be happy to use it.
Thoughts/Discussion
Feel free to use this thread to discuss who you voted for, who you think others should vote for, etc. Or, if you'd prefer, you can create a separate diary too. You can also feel free to include any objections/suggestions/criticsm in the comments.