EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

5. Florida Marlins

As they stockpile arms for the future, the Marlins have little hope of winning now

By Ian Thomsen

Offense Defense Starting Pitching Bullpen Manager 1999 Record 64-98 (fifth in NL East) Batting Order 2B Luis Castillo SS Alex Gonzalez LF Cliff Floyd CF Preston Wilson 3B Mike Lowell RF Mark Kotsay 1B Derrek Lee C Ramon Castro Bench 1F Kevin Millar OF Brant Brown IF Dave Berg OF Danny Bautista C Mike Redmond Starters RH Alex Fernandez LH Ryan Dempster RH Vladimir Nuñez RH Brad Penny LH Jesus Sanchez Bullpen RH Antonio Alfonseca RH Dan Miceli LH Armando Almanza RH Braden Looper RH Jared Camp LH Vic Darensbourg Next Up... Mike Lowell believes the surgery and treatment he underwent for testicular cancer have made him a better player. His illness was diagnosed last February following a trade by the Yankees to his hometown Marlins. Thereafter, he had radiation therapy for several weeks. "Mentally, I'm definitely stronger," says the 26-year-old Lowell. "I went through the mental roller coaster. At first I was so excited about the trade and the season. Then I didn't care about baseball -- I just wanted everything to work out all right." Lowell returned to the Marlins for 97 games last year, but it wasn't until the final two months that he began to recover his strength. Florida is hoping that Lowell, who hit 12 homers in 308 at bats in 1999, can slam about 30 this season. "I've gone through adversity that most guys don't have to face," he says. "Last year taught me what I have to do to get ready. I'm looking forward to comparing what I did last year with what I do this year." The Book An opposing team's scout sizes up the Marlins: "The Marlins will be much improved, but I don't think they can win more than 70 to 75 games.... I was surprised they let Antonio Alfonseca pitch winter ball -- that's a lot of extra work for a guy you want closing every game. I wonder what his arm is going to be like by midseason.... Florida has some very good young pitchers. Brad Penny has an explosive fastball and a killer breaking ball, and he's an animal. I don't know if he's ready to win or not, but guys like Maddux and Smoltz and Avery took their lumps before winning. Penny is that good.... Righthander Ryan Dempster has slightly better than average stuff, but he shouldn't be a No. 2 starter.... It's sink or swim for Derrek Lee. Many of us are dubious about his future. He makes no adjustments on breaking balls, and he's passive at the plate. If the Marlins can deal him, they should do it while another team still sees an upside.... Mike Lowell, Preston Wilson and Cliff Floyd are all good young players with power."

Another hopeless season seems about to dawn for the 1997 World Series champion Marlins, but, argues manager John Boles, the situation isn't as bad as it appears. "We believe in what we're doing and where we're going," says Boles, Florida's former player-development guru who became manager in October 1998. "If I didn't believe in our future, I would have never gone through the last two years."

While many teams have been pursuing a win-now strategy, the Marlins have been hoarding the most valuable commodity in the game -- young arms. If all goes according to plan, the Marlins will become the richest team in terms of pitching talent by 2003, when Florida hopes to open a new ballpark that will support a payroll expected to be upward of $50 million. Until that day comes -- if it ever does -- the Marlins will continue, like an Internet start-up, to accept their losses while building the business. "We're hoping that a lot of our guys hit their stride at one time," Boles says. "That could make us a lot more competitive than people think we'll be."

The hope is that Fernandez, a 10-year veteran, can provide leadership -- and 175 innings -- for the young Marlins. Brian Bahr/Allsport

The key player is righthander Alex Fernandez, 30, the oldest man on Florida's $19 million roster. "I'm trying to get myself ready," says Fernandez, who hopes to pitch 175 innings in his continuing recovery from 1998 rotator cuff surgery, "but if these guys have any questions, I'm here to help them. I pitched in the big leagues when I was 20. I've gone through pretty much every situation you can go through."

In Fernandez the young Marlins have a father figure who speaks eloquently by example. Having lost a few miles off his fastball, he has learned the hows and whys of his craft. "Last year they had him on a 100-pitch limit," says 22-year-old righty starter Ryan Dempster. "He couldn't waste pitches. Every pitch had a purpose."

Competing for a spot in the rotation is righthander Brad Penny, who has a
mid-90s fastball and who arrived from Arizona last year in a trade for closer Matt Mantei. The 6'4" Penny is likened by some observers to the Dodgers' Kevin Brown in his fiery mound temperament. Penny has been dating the granddaughter of Warren Spahn and has sought advice from the Hall of Famer. "I asked him to show me his changeup grip, and it was totally different from what anyone uses today," he says, smiling. "I'd never seen anything like it. Maybe that's why he was so good. He had stuff nobody else has."

Closer Antonio Alfonseca, a righty, converted 21 of 23 save opportunities after Mantei was traded. He has six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; but more impressive to his employers is the 50 pounds he has lost since last year. Florida is hoping that the addition of veteran righthanded setup man Dan Miceli and the continued improvement of lefty Armando Almanza -- he pitched out of two bases-loaded, no-outs situations during a monthlong audition last season -- will help diminish one of 1999's glaring shortcomings: The Marlins blew 18 of the 74 games in which they led or were tied after seven innings.

Two young position players whom Florida is counting on are rightfielder Mark Kotsay and first baseman Derrek Lee. Both are 24, and both stumbled offensively last year. The Marlins would like to see Kotsay, who had only 50 RBIs in 1999, drive in more runs; they would also like to see the 6'5", 225-pound Lee, who hit just five homers, reach his 40-dinger potential. Lee spent the winter in his hometown of Sacramento, working out with fellow resident Greg Vaughn. He, Kotsay and several of their teammates showed up in outstanding shape after a winter of hard work in the weight room. "I wish there were a direct correlation between muscle gain and productivity," Boles says. "Then we'd be terrific."

In 24-year-old second baseman and leadoff hitter Luis Castillo, who could challenge for the league lead in steals, and 25-year-old second-year centerfielder Preston Wilson, who will hit cleanup this year, Florida has a couple of budding mainstays. "All of us realize we're in similar situations," Wilson says. "We just need to see everybody be a better player at the end of the season than he was on Opening Day. That will translate into wins."

In the meantime the youthful Marlins will have more fun than you might think. "Our guys are not so sophisticated yet where they are self-centered," Boles says. "I was making a pitching change last year, and I can't remember who we were playing, but I looked around, and our third baseman, shortstop, second baseman and first baseman were all at second base, talking to the star player of the other team. To some extent our guys still can't believe they're up here."

Issue date: March 27, 2000

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