Finally! There is joy in Marlinville - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

MikeyChalupa · 10-28-2003, 09:10 AM

Jim Caple, the unabashed Sox fan, weighs in with one of his better articles, from ESPN.com's Page 2.

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/caple/031027.html

Quote:

Finally! There is joy in Marlinville

By Jim Caple
Page 2 columnist

The Florida Marlins are champions again. Finally.

We know your agony, long-suffering Cubs fans. We feel your pain, Red Sox Nation. We, the citizens of Marlins Unincorporated Municipality, understand what you're going through. Because we, too, know what it is like to suffer through years of endless waiting.

How will it feel? For nearly 72 months, long-suffering Marlins fans have asked ourselves this question. How will it feel? How will it feel when the long wait finally ends and the Marlins win a second World Series? How will it feel when south Florida can finally raise another championship banner over historic Pro Player Stadium? How will it feel when the Marlins finally win the championship that our brothers who are two years older than us have been waiting for during most of their high school education?

Six years! That's how long it has been since the Marlins last tasted World Series champagne. Six years! Perhaps only Cubs fans can identify with our excruciating wait. Six years! Maybe only Red Sox fans can appreciate how this long nightmare was our own personal Vietnam.

Six years! That was so long ago, Clinton was president. Six years! It was so long ago Boyz 2 Men still had a career. Six years! It was so long ago that the font and design on our 1997 championship T-shirts are embarrassingly out of fashion.

Not that we ever lost faith during those years spent wandering in the desert. No, not ever. Not even once.

Oh, we'll grant you, it wasn't easy to keep the faith during those dark days that seemingly would never end. Perhaps never was the morale lower in Marlins Unincorporated Municipality than when management traded Mike Piazza after we had grown to love him for almost a week. That trade of the man we had come to regard as Mr. Marlin crushed our hearts but could not kill our spirit.

Lesser fans would have given up. Lesser fans would have abandoned their team. But not Marlins Unincorporated Municipality. We stood by our team as loyally and passionately as we had during those almost unendurable four years we spent waiting for the first championship. Regardless of how many players management traded, regardless of how many losses piled up, we packed the stadium by the hundreds. Some games, many of us even stayed through all of the rain delays before ducking out to beat traffic in the eighth inning.

And when the good times resumed, our full assemblage turned out in force. When the Marlins took over the wild card lead in early September, nearly 11,000 of us crowded the stadium - and that was for just one game. But that's nothing. When Alex Gonzalez hit his game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 4 last week, almost 35,000 of us still were on hand to watch him circle the bases.

That's passion. That's loyalty. That's Marlins Unincorporated Municipality.

As satisfying as the championship is for us, though, we feel happiest for the players who played so long and strived so hard to finally earn a chance to celebrate on the mound. Dontrelle Willis knows how Pedro Martinez feels. He pitched in the majors five excruciating months before finally earning a ring by pitching several innings in the postseason. Miguel Cabrera feels Sammy Sosa's longing. He waited 17 weeks before finally reaching the World Series.

And, of course, we feel best for Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. Surely, no owner ever deserved to hold the championship trophy as this art dealer who loves his Marlins so dearly that he is a Yankees season-ticket holder. Expos fans can tell you how much he has invested in teams during his long and distinguished career as an owner. And he did no less for us, pouring his sweat and blood into this organization for the nearly 19 months since Major League Baseball awarded the Marlins to him for his role in bringing about baseball's renaissance in Montreal.

To Loria, the players, manager Jack McKeon (we've loved you since day one in May, Poppa), and especially the new Billy the Marlin, we raise our champagne flutes to toast you. We cannot thank you enough for rescuing Florida from our seat between the Cubs and Red Sox in baseball purgatory.

And we won't forget those friends in Boston and Chicago. We might be drinking Dom Perignon now, but you are still in our thoughts. Keep the faith. Don't give up. Your time will come.

You just have to wait your turn.

-Mikey

Halx · 10-28-2003, 10:55 AM

I dont get it. Was he making fun of Boston and Chicago?
Maybe if an uninvoled party has posted this, I would get it, but you're a Yankees fan and thus you might post articles with some angst directed toward the Marlins, but this article doesn't seem to insult them very much.

I dont get it!!!!!

dragon2fire · 10-28-2003, 11:14 AM

i think he is poking fun at the cubs and sox fan

yea poor yankees

see i can poke fun as well

MikeyChalupa · 10-28-2003, 11:34 AM

Caple (like I said, a Sox fan) is poking fun at Marlins fans. He's suggesting that Marlins fans (fairweather and bandwagon fans that they are, just look at the attendance figures), partying in the streets after their first World Series win in 6 years (as if their last one was forever ago), can't possibly appreciate the win the way Cubs and Sox fans would have after their combined 180 years.

I agree.

-Mikey

dragon2fire · 10-28-2003, 11:42 AM

well yea

there is no way in hell that marlins fans have any clue

RoadRage · 10-28-2003, 02:58 PM

So when is the fire sale starting? They are going to release everyone like they did after 1997, right?

