MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports that the Marlins have optioned Gaby Sanchez to Triple-A New Orleans.

The 28-year-old first baseman went 0-for-3 in Saturday afternoon’s loss to the Indians, dropping his already-hideous slash line to .197/.244/.295.
The Fish will hope that he can get his timing back against a lower level of competition at Triple-A.

Sanchez is a .263/.337/.427 career hitter in over 1,450 major-league plate appearances. He was named an All-Star in 2011 and finished the season with 19 home runs and 75 RBI.

Logan Morrison seems likely to move to first base while the Marlins wait for Sanchez to get himself right.


(hardballtalk.com)

MIAMI -- Gaby Sanchez has been searching for consistency at the plate all season. On Tuesday, the first baseman found himself out of the Marlins' lineup.

Greg Dobbs got the start at first in favor of Sanchez in the Marlins' series finale against the Pirates, but don't expect the change to be a long-term one. Manager Ozzie Guillen said the switch isn't permanent, and that he just wanted to get Dobbs, the Majors' active leader in pinch-hits, some regular at-bats to keep him sharp.

"Just play him today, get him some at-bats, put some at-bats together and give Gaby a break," Guillen said. "Gaby's swinging the bat a little bit better now. The last couple of games he's been swinging the bat a little bit better."

Sanchez, a career .269 hitter entering the year, has struggled this season. He is hitting just .198 with a .244 on-base percentage in 32 games. Sanchez has particularly struggled this month, hitting just .184 with two RBIs in 11 games.

"It is crazy, just because I know what type of player I am and what type of hitter I am, but it happens, I guess," Sanchez said. "Everybody has to go through it at one time or another, and there's a lot of guys right now in the league that are going through the same type of situations."

While a handful of other normally successful players have had trouble producing at the plate this season -- like the Angels' Albert Pujols (.197 with one home run and 12 RBIs) -- only one everyday first baseman in the National League is faring worse at the plate than Sanchez: Ike Davis. The Mets' first baseman is hitting .168 with a .227 on-base percentage in 34 games entering Tuesday.

But Sanchez isn't letting his slow start weigh too heavily on him. The last two seasons he has gotten off to fast starts on offense, only to tail off down the stretch. In 2010, he hit .307 through the first three months of the season, but hit .202 in his final 30 games. Last season he was hitting .322 when the calendar turned to June, but had just a .219 average in August and September.

"It's like they say: It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Sanchez said. "Maybe this is a different year: Start off slow and finish strong."


(mlb.com)

MIAMI — A pair of Miami boys shined during Friday’s Astros-Marlins game at Marlins Park. One got a markedly better response for his effort.
Gaby Sanchez’s double off the base of the left-field wall allowed Chris Coghlan to score the game-ending run from first. The Marlins needed 11 innings and seven pitchers, but they topped the Astros 5-4 for their first ever Marlins Park victory.

The protest-free win also was the club’s first since bench coach Joey Cora temporarily assumed managerial duties. Ozzie Guillen has served three games of the five-game suspension the Marlins imposed for comments about Fidel Castro. No protestors were observed outside Marlins Park within 10 minutes of the first pitch.

“I was hoping it would go out and leave that huge thing rolling and the waterfalls going all night,” said Coghlan, referring to the home run sculpture, which a Marlin has yet to set off.

The other hometown standout was visiting left fielder J.D. Martinez. A Flanagan High School and Nova Southeastern product, Martinez erased the Marlins’ two-run lead with one eighth-inning swing. With a man on, Martinez hit the first ever Marlins Park homer. He deposited Edward Mujica’s initial offering into the Clevelander bar beyond the left-field fence.

For Mujica, the homer was the second he’s allowed in five innings. This one resulted in a blown save.

Sanchez, who entered the game with three hits in his first 24 at-bats, went 3-for-5.

“I’m happy for Gaby because he’s been struggling for the last couple of days, especially with men on base, but he came through big time,” said Cora, who thought Sanchez’s ball was out. “He crushed it. We either have to go to the weight room a little more, but I’m telling you, it seems like it’s going to play deep. So far, it’s a big, big, big, big ballpark.”

Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco had an atypical performance. He usually fills up the strike zone, but Monday he threw just 57.8 percent of 90 pitches for strikes and was done after five innings. Nolasco issued three walks. Last season, he totaled more than two in a game twice and never more than four.

Just 10 of the 22 hitters Nolasco faced saw a first-pitch strike, and he fell behind 2-0 or 3-1 five times, including to two of the last three batters he faced in the fifth. The four hits Nolasco allowed were all singles, two of which produced runs in innings during which Nolasco issued a walk.

“It was just a battle,” Nolasco said. “I didn’t feel too great, but that happens and it’s going to happen again. Those are the games you find a way and try to give your team the best chance to win.”

Astros starter Lucas Harrell made his major league debut on July 30, 2010, as a member of Guillen’s Chicago White Sox. The Astros claimed him off waivers the following July. Friday marked Harrell’s eighth career game (fourth start) with the Astros.

Looking to start the season 2-0, Harrell after his teammates spotted him a 1-0 lead in the first inning gave it right back. Brian Bogusevic could not make a sliding catch of Giancarlo Stanton short fly to right, which turned into an RBI-double.  Infante followed with an RBI-single, extending his hitting streak to six games.


(miamiherald.com)

PHILADELPHIA -- Anibal Sanchez took a three-hitter into the seventh, Omar Infante hit a pair of solo homers and the Miami Marlins spoiled the Philadelphia Phillies' home opener with a 6-2 victory on Monday afternoon.

Sanchez (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, outpitching two-time All-Star Cole Hamels (0-1).

Gaby Sanchez had two hits and two RBIs, Emilio Bonifacio had three hits and Austin Kearns hit a solo shot off Jonathan Papelbon.

Missing Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the middle of their lineup, the Phillies continued to struggle offensively. They've scored eight runs and are off to a 1-3 start.


(miamiherald.com)

CINCINNATI -- The crowd at Marlins Park gave Gaby Sanchez a rousing ovation on Opening Night during the pregame introductions. The Marlins’ homegrown first baseman hopes the cheering continues all the way to the end of the season.

That’s because Sanchez is out to prove that his second-half slumps the past two seasons — his first two full seasons in the majors — have been aberrations and not some inherent deficiency.

“I felt like I came into last year a little better prepared for it,” Sanchez said. “And this year I feel a little more prepared.”

In 2010, Sanchez hit .302 the first half of the season but only .237 the second half. In 2011, Sanchez hit .293 the first half of the season and landed on the All-Star team but tailed off again in the second half, hitting just .228.

Sanchez said there are explanations for both, neither of which are related.

Because 2010 was his first full season in the majors, Sanchez said he was “just trying to teach my body how 160-something games was.” In other words, he wore down a bit from the fatigue of the long grind.

Last season?

“Last year was tough because I was dealing with some things in my knee, but I felt like I was still hitting the ball well,” Sanchez said of his second-half struggles. “I just was not getting hits. It’s just one of those things that’s baseball. You’re going to go through streaks in baseball where you’re hitting the ball good and not getting any hits out of it.”

Sanchez points out that while his batting average declined, his strikeout rate remained unchanged and his walk rate increased slightly.

“That means I was seeing the ball well and having good [at-bats],” he said. “Definitely, the power numbers weren’t there [in the second half] because I couldn’t hit off my back side.”

But Sanchez said his knee issues are behind him.

He popped an opposite-field home run in the first of two exhibition games against the New York Yankees and has one of the team’s seven hits — a double on Thursday in Cincinnati.

The former University of Miami star is also developing into a fan favorite as evidenced by the ovation he received Wednesday.

Only new manager Ozzie Guillen and new shortstop Jose Reyes received appreciably louder applause.

“I think it just shows that I’m a hometown guy, and I think Miami wants their hometown guy to succeed,” said Sanchez, who was born and raised in Miami.

“It was nice. It was definitely a nice way to start things off.”


(miamiherald.com)

MIAMI— The home run wasn't devoid of significance, but Gaby Sanchez applied the proper dose of perspective. His second-inning blast off CC Sabathia on Sunday was the first ever in a Marlins Park game between big league clubs — albeit an exhibition.

For the Miami-born and raised Sanchez, his first Grapefruit League homer was not enough for the Marlins to overcome the New York Yankees. They scored two in the ninth for a 10-8 victory in the first of two dress rehearsals before Wednesday's official Marlins Park premier.

"It's always nice to hit a home run," Sanchez said. "It doesn't matter when it is. Being in the new stadium, playing against a major league team and doing it definitely felt good, but it's still spring training."

Hanley Ramirez hit the first Marlins homer in the new park during last month's exhibition against the University of Miami. The following night, Emilio Bonifacio put one over the wall against Florida International.

Sunday's contest didn't have a spring training feel until regulars on both sides began trickling out midway through. The Marlins made 25,000 tickets available, all of which were sold. Monday night's capacity is capped at 30,000.


(sun-sentinel.com)

Around the 40-second mark, Marlins 1B Gaby Sanchez almost tumbles of the back of a golf cart after taking infield drills at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. Gaby, trying to settle in to the back seat, wasn't aware that bench coach Joey Cora was about to hit the pedal. No one was hurt. Everyone got a laugh.

JUPITER — Gaby Sanchez became so annoyed with the reaction to the Marlins' pursuit of free agent Albert Pujols this winter that he insulated himself from the chatter.

