2013 Postseason

The Commissioner's
Trophy-awarded to
the winner of the
World Series

    Yes, it's that time of year again: time for playoff baseball!!! It's the time of year when eight teams all fight to reach the one goal that every ball player dreams about for their entire lives: winning a World Series title. That being said, here are my predictions for the 2013 postseason:

ALDS: Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics- It seems as though Detroit seemed to back their way into the playoffs, losing 5 out of their last 7 games, including a 3-game sweep by the Miami Marlins to end the regular season. Oakland won the AL West for the second year in a row and defeated Detroit 4-3 in the season series. That, combined with the fact that Detroit did back into the playoffs, leads me to believe that Oakland will win this series in 5 games, ensuring that neither of the teams that played in last year's World Series will be returning.

ALDS: Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays- Tampa Bay definitely earned their spot in the ALDS, after winning two winner-take-all games on the road. Tampa Bay's pitching is as good as always with Matt Moore and David Price heading up their rotation. It also helps that Evan Longoria is at his best when the games matter most. It's also important to note that Joe Maddon, the Rays manager, is a genius and a wizard in the dugout. However, Boston did finish with the best record in baseball (97-65), and did defeat the Rays 12 out of 19 times during the regular season. It also helps that Boston ranks either first or second in the league in runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. That being said, Boston will win this series, although it will be a close, five-game series, and I believe the Fenway faithful will be the difference makers.

NLDS: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates- The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the playoffs for the first time since 1992, and the city of Pittsburgh is fired up. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have home-field advantage and already have a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pirates have fought valiantly this season and deserve to be where they are, but their season will come to an end but, much like the other series in this postseason it will be close. In the end however, the Cardinals' stellar young pitching and their league best .330 team batting average with runners in scoring position will lead them to the NLCS.

NLDS: Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers- With Clayton Kershaw giving the Dodgers a 1-0 series lead with a 12-strikeout performance in Game 1, that makes Game 2 all the more important. I believe that Atlanta will win Game 2 and eventually the series in 5 games. The Braves have a better

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw
went 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA and 232
strikeouts in the regular season

rotation as a whole and the team that went 96-66 and won their division by 10 games will show up. It also helps that the Atlanta Braves have home-field advantage in this series and a 56-25 home record this season. The Braves also put up a +140 run differential to the Dodgers' +67. In a series highlighted by great starting pitching, the Braves will win in 5 games and move on to face the Cardinals in the NLCS.

ALCS: Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics- These two teams were very competitive in the regular season. They split their season series and had the two best records in the American League. When all is said and done, I believe two things will factor in Boston's favor: 1) They have home-field advantage and 2) the Athletics are a very young team and have significantly less playoff experience than the Red Sox. Therefore, I believe the Boston Red Sox will advance to their third World Series since 2004.

The Cardinals hold the best
record in the National League (97-65)

NLCS: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves- Much like the other LCS, the Cardinals and Braves had the top records in the National League. The Braves won the season series 4-3. You could say that this is the beginning of a nice rivalry because of the fact that the Braves have a bit of a score to settle. Last season, the Cardinals defeated the Braves 6-3 in the first ever Wild Card game, and the year before, St. Louis was rewarded with Atlanta's Wild Card spot after a 9-18 September caused the Braves to cough up a seemingly definite playoff appearance. Unfortunately, for the Braves, I see this series being one-sided in the Cardinals' favor. Only the Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros struck out more often than the Braves and the Cardinals pitching staff has the 5th-best earned run average in baseball. The Braves actually do have the best ERA in the league, but St. Louis' .269 team batting average is the second best in the national league. Not to mention, St. Louis is very good at manufacturing runs any way they can and Atlanta is very much a all-or nothing, free swinging team. The fac
t that these two teams are opposites as far as offensive strategy will tip in St. Louis' favor. They will defeat the Atlanta Braves in six games and advance to the fourth World Series in 9 years.


