Magic in Miami: The Marlins' Home Run Sculpture Has Disappeared

Now you see the home run sculpture, now you don't.  (GQ Magazine)

The 2018 season was a year in which the Miami Marlins celebrated their 25th anniversary.  To commemorate the occasion, the team's new CEO and co-owner - as always, we'll call him Dirk Jitters to protect the guilty - decided to field an expansion team just like their 1993 counterparts did.

Mr. Jitters' decision was a smashing success, as the 2018 squad lost 98 games, just like the original Marlins did 25 years earlier.  Of course, that 1993 team also coaxed over 3,000,000 fans to come through the turnstiles, while the 2018 version drew a franchise-record low 811,104 people to Marlins Park.  But negative numbers clearly don't seem to faze Mr. Jitters.  I mean, have you seen where he ranks all-time in the defensive runs saved statistic?

His defensive "prowess" netted him five Gold Glove Awards, a number surpassed by only four shortstops in history (Ozzie Smith, Omar Vizquel, Luis Aparicio, Mark Belanger) so why should something like negative one million defensive runs saved (give or take a few runs) tarnish his legacy as a baseball legend?  And on a similar note, why should something like wins and losses matter to a team's CEO/co-owner when there are more pressing matters at hand?

That's right.  I'm talking about the Marlins' Home Run sculpture.

It's been no secret that Mr. Jitters has hated the Miami monstrosity since he started to sign his own paychecks.  In fact, he's wanted to remove the animatronic sculpture called "Homer" - which probably got its name not from the prodigious pokes that Giancarlo Stanton was supposed to hit in its vicinity, but because its colors were reminiscent of Homer Simpson's favorite pastry - ever since his tenure with the Marlins began, right after he decided that the team didn't need the services of Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Dee Gordon and soon-to-be N.L. MVP Christian Yelich.

Mr. Jitters had many hurdles to climb to get Homer removed from the mostly vacant stadium, but he finally got his wish.  And according to Miami sports radio host Andy Slater, the sculpture's status as the Marlins' longest tenured, um, thing has come to a sad and barely reported end.

Marlins Park HR sculpture gone.

(📷: Julian Gray https://t.co/2fb22jjYDr) pic.twitter.com/wdmmfga6gR

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) November 4, 2018

Where the home run sculpture once stood, Mr. Jitters plans to have an area that can fit 400 people who want to pay very little to get into the ballpark and have no qualms about standing for the entire game.  In other words, people who have no access to StubHub and don't mind standing over 400 feet away from where the team's latest Quadruple-A player is striking out at the plate.

It's all part of Mr. Jitters' plan to make the Marlins relevant again.  Which also implies that the Marlins were ever relevant to begin with.  Who knows?  Maybe this is all part of his master plan to get back at the Marlins for denying him a ring in the 2003 World Series.  Or maybe he wants to further alienate Marlins Man for wearing that gaudy orange jersey and visor to sporting events and for getting more screen time than Mr. Jitters ever did making commercials or diving unnecessarily into field level seats to make an otherwise routine catch of a pop-up look more spectacular.

The motives of Mr. Jitters will remain as mysterious as the contents of his gift baskets.  But at least his machinations as Miami's new CEO allowed the Mets to stay out of last place in 2018.  And for those dozens of Marlins fans who come out to the ballpark to cheer on their favorite team, at least the only eyesore they'll have inside the stadium in 2019 will be the players in the home dugout instead of the seven-story sculpture in left-center field.

I guess Mr. Jitters really does care about his new team's fan base after all.

So glad the Studious Metsimus staff will never get the chance to take this photo ever again.

There's A Dimensional Problem At Citi Field

Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

When Citi Field first opened in 2009, the baseball cognoscenti deemed it a pitchers' park.  With the high walls in left field and the deep power alleys (it was 415 feet to one spot just to the right of straightaway center field), fly ball pitchers would not have to worry about opposing hitters taking them deep as often as they would at various other ballparks around the league.