Sanchez, Miami's All-Star first baseman, began ignoring the phone calls and text messages and then started preparing to start another chapter in his career if a deal was struck.

"I had to stop paying attention to it because people were like, 'I can't believe they're doing this' (and) 'What are you going to do now?' ' Sanchez said.

Sanchez, the Miami native who spent his college career at the University of Miami, knew that adding Pujols meant he would be traded to make room for the game's most dominant player of the last decade.

But finally, after more than a week of rumors and reports, Pujols agreed to leave the St. Louis Cardinals for the Los Angeles Angels.
"I was like, 'Thank you,' ' Sanchez said.

Sanchez, 28, is coming off his second consecutive season in which he played more than 150 games, had more than 570 at-bats, hit better than .265 and belted 19 home runs. He represented the Marlins in the All-Star Game, his first appearance.

Still, with the Marlins deciding to open the vault preceding their move into their new stadium, their ambitions included trying to sign a player who eventually received a 10-year deal worth $254 million.

"I'm OK with that," Sanchez said. "If was a GM, if I was running the Marlins, I would have done the same thing.

"I was pretty sure I was going to be playing somewhere. Hopefully it was going to be with the Marlins. If it wasn't, if that wasn't my path, I would go somewhere else."

But Sanchez's path his entire career has been through South Florida. His family and friends watched him at UM. His parents, Remberto and Iliana, and his wife, Judy, sat behind home plate at Sun Life Stadium and now will do so at Marlins Park in Little Havana.

How different it would have been had Sanchez been preparing to take the field this spring in St. Louis or Chicago or Baltimore or any other major league city.

"It's part of the business," Remberto Sanchez said. "We were all wanting for Gaby to stay here but you never know what's best."

Still, Dad was glad that Pujols went elsewhere.

"I didn't think the Marlins needed a first baseman," Remberto said with a laugh.

Sanchez won't have to get to know a whole new team, but he will need to become familiar with a new shortstop, Jose Reyes, and a novice third baseman.

The signing of Reyes forced Hanley Ramirez to move from shortstop to third base, a position he has played in three games (all in the minors) in his 10 years as a professional.

"That's what spring training is for," Sanchez said. "Most of it is going to be the angle of their arm and the way they throw. See what kind of movement they have on the ball.

"That's all going to be learned during spring training. Once the season starts it's going to be like we played together our whole lives."


(palmbeachpost.com)

JUPITER -- Ryan Braun said publicly Friday what he has been privately telling Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez, his friend and former University of Miami teammate, for months: that he was “wrongly accused” over a positive drug test.

“I am the victim of a process that completely broke down and failed,” Braun said one day after his 50-game suspension was overturned on appeal. A panel of arbitrators ruled in favor of Braun, who said he has been vindicated after it was shown that the person who collected his urine sample, which later tested positive for a high level of testosterone, took it home and kept it for two days before mailing it immediately to a drug-testing lab.

The outcome came as no surprise to Sanchez, who said he always felt certain that his friend did nothing wrong. Sanchez, who talks frequently with Braun, said the Milwaukee Brewers’ superstar has been adamant that he did not commit any infractions.

“I believed him 100 percent when he told me he didn’t do it,” Sanchez said shortly before Braun held a news conference in Arizona to tell his side of the story. “He would have told me [if had violated the drug policy]. He’s the type of person who would have come out and said, ‘Hey, I screwed up. I did wrong. I’m sorry to everybody.’

“But as soon as it happened, I got a text message from him saying that, ‘This is idiotic. This is ridiculous. I didn’t do anything.’ ’’

Braun learned Oct. 19 his sample was positive for elevated testosterone, which he said was at a ratio that was the highest ever recorded in baseball’s testing program. The positive tests, had it stood up, would have caused him be suspended for the first 50 games of the season.
ESPN reported the positive test in December.

Braun, who was voted the National League’s Most Valuable Player last season, criticized the media for leaking the positive test.

“My name has been dragged through the mud as everything I’ve ever worked for in my life has been called into question,” he said.

Arbitrator Shyam Das threw out Braun’s ban on Thursday, making it the first time that a player has successfully challenged a drug-related violation. MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said management “vehemently disagrees” with Das’ decision.

‘FATALLY FLAWED’
Braun said that, because of the delay sending his sample to a lab, the testing was “fatally flawed.”

“I don’t honestly know what happened to it in that 44-hour period,” he said.

Sanchez and Marlins catcher John Buck, who also serves as the team’s union representative, said that the testing procedure needs to be reexamined.

“The procedure has to change,” Sanchez said. “No one ever thought before, are they able to do stuff with these [samples]? Is someone able to contaminate the product?

“We didn’t think about that. We didn’t know that somebody could keep it for two days, either.”

Said Buck: “As a player, I definitely want that looked into.”

AWARE OF SKEPTICS
Braun said he’s fully aware that, despite prevailing with his appeal, there will continue to be skeptics who think he cheated and got away with it on a technicality.

“I’m not dumb enough to pretend that this is going to go away,” he said.

But Braun said he “didn’t gain a single pound” or “get a tenth of a second faster” or “get one percent stronger” during the course of last season when he was monitored regularly. He also said he passed three drug tests over the course of the regular season.

“I would bet my life that this substance never entered my body,” he said. “We won because the truth is on my side.”

This report was supplemented with material from Miami Herald wire services.


(miamiherald.com)

Caught an episode of Clubhouse Confidential on MLB Network Friday. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it takes an analytical look at the news of the day and other topics using non-traditional stats. It’s great for fans that want to familiarize themselves with sabermetric stuff.

One of the areas they covered was leadoff hitting. In addition to discussing what type of offensive player should be leading off, host Brian Kenny pointed out some guys in the game that should be batting first and others that shouldn’t. A couple of Marlins came up. Kenny’s quote: “[Gaby] Sanchez, not Jose Reyes, is a better leadoff candidate for the Marlins this year.”

Seems odd, right? Reyes after all is a prototypical leadoff man in the eyes of most baseball fans. Not so says Clubhouse Confidential because he has too much power. According to The Book: Playing the Percentage in Baseball, a leadoff man logs 36 percent of his plate appearances with the bases empty. That figure for the No. 2 hitter increase to 44 percent. For third and fourth hitters, 48 percent and 51 percent, respectively.

Based on that, teams that have a power hitter in the leadoff spot aren’t maximizing that pop. Reyes in 2011 slugged a career high .493 thanks in part to a league-leading 16 triples. He also totaled 31 doubles and seven homers. What the show didn’t mention is even after last season Reyes’ career slugging percentage is .441, which makes him a little more palatable as a leadoff man based on the aforementioned premise.

The other big stat for leadoff men is on-base percentage, a component of which is walks. Top of the order hitters come up with no outs in 48 percent of their plate appearances.The two through four spots are 33 percent, 28 percent and 34 percent, respectively. That means a walk is as good as a hit for leadoff men. Ideally, you want your leadoff man to draw a base on balls in 10 percent or better of his plate appearances.

Although Reyes had a .384 on-base percentage in 2011, his walk rate was 7.3 percent, raising his career average to 6.9 percent. Clubhouse Confidential tells us Reyes has too much power and doesn’t walk enough to hit first. Their alternative: Sanchez.

Sanchez had a .352 on-base percentage, walked in 11.2 percent of his plate appearances and slugged .427. Again, Clubhouse Confidential didn’t take into account the numbers from his 2010 rookie season (.341 on-base, .448 slugging and 8.9 percent walk rate).

One player the show did not mention was Emilio Bonifacio, who likely will bat first this season. Bonifacio had a breakout season in 2011, reaching base at a .360 clip and walking in 9.2 percent of his plate appearances. He doesn’t hit for power, plus he is a prolific base stealer, so I was surprised Clubhouse Confidential didn’t identify him as a better leadoff candidate than either Reyes or Sanchez.

From Twitter comments I’ve received, plenty of Marlins fans aren’t sold on Bonifacio. Manager Jack McKeon really got him playing with confidence last season. Bonifacio taking half a step back in 2012 wouldn’t surprise me. His batting average on balls in play last season was .372. In 2009, his BABIP was .312 and in 2010 it was .333. Anything much higher or lower than .300 suggests that player will see a regression or a rebound.

My Opening Night batting order: Bonifacio, Reyes, Ramirez, Stanton, Morrison, Sanchez, Buck, Infante, Johnson.


(sun-sentinel.com)

The hardest part for Gaby Sanchez wasn't so much the Marlins trying to replace him with Albert Pujols.

It wasn't the prospect of losing his dream job with his hometown team to a future Hall of Fame first baseman.

Instead, it was those few days in early December when his cell phone nearly blew up as those Pujols rumors raged.

"It just got annoying with the phone calls and the texts," Sanchez said during the Marlins Caravan this week in preparation for spring training. "People were like, 'I can't believe they're doing this,' and, 'Oh, what are you going to do now?' "

On those rare occasions when Sanchez did answer the phone or hit the reply key, his responses were pretty much what you'd expect from the unassuming all-star.

Angry at the Marlins? No way.

Even if they never got around to giving him a heads-up about their plans.

"There was no tipoff," Sanchez said. "But if you looked at any type of media, if you looked at SportsCenter one time, you knew the Marlins were going after him. I knew it. Everybody else knew it. It wasn't a shock to me."