2013 World Series: Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals- Highlighted as a rematch of the 2004 World Series, which was won by the Red Sox in 4 games, this particular Fall Classic will feature two teams will a lot of playoff experience under their belts. Since 2004, either the Red Sox or the Cardinals have been participants in four of the last nine World Series, including their 2004 match-up against each other. Boston finished with the league's best record at 97-65. The entire series will see good pitching versus good hitting. After all, there is a reason why these are the two best teams in baseball. There doesn't seem to be a clear edge, so I see this series going no less than six games, and with a prediction based purely on feeling, the Boston Red Sox will win their third title since 2004 and their eighth World Series title in franchise history.

    Seeing as last year, neither of my predicted World Series participants even won a game, I have a good shot of having a better year. Happy playoffs baseball fans!!!

Show Your Cards

    So far in 2013, the St. Louis Cardinals have the second-best record in baseball, but the interesting thing is how they've done it. With teams like Atlanta, Detroit, and the Los Angeles Angels stock-piling power hitters, it seems as if the top priority of most clubs is hitting home runs. The Atlanta Braves, for example, lead the National League in home runs, but also have the second highest strikeout total. Atlanta is a perfect example of an all-or-nothing team-a club that lives and dies by the home run. However, with a 31-17 record, the St. Louis Cardinals are winning, but don't rely on the long ball at all. In fact, the Cards are 27th in the league in home runs and extra-base hits. So how are the Cardinals winning despite a season-long power outage?

St. Louis is boasting a .990 fielding
percentage (2nd in MLB)

    With all the focus in the league on home runs and hitting for power, St Louis instead, focuses on a lost art: "small ball". "Small ball" focuses on the fundamentals of the game, such as hitting for contact, fielding, pitching and just  getting on base any way you can. This is how the 2011 World Series champions are once again one of the league's best teams in 2013.

    In sports, it is usually the team that makes the fewest mistakes that wins the game, and St. Louis does not make mistakes. They have the second-best fielding percentage in all of baseball.

Pitcher Adam Wainwright is 6-3 with a
2.38 ERA and 69 strikeouts for
the Cardinals in 2013

    Despite being near the bottom of the league in the major power categories, St. Louis is 9th in the league in hits. All you need to do to score is get on base, and that's what the Cardinals do. They have the seventh-best on-base percentage. How do you get on base? You don't strike out-only seven teams strike out less often than St. Louis. However, the Cardinals have also proven that you don't necessarily have to get on base to help your team score. They are third in the majors in sacrifice hits. This means that the man at the plate often gives himself up for an out to score another runner or advance one into scoring position.

    While their small ball offense has been very good, it is the St. Louis pitching staff that has fueled their success so far this season. The Cardinals have the best team ERA in Major League baseball, they have allowed the fewest runs, are in the top 10 in strikeouts, and have allowed a minuscule .246 batting average against them. 

    They may not be as exciting to watch as Atlanta or Detroit, but the St. Louis Cardinals are a team built to win a championship. If an all-or nothing team like Atlanta were to face these Cardinals in the playoffs, the pitchers would be striking Braves hitters out while the St. Louis hitters were eating them up with the little things. Keep an eye on this team come playoff time.

No Suprise

    Despite winning each of their last eight games, the Los Angeles Angels are still 10 games out of first place in the American League West division. Many people are surprised by the Angels' struggles, some blame their poor starting pitching, some blame their struggles on the under-performance of the big bats like Pujols and Hamilton, and some blame Angels management.

The Angels have won eight games
in a row and now stand at
 23-27 on the season

    What if I were to tell you that I don't believe that any of those things were the reasons for the Angels' disappointing 23-27 record this year? It's very simple: I think the reason for their struggles lies in the situation itself. For one thing, the bright lights of the City of Angels have seemed to be too much for both the Angels and the Dodgers, who were both involved in spending frenzies to load up with superstars for this season. Yet, at this point in the season, both are well out of first place in their own divisions. So, it is plausible, that some superstars aren't cut out for this superstar city.

