All-Time Marlins Countdown: Chapter 2

This series focuses on every player to appear with the Marlins through their first 28 major league seasons. There have been 630 in total. Here’s seven more.

All players included in this article are part of the first tier: less than 20 PA/BF, and below replacement level.

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623. Ryan Jorgensen

Ryan Jorgensen is a catcher from Jacksonville. He was drafted three times in total, the last time in 2000 by the Chicago Cubs. He worked his way up through their minor league system until just prior to the 2002 campaign, when he joined the Marlins system in the trade that also netted Florida Dontrelle Willis.

Jorgensen toiled in Florida’s system for three years before getting called up to the majors. On August 8, 2005, he made his major league debut in the first game of a doubleheader as a defensive replacement in the 11th inning of a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Although he didn’t get a plate appearance, he got the start in game two, going 0-for-3 with a pair of whiffs. Later in the month, he struck out in his final plate appearance for the Marlins, making him 0-for-4.

Jorgensen later played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins at their minor and major league level. In total, he finished his career three-for-20 with a pair of homers and six RBI.

622. Mendy López

Pimentel, DR native Mendy López was an infielder who initially signed with the Kansas City Royals in early 1992 at the age of 18. Six short years later, he made his major league debut for them and played in 81 games over the next two seasons. He slashed out a .257/.299/.341 line with 18 RBI.

In January 2000, after his release from the Royals, the Marlins signed López to a minor league deal. He spent most of the year at the Triple-A level for them, where he hit .324 for the Calgary Cannons. He briefly joined the Marlins at the tail-end of July, and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in four games. López was granted free agency following the season.

Later, López played major league ball with the Houston Astros, the the Pittsburgh Pirates, and again with Kansas City. He played in 190 games in total, and hit .242 with six homers and 40 RBI.

621. Kyle Skipworth

Back in 2008, Kyle Skipworth, a catcher from Riverside, California, was picked in the first round by the Marlins with the sixth overall choice. Over the next five seasons, he appeared through every level of Florida’s minor league system, finally making his major league debut in 2013.

In April, Skipworth made his first big league appearance, and played in four games. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk. Sent back down in early May, he remained in the Marlins system through the end of 2014, when Miami granted his free agency. He later signed with the Reds, although he never again appeared at the major league level.

620. Steve Lombardozzi

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Steve Lombardozzi, son of major leaguer Steve Lombardozzi, was a 19th round choice of the Washington Nationals in 2008. A second baseman who was also proficient in the outfield, Steve arrived in the majors with the Nats three years later. In 257 games for Washington, he slashed .264/.297/.342 with five homers and 50 RBI.

After the 2013 campaign, Lombardozzi was traded to the Detroit Tigers, then traded to the Baltimore Orioles before the season started. He also played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and in the minor league system with the Chicago White Sox. After rejoining the Nationals for a spell, he signed on with Miami through free agency prior to the 2017 season.

Lombardozzi spent most of that year at the Triple-A level with the New Orleans Baby Cakes. In May he started two games at second base for the Marlins, and went 0-for-8 with a pair of strikeouts. In 2018 he played in Oakland’s minor league system.

619. Sean Rodriguez

Sean Rodriguez is a Miami native and a third round selection of the Anaheim Angels from the 2003 draft. Now a 13-year major league veteran, he’s adept at first base, second base, and in the outfield in a pinch.

After making his major league debut with the Angels in 2008, he later turned up with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Atlanta Braves, and the Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to 2020 spring training, the Marlins signed him as a free agent.

Miami released Rodriguez before he had made a plate appearance on June 27. Four days later, they resigned him. He didn’t get into a live game until September 16, when he went one-for-four against the Boston Red Sox in an 8-4 Marlins victory. He ended up going two-for-13 with six whiffs in four appearances.

618. James Houser

James Houser is a six-foot-four lefty and a native of Sarasota, Florida. Another 2003 draftee, he was taken in the second round by the Rays.

Houser never appeared at the major league level for the Marlins in-state nemesis, and was released in August 2009. After the season concluded, the Marins signed him through free agency.

Houser’s story with the Marlins is exactly one game long. On June 24, in an 11-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, he surrendered three runs on a walk and three hits, including a homer in just 1 ¹⁄₃ frames. He basically turned a 6-4 deficit into a 10-4 deficit (including one inherited runner’s score), and never again made it back to the majors.

617. John Gall

John Gall was an outfielder out of Stanford when he was taken in the 11th round of the 2000 drat by the St. Louis Cardinals. Five seasons later, he graduated to the big leagues and went 10-for-37 with a pair of homers and 10 RBI in 22 games.

Gall spent most of that season and most of the next at the Cardinals minor league level. Released in mid-2006, the Marlins took a flyer on him after the campaign.

Gall spent two seasons in the Marlins system, but his major league contribution to Florida was limited to five plate appearances over three games in 2007. He was 0-for-4 with a strikeout, although he did reach first base via HBP.

Again granted free agency following the 2008 season, Gall signed a deal with the Houston Astros, but didn’t make it back to the majors.