Frustration in Baseball.

The Florida Marlins are a frustrating team to follow. They have only made the postseason twice since I began following them in the year of their inauguration. However they did win the World Series in those two years. This year they are especially frustrating because they are contending with merely smoke and mirrors. I don't want to get my hopes up that they can actually win ballgames down the line to win the division and then be let down. But they keep contending, despite the -23 run differential.

I got worried that they would get rid of Hermida and Mike Stanton for two months of Manny. Being buyers at this point seems a little ridiculous to me, because I think they are the third best team in the division maybe even fourth this year. I know that Josh Johnson is back up, and Anibal Sanchez is back up, and Ricky Nolasco is pitching a little above his head right now. I just don't buy any of those guys as more than a #2 and that only goes to Anibal Sanchez if he pitches like himself coming off the injury. But they are still contending, and I keep watching and rooting.

They are only average at one position defensively where Hanley had made strides to be around the middle of SS in Revised Zone Rating. Everywhere else is bad. They strike out too much. They don't have anyone reliable in the bullpen. Their best overall hitter is somehow still a leadoff guy. But they are still contending.

I guess I'm happy they didn't become bigtime buyers at the trade deadline. I have supreme faith in Larry Beinfest. I think he does more with less better than anyone in baseball except probably Bill Beane. This frustration is okay because at the end of the season even when we have fallen out of the race I will know that we overachieved (currently 59-53, where our adjusted Pyth record has us around 53-59) and we have some pieces to grow on. Cameron Maybin should be coming, Andrew Miller's development, hopefully Jeremy Hermida's continued development (how is he still 24?), etc. I just wish Buster Posey had fallen one more spot, for obvious reasons.

This must be what people feel like that root for regular middle of the payroll teams that contend often feel like. Man the season is long when you are not out of it before the All-Star break.