    However, I believe the more accurate reason for this, is the evidence given in recent history, not just in Major League Baseball, but in the NBA and the NFL too. Recent history has shown us that building a team of superstars, while they may look like a sure thing on paper, a championship is far from guaranteed. I have a number of examples to help prove my point, but since failure is defined differently in every situation, let me explain these examples before you decide if you agree with me:

NBA: (2003-2004 Los Angeles Lakers & 2010-2011 Miami Heat)
    In basketball, the only way that contending teams acknowledge success is by winning a championship. Anything short of that is considered a failure, regardless of how good a team's regular season might have been. In both of these examples, the team of stars succeeded in the regular season, made it to the NBA Finals, but fell short. Results that are considered a failure by today's NBA standards. The 2003-2004 Lakers, a team full of superstars and future hall-of-famers Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, finished 56-26, which was the second best record in the Western Conference and cruised through the playoffs, only to meet the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, where they eventually lost to Detroit in 5 games. The fact that many expected the Lakers to win it all before the season, and the fact that Detroit was the underdog in that series, would lead many Laker fans to classify 2003 as a lost year.

Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks defeated LeBron
James and the Miami Heat in 6 games in
 the 2011 NBA Finals

    As good as the 2003-2004 Lakers were, the expectations placed before the 2010-2011 Miami Heat were much higher. After a very extravagant and dramatic introduction into a new era of Heat basketball, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh guaranteed many titles in the years to come. Naturally, Heat fans expected that to begin right away, so they were not surprised when Miami dominated the league during both the regular season and playoffs to reach the NBA Finals in their first season together. However, the Dallas Mavericks were a Heat fan's worst nightmare, as they beat Miami in six games, and immediately rocketed the Heat into surprising talks of possibly dismantling the team if they didn't win the following year. When you make as bold a statement as the Heat did, if you don't immediately back it up, you have failed, no matter how close you came.

NFL: (2007 New England Patriots)

Plaxico Burress and the New York Giants handed the
New England Patriots their first loss of the
2007 season in Super Bowl XLII

    Much like the NBA, teams in the NFL define success with, and only with, the hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champions. This was the case with the 2007 Patriots. With the blistering offensive trio of Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Patriots found themselves with a perfect 16-0 record heading into the playoffs. New England was looking to become only the second team in NFL history to finish the season undefeated (1972 Miami Dolphins-17-0), but the only way to do that was to win the Super Bowl , and the Patriots expected nothing less. However, Eli Manning and the 10-6 New York Giants, who barely snuck into the playoffs as a Wild Card, did. The Giants shocked the world and defeated the Patriots 17-14 in the Super Bowl to ruin New England's bid for a perfect season.

MLB: (2012 Los Angeles Angels, 2012 Miami Marlins & 2013 Toronto Blue Jays)
    Now, let's get back to baseball, seeing as that is what this is all about. A baseball season is far longer than any other sport season with far more games. Therefore, the measures of success for any team in a baseball season is much different than that of teams in the NBA or NFL. It is not necessarily World Series or bust. However, when you sign superstars like Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, as the Angels did prior to last season, that was the expectation. So when the Angels missed the playoffs altogether, despite an 89-73 record, there was a certain level of disappointment.

    Despite struggling to stay relevant in their division since the departure of Miguel Cabrera following the 2007 season, the Marlins made a splash following the 2011 season by changing their name and image almost completely, as well as signing of several All-Stars, including Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes. These signings gave Marlins fans hope for a return to relevance, but to the surprise of many, the Marlins, for lack of a better word, "flopped" , finishing dead last in the NL East at 69-93. Granted, not many pegged Miami as World Series bound, but they did expect better than that.

    Much like this year's Angels team, this year's Toronto Blue Jays team was expected to compete for a World Series come October. However, the Blue Jays are struggling just the same as the Angels. Personally, I'm not sure why this Blue Jays team had such high expectations in the first place, seeing as, for the most part, this team was transplanted from Miami-the very same team that went 69-93 one year before, only now they're north of the border and donning a bird on their cap instead of a fish.

    There are more examples I could discuss, such as the 2012 Boston Red Sox and the 2013 Los Angeles Lakers, but I won't get into that. As you can see, a team of all-stars doesn't necessarily guarantee a championship. Is that always the case? No. In fact, the Miami Heat went on to win the NBA Finals the very next season, but as I said, I'm not completely surprised by the Angels' struggles. As I said earlier, the Angels are currently riding an 8-game win streak, so they very well could go on to win the World Series in the next couple of seasons, but that remains to be seen.

