Two months into the 2011 MLB Season and the Florida Marlins were one game back in the loss column for the best record in the National League behind Philadelphia. Heading into June, this young club had a 3-game lead for the Wild Card. Of course there were still over 100 games to be played in the season, but it was a promising beginning for such a young team. We have seen previous Marlins teams reach improbable success in the past and just maybe this 2011 team had the potential to make a run.
The end of May, however, saw some key Marlins go down with injuries. Through nine starts, Josh Johnson had an ERA of 1.64 and a FIP of 2.64. To give you some perspective, only Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, and Cliff Lee finished 2011 with a lower FIP than JJ. AL MVP and Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, finished with a 2.99. Unfortunately, those first nine starts would also be his last nine starts. Johnson pitched his last game in 2011 on May 16th. Hanley Ramirez also went down on May 29th. H2R would go on to miss the next 14 games.
Then on came June. Without JJ and Hanley, the fish began to flop. Florida lost the first eight games of June and 19 of the first 20. The Marlins entered the month of death at 31-22, and exited with a 36-45 record. Florida only won 5 of their 28 games in the month, found themselves in last place in the NL East and virtually knocked themselves out of any October action.
With a new name, a new logo and a new home, the Miami Marlins look to make a splash in 2012. With the additions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell, and if Miami can stay (relatively) healthy, it seems as though the Marlins should be able to recapture the early success they enjoyed in April and May of 2011 and definitely make a run for the 2012 Playoffs. Keep in mind the playoffs have expanded to 10 teams with an additional Wild Card spot. The dynamic new manager, Ozzie Guillen, will keep this season exciting and interesting til the very end. All in all, expect the Marlins to be playing relevant games the last week of the season and at the very least compete for one of the two Wild Card spots.
The Miami Marlins host Opening Day 2012 on April 4th against the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals at 7:00 EST on ESPN.
Thought I could be the first to comment and say that, while my allegiances lie else where, the Marlins have the capability of being a threat in the NL. Baring any major injuries, they should grab one of the wild card slots.
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