This isn't Hanley Ramirez struggling to accept a position move 50 feet to his right.

Sanchez, the former University of Miami standout, completely understood the Marlins' rationale.

"You're talking about one of the best players in baseball," Sanchez said. "If I was running the Marlins, I would have done the same thing. I would have gone after Pujols also."

For a few days there, it appeared the Marlins might actually stuff Phat Albert into their overflowing basket.

It was looking like the two-time World Series champion might have just two choices for his services: a surprisingly modest offer from the Cardinals and a 10-year, $201 million offer from the Marlins.

As the winter meetings unfolded and the constant updates came rolling out of Dallas, Sanchez was left to ponder his future.

He figured he would have a job somewhere in 2012. He just didn't know where.

Maybe it would be St. Louis, where he'd have the unenviable challenge of following a legend.

Maybe the Cubs. Or the Nationals.

It wasn't like Sanchez would have much say. The Marlins still held his rights, so when it came time to flip him, the 28-year-old would just have to accept his new workplace.

"I just had to realize it's a business," Sanchez said. "The Marlins are going to go after who they feel is going to help the team win and who is going to be more beneficial than what I can do."

What Sanchez can do is pretty good in its own right.


(sun-sentinel.com)

Marlins president David Samson briefed reporters today on a variety of topics, from the health of Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson to the team’s plans for Yoenis Cespedes and Juan Carlos Oviedo.

But the most amusing item Samson shared had to do with the two aquariums behind home plate.

The tanks are installed, with water and coral decorations, and fish will be added in the middle of February.

Two layers of thick glass surround the tanks, but the Marlins wanted to make extra sure that no foul ball or wild pitch would crack the tanks or affect the fish.

That’s where first baseman Gaby Sanchez comes in. He was asked to visit Marlins Park two weeks ago with a simple mission — fire a baseball as hard as you can against the tanks.

“We just did a test on that,” Samson said.

“We had Gaby sanchez here and he threw a ball as hard as he could against the tank and hit didn’t even make a mark and nothing moved inside the tank. We have an extra layer of glass in front of the glass that’s in front of the fish.

“No ball will (damage) the tank, as fast as Gaby threw it, that’s for sure.”


(palmbeachpost.com)

Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez will participate in Jon Jay’s Celebrity Bowling Challenge on Jan. 28 at Lucky Strike Lanes in Miami Beach.
Jay, an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, is good friends with Sanchez. Both are from Miami and both attended the University of Miami.

“Me and Gaby have a little competitive streak in us,” Jay said. “We’re always going at it, so I’m going to try to out-bowl him, for sure.”

Also helping Jay will be Padres 1B Yonder Alonso, Blue Jays C J.P. Arencibia, Nationals P Gio Gonzalez, Cardinals IF Tyler Greene, Royals 1B Eric Hosmer, Nationals 1B Michael Morse, Indians P Chris Perez and Twins 3B Danny Valencia.

Tickets are $100 for a person and $450 for a team. Proceeds will go to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust.

Sanchez did some charity work on Wednesday when he appeared at the Ronald McDonald House of Miami.


(palmbeachpost.com)

The Chicago Cubs would likely pursue Miami Marlins 1B Gaby Sanchez if the Marlins signed free-agent 1B Albert Pujols (Cardinals).





(kffl.com)

As further evidence of the Marlins’ improved defense in 2011, two of their infielders are finalists for a Rawlings Gold Glove award.

Neither first baseman Gaby Sanchez not second baseman Omar Infante is a favorite, but being included among the top three at their position in their circuit is a worthy accomplishment nonetheless. A vote of league managers and coaches determine the awards, which will be revealed Tuesday at 10 p.m. during a one-hour telecast on MLB Network.

Sanchez is up against Joey Votto and James Loney. Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez, who moved to the American League, and ex-Marlin Derrek Lee combined to win seven of the last eight NL awards at first base. Lee opened the season with the Orioles before a trade sent him to the Pirates.


(sun-sentinel.com)

MIAMI -- Along with being a leader in the clubhouse, Gaby Sanchez also is among the most active Marlins in the community.

The 28-year-old All-Star first baseman is known for being a hard worker on the field. With his free time, the Miami native proudly supports South Florida.

Sanchez gives his time to the Marlins Community Foundation, assisting in their fund-raising efforts. He's taken interest in the organization's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, as well as the Challenger and Miracle Leagues.

Miracle Leagues holds a special place in Sanchez's heart, as he is touched by helping bring smiles to the faces of disadvantaged children.
"When I was in Double-A, it was the first time I got to go to a Miracle League field, and just to see these kids' faces," Sanchez said. "There is a certain joy that those kids get, and it just lifts you."

Sanchez's community involvement has earned him the distinction of being the Marlins' nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.
All 30 nominees have immersed themselves in the type of humanitarian and community efforts that distinguished the life of Clemente, a life that ended at age 38 on New Year's Eve, 1972, when the plane he was using to deliver aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims crashed.

Fans will once again have the opportunity to participate in the selection of the national winner. They can cast votes for any of the 30 club nominees through Oct. 9.

The fan-ballot winner will be tallied as one vote among those cast by a special selection panel of baseball dignitaries and media members. The panel includes Commissioner Bud Selig and Vera Clemente, widow of the Hall of Fame right fielder.

Voting fans also will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip for four to the 2011 World Series to see the national winner presented with the Roberto Clemente Award.

Sanchez says being active in the community is part of being a big leaguer.

"It's just something that I feel like we all have to do," Sanchez said. "Just giving back. No matter what it is, doing little camps here, doing things with fans and people. It's something they enjoy so much, you don't want to take that away from them."

Sanchez was the Marlins' lone All-Star representative this year. The first baseman also enjoyed a strong 2010 season, when he was fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.

Sanchez attended the University of Miami and has repeatedly taken part in charitable events in South Florida.

He's played in the annual "Marlins Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament" and attended "The Annual Awards Dinner."

Each year, prior to the start of Spring Training, he participates in the club's annual caravan week. This year, he was a central figure in the "Caravan for the Troops," which raised nearly $250,000 for the Marlins Community Foundation.

The caravan tour involved Sanchez in charitable softball and Wiffle Ball games with those in the armed services at the Homestead Air Force base as well as the USSC base.

He also was part of the contingent who visited the USS Jason Dunham and toured the vessel with the crew. And he traveled Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba to visit the troops stationed there.

"Whenever you can get any type award, no matter what it is, it's something special," Sanchez said. "But something that has [Roberto Clemente's] name on it, it means a lot to a lot of players in baseball. It's just an honor."


(mlb.com)

“Inside the Marlins: Gaby Sanchez” premieres on Saturday, August 27 at 10:30 p.m. immediately following the Marlins at Phillies game on FOX Sports Florida.

FOX Sports Florida’s sixth episode of “Inside the Marlins” profiles Marlins All-Star first baseman and Miami native Gaby Sanchez.

"Inside The Marlins" takes viewers into the life of Gaby Sanchez, beginning with his tenure at Brito Private High School where he helped his team win two state titles, before becoming the starting third baseman at the University of Miami for two seasons. Sanchez was drafted by the Marlins in the fourth round of the 2005 draft.

Viewers will learn about Sanchez’s path to the big leagues. The slugger’s first year in professional baseball with the Marlins Class A Short Season affiliate Jamestown Jammers was wildly successful earning the New York-Penn League batting title as well as been named the MVP of the All Star Game.

Sanchez moved up to the majors in September, 2008, after winning Southern League MVP honors that year. He became a full-time major leaguer in 2010, and was decidedly in the running for National League Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Sanchez was named to the National League All Star team for the 82nd annual mid-summer classic held in Arizona.

The show allows viewers to see Sanchez away from the field, as he tours the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Dunham. Sanchez is always willing to make appearances around his hometown to promote his team and the game of baseball.

“Inside the Marlins” features interviews with Gaby Sanchez, his father Remberto, his mother Ileana, his brother Remberto, Jr., his wife Judy, his high school coach Ralph Suarez, his college coach Jim Morris and his college teammate and current St. Louis Cardinal John Jay.

“Inside the Marlins” is hosted and produced by Frank Forte.

AIRDATES ON FOX SPORTS FLORIDA: 8/27, 10:30pm; 8/28, 5:00pm; 8/31, 10:30pm; 9/2, 10:30pm; 9/3, 9:00am; 9/5, 10:30pm; 9/7, 2:00pm; 9/9, 10:30pm; 9/13, 10:30pm; 9/20 2:00pm and 6:00pm; 9/21, 10:30pm; 9/26, 10:30pm; 9/28, 7:30pm


(foxsportsflorida.com)

Gaby Sanchez, Florida Marlins: One of the hottest hitters of the first two months of the season -- he ranked 11th in batting average (.322) among those with 150-plus plate appearances and 19th in RBIs (35) -- Sanchez's bat has cooled considerably since. He regressed to the level of mere mixed-league corner infielder/NL-only option in June and July, turning in so-so .250-7-23 numbers in 52 games, and in August has slipped to .122/.200/.143 rates in 14 games. As has always been true in his big league career, he remains more of a lefty masher (.315/.391/.526 lifetime rates against them) who has ordinary stats against righties (.257/.328/.420). The latter numbers are league-average at best from a first baseman, meaning Sanchez's matchups, on a daily and weekly basis, need be carefully considered from this point forward.



