Florida Marlins All-Time Team - First Base

[Dave Gray]

OK, baseball fans, help me out here.   Let's put together a team of the best Florida Marlins of all-time, to make a super team.  We'll go by position.

Here's what I'm thinking:
3 starting pitchers
2 middle relief
1 closer
and 1 of each of the remaining 8 spots on the field.
and 1 DH, since this team will definitely make the World Series.

If you think I am suggesting too many (or too few) pitchers, please let me know.

Only their play in a Marlins uniform should be considered.


First, we'll select a first baseman.
The full list of players can be found here: http://mlb.mlb.com/fla/history/players.jsp?sortby=position&filter=3

At a glance, however, it looks like it's a 3 man race:
Miguel Cabrera
Jeff Conine
Derrek Lee

Make your case...

[Brian Fein]

I think you gotta go with D-Lee here.  The guy was a stud in teal.  Cabrera could make an argument, but Cabrera is probably going to be considered at 3B and OF as well.  So, here, I take D-Lee.

I might also consider Carlos Delgado but he was only in town for 1 season.

[Dave Gray]

My instinct said Cabrera.  What is his default position?

[SportsChick]

He played outfield when he was first called up (Lowell was at third) and then moved over to 3B (his natural position) after Lowell was traded to the Sox and before Cabrara became a bit too tubby

[Dave Gray]

2 votes?  Pretty weak.  Don't you baseball guys have any opinion?

[Brian Fein]

Dave I think maybe the issue is that, of the baseball guys around, I think I may be the only "Marlins fan" here.  While I'm sure Maine and Stroke and EdgeCrusher and Tenshot and others can vote on the best Marlins first baseman, I don't know that they have an intimate knowledge (or care) about the team and its rich history...

That said - I like it, let's keep it going, even if its only me and you...

[Dave Gray]

^I'll keep going, but I'd like to get each position locked down before we move on.  If Cabrera is our 1B, then we have to know to exclude him later.  There are a few guys like Conine, for example, that moved around the diamond a little bit.

[Brian Fein]

^^ Which is why I picked Derrick Lee.  He never played anything but 1B (maybe DH in some interleague games). And I think you could say his per-season numbers were probably better than Cabrera.  I don't really consider Cabrera a 1B anyway, since I think he only played there 1 season out of 5 or 6 with the team.

I'm off to acquire facts now, BRB.

[Brian Fein]

OK, so I remember correctly.  Miguel Cabrera played with the Marlins from 2003 thru 2007.  During those seasons he played 1 season at Utility off the bench (03), 2 seasons at outfield (04, 05) and 2 seasons at 3B (06, 07).  Miguel Cabrera never played 1B for the Marlins (not even 1 game), and didn't move to 1B until he was traded to Detroit.

So, based on your "Only their play in a Marlins uniform should be considered" requirement, I believe Miguel Cabrera should not be eligible for 1B.

However, as a Marlin, Cabrera batted .313 with 138 home runs (27.6 per season) and 523 RBI.  In comparison, Derrick Lee's 6 seasons as a Marlin, he batted .264 with 129 HR and 417 RBI.  This includes 1 season where he missed 100 games.  D-Lee's best season in the majors was 2005, after he was already a Cub.

I'm surprised to see that Cabrera's numbers are so high, but I recall D-Lee only had 3 or so seasons with the fish before being shipped off to Chicago.  That's because his first 2 seasons he was barely around and so the next 4 only stick in your memory.

[SportsChick]

Derrick Lee would be my choice too

[Brian Fein]

Just a bit more information:

First base Marlins - games started

Derrick Lee  818 gms
Jeff Conine  398 gms
Mike Jacobs  351 gms
Gregg Colbrunn  309 gms
Jorge Cantu  217 gms
Orestes Destrade 192 gms
Gaby Sanchez  151 gms
Carlos Delgado  144 gms
Hee-Seop Choi  95 gms

Kevin Millar has a bunch of starts at 1B as well, but he played a bunch of other positions too.

[Dave Gray]

Good stats.  OK...no argument from me.  Derrick Lee it is. 

[Brian Fein]

the site baseball-reference.com has a lot of stats.  It makes these kind of facts very easy to find.