Sanchez brilliant as Marlins take series

07/19/2006
MIAMI -- If his last two starts are any indication, Anibal Sanchez promises to be a big hit in the big leagues.
The twist is, the Marlins rookie right-hander isn't allowing the opposition too many hits.
Sanchez gave up one hit in seven-plus scoreless innings on Wednesday afternoon. His masterful performance, coupled with Cody Ross' second-inning home run, lifted Florida to a 1-0 victory over the Nationals.
A crowd of 25,546, filled mostly with camp kids, witnessed Sanchez (3-0) extend his scoreless innings streak to 18 1/3 innings, stemming back to the first inning of a July 6 start at Washington.
Taylor Tankersley and Joe Borowski combined on the two-hit shutout, which gave the Marlins the series victory, 2-1.
Considering the Marlins dropped a 7-6 decision on Tuesday night, watching a four-run lead in the sixth inning disappear, taking the series was a relief.
"We let one go last night," said Ross, who was a late addition to the starting lineup. "This is just a great win to come off a bad one last night."
Informed two hours before the first pitch by bench coach Gary Tuck that he was starting in left in place of Josh Willingham, Ross felt about the sixth inning that Sanchez was on his way to a special outing.
"The way Anibal threw the ball, I had a feeling, 'Man, this [1-0 lead] might hold up,'" said Ross, who went deep off Ramon Ortiz (6-9).
In the ninth, the Nationals threatened off Borowski. Nick Johnson walked with one out and went to third on Alex Escobar's single to right. But Borowski struck out Marlon Anderson and got Austin Kearns on a fly to deep center to nail down his 19th save.
"The last thing you want after having a starter throw like that is to go out and blow it," Borowski said.
To open the ninth, Borowski got Ryan Zimmerman to line to center, snapping the third baseman's hitting streak at 17 games.
Sanchez threw a career-high 106 pitches. He was coming off seven scoreless innings in the Marlins' 3-1 win over the Astros on July 14, when he allowed two hits and got the win over Roger Clemens.
A 22-year-old from Maracay, Venezuela, Sanchez lowered his ERA to 3.41. But take away a seven-run outing in 4 1/3 innings of relief against Boston, Sanchez is 3-0 with a no-decision and a 1.46 ERA.
He was recalled from Double-A on June 25 to pitch the second game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. That day, he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a combined shutout of New York.
The fact he is still with the Marlins is a personal surprise. He thought he was only up because of the twin bill in New York. But with Brian Moehler on the disabled list, Sanchez has secured a rotation spot.
"When I came to pitch in Yankee Stadium, I just thought it was for one game," Sanchez said. "I didn't think I would be staying here. I am feeling more comfortable right now."
Dating back to his July 6 outing at Washington, the rookie right-hander has allowed three hits in a 15-inning span.
The lone hit Sanchez allowed was a leadoff single to Kearns to open the third inning.
"He should be confident with the way he's thrown," Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. "I want all our pitchers to have confidence because I think they're able to relax and make their pitches better. The one thing that comes with that confidence, is he has to work hard. And he's working hard. I appreciate the way he's going about his business."
The Marlins have logged three shutouts this season, with Sanchez involved in two of them. Wednesday marked the 18th time in franchise history that the club has enjoyed a 1-0 win. The last time it happened was June 26, 2005, at Tropicana Field against the Rays, and it's the 12th time they've won by that score at home.
The combined two-hitter was the second by the Marlins this season. In a 5-1 win over the Mets on May 26, they also gave up a pair of hits.
Acquired from the Red Sox last November as part of the Josh Beckett-Mike Lowell trade, Sanchez was in line to have a chance to make the club out of Spring Training. But shoulder tendinitis foiled any chances, and he was sent to Double-A without pitching in a Spring Training game for Florida.
"When I saw him in the Future's Game, I thought this kid might have a chance to make our team," Girardi said, referring to the 2005 Futures Game. "Then his shoulder came up sore, and I thought the organization made a good decision putting him in Double-A. He pitched really well there until he got the call."