(espn.com)

DENVER -- Sometimes not changing anything is the best change a hitter can make.

Gaby Sanchez is going through one of those rough months, batting .098 through his first 12 games in August. The Marlins' All-Star first baseman is in a 4-for-41 spell.

As frustrating as the month has been, the Florida first baseman is upbeat and taking solace in the fact he has been hitting the ball hard of late without any luck. He estimates about eight line-drive outs during the Marlins' 1-9 homestand.

So his approach as the road trip begins is to stay the course.

"Last game, it got to the point where I was like, 'I don't know what else to do,'" said Sanchez, who is batting .269 with 16 homers and 62 RBIs on the season. "What you do is you stay right there. There is nothing you can do when you hit the ball at people. If you start to stress about it, and you start to go away from what you've been doing, then you go down further."

During the series with the Giants, Sanchez had a brief conversation with Cody Ross about his slump. Sanchez actually lined out to Ross in the ninth inning on Sunday.

"I am hitting the ball well," Sanchez said. "It's not like I'm going down there every AB and striking out or grounding the ball to the pitcher. I am hitting the ball well, but right at people. I was talking to Cody. He was like, 'Keep swinging.'"

Sanchez was arguably the Marlins' steadiest player in the first half. Right now, he is battling through a rough stretch.

"It's such a frustrating sport," he said. "You can do everything right and still not get anything out of it. It's frustrating. It stinks. It's just the way the game is. Nothing you can do about it but put your head down and go forward.

"I feel like it's on the verge of just going off again. You're going to have your peaks and valleys in seasons. You have to do the best you can to reduce the valley. You're always going to have it. You're not going to have a season where you are raking all year. Nobody does that. You have to understand that."



(flamarlins.com)

MIAMI -- Hard work and dedication are two key ingredients to success in any profession.

Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez is one of the hardest working players on the team, and manager Jack McKeon believes that work ethic is a big reason why Sanchez has made such huge strides defensively this season.

"He listens and he works," McKeon said. "You've got a guy who really wants to improve himself, and Gaby is one of those kinds of guys."

Sanchez was a third baseman in college before being drafted as a catcher in 2005. He finally ended up at first base, but was not very good there initially. All that has changed, thanks in part to Marlins infield coach Perry Hill.

"Perry Hill is one of the best infield instructors around the game, and he's done a remarkable job with Sanchez," McKeon said.

Sanchez committed 11 errors in 2010, but he has cut that number down to four this season. What might be most impressive is how many plays he has made that have saved runs.

"Fifty percent difference or maybe 100 percent difference," McKeon said of how much Sanchez has improved. "He's been working diligently with Perry. He's improved a lot over there with how he fields the ball and how he sets his feet in position."

Having managed three-time Gold Glove Award winner Derrek Lee, McKeon knows what an excellent defensive first baseman could do for a team, and he feels Sanchez is headed in that direction.

"Perry takes him out on a regular basis and turned him into an outstanding first baseman," McKeon said. "He's saved a lot of runs. He's not Derrek Lee, but he's getting there."



(marlins.com)

Gaby Sanchez, Florida - The number pre- and post-All Star break are stunning. Sanchez batted .293 with 13 HR, 50 RBI and had an OPS of 0.846 before the "Summer Classic" and he's batting just .213 with three homers and 12 RBI since the break. I'm not sure whether it is related to the Marlins' change of hitting coaches or his battling a tight hamstring, but something has happened. You should not be starting Sanchez at this point.


(sportsnetwork.com)

Gaby Sanchez currently leads all NL first basemen with a .997 fielding percentage. Sanchez has not made an error in his last 28 games. The Marlins have never had a first baseman lead the NL in fielding.




(fishstripes.com)

WASHINGTON -- The Marlins scored 18 runs in their first two games at Nationals Park without their No. 3 hitter, and they had to go without first baseman Gaby Sanchez again in the series finale Thursday.

Manager Jack McKeon kept Sanchez out of the lineup for the third consecutive game against Washington as the All-Star nurses a sore left hamstring.

"We'll evaluate him and see how he is, "McKeon said. "But if we keep winning, we'll keep him out.

"Let's be cautious, because I'd rather have him out for three or four days than two weeks."

Sanchez took swings in the batting cage before the game as he continues to head in the right direction. Greg Dobbs started the first two games in his stead, and Wes Helms got the start in the series finale against Nationals left-hander John Lannan.


(mlb.com)

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Gaby Sanchez had started every game this season for the Marlins, but that streak ended Tuesday when he felt some discomfort in his left hamstring while working out before the game at Nationals Park and was pulled from the lineup.

"He said he had a hamstring [that] was pulling, so I said, 'Well, take the day off,' " Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "I hate to get him out of there when he is hitting good."

McKeon said after Tuesday's 11-2 win over the Nationals that Sanchez will also be out of Wednesday's lineup.

Greg Dobbs, who replaced Sanchez, had a career-high five RBI Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with a home run.

"I am not changing," McKeon said about Wednesday's lineup. "Works out perfect. We can give Gaby an extra day."

In his last three games Sanchez, who is hitting .287, had three home runs and five RBI. Sanchez had started 101 games at first base and one as designated hitter, and was the only Marlin to have started every game.

"Knowing him, he never wants to get out of the lineup, so it is probably not feeling good," McKeon said.

"Just taking a day," Sanchez said after the lineup was changed. "That is all I have to say."

Dobbs said Sanchez told him his hamstring was bothering him before working out Tuesday, and then, after hitting in the batting cage, he told Dobbs he probably wouldn't be playing.


(sun-sentinel.com)

Gaby Sanchez provided the Marlins with insurance runs in the seventh. Bonifacio started the two-out rally with a single that squeaked past shortstop Jose Reyes, and he stole second base — Bonifacio’s 21st steal of the season matched a career high set in 2009. After Infante reached on an infield single, with Bonifacio scoring on a subsequent error, Sanchez launched a high fly ball over the left-field wall for his second home run of the game. Sanchez last hit multiple home runs in a game against Tampa Bay on June 11, 2010.

“It doesn’t matter when you have it, it’s always nice to have a game like this,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez provided almost all the offense starter Clay Hensley needed. In his second start of the year and his second since returning from the disabled list, Hensley turned in a solid effort, pitching five strong innings, giving up two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out two.

“I felt pretty good,” said Hensley, who was the first Marlins pitcher in the past five games to get through the first inning unscathed. “Only thing I can take away from this one I think is just to try to limit the walks.”


(miamiherald.com)

NEW YORK -- After a torrid first two months to the season, Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez has cooled off considerably.

Manager Jack McKeon said the team's hitting coach, Eduardo Perez, is working with Sanchez to get him back on track.

"He was the one guy that was really carrying us before I got here," manager Jack McKeon said. "Since I got here, the other guys have picked up. That'd be nice if he jumps in there. That would be really a plus."

During the first two months of the season, Sanchez batted .322 with a .921 on-base plus slugging percentage. In June and half of July, Sanchez is batting just .232 with a .684 OPS. Despite his recent struggles, McKeon is confident Sanchez will be able to get back to his earlier form.

"It's just a matter of time," McKeon said. "Guys go in a rut, then they figure things out."


(mlb.com)

Gaby Sanchez appreciated the encouragement from ex-hitting coach John Mallee and others. He dismissed it to a certain degree, but Sanchez appreciated it nonetheless.

He didn't roll his eyes at everything, just the All-Star stuff. Sanchez looked around the league and figured he had a better shot getting there on the merits of being his team's emergency third catcher.

The guy in St. Louis is a future Hall of Famer. The one in Milwaukee is on the verge of a monopoly money contract. Cincinnati has the reigning Most Valuable Player at first base. Philadelphia's guy is among the game's top power hitters.

When Mallee said he wouldn't be surprised to see him in Phoenix this week, Sanchez, in spite of his outstanding numbers, laughed it off.

"I was like, 'It doesn't matter what I do,' " Sanchez said. "There are too many. There are four guys there that just mash and play good defense, and are great ballplayers. It's one of those things I never even thought about because it's kind of out there so far."

Not only can Sanchez say he's an All-Star, he can say he made it when Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Joey Votto and Ryan Howard dominated the position. Sanchez is the Marlins' lone representative in Tuesday's All-Star Game at Chase Field. No Marlin first baseman could boast an All-Star nod until now.

Mallee reassured Sanchez the league knew how good he was. Don't count Sanchez among those who weren't surprised at the selection.

"Even when they called me, it was a surreal feeling," Sanchez said. "I was like, 'Wow, this is really happening.' I thought Anibal [Sanchez] was having a great year, and in my mind he was going to be the one to get it. … Of course, you continue to do anything, you always have a chance. Now I got that and it can never be taken away from me."

His baseball-reference.com page will forever have the All-Star banner displayed above his career starts, and deservedly so. The Marlins sat at 10 games over .500 after 50 games, in large part because of how Sanchez anchored the offense.

He followed up a .293 April average with a .345 mark in May. Though Sanchez slowed in June, along with the rest of his teammates, he remains on pace to eclipse last year's totals for doubles, homers and RBI.

"He's been pretty consistent, being a big RBI guy and keeping us in ballgames," manager Jack McKeon said. "Early part of the year, watching the games on TV, I thought he was the key guy. He was always delivering the clutch blows. Now he's getting some help."

