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We must stay consistent
My message to the team has been to stay consistent. We can’t get too high and we can’t get too low, because the baseball gods will make you pay. This game has a way of kicking you in the butt really quickly. That would be the advice I give to all players that are being drafted this year: Stay humble and work very hard every day because you are getting paid to play baseball. Never take it for granted because there is always going to be someone ready to take your job.
We get Atlanta coming to town today for the first time. I’m always excited to see my buddy Greg Walker; he’s a hell of a hitting coach and an even better friend. After that we get some more Interleague Play. It doesn’t get any easier with Boston and the Rays, so let’s go!
Just keep on winning
Win. Win. Win.
We have had some injuries and setbacks, but guys keep stepping up and we keep playing good ball. We have played better within the division of late and are playing much better at home. We need to keep those things up. It’s always nice to see some wins come in bunches and play consistent ball.
This game has a way of humbling you in a hurry because every day there is a new challenge. It seems like almost every game we are facing very good pitching, so we just need to accept the challenge and continue to play well.
I have to thank the fans for coming out and showing their support. Your support this year has been great, and the park gets extremely loud when you’re into the game. It seems like people at Marlins Park never stop dancing and moving around. It’s definitely entertaining.
It’s good to have Juan Carlos Oviedo back in the mix and in a Marlins cap again. I have never seen him pitch in person, but from everything I hear he can help us win and that’s what I care about. Hopefully, he is pitching in games that mean a lot down the stretch.
Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day. Never take freedom for granted, and for all those who sacrificed their lives, thank you and God bless!
Our pitching continues to be a strength
I will continue to say it all season: winning cures all. But seriously, with all of these walk-offs we have been having, I just hope I don’t have a heart attack. Our pitching continues to be awesome in a division in which every team has great pitching. We still haven’t even faced the Braves yet, but that will happen tomorrow.
If you want to win a division, it is crucial to play well against the other teams in it. We had a good weekend series against the Mets when we took two out of three. There were lots of ups and downs, but we got the “W” and that’s all that matters. We finish up our series with the Pirates today and then we hit the road. I always thought two-game series were weird and never really understood them, but we need to take care of business regardless.
Winning is the best medicine
Winning is the best medicine, even if it isn’t pretty. I have been saying it all along; it is by far the best thing in sports. Winning makes everything better. You end up liking your family and wife more when you’re winning, and it’s more fun to go to work. Winning can cure all.
I had no clue until our day off yesterday that our road trip was the best in Marlins history. I hope people don’t expect us to keep that pace (haha). Winning in the Major Leagues is so hard; in this sport anything can happen on a daily basis. Winning on the road is even harder, so when you can win on the road it becomes extremely important for your success.
I’m glad we got Heath Bell back on track and throwing the ball well. JJ (Josh Johnson) looked better and the rest is obvious: Our pitching staff has been outstanding. We are back in Miami tonight with Johan Santana vs. Mark Buehrle, just like old times. It should be fun and I look forward to seeing everyone out there.
We’ll keep fighting
Well, it’s been a long month to say the least so far, but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. We have not been playing as well as we should be or as anyone expected, but we have to stay positive and turn this thing around.
There is a lot of baseball left and we expect to be in the hunt as the season goes on. Today, we start a long road trip on the West Coast in San Francisco. Maybe this is what we need to get us going. The Giants have a great pitching staff, but so do we. All we have to do is score more runs than they do (haha). It sounds so easy when you say it. All we can do is continue to put in the work and be ready to go. We are not stopping.
Let’s get this party started!
Finally! The Marlins have come back to Miami! Just like The Rock says (haha). It has been busy, busy, busy — so I haven’t been able to blog as much as I like, but we are ready to get this party started. The stadium looks nicer and nicer every time we get in there because they are still adding the finishing touches. It seems as though it’s going to be a loud place to play, and that’s awesome. Hopefully it provides a home field advantage for us.
We played the Yankees yesterday and again today. All I have to say is: Wow, we scored two runs off of Mariano Rivera, and that never happens. Hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come. Some of our key guys got hits like Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison (LoMo). If those guys stay healthy like we need them to, we should be alright.
The champion St. Louis Cardinals come into town on Wednesday for the opener, and then we hit the road right away for Cincinnati and Philadelphia. It would be nice if we are able to set the tone early. I love the energy from our guys so far. Maybe the energy comes from us being a young team, but they have been fun to watch so far.
We are so close to what we have all been working towards: OPENING DAY! No other sport does Opening Day like baseball does, and it shows. It’s always a special day for me; I’m very happy that this is going to be my 27th Opening Day. I consider myself very blessed to have been around for that long and to be given this opportunity with the Marlins. Now let’s kick some ass!
Take a look at my Jupiter house!
So, I thought it would be a cool idea to show you all where I’m living here in Jupiter during Spring Training. We got set up with an incredible house that’s just a couple of miles from the stadium. So take a look, it’s just one reason why I have been loving my time down in Florida so far!
So far, so good in Florida
Not a whole bunch to report from Spring Training right now. So far, so good. Every player is going to have some injuries in the spring; that’s just the way it goes. As long as our guys avoid the big ones, that’s all we can ask for.
So, from my Twitter and Facebook accounts I can see most of you heard that I got kicked out of a game the other day. To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s Spring Training, I still have to do my job. This is also time for me and the coaches to practice. The players are doing their jobs, and so should everyone else. I will say that it was a long walk, though (haha).
As for Spring Training in Florida, the travel is not as easy as it was in Arizona. Everyone is so bunched up out there it makes it very easy to get around. Other than the travel being a little tougher, I have to say that I have enjoyed Florida a lot more. Maybe it’s because of the house I’m living in now, or being able to ride my bike around or jump in the pool. I don’t know why exactly, but I really have enjoyed it down here.
I really liked seeing Anibal Sanchez back on the bump and Carlos Zambrano pitching well. Those are two big positives. I hope everyone has a good weekend, and let’s be honest: We are all just ready for Opening Day.
Also, I am going to post some pictures soon of the beautiful house I’m staying at here in Jupiter. I think it’s cool to give you guys as much insight into the things I’m doing as possible. So be on the lookout for that.
The games are underway!
Finally, the games are underway! Back to what we know and love: the game we have a passion for. The last couple of nights we played in the brand new Marlins Park, and it is definitely the place to be! It’s very modern and on the smaller side, so I expect it to always be packed. The clubhouse is awesome and my office has a lot more space than my old one did. I’m very excited about coming to this park every day and winning some games.
As far as the team goes, the guys are healthy and excited to play. That’s all you can ask for at this time of year. Spring Training is mostly for the pitchers. It’s a time for them to get their arms ready for the season. So far, so good! April 4 can’t some soon enough! I believe once the roof is closed, the new stadium is going to get very loud. We had it closed for the games against the University of Miami and Florida International University and I just get that feeling. Speaking of those games, it was nice to see the kids from those schools play. They are two very large schools with great followings and those kids didn’t get scared of the big boys one bit. It was very fun to see.
This is the time of year where you see how your team acts and maybe even see what they can and can’t do on the field. I just hope we keep having fun out there. Even with the Showtime cameras on, it’s always fun!
Fun times ahead!
I promised you guys an album yesterday, so here you go! I put up a couple of pics from my “Lunch with a Legend” experience back in Chicago and a few from the Marlins golf outing down here in Miami. It has been a great couple of weeks, but now it’s time to get to work. I will leave you with a picture of me and my boys, Carlos Zambrano and Mark Buehrle, out golfing. Good times ahead!
Ozzie Guillen
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