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/

Notes: Moehler nears return

07/20/2006
MIAMI -- Tossing a simulated game on Thursday afternoon was step one in getting Brian Moehler off the disabled list and activated before the end of the month.
The plan is for Moehler, on the DL with a sore right big toe, to next pitch in a Gulf Coast League game on Monday. With a doubleheader slated for July 30 at Philadelphia, manager Joe Girardi said the right-hander is targeted to start one of those games.
In the simulated game, Moehler threw 40 pitches, facing batters for the first time since he was lifted in the first inning against the Red Sox on July 1.
The injury is troublesome because it is to the foot that he uses to push off the rubber.
Moehler has yet to test his foot running, which he hopes to do on Saturday.
"I felt pretty good," Moehler said of facing batters. "I felt better than the last time I was on the mound."
Moehler is 5-7 with a 6.84 ERA in 15 starts. He's logged 77 2/3 innings.
Girardi says it is too early to determine how Moehler will be used when he comes back.
"We'll evaluate at that time," Girardi said. "We'll see how he goes. We have to keep him healthy."
Since Moehler went on the DL July 2, Anibal Sanchez has stepped into the rotation, and the rookie is 3-0.
Moehler is aware he is in a numbers situation.
"We have five guys going great," Moehler said. "Whatever they want to do with me is fine."
Moehler has pitched out of the bullpen in the past, and if that is where he is needed, he will accept that role.
Moehler also may find himself a candidate to be traded. The non-waiver deadline is July 31, the day after his planned start.
While Moehler is getting closer to returning, Sergio Mitre remains a ways away from getting back in action. On the 60-day DL with a shoulder strain, Mitre threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and he is tossing off the mound every two or three days.
"It's taking a while," Mitre said.
A more likely return date for Mitre is mid-August, at the earliest.
Sanchez sensational: If not for a bout with shoulder tendinitis, Sanchez may have been on the Opening Day roster instead of starting off at Double-A Carolina.
Girardi said Sanchez would have received strong consideration to make the rotation heading into the season.
As circumstances had it, Sanchez made the most of his tenure pitching at Carolina. Although his record was 3-6 in 15 starts, his ERA was a respectable 3.15. More than the numbers, the 22-year-old from Venezuela was able to log innings. He compiled 85 2/3, allowing 82 hits.
Since being called up on June 25 to pitch the second game of the doubleheader at New York against the Yankees, Sanchez has solidified a rotation spot.
"When I pitched in Yankee Stadium, they told me I was just coming for just that game," said Sanchez, who tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in that game. "I didn't know if I would be here."
Sanchez has made four appearances, and three starts, in the big leagues. As a starter, he is 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA, including a string of 18 1/3 scoreless innings. More impressive is the fact that he's given up just three hits over his last 15 innings.
Looking back, Sanchez said pitching in Double-A was a big benefit.
"I had tendinitis in Spring Training, and I think going to Double-A helped me, because I was able to throw a lot of innings," Sanchez said. "When I came here, I didn't have to make adjustments. I think that helped me so much."
Sanchez's success stems from spotting his fastball, which reaches 93 mph. He mixes in a slider and curveball, and he threw one changeup (which recorded an out) in Wednesday's win against Washington.
His fastball has a lot of movement, and some scouts say it sometimes resembles a cutter because it spins away from right-handed hitters. Conversely, it drifts in on lefty batters.
Sanchez says he doesn't intentionally throw a cutter, it just moves that way sometimes.
Ross rebounds: Cody Ross had been in an 0-for-19 slide before connecting on a second-inning home run on Wednesday, which proved to be the lone run in Florida's 1-0 victory.
Getting that blast and adding a single in a 2-for-3 game was a nice bounce-back performance for Ross. Used primarily as a fourth outfielder and late-inning defensive replacement, Ross had been seeing regular action before being slowed by a groin injury.
"I was playing there every day for a while," he said. "I was playing well, and then I got hurt. My swing didn't feel the same when I got back. I went through an 0-fer spell. It's nice to get away from that and get a win."
Deal for campers: The roughly 15,000 campers who were at Wednesday's 1-0 win over Washington are being offered a deal to attend a home game later this season.
By showing their ticket stubs for that game, campers can get a free ticket to a game later this season with the purchase of two adult tickets. Those transactions must take place the day of the future game.

