From: camden@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Rany Jazayerli)
Subject: Re: Marlins fans are merely jealous...
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: The Johns Hopkins University - HCF
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Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 07:55:00 GMT

In article <wilbanks.722137910@spot.Colorado.EDU>, wilbanks@spot.Colorado.EDU (Wendell Gee) writes...
>Well, Marlins fans, who suddenly think themselves supreme, think of this:
> 
>1. the Rockies are not rich. We do not have a billionaire with an open 
>checkbook as an owner. We have a comglomeration of various people trying 
>to build a team on a shoestring budget So, if you more carefully analyze the
>draft, you see that the Rocks took a lot of quality minor league players to 
>stock at Colo. Springs and (insert some Eastern League team here). The 
>Marlins drafted a lineup for 1993-1995. The Rockies drafted for 1994-2000.

	HUH?  Eck-squeeze me?  Actually, I kind of see the opposite as being
true.  The Marlins did a MUCH better job of drafting for the medium- and long-
term future than the Rockies did (and come to think of it, their short-term
future [i.e. 1993] doesn't look much worse than Colorado either).

	Let's just take a quick look at some of the first-round picks made by
each team to analyze their position for the future:

1.	Colorado: David Nied		Florida: Nigel Wilson

	Both of these were pretty much no-brainers, though I like Nied a lot
	more - I'm skeptical on Wilson's plate discipline (137 K's, 33 BB's
	in 1992).

2.	Colorado: Charlie Hayes		Florida: Jose Martinez

	These two picks are a clear sign as to where these two teams are heading
	in the draft: the Rockies take a 27-year-old third baseman with 
	questionable ability (at best) and NO hope of improvement, while the
	Marlins acquire a pitcher with great stuff and impressive minor-league
	stats to back it up (a career 2.01 minor-league ERA, and a strikeout-to
	walk ratio of OVER SIX).

3.	Colorado: Darren Holmes		Florida: Bret Barberie

	Here, I'm not sure whether the Rockies are making a pick for next year,
	the year after, or anytime in the next century or so.  The Marlins get
	a young middle infielder whose on-base ability is as good as almost
	anyone in the league.

4.	Colorado: Jerald Clark		Florida: Trevor Hoffman

	The Rockies have really thrown me off with this one.  I mean, I really
	find it hard to believe that anyone would spend 95 million dollars for
	the masochistical pleasure of drafting Jerald Clark.  I was certain 
	after the draft that he was meant as trade bait, but he hasn't been 
	dealt yet, so I don't know.  Meanwhile, the Marlins acquire a
	serviceable, if long-range, pitching prospect in Hoffman.

5.	Colorado: Bichette (via Reimer)	Florida: Pat Rapp

	Again, the Marlins acquire a young pitching prospect with the hope that
	he will be quality major league starter in a few years, while the 
	Rockies go for established mediocre talent (well, I may be inclined to
	peg Bichette at a level above mediocre, but I'm not sure if this was
	a fluke year or not).


The draft proceeds in pretty much this same format for the rest of the way.
The Rockies make some good acquisitions later on, especially in the second
round - Jim Tatum, Eric Wedge (sorry, all you Red Sox fans), Mo Sanford, and
Lance Painter, while the Marlins blew some picks - I find it hard to believe
they couldn't get anyone better than Darrell Whitmore from the Indians in the
first round - but overall, the trend is clear.  While the Rockies were busy
trying to acquire their 1993 starting lineup from the draft (and not doing a 
very good job of it), the Marlins were trying to get their 1996 starting lineup
from the draft, and doing a damn fine job of it.

I think I've pretty much said what has needed to be said about the Rockies'
draft.  However, every time I look at the Marlins draft, I must admit, I'm more
and more impressed.  They took Hibbard, in what appeared to be a blown pick 
until they converted him into Gary Scott and Alex Arias, two definite keepers;
they drafted Eric Helfand, then returned him to Oakland for Walt Weiss, who 
will hold the fort at short until either Arias or Ramon D. Martinez can take 
over; Jeff Conine was a tremendous pick, as he'll provide solid offense and
very good defense at first for years to come (as a Royals' fan, I must place
the obligatory HERK *&%$#@! ROBINSON YOU F*CKING IDIOT!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE
YOU DOING PROTECTING DAVID *&%$#@! HOWARD???!!! phrase here).

Also, Steve Decker and Bob Natal were good pickups behind the plate, as one of
them figures to pan out; Cris Carpenter, Jim Corsi, and Brian Harvey give the
team the beginnings to a decent bullpen; they picked up two decent prospects
from Baltimore in Kip Yaughn and Richie Lewis; they gambled on some outfielders
with speed - Chuck Carr, Kerwin Moore (though I personally think Carr was a 
dumb pick); and they converted draftees Tom Edens and Danny Jackson into yet
more pitching prospects.

While I have long since decided to root for the Rockies and against the Marlins,
I can say without hesitation that while the Rockies have used this draft to
acquire borderline major league talent with little potential for improvement,
the Marlins may have had one of the more successful expansion drafts in history,
putting together the solid nucleus for a team which could contend in the
(kind of) near future - and which won't be that bad next year.


> 
>2. Denver will draw 3-4 million next year. Miami? 1.5 mil? 2 mil????

	I don't know much about the general excitement level for expansion-level
baseball in these two cities, but I don't find it warranted to conclude that
the Rockies will draw DOUBLE the attendance that the Marlins will.  I mean,
THREE MILLION PEOPLE???  I know there's the thrill and the attraction of a new
team, but, if you don't contend, and if you don't have a megapopular stadium
(e.g. Skydome, Camden Yards), then I don't see why you would draw almost 40,000
people a game.  Two, two-and-a-half, maybe.  But then, the Marlins should
easily draw that amount.  Especially if they're winning.

>   The Rockies are 4th in the majors in season tickets, 9th in 
>merchandise. Florida???
>People love black, silver, purple. TEAL???????

	I believe the Yankees and Mets are near the top in terms of merchandise
sold.  Don't see that helping them in the standings.

> 
>So, I proudly make these predictions:
> 
>September 2000:
>LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Colorado Rockies locked up a wild-card berth in the
>National League playoffs today, beating the Dodgers 4-2. David Nied got 
>his 45th save of the year.
> 
>ST. PETERSBURG (AP) - the Florida Marlins guaranteed themselves of their 
>third straight 100 loss season in a humiliating 17-1 loss to their 
>cross-state rivals, the Tampa Pirates. Tim Wakefield struck out 14.
>The Marlins, who won the NL East pennant in their first year of existance,
>have fallen off in the past four years, due to "a thin minor league system",
>according to team owner Wayne Huneigza. 
>In a related note, the NL comfirmed that Japanese corporate giant Nippon 
>Electronics plans to buy the team and move them to Tokyo.
> 

	If you (or anyone else) can tell me who will win the pennant eight
years from now, you shouldn't be wasting your time on some baseball newsgroup.
You should be starting your own PSYCHICS-R-US chain.

>ROCKIES ROCKIES ROCKIES!!! Just win! Please? at least 63 times?

	They'll probably win 63 games.  Of course, they'll still be winning
63 games a year in 1996.

> 
>-- 
>Dylan Wilbanks, Classics major, AND NOW Environmental Conservation!
>Currently at:	 |"George Bush is Out of Time. Bill Clinton and Al Gore
>Box 1143	 |are Automatic for the People."
>Boulder, CO 80306|		-VP Elect Al Gore, 10-29-1992


	Rany Jazayerli			camden@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
	---------------------------------------------------------
	Kevin Appier: 1993 Cy Young	George Brett: Cooperstown 1998