Power Rankings

Hey everyone! I'm back for another season! I know we're a couple weeks in already, but it's good to be back regardless. I'd like to start of this season of blog posts with my power rankings at this point in the season. So, lets get started:

Lynn is 6-1 with a 3.27 ERA for the Cardinals in 2013.

1. St. Louis Cardinals (27-14/1st in NL Central)-The Cardinals own the best record in baseball. Most of that is attributed to their pitching. Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn have been stellar so far this year. Cardinals pitching has allowed the fewest runs against them in the league this season (142). The Cards also lead the league in team earned run average.

2. Texas Rangers (27-15/1st in AL West)-The Rangers have very quietly continued their dominance of the American League, even without former star players C.J. Wilson and Josh Hamilton. How? By leading the American League in home runs.

3. Baltimore Orioles (23-19/3rd in AL East)-Even though they are third in their division, I still believe that the O's are the best team in their division. Buck Showalter has shown that he is one of the best managers in baseball, and Baltimore's appearance in the playoffs last season proved that this team is no joke. Baltimore also has the fewest errors and best fielding percentage in the American League.

In 2012, Cabrera became first player since
1967 to win Triple Crown

4. Detroit Tigers (23-17/2nd in AL Central)-The Tigers are once again one of the best teams in baseball, if not the best right now, and with hitters like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, that's no surprise. The Tigers lead the major leagues in runs, hits, RBIs, batting average and on-base percentage, not to mention having one of the best pitchers in baseball at the top of their rotation in Justin Verlander. Point is: watch out for this team in October.

5. New York Yankees (27-16/1st in AL East)-It may sound weird to call the Yankees a surprise team, but that's just what they've been this season. With enough players on their disabled list to put a whole new team on the field, the Yankees have boasted 25 wins and a spot atop the AL East. With many of these players set to return  this season, things can only get better for the Yankees.

6.  Pittsburgh Pirates (25-17/3rd in NL Central)-The Pirates are in a familiar spot at this point in the season. For the third year in a row, the Pirates have started the season well, but Pittsburgh fans are hoping that this year doesn't end like the two before it: with their team sitting at home in October. However, the difference this year is pitching. The Pirates have the 4th best team ERA in all of baseball. Is this the year that the Pirates make their first playoff appearance since 1992?

7. Boston Red Sox (25-17/2nd in AL East)-After an abysmal 2012 season, Boston fans are glad to see their team winning again. clay Buchholz has put up Cy Young caliber numbers so far, going 6-0 with a 1.78 ERA. The Red Sox are also getting the job done offensively, posting a +27 run differential so far this season.

Giants have won two World Series
titles in the last three
seasons (2010, 2012)

8. San Francisco Giants (24-18/T-1st in NL West)-The defending World Series champions continue to look like a solid team. Their starting pitching, especially Matt Cain, has scuffled a bit, but San Francisco's offense, and the fact that AT&T Park is a hitters park, has kept the Giants looking like contenders once again.

9.  Cincinnati Reds (26-17/2nd in NL Central)-The Reds are looking to improve on their 97-win season from a year ago, and that is certainly a tough task, but Cincinnati remains solid on both sides of the ball this season. However, it is their pitching that is propelling them this season. Cincinnati's pitching staff has posted the 3rd highest strikeout total at 350, and a team ERA of 3.45, which is also happens to be the 7th best in baseball. The Reds remain in serious contention for a World Series title.

10. Cleveland Indians (24-17/1st in AL Central)-If I were asked to make a bold prediction about this season, it would be that the Cleveland Indians would make the playoffs. So far they are making my case for me. Cleveland ranks in the top ten in the league in almost every offensive category: hits (10th), team batting average (8th), doubles (5th), triples (5th), home runs (3rd), total bases (3rd), RBIs (5th), total runs (8th), on-base percentage (5th), slugging percentage (1st), and OPS--->{on base percentage + slugging percentage}(1st). First baseman Mark Reynolds has 12 home runs and 37 RBIs-top 5 in the American League in both categories. Pitcher Justin Masterson is in top 5 in AL in wins with six. If the Indians pitching staff can stay consistent, Cleveland could be rocking their way into the postseason.

