I love the regional newspaper articles about players in the Marlins organization. And today we have one.
On Saturday, Chris Volstad took the mound for the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, before a crowd of more than 32,000, and pitched four shutout innings against the New York Yankees in a final exhibition game. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-7 right-hander was in Five County Stadium, wearing a Carolina Mudcats uniform and giving interviews on the team's media day. "That was amazing, one of the biggest experiences of my life," said Volstad, a first-round pick in the 2005 amateur draft. "The biggest crowd I've thrown in front of, the best lineup I've thrown against. You really can't ask for anything more than that." Volstad hopes to be called up to the Marlins this season...
And I hope it doesn't come to that. Chris Volstad has put himself at the top of the list of future Marlins starters. Now, the only questions that remain are when the club wants to start his clock and if he is ready to handle the workload. There is no question about his talent, he has proven that. But the last thing the club needs to do is take a jewel like Volstad and over-pitch him to the point he ends up being an alumnus of Dr. Andrew's team. We have enough of those. With Volstad if the club is going to err, err to side of caution.
The other thing in the same article I found interesting was about Cameron Maybin.
A year ago, Mudcats center fielder Cameron Maybin was considered one of the most promising prospects in the Detroit Tigers' system.
Called up to the Tigers in August, he smacked a home run off the Yankees' Roger Clemens -- and was promptly hit by a Clemens fastball the next time up.
That I didn't know, but it sounds about right. Think of it as good training for the young Mr. Maybin for the future when the Marlins are playing the Phillies and one of those throw at everyone's stars contest breaks out. It's going to happen, you know it's going to happen. It always happens.