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/

Marlins players visit veterans

07/20/2006
MIAMI -- A few Marlins players took a break from their work on the baseball diamond Thursday morning to see some special fans.
Mike Jacobs, Logan Kensing and Chris Resop paid a visit to patients at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Thursday. The Marlins trio saw patients in the spinal cord and nursing unit of the hospital for one hour as a part of Major League Baseball's Salute America campaign.
The Miami VA Medical Center has many programs designed to aid older veterans with illnesses and provides inpatient and outpatient services to members of the Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard.
While the patients seemed thrilled to get autographed T-shirts and cards from the players, they seemed happiest to just have the chance to forget about their ailments for a few minutes and chat with the players.
"It was a good time," Resop said. I can't imagine being laid up in there, so it was fun to give them a break from that."
The players themselves seemed to get as much of a thrill out of the experience as the patients did, laughing and chatting with as they discussed the lunches they were eating or the programs they were watching on the TV.
"It's just nice to see them smile and be able to brighten up their day," Resop said.

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/

Marlins fall late to Pirates in opener

07/20/2006
MIAMI -- When the rains came, so did the Marlins' miseries.
Under a steady drizzle that began in the eighth inning, the Marlins' bullpen hit a wet patch.
The Pirates, behind an eighth-inning homer by Nate McLouth and RBI hits from pinch-hitter Jeromy Burnitz and Jack Wilson in the ninth inning, upended the Marlins, 5-3, on Thursday night in front of 9,139 at Dolphin Stadium.
The Marlins watched a 3-2 lead slip away in the eighth when McLouth homered off Logan Kensing to open the inning. For the rookie Kensing, it was the second time in three days that he was taken deep in the eighth inning. In a loss on Tuesday to the Nationals, Robert Fick homered in the same inning.
A difference Thursday was the elements. Several times in the inning, Kensing tried to clean the mud out of his spikes. He fell behing behind in the count, 2-1, and McLouth responded with his fifth home run.
At one point in the eighth, crew chief Dale Scott, the second-base umpire, held play up a few seconds to get a weather update from the grounds crew.
Marlins manager Joe Girardi downplayed the soggy conditions. They didn't bother the Pirates' relievers as much, although closer Mike Gonzalez struggled with his footing in the ninth, as the Marlins threatened with a two-out single from Miguel Olivo followed by a walk to Wes Helms. But Alfredo Amezaga struck out on a high fastball to end the game, giving Gonzalez his 16th save.
"I wanted to hit that ball so hard," said Amezaga, acknowledging that he overswung.
"Everyone had to play in it," Girardi said. "Obviously, it's not the conditions that any ballplayer wants to play in, but everyone had to play in it."
The Pirates seized the lead with two runs in the ninth off Randy Messenger (1-6), who walked two and gave up a run-scoring single to Burnitz. Wilson provided an insurance run with an RBI double.
Pitching in the rain for the first time this season, Messenger said the elements were a factor.
"When it's wet, you don't want to throw the ball too hard, because I was a little tentative [about plunking] one of the hitters," the right-hander said. "At least I was. That's something you don't want to do. So you almost overcorrect yourself.
"If I don't have a feel for the ball, I'm not going to try to cut it loose and end up hurting somebody for no reason."
Not feeling comfortable with the grip of the ball, Messenger didn't have his normal velocity, and he walked Jose Bautista to open the ninth. A sacrifice bunt and wild pitch moved Bautista to third. After Ronny Paulino walked, Burnitz singled to right on a back-door slider intended to induce a ground ball.
"I got him to roll it over, and it went through the hole," Messenger said.
Wilson then did a good piece of hitting by slapping a pitch away into right field for an RBI double.
Messenger called letting the conditions get to him a "mental lapse."
"It happens sometimes," he said. "The next time, forget about it and just pitch. Obviously, by me doing that tonight, it hurt me.
"It's all in your mind, really. I can go out there and pitch in the rain any time. Tonight was one of those times I had that in the back of my head."
Despite the struggles of Kensing and Messenger, Girardi points out both have done a solid job for the most part.
"Mess has done a pretty good job, and so has Kensing," Girardi said. "They're learning how to pitch late in games. Everyone is looking for late-inning bullpen help. If it was an easy job, anybody could do it. They're having more good outings than bad outings. To me, that's a positive. There's going to be days like today, too."
Impressive again, Marlins starter Josh Johnson limited the Pirates to a two-run home run by Jason Bay in seven innings. The young right-hander gave up four hits, struck out six and walked two. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, leaving with the lead and in line for a win.
Now with 97 2/3 innings pitched this season, Johnson has enough innings to qualify for the ERA lead. After Thursday's showing, the rookie has a 2.49 ERA.
"Everything felt really good," Johnson said. "If anything got away, it was only for a hitter or two. It was a good step in the right direction."
Johnson empathized with the relievers throwing in the rain.
"I hate pitching in the rain, too," he said. "It's not fun, it's not easy, either. But it's kind of how it is down here -- it rains a lot. So you've got to get used to it, I guess."
The Marlins scored in the first on Hanley Ramirez's RBI double. Mike Jacobs homered in the fourth and Dan Uggla's triple scored Miguel Cabrera, who doubled, in the sixth inning.