MikeyChalupa · 10-28-2003, 03:53 PM

There's no possible way they can keep Pudge, Castillo, Urbina, and Lowell. Lee, Penny, Encarnacion, Pavano and Burnett are also all eligible for arbitration. The Marlins payroll this season was $53M. To keep the entire roster would cost $80M. Fat frickin' chance of that happening.

-Mikey

Halx · 10-28-2003, 04:31 PM

The Marlins are a cinderella team, just like the Angels were last year.
They got their championship, now they are gonna go at it like they know what they are doing.. and they're gonna fail.

BonesCPA · 10-29-2003, 06:53 AM

Interesting that in the ten years of existence they have had two winning seasons. So they either suck, or win the world series. I guess it is great if you are a Marlins fan to know how to plan your fall ahead of time.

Reddevil63 · 10-29-2003, 10:59 AM

Try being an Astros fan, they havent won a playoff series since... EVER

Nimbletoe · 10-29-2003, 01:19 PM

I was a tigers fan, but they honestly made me hate baseball. It takes a lot of talent for a team to make its fans hate the sport.

SAM821 · 10-29-2003, 05:52 PM

Miracle or not.... they won the world series.... think about it, the red sox and white sox havent won in almost 90 years, and the cubs, almost 60 years, some teams, have NEVER won.... so say what you will about the marlins, but They were the best team in baseball this year, no question about it.... they won every game they were NOT suppose to....

Will the team be broken up? NO!, will we lose a couple of players? YES, but shit happens, it happens all the time.... bottom line is i think Florida will be competing next year, there will be NO "fire sale" and who knows we may even have a stadium deal worked out here soon.... ALL IS GOOD IN MARLINVILLE.... bash all you want but that trophy that so many teams CRAVE, is down south in Miami, deservingly so...

10-28-2003, 10:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	I dont get it. Was he making fun of Boston and Chicago? Maybe if an uninvoled party has posted this, I would get it, but you're a Yankees fan and thus you might post articles with some angst directed toward the Marlins, but this article doesn't seem to insult them very much. I dont get it!!!!! __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-28-2003, 02:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
RoadRage Stay off the sidewalk! Location: Oklahoma City, OK	So when is the fire sale starting? They are going to release everyone like they did after 1997, right? __________________ Join TFP Team SETI 43K workunits complete, 34 members, more of each needed.

10-28-2003, 04:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	The Marlins are a cinderella team, just like the Angels were last year. They got their championship, now they are gonna go at it like they know what they are doing.. and they're gonna fail. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-29-2003, 06:53 AM	#9 (permalink)
BonesCPA No. It's not done yet. Location: sorta kinda phila	Interesting that in the ten years of existence they have had two winning seasons. So they either suck, or win the world series. I guess it is great if you are a Marlins fan to know how to plan your fall ahead of time. __________________ Back into hibernation.

10-29-2003, 01:19 PM	#11 (permalink)
Nimbletoe Junkie Location: Michigan	I was a tigers fan, but they honestly made me hate baseball. It takes a lot of talent for a team to make its fans hate the sport. __________________ Go Pistons!

10-28-2003, 11:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
dragon2fire Junkie	i think he is poking fun at the cubs and sox fan yea poor yankees see i can poke fun as well

10-28-2003, 11:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
MikeyChalupa Squid Location: USS George Washington	Caple (like I said, a Sox fan) is poking fun at Marlins fans. He's suggesting that Marlins fans (fairweather and bandwagon fans that they are, just look at the attendance figures), partying in the streets after their first World Series win in 6 years (as if their last one was forever ago), can't possibly appreciate the win the way Cubs and Sox fans would have after their combined 180 years. I agree. -Mikey

10-28-2003, 11:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
dragon2fire Junkie	well yea there is no way in hell that marlins fans have any clue

10-28-2003, 03:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
MikeyChalupa Squid Location: USS George Washington	There's no possible way they can keep Pudge, Castillo, Urbina, and Lowell. Lee, Penny, Encarnacion, Pavano and Burnett are also all eligible for arbitration. The Marlins payroll this season was $53M. To keep the entire roster would cost $80M. Fat frickin' chance of that happening. -Mikey

10-29-2003, 10:59 AM	#10 (permalink)
Reddevil63 Tilted Location: Tx	Try being an Astros fan, they havent won a playoff series since... EVER

10-29-2003, 05:52 PM	#12 (permalink)
SAM821 Surviving Hurricanes Location: Miami, Florida	Miracle or not.... they won the world series.... think about it, the red sox and white sox havent won in almost 90 years, and the cubs, almost 60 years, some teams, have NEVER won.... so say what you will about the marlins, but They were the best team in baseball this year, no question about it.... they won every game they were NOT suppose to.... Will the team be broken up? NO!, will we lose a couple of players? YES, but shit happens, it happens all the time.... bottom line is i think Florida will be competing next year, there will be NO "fire sale" and who knows we may even have a stadium deal worked out here soon.... ALL IS GOOD IN MARLINVILLE.... bash all you want but that trophy that so many teams CRAVE, is down south in Miami, deservingly so...