But after two seasons of the pitcher-friendly dimensions, it was decided by the Mets' brass that the heights of the walls should be lowered and those walls should also be moved closer to home plate.  The Mets had averaged 56 home runs per season in 2009 and 2010 and the team felt the more fair dimensions would help its players produce more long balls.  Since the walls were moved in, they've certainly seen more balls leave the yard.  They're just seeing them come off their opponents' bats.

Let's look at the home run production by the Mets and their opponents compiled over the last two seasons of Citi Field's old dimensions and compare that to the power production for the first two seasons of the new, more fair dimensions of the park.

Year	Mets HR (Citi Field)	Mets HR (Road)	Opponents HR (Citi Field)	Opponents HR (Road)
2010	63	65	47	88
2011	50	58	58	87
2012	67	72	88	73
2013	56	66	82	62

During the last two seasons of the old dimensions (2010 and 2011), both the Mets and their opponents hit more home runs away from Citi Field than they did in Flushing.  In fact, Mets pitchers allowed 70 more home on the road than they did at Citi Field in 2010 and 2011.  But once the fences were lowered and moved in, the opposition took full advantage of the change while Mets' hitters barely noticed the dimensional differences.

In 2010 and 2011, the Mets hit 12 more home runs on the road than they did at home.  In the two years since the dimensional switch at Citi Field, the difference in home runs on the road versus home runs at home has actually increased to 15, meaning the Mets' home run production has remained virtually unchanged since the walls were lowered and moved in.  That's not the case with the Mets' opponents.

After holding opponents to 105 home runs at Citi Field in 2010 and 2011, Mets' pitchers have allowed a whopping 170 homers in Flushing in 2012 and 2013.  Meanwhile, they've only given up 135 home runs on the road over the same time period.

Jonathon Niese, who has pitched at Citi Field under both dimensional conditions, allowed 15 home runs at Citi Field in 2010 and 2011.  He coughed up 19 gopher balls on the road during that time.  Since the fences were moved in, Niese has allowed 18 long balls at Citi Field and 14 on the road.

Dillon Gee allowed two more home runs on the road than he did at home in 2010 and 2011.  As soon as the dimensions were changed in 2012, he allowed ten homers at Citi Field compared to only two on the road.

Clearly, the change in dimensions was made to help the Mets score more runs via the long ball.  But all it has done so far is make opposing hitters salivate every time they come to the plate.  After allowing 70 more home runs on the road than at home in 2010 and 2011, Mets' pitchers have given up 35 fewer homers away from Citi Field than they have in their home ballpark.  That's an alarming difference.

The Mets need to improve their offense in 2014.  They also need their pitchers to stay healthy next season.  But perhaps they should also reconsider what they thought was a good plan going into the 2012 campaign.  The new dimensions have only been advantageous to hitters wearing road grays.
 

Wheeler and d'Arnaud For Stanton? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Earlier today, Andy Martino of the Daily News reported that the Mets have been showing interest in Marlins' outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.  But it would cost New York both Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud.

What do I think of this potential trade?  I'll make it short and sweet.  In fact, I'll let Grumpy Cat answer the question for me.

It would be wrong on so many levels to make this trade - four levels to be exact:

• Level No. 1:  Wheeler and d'Arnaud are expected to be key contributors to the Mets for many years.  The Mets haven't had a top offensive catcher since Mike Piazza had Braden Looper as a teammate, and they haven't had a young, dominant one-two punch in the starting rotation since Seaver and Koosman.  (Gooden and Darling were great, but Darling was hardly what you would call dominant.)  Wheeler and Matt Harvey would form the nucleus of a potentially memorable starting rotation.

• Level No. 2:  Sandy Alderson has been doing his best to obtain top prospects who would be under team control for a number of years.  Stanton is entering his fourth season in the major leagues.  He will be making tens of millions of dollars per season once he is eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.  Wheeler and d'Arnaud will more than likely be making less than $10 million combined by that year.