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/

Young Cabrera taking on big role

02/23/2006
JUPITER, Fla. -- As fate would have it, Miguel Cabrera's fast track to the big leagues in 2003 involved a humorous encounter with the man who would eventually become his manager.
The date was June 5, 2003, and Cabrera was in the midst of tearing up the Southern League while playing for Double-A Carolina. On that particular day, the Mudcats were facing the Cardinals' Minor League affiliate. It just so happened that Joe Girardi was on a rehab assignment while he was still catching for the Cardinals.
Also that day, St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen was rehabbing and pitching against the Mudcats. After getting a quick look at Cabrera, Girardi asked the budding slugger: "What are you still doing here?"
Less than three weeks later, Cabrera was promoted to the Marlins, and he's been a staple in the lineup and a two-time All-Star since.
Now the Marlins' manager, Girardi sees it as his job to keep Cabrera's career pushing forward. Despite all of Cabrera's natural skills, it might be tough to do because the rest of the lineup is so young. No longer does the Florida offense include the power of Carlos Delgado, the timely hitting of Paul Lo Duca or the speed presence of Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo. Three-time All-Star Mike Lowell also is gone, as is Juan Encarnacion.
Even among that collection of star players, Cabrera enjoyed the best season of any Marlin in 2005, batting .323 with 33 homers and 116 RBIs.
With so many inexperienced players now, it's believed in baseball circles that Cabrera will have a difficult time duplicating his strong statistics. Some league talent evaluators predict Cabrera will walk 100 or more times because no one will pitch to him.
How will Cabrera handle being the centerpiece of the offense?
"I don't want to put so much pressure on myself," he said. "I want to do like I did last year, play my game. I'm going to play hard. I'm not going to put pressure on myself. We're all going to have to play hard."
As for the low expectations for Florida, Cabrera is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"Let's see what is going to happen," Cabrera said. "We're young. But we've got talent, too. Let's play and let's see what's going to happen."
So much has been thrust upon Cabrera since he burst onto the big-league scene in June 2003. He was a driving force in the Marlins winning the World Series, and his home run off Roger Clemens in Game 4 confirmed that he was for real.
"He's an amazing talent," Girardi said. "He's a special player."
And he's just 22 -- he turns 23 in April. And while he has matured on the field, he encountered some shaky moments off the field toward the end of last season.
While his numbers were star caliber, Cabrera's work habits were questioned. In the final weeks, he developed a trend of coming to the park late. His tardiness for one game in Atlanta, where he arrived about an hour before the first pitch, led the team to suspend him for a game.
Some of his teammates got on him and there was a players' meeting called late in the year where Cabrera's commitment was criticized.
"He just needed guidance," Marlins veteran Lenny Harris said. "He needed somebody to step up for him and tell him what's right and what's wrong. When you're a great player, everybody is going to look at what you're going to do next. He fell into a little trap.
"When I was young like that, I was never late to stretching or being to the ballpark. He may have had a personal reason, I don't know. I never asked him why he was late. I told him, 'Get over it. You made a mistake. You are one of the best players in the game. Don't let this negativity bother you. Go out there and have fun.' But the negativity was bothering him the last couple of days. I know it was because every time I made eye contact with him, our eyes weren't meeting. I told him, 'Keep your head up.'"
In Girardi's eyes, the past is the past. Cabrera has a clean slate with a new manager and many new teammates.
"I'm going to make my own opinion on Miguel Cabrera," Girardi said. "I'm not going to take anyone else's. Somebody might see him different than I see him. What happened last year, I don't worry about. It's my job to get the most out of him, just like everybody else. It's my job to get the most out of Dontrelle Willis. So I'll make my own judgments."
Cabrera and Willis are the two primary impact players remaining from the 2003 title team. Both were called up from Double-A in the same season and now they are looked upon as leaders.
On Wednesday, Cabrera arrived for the first time at Marlins' Spring Training. He took his physical in the morning and was in the batting cage early in the afternoon.
To the trained ear, they say you can tell who is hitting by the sound of the ball off the bat. Such is the case with Cabrera. There is no mistaking the loud pops when Cabrera makes contact.
Cabrera showed up to Spring Training in blue jeans, a T-shirt and sporting a Venezuelan baseball cap. When he saw Willis outside the clubhouse, the two embraced. In a couple of weeks, however, they also will be rivals.
Cabrera will play in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, while Willis will pitch for the United States.
In the offseason, Cabrera again played for his hometown Aragua in the Winter Leagues, and he shared his country's excitement when Venezuela beat the Dominican Republic to capture the Caribbean Series crown.
He has already worked out four times with the Venezuelan squad in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.
"I'm going to represent my country," Cabrera said. "We'll see what's going to happen. I always represent my country, any time."
Entering his fourth big-league season, Cabrera finds himself at a new, but familiar, position. An outfielder the past few years, he is back at third base. The past few seasons, that spot was filled by Lowell, who won his first Gold Glove last year.
"I feel good because that is my natural position," said Cabrera, a third baseman in the Minor Leagues.
In the offseason, Girardi had a casual phone conversation with Cabrera. The manager called to touch base and get to know the young star better.
"When you look at a guy like Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols or Barry Bonds, you're always going to say, 'You can't let that guy beat you,'" Girardi said. "The adjustment he has to make is not to try to do too much. When a player tries too hard, that just means he has passion for the game. And he cares. I"m just going to observe him and see how he handles it. We'll have a continuing conversation about being who you are. That will never change."

