- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Dee Gordon’s return poses challenges for Don Mattingly, Marlins
- Updated: July 28, 2016
9:32 AM ET
In St. Louis, Miami Marlins hitting Barry Bonds is sitting inside the clubhouse on a folding chair, cooling off from the 90-degree heat before batting practice. Marlins players are handing him their new bats. Bonds holds them in his hand, feeling the weight of each. He wouldn’t have liked a few of these when he played, he says. They’re too heavy. Bonds laughs with the team and talks about what things were like back then.
As players run on the field to stretch, Ichiro Suzuki, who entered Thursday three hits away from 3,000 in his MLB career, stops in the dugout, grabs a clean white towel and wipes the top of the benches, scrubbing them until there is no sign of dirt or dust. He places his two bats for the game on top of the freshly cleaned surface, leaning them against the dugout wall. His batting glove goes to the right of the bats, and his glove is placed to the left. He does this before every game. He then runs out to the field to stretch with his teammates.
Manager Don Mattingly, right, must find a way to weave All-Star Dee Gordon back into the Marlins without undoing what the team built during his PED suspension. AP Photo/Alex Gallardo, File
Toward the end of batting practice, ace Jose Fernandez shags balls in the outfield and tosses them to kids in the stands as they yell his name.
These brief snapshots are a part of the Marlins’ story in 2016. The mood surrounding the team feels like a cross between waiting in line to get into Cooperstown and learning what it takes to play in the majors. It’s a narrative consisting of a wide range of experience, from coaches such as Bonds and players such as Ichiro to young talent such as Fernandez. So far, this blend has the Marlins in a position where few thought they’d be. ESPN.com’s preseason projections had Miami as the 22nd-best team in the majors. And try finding the Marlins logo on this page. Only one of our writers and analysts had the Marlins in the playoffs. As of Thursday morning, at 55-46, the Marlins are a game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and 1½ games ahead of the New York Mets for the second National League wild-card berth.
This season, however, hasn’t been without its bumps. During the first three months, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went through a horrendous slump, batting .220 during while striking out 93 times. Miami’s starting rotation, with the exception of Fernandez, is average. According to research by ESPN Stats & Information, with Fernandez’s numbers taken out, the Marlins’ rotation is 22-24 and has a 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and averages 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. But the most glaring obstacle has been at the top of the order, where the …
continue reading in source espn.go.com