• Level No. 3:  For all the power Stanton possesses, he also strikes out at an alarming rate.  As of this writing, Stanton has struck out 444 times in 1,354 career at-bats.  That's one strikeout every three at-bats.  Stanton is also a .268 career hitter who, for all his home run prowess, has never reached 90 RBIs over a full season.  Even George Foster had a 90 RBI season for the Mets and he was booed out of town.

• Level No. 4:  For all you sabermetricians out there, Stanton has a 9.2 oWAR.  That's not over one season.  That's his cumulative oWAR for all of his seasons in the majors.  To put that into perspective, David Wright's cumulative oWAR by the time he was 23 (the age Stanton is now) was 12.3.

Now don't get me wrong.  Giancarlo Stanton is a great player and one who would instantly be superior to any of the current Mets outfielders.  But he is not worth the team's top two prospects.  Not now.  Not ever.

Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud were not acquired to be trade bait.  They became members of the Mets organization to help the team return to prominence and stay there.  Giancarlo Stanton would make a fine addition to the team.  But not if Wheeler and d'Arnaud aren't his teammates.  The team would be better off keeping their future stars (plural) than trading for a current one (singular).

Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud look so much better in blue and orange than in whatever colors the Miami Marlins wear.  (They also look so much better when photographed by Michael Baron, as they were in this beautiful photo.)

Giancarlo Stanton Feels "Chipper" Against The Mets

For the better part of two decades, Chipper Jones has been notorious for being a Met killer.  Since making his first appearance against them in 1995, Mr. Larry Wayne Jones has saved his best efforts for when he plays the Mets.  In 237 games (230 starts), Jones is hitting .316 with 49 HR and 157 RBI.  He also has a .411 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging percentage in 833 career at-bats versus New York.

News of Jones' retirement at the end of the 2012 season led many Mets fans to breathe a sigh of relief because there was one less Met killer to worry about.  (Pat Burrell also retired earlier this year.)  But it appears as if there's a new player on a division rival who's ready to take Chipper's place.

Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton made his debut with the Marlins in 2010.  In his first-ever game against the Mets on June 28, 2010, he hit a three-run homer.  It would not be the last time he made mince meat of a Mets pitcher.

The career .268 hitter is hitting .287 against the Mets in 108 career at-bats.  But it's his power that has gotten the attention of the team.  Stanton has 9 HR and 25 RBI against the Mets in only 31 games (29 starts).  If Chipper Jones looks scary at the plate with his .505 career slugging percentage versus New York, then what do pitchers do when they look at the scoreboard and see that Stanton is slugging a whopping .583 against them?

For 18 seasons, Mets fans have had a good reason to hate Chipper Jones, serenading the Met killer with "La-a-a-a-rry" chants every time he steps up to the plate.  Now Giancarlo Stanton is taking over the role soon to be vacated by the retiring future Hall of Famer.  Will chants of "Mi-i-i-i-key" soon follow?

For now, the only thing Stanton is hearing is "oohs" and "aahs" from the Citi Field faithful, especially with each long home run he hits against the Mets.  Mets pitchers would rather he felt "Chipper" somewhere else.

Mad Men

Jonathon Niese pitched six shutout innings.  Kirk Nieuwenhuis started yet another rally.  Mike Baxter got well-deserved respect as a premier pinch-hitter.  Justin Turner won another battle against Heath Bell.

And the Mets still lost.

After Nieuwenhuis started a two-run inning for the Mets in the fourth inning with a single, Niese continued to pitch shutout ball before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.  Ramon Ramirez relieved Niese hoping to protect the lead.

Triple.

Home run.

Game tied at 2.

The Mets regrouped as they have been wont to do during the first month and a half of the season.  Against Marlins' closer Heath Bell in the ninth, the Mets got a one-out double from Daniel Murphy, Doubles Machine.  Two walks later (including an intentional walk to Mike Baxter, who carried a .438 batting average as a pinch-hitter into the at-bat), Justin Turner whacked a double to right to score two runs.  Then Frank Francisco came into the game to save it and give the Mets a series victory.

Triple.

Walk.

Single.

Hit the showers, Frank.

Stop sniffing yourself, Frank.  We all know you stink.

