Clark Spencer pens an interesting article about the Marlins bullpen. Here are some excerpts .
The one with the shaved head is the son of a nuclear physicist. The one with tattoos wallpapering nearly every inch of his body is part Cherokee Indian. The one who throws pellets is an Idaho Mormon. The one from Texas is Irish. The one who dresses the loudest but talks the least is from Venezuela. The closer wears funky, Clark Kent glasses. The long reliever's family is involved in a Christian ministry that counsels prisoners.
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'I honestly believe that opposites attract and, in our bullpen, we've got all sorts of stuff going on,'' said bullpen catcher Pierre Arsenault, who is Canadian. ``Maybe that's why they get along so well, because they complement each other. We're all from everywhere -- different places and different backgrounds. And yet, when the game starts, everybody is on the same page.''
Actually, once the game starts, most of them are figuring out ways to kill time because their job typically doesn't begin until the fifth inning or later. One of their favorite pranks is hiding the golf cart that belongs to the team photographer in some cubbyhole in Dolphin Stadium (Hint: Look in the clubhouse kitchen).
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The other members of the bullpen are constantly giving Lindstrom a hard time. Because he has the least amount of service time in the majors, he is being forced to bring the candy bag to the bullpen for the second season in a row.
''And, honestly, I think he did a poor job [being in charge of the candy bag] last year,'' Miller said. ``I just think he lacked. He did a bad job. We're giving him a chance to redeem himself.''
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'I think what makes these guys special is that it's literally like a family,'' Arsenault said. 'They all pull for each other. If one guy gets in trouble, the other guy tries to get him out of it. I've seen bullpens -- not that they're divided -- but there's just not that cohesiveness. I've seen bullpens in the past where guys [complain] constantly -- `they're using me too much' or 'they're not using me enough.' Not these guys. They don't [complain] about anything. They all want the ball. They all want to pitch.''
Read the whole article, it may or may not tell you anything you didn't know already, but it is well done.