11. Atlanta Braves (23-18/1st in NL East) Coming into the season with such high expectations for their team,  I can say with confidence that Braves fans are disappointed with their team's performance after a 12-1 start. The Braves have lost 21 of 27 games since their hot start, and that can be attributed to their all-or-nothing approach to the batters box. The Braves are 5th in the league with 53 home runs (14 of which belong to league leader Justin Upton), but have countered that by striking out 380 times as a team. Only the Houston Astros strike out more often. If the Braves can learn to play small ball, they could solve a lot of their problems.

12.Arizona Diamondbacks (24-18/T-1st in NL West)-Arizona is a curious case to me in the league this year. Most of the other teams can attribute their success or failure to a few things, but as I look at the Diamondbacks this year, nothing particularly stands out. They are in the top ten in a couple of categories, but nothing that would say "That's why." I look at Arizona as a successful 'team'. They are doing all the right things to win. The D-backs also don't make mistakes. They have committed the fewest errors in baseball. Arizona is a very strong team, but as for why, I'm not certain.

13. Kansas City Royals (20-18/3rd in AL Central)-Last season, Royals fans had high hopes for their powerful offense, but they could never get their big bats hot at the same time. This year, the offensive out put is high, but it is the pitching that is telling the story in Kansas City. KC added big names to their rotation in the off season with the additions of James Shields, Wade Davis, and Ervin Santana, and those moves are paying off so far. The Royals are 3rd in earned runs allowed, 2nd in complete games and 10th in ERA.

14. Washington Nationals (23-19/2nd in NL East)-A season ago, the Washington Nationals finished with the best record in baseball at 98-64, and fans expected similar success this year. However, that is not what they are getting. The Nationals are struggling to score runs and have the second lowest team batting average in baseball (.230), ahead of only the Marlins (.223). Washington's top two pitchers, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, were supposed to fuel that success, but they have not pitched as expected. The two aces are a combined 5-7 with a 2.65 ERA and the Nationals are 9-9 in games started by either Strasburg or Gonzalez.

15. Colorado Rockies (22-20/3rd in NL West)- The Rockies are quite literally powering themselves into the conversation to win a competitive race for the NL West crown. Colorado leads the major leagues in home runs and is averaging nearly 5 runs per game. I guess it helps that the play all of their home games in the launching pad that is Coors Field.

David Price expected to miss 2-3
starts with injury (triceps)

16. Tampa Bay Rays (22-20/4th in AL East)-The Rays have had an uncanny ability to find their way into the postseason in the past couple of years. This season however could prove to be more difficult. Tampa Bay has struggled to score runs and put wins on the board. Pitching has also been less than stellar. The pitching struggles are now magnified by the fact that reigning Cy Young winner David Price just went on the disabled list with an injury to his triceps.

17. Seattle Mariners (20-23/3rd in AL West)-The Mariners have not made the playoffs in twelve years, and they had hoped that ace pitcher Felix Hernandez would be the answer they needed to return to glory. However, even after that, Seattle's inability to score runs often trumped Felix's success. This season however, the Mariners are averaging  3.7 runs runs per game and are currently in third place in their division, just behind Oakland. If Seattle can keep scoring runs, they could find themselves in the postseason for the first time since 2001.

18. Minnesota Twins (18-20/4th in AL Central)-The league seems to be full of surprise teams this season, and the Twins are no exception. Minnesota was in the playoffs are few short seasons ago, and they are looking to return. This year, they are doing it with offense. The Twins are averaging 4.6 runs per game this season and former batting champion Joe Mauer is third in the American League with a .349 batting average. In past seasons, it was Minnesota's pitching that was the source of their troubles, but so far this year, the pitching has been solid.

19. Oakland Athletics (21-22/2nd in AL West)-Last season, the Oakland Athletics surprised the league by making into the playoffs. This year, no team is surprised by Bob Melvin's talented squad, but the A's are hanging with Texas regardless. It will be interesting to see if Oakland can make lightning strike twice come October.