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/

Davis caught early by catching bug

02/23/2006
JUPITER, Fla. -- Brad Davis was only 5 or 6 years old -- he can't remember which -- growing up on the southern California coast, when his parents took him to the local Toys 'R Us to pick out a birthday present. What Davis chose surprised his parents, but they still bought it for him, setting the stage for what has become a lifelong obsession.
It wasn't a Hot Wheels car or a Power Ranger or a G.I. Joe that Davis snagged that day in the toy store. Rather, he grabbed a catcher's mask, surely not knowing as a child that he would someday be sitting in the clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium, adjusting the catching equipment he hopes will someday provide his ticket to the Major Leagues.
"My parents tell that story all the time," said Davis, 23, whom the Marlins selected out of Long Beach State in the fifth round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. "They told me I could get one thing, just one thing and I got a catcher's mask. I guess catching was just in my blood."
Having catching in one's blood is a good trait to have, especially since Davis is part of an organization that isn't exactly rife with catching prospects. Miguel Olivo and Josh Willingham are battling for the top spot behind the plate with the parent club this spring. But a strong showing over the next few weeks could put Davis in a favorable position for the future, especially if he can impress Florida's new manager, former catcher Joe Girardi.
Davis, who is coming off a season in which a broken left wrist limited him to 64 games with Greensboro of the South Atlantic League, has no delusions of grandeur about making the Marlins' team out of camp. He's hopeful, though, that he can skip over Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League and start the year in the Double-A Southern League.
One factor that may be working against him, though, is an old issue that continues to crop up. Carrying just 180 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame, Davis' size and stamina are always mentioned, leading to doubts that he can withstand the pounding of an entire season behind the plate. He's hoping that Girardi, who is 5-11 and whose weight hovered around 200 pounds during a 15-year playing career, can see past the size issue.
"It's always been an issue, but with him being a catcher, there are things that he'll be able to see that others might not be able to see," Davis said. "My size hasn't posed a problem for me so far. But in the eyes of the scouts and coaches, with my weight, I might not make it through a full season. I've been playing year round for 12 years, though, and my body is in good shape to keep playing year round."
Jim Fleming, Florida's vice president of player development and scouting, said on Monday that Davis' fears are unfounded, that his size hasn't even been discussed internally.
"[Mike] Lieberthal looked just like him when he was drafted," Fleming said. "Guys like Davis take a while because the frame doesn't instantly take weight. Size isn't a concern, though. He has to find not necessarily size but strength in his legs."
For many of the pitchers with whom he's worked, Davis' size doesn't seem to matter, either. He caught Jered Weaver (first round, Angels, 2004), Abe Alvarez (second round, Boston, 2003) and Jason Vargas (second round, Marlins, 2004) while at Long Beach State, helping the Dirtbags staff post a 3.11 ERA, which was fourth best in the nation. He's also caught Taylor Tankersley (first round, Marlins, 2004) since being drafted and was behind the plate for Cesar Ramos (first round, Padres, 2005) when he was at LBS.
"He's a great guy to throw to," Vargas said. "I've thrown to him a couple of years now between college and the Minors, and he's a great guy behind the plate. I trust throwing to him. His size hasn't been an issue for me. He just might not have grown into his body yet. He's still young, like all of us here. But he's learned how to call and catch from a great pitching coach [Troy Buckley at LBS]. And for me, personally, he calls a good game."
Davis, who followed the Padres and Benito Santiago as a youngster, knows there are still areas of his game that need improving. He said he'd like to work specifically on his throwing but is quick to point out that all aspects of his development can use some improvement. Davis had nine errors and 15 passed balls in 59 games behind the plate in 2005. If you project that over a whole season, he would have likely led Sally League catchers in both categories.
There's no rush, though. He's got catching in his blood. And with that kind of makeup, it shouldn't take long to make the kind of adjustments that will earn him a spot in Miami.