Whether Sanchez would become a cornerstone for his hometown team at times was speculative. He was a high enough draft pick (fourth round) out of the University of Miami and always was regarded among the organization's better prospects. Yet Sanchez had unsuccessful auditions at catcher and third base before finally settling in at first.

Even after the Marlins traded Mike Jacobs in October 2008 and opened the way for Sanchez, questions remained about his long-term viability. The younger, higher-ceilinged Logan Morrison was a level behind.

Sanchez did his part to make sure it wasn't an either/or situation. He had an outstanding rookie season in 2010, prompting the Marlins to move Morrison to left field.

"I knew I could do it," Sanchez said. "There's was nothing in my head saying I couldn't. I knew I could play at this level and be successful at some point, and try to help the ballclub win. I knew the time would come. I had to tell myself not to get frustrated. The time would come where I had the opportunity to show what I had and just be me and play."


(sun-sentinel.com)

Check out our new MLB U All Stars wallpaper featuring Gaby Sanchez, Chris Perez and Ryan Braun who all made tonight’s MLB All Star Game. Congrats to all three players on a great first half of the MLB Season. Click here to download our MLB U All Stars Wallpaper and many other ones or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

Check out our new MLB U All Stars wallpaper featuring Gaby Sanchez, Chris Perez and Ryan Braun who all made tonight’s MLB All Star Game. Congrats to all three players on a great first half of the MLB Season. Click here to download our MLB U All Stars Wallpaper and many other ones or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

2011 MLB proCane All Stars Gaby Sanchez and Ryan Braun take a photo together as they enjoy the 2011 MLB HR Derby. Ryan Braun sat out the HR Derby and All Star Game due to a calf injury. It was Gaby Sanchez’s first All Star Game.





(twitter.com)

Check out our new MLB U All Stars wallpaper featuring Gaby Sanchez, Chris Perez and Ryan Braun who all made tonight’s MLB All Star Game. Congrats to all three players on a great first half of the MLB Season. Click here to download our MLB U All Stars Wallpaper and many other ones or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

Gaby Sanchez appreciated the encouragement from ex-hitting coach John Mallee and others. He dismissed it to a certain degree, but Sanchez appreciated it nonetheless.

He didn't roll his eyes at everything, just the All-Star stuff. Sanchez looked around the league and figured he had a better shot getting there on the merits of being his team's emergency third catcher.

The guy in St. Louis is a future Hall of Famer. The one in Milwaukee is on the verge of a monopoly money contract. Cincinnati has the reigning Most Valuable Player at first base. Philadelphia's guy is among the game's top power hitters.

When Mallee said he wouldn't be surprised to see him in Phoenix this week, Sanchez, in spite of his outstanding numbers, laughed it off.

"I was like, 'It doesn't matter what I do,' " Sanchez said. "There are too many. There are four guys there that just mash and play good defense, and are great ballplayers. It's one of those things I never even thought about because it's kind of out there so far."

Not only can Sanchez say he's an All-Star, he can say he made it when Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Joey Votto and Ryan Howard dominated the position. Sanchez is the Marlins' lone representative in Tuesday's All-Star Game at Chase Field. No Marlin first baseman could boast an All-Star nod until now.

Mallee reassured Sanchez the league knew how good he was. Don't count Sanchez among those who weren't surprised at the selection.

"Even when they called me, it was a surreal feeling," Sanchez said. "I was like, 'Wow, this is really happening.' I thought Anibal [Sanchez] was having a great year, and in my mind he was going to be the one to get it. … Of course, you continue to do anything, you always have a chance. Now I got that and it can never be taken away from me."

His baseball-reference.com page will forever have the All-Star banner displayed above his career starts, and deservedly so. The Marlins sat at 10 games over .500 after 50 games, in large part because of how Sanchez anchored the offense.

He followed up a .293 April average with a .345 mark in May. Though Sanchez slowed in June, along with the rest of his teammates, he remains on pace to eclipse last year's totals for doubles, homers and RBI.

"He's been pretty consistent, being a big RBI guy and keeping us in ballgames," manager Jack McKeon said. "Early part of the year, watching the games on TV, I thought he was the key guy. He was always delivering the clutch blows. Now he's getting some help."

Whether Sanchez would become a cornerstone for his hometown team at times was speculative. He was a high enough draft pick (fourth round) out of the University of Miami and always was regarded among the organization's better prospects. Yet Sanchez had unsuccessful auditions at catcher and third base before finally settling in at first.

Even after the Marlins traded Mike Jacobs in October 2008 and opened the way for Sanchez, questions remained about his long-term viability. The younger, higher-ceilinged Logan Morrison was a level behind.

Sanchez did his part to make sure it wasn't an either/or situation. He had an outstanding rookie season in 2010, prompting the Marlins to move Morrison to left field.

"I knew I could do it," Sanchez said. "There's was nothing in my head saying I couldn't. I knew I could play at this level and be successful at some point, and try to help the ballclub win. I knew the time would come. I had to tell myself not to get frustrated. The time would come where I had the opportunity to show what I had and just be me and play."



(sun-sentinel.com)

Mike Stanton was the big hero in the Marlins’ extra-inning victory over the Phillies on Wednesday with his game-ending home run, but it was Gaby Sanchez who made it possible with a heads-up play that few noticed.

Sanchez spotted Domonic Brown failing to touch second base on his gap hit, which got past Bryan Petersen and rolled to the warning track.

Brown ended up at third with a leadoff “triple” in the sixth with the Phillies holding a 5-3 lead. But after Sanchez alerted the rest of the Marlins to Brown’s miss, the play was appealed and umpire Kerwin Danley called Brown out. One batter later, John Mayberry cracked a home run.

“Defensive RBI,” said Marlins infield coach Perry Hill of Sanchez’s alert thinking. “Huge out. That saved a run.”

In describing the play, Hill said Sanchez did exactly as trained.

“The ball’s in the gap, so the shortstop goes out, the second baseman goes behind the shortstop, and the first baseman trails the runner to second in case he makes a wide run and we can throw behind him,” Hill said. “So if he continues to third, Gaby’s job is to watch him touch every base.”

After Sanchez saw Brown miss the bag, the Marlins had to hope that Danley did, too.

“Most of [the umpires] are watching the ball like the rest of us,” Hill said. “I was watching the ball. But that’s Gaby’s job, and he did it. And he got lucky that the umpire was watching it, too.

“It’s one of those things you never think about. He’s probably done that 300 times the last couple of years, and it never came into play. And instead of taking it for granted, he continued to do his job every time and eventually it paid off. Thumbs-up to Gaby.”


(miamiherald.com)

Coral Gables, Fla. - Former University of Miami baseball player and current Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun leads three former Hurricanes on the list of Major League Baseball All-Star Game participants released Sunday, July 3. Joining Braun are Florida Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez and Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez.

Ryan Braun and Gaby Sanchez will suit up for the National League All-Stars, while Chris Perez will play for the American League in the 82nd Annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 12, at Phoenix's Chase Field.

Braun, a starting outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, will start for the NL All-Stars as he totes a .320 batting average on the year - the highest for the fifth-year MLB player at this point of the season in his career. He ended the 2007 season with a .324 average on his way to being named NL Rookie of the Year. Braun also carries an on-base percentage of .402, as well as a slugging percentage of .559 on the campaign for the Brewers.

On the year, Braun leads the Brewers in batting average, hits (98) and stolen bases (19).

Gaby Sanchez, now in his fourth year as a member of the Florida Marlins, will serve as a reserve infielder for the NL All-Stars, carrying a .292 average at the dish on the year for the fish. Sanchez owns a .473 slugging percentage with a .365 on-base average. Since making his major league debut on September 17, 2008, Sanchez has batted .279 with 34 home runs and 135 RBI. The Miami native has 13 of his 34 homers this year, in addition to 40 of his 114 career runs scored.

Not only does Sanchez lead the Marlins in batting average, but he also tops the team in RBI (46) - one ahead of Mike Stanton. He also leads in hits (92), while sitting second in home runs behind Stanton (16).

Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez is making his first appearance on the AL All-Star roster in what is now his fourth season in the MLB. Perez owns a 2-3 record on the hill in 2011, with an ERA of 2.37. He has appeared in 33 games for the Indians and registered a team-leading 19 saves on the campaign. His career-best is 23 saves recorded last year with the Indians.


(hurricanesports.com)

OAKLAND -- Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez's night ended early Tuesday in the first game of a three-game series against the A's when he was ejected for the first time in his Major League career.

With a runner on first and no outs in the seventh, Sanchez struck out swinging against A's left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Sanchez thought he had checked his swing on a pitch in the dirt, and as he walked away from the plate protesting the call, he flung his bat. Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi promptly tossed him out of the game.

"It was just one of those things," Sanchez said after the Marlins' 1-0 loss. "He made the call, and I didn't agree with it. He knew that."

Sanchez said he had been thrown out of games in the Minor Leagues "once or twice" but never in the big leagues.

"One time an umpire was just really bad," he said.


(mlb.com)

Major League Baseball on Monday revealed the third of five National League All-Star balloting updates. Among infielders, no Marlins were in the top five. None of the Marlins’ outfielders were listed among the top 15 vote-getters either.

Fans do not determine the pitching staffs.

