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Florida Marlins Spring Training 2006 Report

If you're playing poker, you have to be good at bluffing. The Florida Marlins hand in the Build A New Stadium Game was trumped last year by politicians from the Northern part of Florida, who sank the $45 million capstone on a deal for a new ballpark.

The Fish returned to the table with their own trump: Permission from the Commish to investigate moving. Too bad they hit the city and state officials this winter with a deck full of jokers.

We did a story earlier this year "Fleeing Fish" which called the Marlins bluff on the move, pointing out that the minor league markets that they were touting were not realistic. To the positive, we did commiserate with the Marlins plight, and offer up a royal flush of possibilities that could put the fear of relocation into the locals.

The Marlins, with Nixonian justice, banned us from covering their minor leaguers this Spring, after we were granted full access last season.

The Fish generously offered to provide us written data that we can already get. Since we can't get to see the players and interview staff, there will be no evaluation of Florida's Spring for 2006.

Major league fans may think that the player fire sale from the off season is a bad thing, but enjoy: The Marlins acquired some exceptionally gifted players from the overstock of other farm systems. Hanley Ramirez (Boston), Yusmeiro Petit (Mets), and Anibal "The Cannibal" Sanchez (Boston).