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/

Notes: Tuck's tutelage tremendous

02/24/2006
JUPITER, Fla. -- In putting together his coaching staff, Marlins manager Joe Girardi insisted on having Gary Tuck as his bench coach.
Formerly a catching coach in the Yankees organization, Tuck has the reputation of being a backstop guru. He has been credited with helping mold New York All-Star catcher Jorge Posada, a converted infielder who had played shortstop and second base.
"To me, he's the best in the business," Girardi said. "When it comes to catching coaches in baseball, he's the best. I really, really wanted Tucky here. He was very important to my staff. I'm so happy to have him. I feel like I'm fortunate to have him on my staff, because he's just a great baseball man. He makes catchers great. That's what he does. He teaches catching and he has a passion for catching like nobody else I've ever met."
All the Marlins' catchers are going through a battery of drills. Along with catching bullpen sessions with the pitchers, the backstops are working on techniques on how to properly frame the ball in the glove. The catchers are doing a series of drills using smaller gloves before progressing to their own gloves.
They also used "rotation balls" to develop their throwing accuracy. These are baseballs with a strip of electrical tape wrapped around them. The purpose is to observe the spin of the ball, (ideally with the tape part spinning vertically.
"We're setting a foundation and seeing where they are at, so I can learn them and they can learn me," Tuck said. "And [we are] really building from the ground up with a foundation, from stance to receiving, blocking, footwork, the exchange. The icing on the cake will be the middle of Spring Training, calling a game."
A big part of what Florida's catchers are dealing with is properly framing pitches in the hopes of gaining more strikes.
"It's huge," Tuck said of being able to get borderline strikes. "[Girardi] was one of the best at it. It's a manicured art -- it's like surgery. If you're quiet enough and calm enough and you catch the right part of the baseball and don't move your body, you may get more strikes than you do balls. It's an art. Anybody can knock it down; it's how you catch it."
One of Tuck's biggest projects is seeing if Josh Willingham is ready to be an everyday catcher. A converted infielder, Willingham is competing for the starting position behind the plate with Miguel Olivo and Matt Treanor.
"What Josh needs to figure out is a style of catching," Tuck said. "Once he figures out his style and what he's comfortable with, he has a chance to do it. That's the same thing with all of them. They have to figure out a style, an approach."
In a few days, Willingham is getting a better idea about the position.
"We've been talking a lot about receiving -- keeping balls in the zone and working on footwork," Willingham said. "There is an art to getting strikes. I'm learning a lot and making a lot of adjustments. It's helping me a lot."
So how is Willingham progressing?
"I've had this question asked probably 20 times after [a few] days of drills," Tuck said. "Well, can he do it? Yeah, if the game was drills, sure. But the game is the game. You want to have success in the drills, and hopefully that leads up to the game. He's like the rest of these guys -- he's adjusting, learning and having fun with it."
Cabrera's contract talks: The representatives of third baseman Miguel Cabrera were in Jupiter on Friday, discussing contract ideas with general manager Larry Beinfest.
