Marlins Fire Manager Fredi Gonzalez, Fire Sale Around The Corner?

The Florida Marlins fired manager Fredi Gonzalez yesterday, making it the second head-scratching move in a span of a week.

The first was giving away vuvuzelas to 15,000 people last weekend.

Along with Gonzalez, bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Jim Presley were also given the boot.

The Marlins currently are 34-37 and 7.5 games behind Atlanta, which is not where the team owner, Jeffrey Loria, and fans expected them to be at this point in the season.

Taking over will be AAA manager Edwin Rodriguez on an interim basis.

Let’s see if Loria’s cheap ass will actually spend some money and bring in a manager that is worth a damn. I think the organization is hoping they can pull a Colorado Rockies’ run like last season.

By looking at their roster they definitely have the talent to pull it off. They have one of the best young pitchers in Josh Johnson who currently has an ERA of 1.80, and a lineup of young players with tons of power. But they are also playing in what has turned out to be the most competitive division in baseball from top to bottom.

It will take more than a Major League motivational speech to turn-around and pass the Phillies, Mets, and Braves.

Gonzalez made it a point to address the firing had nothing to do with his run-in with Hanley Ramirez earlier in the season after benching him for his laziness (god forbid a manager do such a thing).

I would not be surprised to see another fire sale by the Marlins should they continue their poor play.

Every team in the league would be chomping at the bit to get a player like Hanley Ramirez or dip into that bullpen and get some reliable relievers.

Are you reading this, Walt Jocketty?