Arguably the Marlins’ most deserving All Star candidate to date is first baseman Gaby Sanchez, who entered the week ranked tied for sixth among NL hitters with a .321 average, tied for ninth in RBI (38), tied for fourth in multi-hit games (22), tied for sixth in hits (61), eighth in total bases (115), seventh in on-base percentage (.394) and 10th in slugging (.520).

Unfortunately for Sanchez, many more established first baseman are among the league leaders in the same categories. Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Joey Votto and Ryan Howard all merit All-Star consideration as well. The top five vote-getters at first base: Pujols (1,479,320), Votto (1,310,755), Fielder (943,364), Howard (881,500) and Braves rookie Freddie Freeman (338,976).


(sun-sentinel.com)

Gaby Sanchez had three hits and three RBI Tuesday in the win over the Giants.

All of the runs batted in came on his bases-loaded double off Matt Cain in the third. The All-Star candidate had slowed down a bit of late, but he's back in the top 10 in the NL in RBI now with 30.



(rotoworld.com)

Gaby Sanchez picked up two of just three Marlins hits in their 4-0 loss to the Rays on Sunday.

The two-hit day was Sanchez's first eight games, and came against Rays starter James Shields, who was absolutely dealing. He did strike out to end the game, however. For the month of May, Sanchez is now batting .342 with four home runs and 17 RBI.



(rotoworld.com)

Gaby Sanchez and recent College Football Hall of Fame Inductee Russell Maryland were guests on WQAM this week. Click here to listen to the interviews.




(wqam.com)

Logan Morrison, the Marlins’ undisputed Sultant of Tweet, was on his way to the batting cages at Nationals Park this morning when he called out to two reporters:

“I’m starting a new twitter campaign today — get Gaby Sanchez to the All Star game,” he said.

If @LoMoMarlins has any tweeting pull — and anyone who follows him on Twitter knows that he does — @GabySanchez15 will have a good shot at making the All Star team.

Sanchez’s numbers certainly warrant it.

He went into today second among National League first basemen in batting average (.340), on-base percentage (.420), slugging percentage (.553) and OPS (.973), trailing only Joey Votto in all four categories.

Sanchez is third among NL first basemen in doubles (9), while he leads all NL first basemen in hits (48) and total bases (78). He is tied for second in go-ahead RBI (6).

Told about LoMo’s campaign, Sanchez gave an awkward smile.

“I’m going to have to talk to him and tell him to don’t worry about me,” he said.

“It’s very nice thing for him to try to do but we’re more worried about getting to the playoffs than about getting me to the all star game.”…



(palmbeachpost.com)

MIAMI -- Mention the top first basemen in the National League, and names like Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder jump out.

Those are the established sluggers in the league, and they've been standouts for years.

But there is an emerging first baseman who is making a lot of noise in South Florida, even if he is not as well known on the national scene.
A major reason the Marlins are one of the surprise teams in the NL is the consistency of first baseman Gaby Sanchez.

The 27-year-old Miami native is batting .336, seventh in the NL, and he paces the Marlins in batting average, home runs (six), hits (46) and RBIs (23).

A fourth-place finisher in the NL Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2010, Sanchez also is making a case that he's building on his first year to be one of the most productive at his position.

"People are going to start talking about him a little bit more often," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said.

Sanchez has seen his profile rise. On Monday, for the first time in his career, he was named NL Player of the Week, after hitting .464 for the period ending Sunday.

Being an unassuming steady performer makes it easy to blend in on a team that features All-Star Josh Johnson, who has gained much of the Marlins' national attention this year.

Sanchez opened the season batting sixth, but after Mike Stanton suffered a mild hamstring strain on Opening Day, he has hit cleanup most of the year.

"'Flying under the radar,' as people say," Sanchez said. "If you go out there and just worry about winning ballgames, and not anything else, the numbers are going to be there."

Sanchez also points out that big numbers get attention, not producing quietly over long stretches.

"If you hit 50 home runs, people are going to talk," Sanchez said. "If you hit 80 doubles, people are going to talk. But if you just stay even keel and not try to worry about anything and stay consistent, you should be all right.

"That's what I'm just trying to do -- stay consistent. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just stay consistent."

The people not surprised by Sanchez's success are his coaches.

Rodriguez, formerly a manager in the Marlins' Minor League system, has seen Sanchez develop from the time he was a fourth-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. A former University of Miami standout, Sanchez was a career .302 hitter in 487 Minor League games.

He got a taste of the big leagues in 2008 and '09, appearing in 26 total games. And in '10, he won the Marlins' starting first-base job.

"He's our most consistent hitter, but not only hitting, he's been our most consistent player during the season," Rodriguez said. "He's been amazing out there. He's taking the quiet leadership role, and he's been doing fine.

"We've been working with Gaby for so many years now, since rookie ball. That's why it doesn't take us by surprise. We knew what kind of player he was, not only physically, but mentally, and how he prepares himself. It's showing. He takes a lot of pride in all dimensions of the game, offensively and defensively."

There is little fanfare around Sanchez, but his numbers certainly are worthy of discussion.

Since 2010, Sanchez and Votto each have 46 doubles, which are the most of any NL first basemen the past two seasons.

Also in that span, Sanchez ranks fourth among NL first basemen in batting average (.285), sixth in RBIs (108) and third in hits (202).

When it comes to his 2010 NL rookie classmates, Sanchez certainly ranks favorably against the two position players who finished ahead of him in the voting.

San Francisco catcher Buster Posey won the award and Atlanta outfielder Jason Heyward was second, while St. Louis pitcher Jaime Garcia was third.

Posey is batting .244, with four homers and 19 RBIs this year. Heyward is at .220, with seven homers and 14 RBIs.

Since 2010, Sanchez has appeared in 187 games, and he has 94 runs, 202 hits, 46 doubles, 25 homers and 108 RBIs to go along with a .285 batting average.

Posey, meanwhile, has been in 142 games, with 70 runs, 153 hits, 25 doubles, 22 homers, 86 RBIs and a .291 batting average.

And Heyward has seen action in 179 games, and he has 101 runs, 172 hits, 33 doubles, 25 homers, 86 RBIs and a .266 batting average.

Sanchez has great respect for those in his rookie class, and he notes that Posey and Heyward were part of playoff teams in 2010.

"They're great hitters. They're great players," Sanchez said. "At the end of the year, their numbers are going to be there, too. It's a thing of me going up against them. I'm trying to help this team and trying to help them go to the playoffs.

"Like Posey did last year with the Giants -- he helped them last year go to the playoffs and go to the World Series. That's my goal. It's not basically individual numbers, it's the team number, and what can I do to help the team win."



(mlb.com)

Florida Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez has been named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending May 8, 2011. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

In seven games last week, the Miami native led the National League with 13 hits, 10 RBI and 22 total bases. His .464 (13-for-28) batting average and .531 on-base percentage both ranked second-best in the N.L. Sanchez also had two home runs, three doubles and a .786 slugging percentage during the week while scoring six runs. The 27-year-old slugger had two hits, including his first career grand slam on Monday, May 2nd, propelling the Fish to a 6-5 victory in the first game of a four-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. On May 3rd, the University of Miami product matched a career-best with a four-hit performance in a losing effort against the Redbirds. Sanchez recorded his third multi-hit game of the week on May 4th, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in an 8-7 win over the Cards. The Marlins' fourth round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft had his second four-hit game of the week on Sunday, going 4-for-4 with a home run, a pair of doubles, three RBI and three runs scored as the Marlins routed the Nationals, 8-0, at Sun Life Stadium. The multi-hit game was the 12th of Sanchez' sophomore campaign and is the most by any Marlins player this season. Sanchez leads the Fish in batting average, hits and runs scored, and has reached base in 30 of the club's 33 games this season, compiling the N.L.'s sixth-best on-base percentage of .414. His .328 batting average ranks ninth in the N.L., while his 41 hits are tops among all N.L. first baseman. This is his first career Player of the Week Award.



(mlb.com)

Gaby Sanchez walked twice and hit a towering home run in four plate appearances in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers.

Sanchez has been arguably the Marlins' best hitter this season, as he's got his average up to .309 to go along with three home runs and 10 RBI. Also encouraging for the Marlins was Hanley Ramirez having his first multi-hit game since April 14.



(rotoworld.com)

Florida Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez moved 1B Gaby Sanchez into the cleanup spot of the batting order Tuesday, April 19, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, reports Clark Spencer, of The Miami Herald. Sanchez responded by going 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Sanchez was moved to the fourth spot, as OF Mike Stanton is slumping and has been dropped to the sixth spot.



(kffl.com)

ATLANTA — Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez might seem like an ideal poster child for Major League Baseball's proposal to expand replay next season on fair-or-foul rulings down the lines.

After all, it was Sanchez who thought he'd slapped a game-winning hit down the left-field line in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Phillies on Aug. 5.

Even though replays showed the ball bounced on the chalk, umpire Bob Davidson ruled it a foul ball.

Sanchez struck out and the Marlins lost 5-4 in 10 innings. But Thursday, Sanchez said the league should drop its proposal and leave it up to the umpires.

"It's going to make the game go longer. It's going to take a lot more decisions out of the umpires' hands and that's why they're there," he said about the latest proposal, which includes expanding replay to trapped balls.

A spate of missed calls in the playoffs and World Series prompted the movement to expand replay, which baseball started using in 2008 but only on home run balls.