A two-time All-Star, Cabrera is in his final season under club control, and he is eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season. Based on his service time, Cabrera is in line to earn about $400,000. His salary figure will escalate to several million dollars after this season.
Agent Adam Katz talked with the Marlins regarding Cabrera's contract status. No deal has been signed yet, but it will be in a couple of days.
Katz also represents shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
Fehr meets with Marlins: The Marlins on Friday became the sixth stop for Major League Baseball Players Association officials, who make their annual tour to each club.
Don Fehr, the union's executive director, addressed the club for about 90 minutes, discussing players issues and touching on the fact that the collective bargaining agreement expires in September.
Without giving specifics, Fehr went over a variety of topics.
The league and union have yet to get into serious formal discussions, but Fehr says it is still early and there is a focus on the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
"We never discuss specifically what we talk about," Fehr said. "You can assume we talked about virtually all topics of relative interest, and the contract is expiring at the end of September. So it would be a safe assumption that we got into [the CBA status] at some point. But it's still early. While we're in the last season, the contract doesn't expire for another 10 months or so. Hopefully we'll have it done before then, but I'm way out of the prediction business."
No formal talks between the union and league have begun, but Fehr points out there is informal dialogue.
"We've got a lot of informal contact going on, and we're beginning to have some information exchanges and other things," Fehr said. "You've got to remember we have this tournament going on, too. You try your hardest to get an agreement and hope you do."
Five sign: On Friday, the Marlins signed five more players on their 40-man roster. Inking deals were pitchers Travis Bowyer, Harvey Garcia, Logan Kensing and Chris Resop. Outfielder Jeremy Hermida, projected to start in right field, was the lone position player to sign.
The Marlins now have signed 22 players on their 40-man roster.
Ligtenberg light tossing: A sore elbow kept reliever Kerry Ligtenberg off the field until Friday, when he resumed throwing with a basic game of catch. A non-roster invitee, Ligtenberg is scheduled to begin long-tossing on Saturday and throwing off the mound on Sunday.
"It's been frustrating," he said.
Bothered by an elbow problem in the past, Ligtenberg feels he tweaked his throwing arm while lifting weights before Spring Training started. As a precaution, he had an MRI exam taken, and he was taking anti-inflammatory medication.
Fish bites: The first home run in live batting practice was hit by Cabrera, who smoked a towering blast to left field off left-hander Jimmy Anderson. ... Shortstop Robert Andino, who makes Orlando his home these days, spent a good part of the offseason working out with Mets prized outfield prospect Lastings Milledge. ... In infield drills Friday, Mike Jacobs and Mike Kinkade worked at first base, while Cabrera and Wes Helms took grounders at third. Helms worked at first base on Thursday. ... In a few days, the Marlins will announce who will start the March 1 exhibition game against the University of Miami at Roger Dean Stadium. Girardi says a number of hard-throwing youngsters will take the ball.

Source: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/