That was all for Armando Benitez-lite.  Frank Francisco was removed from the game by manager Terry Collins, but not before he stopped by home plate umpire Todd Tichenor to wish his mother a Happy Mother's Day.  (At least I thought I heard him say something about Tichenor's mother.)  Manny Acosta was summoned into the game to stop the bleeding but was "Acosta-ed" by the Marlins.

Sacrifice fly.

Tie game.

Pop out.  (I guess you can't put 'em all on base.)

Walk.

Hit by pitch.

Giancarlo Stanton.

Say hello to my little friend.

The Mets will now retreat to Citi Field after a 4-2 road trip against the Phillies and Marlins.  If you had asked me before the season started that the Mets would win four out of six against the two teams expected to compete for the NL East title, I would have been thrilled.  But I'm not.

I'm mad.

Very mad.

Smoke coming out of my ears mad.

Paul LoDuca mad.

Paul LoDuca SMASH!!!

Something has to be done about the bullpen situation.  Sandy Alderson did not have much money to work with during the off-season.  But what money he had, he used to upgrade the bullpen.  That "upgrade"  has now had a part in several late-inning meltdowns.

Both losses to the Marlins this weekend were charged to Frank Francisco.  Prior to Friday night's loss, the Mets' last loss was a 5-4 setback to Arizona on May 4.  That game was lost by Jon Rauch, who allowed three hits, two inherited base runners to score and a run of his own.  What about Ramon Ramirez?  He's allowed 31 base runners (21 hits, 10 walks) in only 19⅓ innings.

Even a certain holdover, wearing Oliver Perez's old No. 46, has pitched like dookie.  (And I'm not talking about Orlando "The Dookie" Hernandez, although I think he'd have better success right now than the current members of the Gasoline Brigade.)  Including today, Manny Acosta has faced 85 batters this year.  Almost half of them (36) have reached base.  Four of them reached base and then continued running around them.  That includes Giancarlo Stanton, who touched Acosta for a game-ending grand slam today.

The Mets have done quite well so far.  That doesn't mean they shouldn't play angry after games like today.  There should be 25 mad men in the dugout tomorrow against Milwaukee.  They should let it be known to each other that losses like today's will no longer be tolerated.  The bullpen must improve.  The team must improve.  They're better than that.  And they should know it.

Nieu-WIN-huis! Mets Put The "Walk" In Walk-Off!

I guess you really can't walk 'em all.

New Marlins' closer Heath Bell walked four batters, including a bases-loaded walk after an epic 13-pitch at-bat by Justin Turner, then finally got a strike over to Kirk Nieuwenhuis.  350 feet later, that strike landed over the head of rightfielder Giancarlo Stanton, producing the final tally in the Mets' 3-2 win over the last place Miami Marlins.

For the second time in the series, the Mets drew four walks in an inning, with the fourth walk taking starter Jonathon Niese off the hook for the loss.  Niese was outstanding in his fourth start of the season, allowing two runs in seven innings of work.  He allowed four hits, walked none and struck out six.

But today was all about Kirk Nieuwenhuis' hit and the Mets' patience at the plate in the ninth inning.  The Mets are now 11-8 after their sweep of the Marlins and are playing solid baseball all around.

The only thing I have to add to this is a tribute to the Marlins.  The Mets began the series with a video tribute to Jose Reyes (who grounded into a crucial 3-6-3 double play in the eighth inning that kept the Marlins' lead at one) and now I'm ending it with my own video tribute.  Just watch this scene from Forrest Gump and substitute the word "marlin" whenever you hear the word "shrimp". (I've done that "translation" for you, which you will find underneath the video.)  Enjoy!  And as always, let's go Mets!!




"Anyway, like I was sayin', marlin is the fruit of the sea.  You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. They's uh, marlin kabobs, marlin creole, marlin gumbo.  Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple marlin, lemon marlin, coconut marlin, pepper marlin, marlin soup, marlin stew, marlin salad, marlin and potatoes, marlin burger, marlin sandwich.  That's - that's about it."