"I'm in favor of anything that will help umpires get the call right," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "I know (players) want to speed up the game, but they also want the game to be called right."

Wes Helms, the Marlins' union representative, agreed. He laughed and said he wished the replay would've been in effect last season.

"The ball Gaby Sanchez hit, we would have won. That was a key play and it was clearly a fair ball," Helms said. "When I go back and look at plays like that, I am totally for it."



(palmbeachpost.com)

Gaby Sanchez knows his name will probably never be spoken in the same breath as Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Mark Teixeira or Albert Pujols — first basemen like him, but all of them sluggers.

Sanchez doesn’t fit in the basher’s mold for first basemen, and frankly doesn’t sweat it. When you’re hitting .343, as Sanchez is, and contributing to the best doubles-hitting team in the majors, why worry?

“You can drive in runs with doubles or base hits,” Sanchez said. “I don’t feel like you need to hit home runs.”

Sanchez hasn’t hit one out yet. Then again, that’s becoming one of the early-season trends for the Marlins.

After swapping second basemen with the Braves — Dan Uggla for Omar Infante — the Marlins made a conscious decision to sacrifice power for a contact hitter and superior glove.

They have hit just five home runs in their nine games.

And backup Greg Dobbs, who was filling in at third on Saturday while injured shortstop Hanley Ramirez rested his wounded leg, is the only infielder to wallop a home run.

That stands in stark contrast to the 2008 Marlins, whose four infielders set a major-league record by becoming the first foursome to each slug at least 25 home runs.

Their bats are now on display in Cooperstown.

Sanchez is symbolic of the transformation away from the long ball.

He hit 19 home runs as a rookie last season, and the Marlins are counting on him to reproduce that modest total again this year. Infante, who will be facing his former club when the Marlins open a three-game series against the Braves in Atlanta on Tuesday, hit 16 with Detroit in 2004 but has come nowhere close to that total in the six seasons that followed.

The Marlins do, however, expect Sanchez to hit.

If he doesn’t, it won’t be from lack of concentration. Hitting coach John Mallee says Sanchez might be the “toughest out” on the Marlins.
“He doesn’t take a pitch off,” Mallee said. “He’s in on every pitch, whether it be the first pitch of the game or the last pitch of the game. Every pitch to him, somebody wins, and he tries to win every pitch.”

MALLEE’S INFLUENCE
Mallee should know. As the organization’s roving hitting coordinator for more than eight seasons, he has been with Sanchez every step of the way, from the day the former University of Miami star played his first minor-league game in 2005. It’s one reason why Sanchez doesn’t spend much time in the film room, looking for flaws in his swing.

He knows Mallee will spot it first.

“He knows my swing probably better than I know it myself,” Sanchez said. “He’s the one who basically made my swing the way it is.”
It wasn’t long after the Marlins drafted Sanchez that Mallee did some tinkering.

“When he first got in the system, he didn’t pull the ball very well,” Mallee said. “He went the other way and hit .350 in rookie ball, but he didn’t hit for any power because he made deep contact in the zone.”

Sanchez kept both hands on the bat through the end of the swing.

“He told me to let go of my [right] hand, releasing the hand,” Sanchez said. “Right away, it made a huge difference because the bat speed increased and the home runs went up.”

RAW HITTER
Still, Sanchez is not a slugger by definition but would prefer to develop a reputation as a raw hitter.

“At first base, you have Albert Pujols, you have Ryan Howard, you have Prince fielder, you have Adrian Gonzalez,” Sanchez said. “You have guys who hit 30 home runs, 35 home runs, 40 home runs.

“So if you’re a guy who hits 20, it’s like, OK, he hit 20. It’s just one of those things I don’t think about. Once I start thinking about it, I’ll go south.”



(miamiherald.com)

JUPITER -- As a child growing up in Miami, Gaby Sanchez didn’t have time to attend Opening Day Marlins games.

With his seemingly relentless, year-round schedule of basketball, soccer, baseball, football – not to mention school and homework – there just weren’t enough hours in most weekdays.

But on the weekends, whenever there was a smidge of free time, Sanchez found a way to squeeze the Marlins into his schedule.
On Friday, he will attend the Marlins’ opening-game ceremonies at home.

He’ll be playing first base.

“You’ve got all the nerves and all the blood coursing through your body,” Sanchez said, describing his opening-day experience from 2010 when Florida kicked off its season visiting the New York Mets. “That first game you’re always going to have those butterflies going through.”

HIS HOME TEAM
For Sanchez, the butterflies are understandable. He’ll be kicking off his second full season in the majors, and he’ll be doing it for the team he grew up watching.

Sanchez played catcher at the University of Miami, and before he was playing for the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, he was winning a state championship three miles down the road at Brito Miami Private School.

The Marlins came to town when he was 10 and still playing four different sports. When Sanchez’s father made him choose between the four at age 13, the choice was a simple one.

“Every single time I would play baseball, and then all of a sudden I would be in basketball season or football, I was like, ‘Man, I can’t wait until baseball season starts,’ ” Sanchez said.

He stuck with baseball and enjoyed the 1997 and 2003 World Series championship teams from afar.

Now he’s up close and personal with Marlins history, and he hopes to create some of his own history like the Bobby Bonillas and Mike Lowells of the past.

Last year, Sanchez didn’t let the pressure of playing in his home city faze him. He hit nearly 80 points better and had an on-base percentage 105 points higher at Sun Life Stadium than on the road.

And if there’s one thing batting coach John Mallee prizes in Sanchez, it’s his consistency.

Only three times during 2010 did Sanchez have three consecutive games without a hit.

“He has a plan and an approach in the box that he takes in every day,” Mallee said. “Even last year, the consistency of his approach has been great.”

Mallee also noted that Sanchez has picked up this spring right where he left off last year.

HOT START
With five games left to go in spring training, Sanchez has been right at the top of the team in several categories.

Among Marlins with more than 30 at-bats, Sanchez’s on-base percentage topped the team, and his slugging percentage was second only to Greg Dobbs. His .360 batting average also placed him fourth on the team.

Sanchez says he has numbers that he wants to reach, but he’s not willing to disclose those personal goals.

On a broader team level, though, he pictures a scenario where the Marlins close out their time in Sun Life Stadium with a dogpile after Game 7 of the World Series.

“That’s the best situation possible, to end with a bang, go into the new stadium being the champs from last year,” he said. “We know that’s on everybody’s mind, and I feel like we have the team that can easily do it. We have everything, basically.”



(miamiherald.com)

Gaby Sanchez went 3-for-4 and collected his 10th double of the spring Monday against the Cardinals.

The Marlins' plan was to bat Sanchez sixth behind Logan Morrison, but those two have been flip-flopped now, in part because Sanchez did such nice work in the cleanup spot while Mike Stanton was out. Sanchez is hitting .389 for the spring, and though he doesn't have a homer, he's slugging .574 in 54 at-bats.



(rotoworld.com)

Give Gaby Sanchez credit.

It would have been easy to shrug off Friday’s awful performance against the Mets since it was just the 13th game of the spring.

But Sanchez was furious after the game, ripping his team’s performance for the five errors and mentally detached manner they played while getting drubbed 10-0 by NY.

“Embarrassed. Awful. Terrible,” were words Sanchez used again and again.

SS Hanley Ramirez dropped an easy pop then air-mailed a throw, RF Bryan Peterson missed the cutoff man and made two throwing errors, and CF Scott Cousins got in on the action by letting a fly ball pop out of his glove.

It was ironic that the defensive implosion took place a couple hours after manager Edwin Rodriguez had cited the defense as something he thought was a highlight of the early spring.

That got washed away Friday, but Rodriguez is not ready to hit the panic button.

He called the game the worst of the spring, by far, but said the Marlins need to learn from it.

Sanchez is showing good leadership for still being a relative youngster. Hopefully that will rub off on some of his teammates who did not seem too concerned after participating in the meltdown.

To be fair, there is still a lot of spring left, but the Marlins need to come to play with more focus than they managed Friday or there will be more days that will leave Sanchez shaking his head and using the word “embarrassed” multiple times



(sun-sentinel.com)

Twan Ruseell, Gaby Sanchez and future proCanes Colin McCarthy, Damien Berry, Demarcus Van Dyke and Graig Cooper were guests on WQAM this past week. Click here to listen to the interviews.




(wqam.com)

JUPITER, Fla. -- If you use his rookie season as an indicator, Gaby Sanchez typically is at his best batting with runners on base.

In 2010, the Florida first baseman batted .310 with runners on, and he hit an impressive .291 with runners in scoring position.

A disciplined hitter who has an approach to stay up the middle, Sanchez emerged as one of Florida's most reliable run producers a year ago. For the season, he hit .273 with 19 homers, 37 doubles and 85 RBIs.

Sanchez finished five RBIs away from Dan Uggla's team rookie record of 90 RBIs, set in 2006.

Because of his ability to drive in runs, Sanchez is the Marlins' leading choice to bat cleanup in Spring Training while Mike Stanton is recovering from a right quad strain.

Stanton likely will miss at least two weeks of games.

"Gaby showed and proved that [he can drive in runs] last year," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "We moved him all over the lineup last year, and he still had close to [90] RBIs. I think he will be a run producer. He has discipline at the plate. He makes adjustments pretty easily."

In Florida's 6-3 win over the Cardinals on Monday, Sanchez went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs from the cleanup spot.