20. Chicago White Sox (19-22/5th in AL Central)-The AL West is looking surprisingly competitive this season from top to bottom, but someone's got to be on the bottom, and that's just where the White Sox are. The White Sox are struggling to score runs this season-only the Marlins and the Dodgers have scored fewer-and not even the stellar numbers of ace pitcher Chris Sale can help them. You can't win if you can't score, and if Chicago hopes to stay relevant in the division, that's what they'll need to do.

21. Philadelphia Phillies (20-23/3rd in NL East)-Four years removed from a World Series title, the Phillies have not looked quite like the same team. Philadelphia's starting rotation is full of former All-Stars and Cy Young winners, but they have not played as such, and with Roy Halladay being shipped to the disabled list, it doesn't appear that the Phillies are getting any closer to returning to championship form.

22. Los Angeles Dodgers (17-23/5th in NL West)-Much like their American league counterpart, the Dodgers haven't been playing up to expectations this season. They are in the cellar of the NL West. However, Clayton Kershaw has been looking like a Cy Young contender, and Zack Greinke looking spectacular in his first start since his return from the disabled list. I have to believe that, with the talent this team possesses, their struggles will be short-lived.

Rizzo signed 7-year/$41 million extension
with Cubs last week

23. Chicago Cubs (18-24/4th in NL Central)-The Cubs are in a familar position early in the season, but their record does not accurately reflect their season. The starting pitchers and offense for the Cubs have been showing real promise, and they just signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a 7-year contract. It is Chicago's bullpen that has been hurting them, as they continue to blow games that Cubs starting pitchers had won. If they can figure out their bullpen woes, this could be a good Cubs team.

24. San Diego Padres (18-23/4th in NL West)-The Padres have had a better than usual start to the season, but they find themselves in 4th place. They are still in the race at this point, but with the rest of the teams in the NL West looking tough, and the lack of sustainable talent in San Diego, I don't see this success lasting for the Padres.

25. New York Mets (16-24/4th in NL East)-The Mets haven't been in the playoffs since 2006, and don't appear to be any closer this year. Despite solid starts by David Wright and John Buck, and a phenomenal start for pitcher Matt Harvey, the Mets are struggling to win games and once again find themselves near the bottom of the division.

26. Milwaukee Brewers (16-24/5th in NL Central)-The Brewers have been a very confusing team this season. The struggled to start the season, going 2-8, but then won 9 in a row, then began to struggle again. However, it was not hard to figure out why they have been struggling. They have committed 28 errors, they are 27th in the league in team ERA (4.55), and has a run differential of -30.

27. Toronto Blue Jays (17-26/5th in AL East)-The Blue Jays have not been what they were expected to be. Personally, I am not surprised at all. The nucleus of this new Toronto team is the exact same group that struggled in Miami a year ago. Also, Toronto should've examined both R.A Dickey and Mark Buehrle a little closer before signing them. Dickey's success depends on the success of his knuckleball, which relies on the wind to be effective. Toronto plays in a dome, so when the roof is closed, there is no wind and Dickey struggles. As for Buehrle, he now plays in the same division as the Yankees, and Buehrle career numbers against the Yankees are terrible, with an ERA of 6.17 and an opponent batting average of .308 against the Yankees in the last three years alone. However, it seems as though Toronto's offense is starting to heat up, so they may not be in last place for long.

The Angels, who many expected to reach
World Series scuffle to 16-27 start

28. Los Angeles Angels (16-27/4th in AL West)-The Angels appear to be one of the two most disappointing teams in baseball this season, Toronto being the other. With all of the star power that the Angels brought in, fans are confused as to why the Angels are struggling to score runs and win games. As a baseball fan, you hate to see a team full of so much talent struggle this bad. Then again, the injury to Jered Weaver doesn't help any either,

29. Houston Astros (11-31/5th in NL Central)-Houston seems to be in over its head in the American League. It seems like the winner of the AL West will be the team that can beat up on the Astros the most.

30. Miami Marlins (11-31/5th in NL East)-It is no surprise that the Marlins are the worst team in baseball. They don't score any runs, gave all of their good players to Toronto, and seem to care more about building a cool stadium to watch the team in, rather than building a team that fans actually want to watch. The Marlins have a lot of work to do before they can even begin to regain relevance.