BOSTON -- The Marlins today announced the signings of 25 players from this year's draft, though not their top two picks: pitcher Andrew Heaney (9th overall) and shortstop Avery Romero (104th).
Which somehow leads us to.....
It was nine years ago that the Marlins rolled into Boston for what was arguably a turning point series to their World Series season. The first game of that series was particularly memorable. The Red Sox scored 10 runs in the first inning before an out was recorded, and Johnny Damon nearly hit for the cycle -- a single, double and triple -- in the FIRST INNING ALONE.
The Red Sox won that game 25-8, Marlins reliever Kevin Olsen was hit in the head with a line drive that brought a frightened hush to the Fenway faithful and landed the pitcher in the hospital, and owner Jeffrey Loria's personal guest in his box seat near the dugout was none other than that year's first-round pick, local product Jeff Allison.
The following night, the Marlins rallied for one of their biggest comeback wins in franchise history, and the team took off from there.
At any rate, the current-day Marlins come crawling into Boston mired in a pronounced hitting slump. Will their bats wake up in Boston?
Signings: OF Kolby Copeland (Comp B); OF Austin Dean (4th round); SS Austin Nola (5th); SS Anthony Gomez (6th); RHP Ryan Newell (7th); RHP Drew Steckenrider (8th); RHP Nicholas Wittgren (9th); 3B Ron Miller (10th); RHP Matt Milroy (11th); SS Christian Rivera (12th); RHP Blake Logan (13th); C Mike Vaughn (14th); RHP Brian Ellington (16th); OF Christian Keene (17th); LHP Patrick Merkling (18th); LHP Hayden Fox (21st); RHP Robert Ravago (22nd); OF Cameron Flynn (23rd); 3B Matt Juengel (24th); RHP Dane Stone (25th); RHP Justin Jackson (27th); RHP Casey McCarthy (28th); RHP Ronald Barnes (29th); C David Cruz (30th); 3B Patrick Claussen (34th); UT Blake Barber (undrafted free agent).