A year ago, Sanchez certainly showed his versatility and ability to adapt. He hit in every spot in the lineup except leadoff. He initially started off hitting eighth, before moving up to second, where he had most of his at-bats.

When Hanley Ramirez missed the final few weeks of the season with a left elbow sprain, Sanchez slid into the third spot. He also has hit fourth in three big league games, so he has some experience in that spot.

Stanton clearly profiles as a cleanup batter in the big leagues. But if Sanchez handles the spot in Spring Training, he could be the choice to bat fourth at least early in the season.

The organization is mindful that Stanton is still 21-years-old, and he played in 100 big league games as a rookie.

Rodriguez and the team will ultimately decide if Stanton is ready to bat cleanup in the season opener, or if he should start off hitting fifth or sixth and eventually move up.

In the meantime, Sanchez feels he gained a better understanding of how pitchers work a lineup because he experienced moving around so much in 2010.

"You definitely saw a difference between second and third, and then third and fifth," Sanchez said. "There is always that [adjustment] to try and figure out what they're going to pitch to that spot in the lineup.

"You might have second-and-third and one out, and they are like, 'Do I pitch around him to get the bases loaded and try to get the double play?' I got a lot of variations of how pitchers pitch in certain situations."

If Sanchez is hitting fourth for a while, he plans on sticking to the same approach he normally has with runners in scoring position.

"I just try to stay up the middle," he said. "I just do what I was taught my entire life. The best way to do it is to stay up the middle and use the big part of the field -- especially with a guy on third and one out.

"I just try to keep the ball in the middle of the field. If I get under it, it's going to be a fly ball to center, and an RBI. If you get jammed a little bit, it's still going to be a ground ball to short, and the guy can still score."



(mlb.com)

JUPITER, Fla. -- Here's the thing about Gaby Sanchez, the Cracker Jack Floridafirst baseman who pulled off the strange-but-true feat last summer of leading all NL rookies in hits, RBI and doubles, yet finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting:

He's petrified of heights.

True story, even though he got some pretty good air while hitting .273 with a .341 on-base percentage, 19 homers and 85 RBI last summer.

The numbers themselves still weren't enough to divert much attention away from San Francisco's Buster Posey, who won the NL Rookie award. Or Atlanta's Jason Heyward, who was voted into the All-Star Game as a starter before having to take a pass with a thumb injury. Or even, for crying out loud, St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia, who finished third in the voting.

Hey, playing in Florida can be like playing in another country. Goes with the territory, like swamps and alligators.

"I don't think there's anything bad about being steady Eddie and producing," Sanchez says.

But in an indication that, just maybe, Sanchez isn't quite as under the radar as he once was as 2011 roars toward us, his Wikipedia page informs that, "in his free time, he enjoys skydiving."

"No," he says. "I'm really afraid of heights."

Somebody's messing with him.

"No way do I skydive," he says, shaking his head and chuckling. "The only way I'd do that is if somebody got me up in the air, blindfolded and in a harness, and then told me to step out the door because we're going bike riding. They couldn't pay me enough to do that."

And clearly, they mess with him because they care.

"My first professional roommate," says left fielder Logan Morrison, another marquee young talent in a clubhouse stocked with it. "Great roommate. He showed me the ropes. We went to movies, went to the mall. I didn't have a car then, I was only 18."

"He's a really good player," says Hanley Ramirez, closest thing to a superstar in this Marlins clubhouse. "He keeps learning every day. And he keeps working to get better. It's what you look for."

At 27 -- old for a rookie, old for a Marlin, but still young enough to keep raising that career-arc to even greater heights -- Sanchez is in the perfect place at the perfect time. He's got a firm foothold in the major leagues, and he's on the ground in South Florida. He was born here. Raised here. Attended high school here before moving on the play college ball at the University of Miami.

Drafted as a third baseman and experimented with in the outfield, Sanchez finally settled in at first base and, in his first full big league season, played in 151 games and came to the plate a whopping 643 times.

Especially impressive were the on-base percentage, doubles (37) and grind-it-out at-bats.

"Definitely," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez says. "His mental toughness. Even if he knows something is not working on a particular day, he'll adjust his swing. He handles tough times very well."

"He's not scared to strike out," Ramirez says of his trademark tough at-bats. "That's what happens when you're not scared to strike out."

Also eye-opening was the way he intercepted Washington's Nyjer Morgan last September when Morgan charged the mound after Chris Volstad threw a pitch behind Morgan. Showing sprinter's speed and exquisite reflexes, Sanchez reached the mound a split-second after Morgan and floored him with a forearm shiver.

That alone won him friends for life in the Florida clubhouse, and though the Marlins have since moved on to other topics, Sanchez remains a cult hero among fans.

"Every single time somebody sees me, that's all they mention," he says. "It's crazy. It doesn't matter what kind of year you have, they mention that one thing."

But everybody knows, if Sanchez wasn't bringing it in other areas, he wouldn't be around very long for fans to ask him about it.

Among other things, he's working hard on his defense this spring with infield coach Perry Hill, one of the best in the business. Positioning, footwork, everything.

Offensively, Sanchez is hopeful of even bigger things now that he's been around the track once and has a working knowledge of NL pitchers. To that degree, he also worked hard on his strength over the winter after fatigue slowed him late and he hit only .212 with a .292 on-base percentage in September.

"It was a quick season," he says. "It felt like it happened in a blur.

"It was exciting to get to play every day, and then all of a sudden there are only two months left and you're like, 'Wow, this is flying.'"
Just don't expect him to look down. There will be no skydiving, whatever heights he reaches.

"I like to fish, and go to movies," he says. "Hang out with my wife. That's about it.

"Nothing crazy."



(cbssports.com)

Click here to see last year’s photos

To see more photos click here ---> Read More...

Gaby Sanchez: With Steve Garvey stockiness (and a little more size), Sanchez was remarkably consistent while changing the Marlins' plans at first base with his power. With that base of work behind him, more of the same is the general expectation.

Danny Valencia: The Twins are hoping he fills the black hole that has been third base, where 18 different players started in six years before he took over last July. Maintaining the high offensive output he had the second half of 2010 won't be easy.



(mlb.com)

Five years ago, if you wanted to peak into the everyday life of an MLB baseball player at all hours of the day and night, it required that you engage in activities that were very likely to get you slapped with a restraining order. Now, thanks to Twitter, you creepers can climb down from the tree and toss the binoculars, because stalking your favorite baseball player has been made 100% legal. In fact, it's even encouraged.

Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez recently took up tweeting, and since he signed up on Twitter last month, he has been great about giving fans glimpses of his everyday life, answering their questions, and even asking their advice on occasion. You can (and really should) follow Gaby on Twitter here: @gabysanchez15. Tell him FishStripes sent you.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Gaby about his tweets, what he's been doing to prep for Spring Training, and of course, the upcoming Marlins season. Here's what he had to say:

FishStripes: We were excited when you finally joined Twitter last month. What prompted you to join, and what do you think about "tweeting" as a way to interact with your fans?
Gaby: The main reason I joined twitter was to interact with the fans. Last year I saw some guys on the team tweeting with their fans and having fun with it. So in the off season I decided to join the twitter world to talk with the fans and give them a little insight to what goes on with me on a day-to-day basis. I will say that I never knew twitter would be so much fun.

Quite a few of your teammates are on Twitter now. Is it a little competitive between you all as far as who has the most followers?
Not for me. I don't think twitter should be used as a numbers game to see who can get more people to follow them. I think twitter is about chatting with fans. Plus, those guys got a head start, haha.

As of right now you have around 1,700 followers. When you reach a landmark number of followers, are you going to go with the trend of doing a big giveaway? If so, what will you give away?
I will do some giveaways for the twitter fans that follow me. Might be some signed pictures, balls, bats, and maybe jerseys depending on the number. 

Besides @FishStripes, who is your favorite person to follow on Twitter?
I like following the guys on the team like Stanton, Lomo, Petey.

As fun as Twitter is, you're about to get down to business since Spring Training starts next month. Is it a different feeling for you this year going into Spring Training, since you're not competing for a starting position? Is there less pressure?
It is a lot less pressure going into spring training, not because of the competition but because I have a full season as a starter under my belt. I still have to go out there and do my job.

Are there any specific areas of your game that you’ve been focusing on improving this off-season? One of the big things I'm working on this off-season is strength and stamina.
Of course I work on defense and offense, but I felt myself get tired the last month of the season and I don't want that to happen again. I want my body to be physically prepared for the long season.

Last year you hit mainly second in the lineup, and some third. This season you’ll be hitting further down in the order, fifth or sixth. Will the move to the "RBI" portion of the order cause you to change your approach at the plate?
No, I keep my same approach when I'm hitting no matter where it is in the lineup. I try and stay gap to gap and hopefully this year I'll be able to hit some more home runs.

The team made some pretty significant changes in the off-season. What do you think about the changes, and the Marlins chances in 2011?
I think we are going to have a great team. Looks like we are going to have a strong lineup 1-8. In fact, even our pitchers rake on occasion. Everyone knows we have one of the best starting pitching staffs in baseball. The trade has given the bullpen some great arms. I feel like what we did this offseason has given us a great chance to compete and win in 2011.

Thanks, Gaby, and good luck this season!



(fishstripes.com)