Major League Baseball Special: What to expect from Miami Marlins in 2012...?
This time around, the Miami Marlins are facing high expectations from their fans ahead of 2012 Major League Baseball season, but realistically looking, the manoeuvres in top management and brisk trades have made things slightly complex recently for the franchise while at the same time, the Marlins fans only expecting good things from their team.
This offseason, Ozzie Guillen, the former Chicago White Sox skipper, made his way into the Marlins replacing ineffective Jack McKeon. With the addition of star manager, the Marlins further landed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano and Wade LeBlanc into the franchise.
While all these players aboard, the Marlins’ fans are certainly expecting something positive from its team. They identify and recognise all these players’ extraordinary talents and want them to perform in the upcoming season with full swing. Last season, overall the Marlins finished 11th in National League with 72-90 and fifth place in the National League East impressing many down the stretch in the regular season. The Marlins put up a good show when they progressed after mid season and won many games from top teams.
However, with less batting depth and inexperienced players, the Marlins lost the momentum and started to lose from averaged opponents ending up in a narrow position late in the regular season.
In the meanwhile, with Jose Reyes along with Heath Bell, Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano, Austin Kearns, Aaron Rowand, Chad Gaudin and Wade LeBlanc, the Marlins are looking good and shaping up a good projected rotation and line-up. The projected batting line-up for 2012 includes Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, Hanley Ramirez, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Gaby Sanchez, John Buck and Omar Infante while the projected rotation includes Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez and Carlos Zambrano.
Regarding the expectations level, the one addition that certainly can bring the Marlins a favourable consistency is Mark Buehrle’s addition. He is an experienced player and coming with huge energy. His past seasons with the White Sox are witness and tell the very brilliancy he tends to display on the pitch with his fast balls. After coming in the franchise, he said for his future explaining, “I love playing the game, the competition, the thrill of going out there every five days. I'm going to have as much fun as I can while I'm here. It can be taken away from you just like that.”
The Marlins new manager Ozzie Guillen is also hoping a great beginning with Buhrle. He said for the talented pitcher, "It's great for the team. This kid can really pitch, He's been a winner. He's won at every stage in baseball. He's a great guy in the clubhouse. He's here for a reason. And he has $56 million reasons to be."
Experts believe that the Marlins with new manager and a good pitcher are very much on the right track and can win the division title. While some have even speculated in the media that the way Marlins management has played their cards in the offseason is quite impressive and it is very much probable that they can carry forward the momentum into the next season and win games for their fans as well as for themselves.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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