When the Marlins started the season at 11-31, it was pretty much what everyone expected from a team that consisted of Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis and 23 unproven kids (more or less).
On Sunday, the Marlins evened their record at 68-68 -- not only staying solidly in the wild card race, but becoming the first team since the 1899 Louisville Colonels to reach the .500 mark after digging themselves a 20-game hole.
This from a team whose manager and owner apparently can't stand each other, whose prize home-grown hitting prospect (Jeremy Hermida) is fizzling, and which features a starting pitcher in Scottie Olsen who gets into fistfights with his teammates.
Major league baseball went the entire 20th century without seeing anyone accomplish what these Bad News Marlins have done. And Jeffrey Loria's eyes must be lighting up thinking about all the money he isn't going to have to pay to all these pre-arbitration youngsters.
Kind of puts the "rebuilding" efforts of the likes of the Royals and Pirates to shame, doesn't it?
